Medifast and NutriSystem are two of the most popular meal delivery diets on the market today. Both provide you with pre-portioned, calorie controlled meals and snacks that take most of the guess work out of preparing a healthy diet for around the same price. So which diet is right for you? We take a look at the similarities, and a few differences, between these successful diets. 

Overview

Medifast is a home meal delivery service that provides you with portion controlled, high protein meals. Named #7 on the list of the Best Commercial Diets by US News in 2011, Medifast claims dieters can lose up to 20 pounds in their first month. The success of the Medifast program has been proven in multiple clinical studies, including a Johns Hopkins study that found Medifast helps dieters lose weight quickly and safely, and helped type 2 diabetics lose twice as much weight as those following the American Diabetes Association’s dietary recommendations. Medifast also showed improvements in those with hypertension and high cholesterol.

NutriSystem is also a meal delivery service that provides meals and snacks that are calorie-controlled and pre-prepared, only requiring you to supplement in a few fresh foods. NutriSystem meals are available in both shelf-stable options and their fresh-frozen line of meals.

Price

Medifast is reasonably priced and doesn’t require you to purchase any additional food. All of the Medifast products are available for purchase through their website, and you can also purchase meals at a few physical centers throughout the country. Prices vary based on your meal choices, but two weeks worth of meals and snacks will set you back about $160.00. For more accurate pricing, see the Medifast website.

NutriSystem will run you anywhere from about $263.00 to $342.00 per month depending on the how many months you buy at a time and any discounts that are available, making it a little more expensive on average than Medifast, but it all depends on what you purchase.

Meals

The Medifast menu consists of shakes, bars, soups, and sides you can mix and match to create your daily menu. Medifast offers 70 meal choices for different palates and dietary needs. There are Medifast products available for Kosher, low glycemic, lactose-free and vegetarian diets with specific plans for men, women, and diabetics. The Medifast plan takes out all the prep work and planning time of a healthy diet, but some find the low carb aspect hard to adjust to and social situations are difficult due to the lack of flexibility in the meals.

Experts agree NutriSystem is healthy and well balanced, and low in saturated and trans fats. NutriSystem meals also have a low glycemic index, and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. NutriSystem offers numerous plans depending on your needs, including plans designed for men, women, diabetics and vegetarians. Plans and meals are purchased from NutriSystem’s website, but you will need to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables on your own.

To learn more about the many programs NutriSystem has to offer, read our full NutriSystem review.

Fitness

The Medifast website offers exercise guidelines, but there is no specific workout program. Medifast encourages daily exercise, but for how long and how often is for you to decide. Medifast recommends waiting two to three weeks before introducing exercise to your program. Consult your physician if you are new to exercise. If you have been exercising consistently before starting Medifast, they recommend you reduce your intensity for the first couple of weeks so your body can adjust to the lower level of calories you will be consuming. They also recommend limiting vigorous physical activity to 45 minutes a day.

NutriSystem has created three workout DVDs; two titled Women’s Walk and Silver Walk, created by fitness expert Leslie Sansone, and a third DVD for men created by former NFL pro Vaughn Hebron called Functional Movement Workout. While you will recieve a DVD based on what best suits the program you chose, how often you exercise is left up to you, with no guidelines set in place.

Conclusion

Medifast and NutriSystem are very similiar. The two main differences are price: NutriSystem is more expensive on average, but NutriSystem has many plans to choose from which can make it cheaper than Medifast, and flexibility: NutriSystem offers many, many different plans to choose from, ranging from 100 percent controlled to only partially where you have some flexibility to eat out or prepare your own meals. For a more customizable plan, go for NutriSystem, but you will have to purchase additional food. If you want everything laid out for you, with zero extra work, choose Medifast. It is rigid, which makes it easy if you can stick to it.

Learn More About Medifast

Body by Vi Diet vs. Medifast Diet

Medifast Explained

Learn More About Nutrisystem

Best and Worst Nutrisystem Meals

Nutrisystem Allows You to Enjoy Regular Food

April 4th, 2012

Posted in: diet, medifast, Nutrisystem

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by Kelly — Blog Editor

Twitter: @KellyTurnerEGN

Kelly’s a no-nonsense ACE-certified personal trainer with a practical voice when it comes to fitness. She often has a hard time saying no to camping in the Seattle rain, or eating peanut butter.

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Click photo to enlargeHe has prescribed the hormone to some of his patients so they may follow an associated diet plan, but Dr. Stefan Schaefer, a local physician, said he’s “not enthralled with it.”

For Las Cruces-based registered dietitian Rosa Lopez, the protocol known as the hCG diet brings frustration.

“I have an issue with plans that don’t teach people about their choices, and don’t let them keep (weight) off,” she said.

Last December, the Food and Drug Administration went on the attack against over-the-counter hCG products explicitly, while firing an implicit shot at the hCG diet.

When Sandy Zalecki, 55, first heard of the hCG diet, she was skeptical, too.

Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone most commonly produced by developing embryos, and found in pregnant women.

The FDA issued warning letters to seven manufacturers that were marketing over-the-counter hCG products, labeled has a “homeopathic” means of weight loss.

In a news release, the FDA wrote that these manufacturers were, “violating federal law by selling drugs that have not been approved, and by making unsupported claims for the substances.”

The FDA has not approved any hCG weight loss products, and hCG is legally available now only by prescription.

But back then, Zalecki was frustrated.

She had never been heavy, but gained significant weight after age 35. At the same time, she had what she described as gastrointestinal issues, blackouts and “fuzzy thinking.”

“Everything was starting to

get screwed up,” she said.

Zalecki’s hunch was that her sudden health problems were being caused by her relatively new job at a Phoenix chemical plant. She was turned off by doctors who wanted to treat her with medication — more chemicals, to her thinking.

A cleanse recommended by a homeopathic doctor helped some of Zalecki’s issues, but not her hypoglycemia. She said she had to eat constantly — every two hours, even waking up at night — to avoid feeling faint.

As a result of that, Zalecki gained about 150 pounds over a three-year period. She had tried several diets, but was nearly 300 pounds by 2009.
Eventually, she tried the hCG diet protocol, which incorporates what the FDA calls a “severely restrictive diet” (500 calories per day) and injections of the hormone. The hormone, hCG, is supposed to curb hunger and reset certain glands, the same claims asserted since the protocol was first written about in the 1950s.

“I figured, I’ve tried every other harebrained thing, I might as well try it,” Zalecki said.

In about 18 months, she lost 130 pounds. She said it also fixed her other ailments, as she no longer takes many of the medications she once had.
Now a believer, Zalecki serves as a consultant at Obesity Disease Center, a counseling clinic. She offers tips and shares her experiences with others, particularly those interested in the hCG diet.

Schaefer and Lopez have talked with those people, too.

“One woman said, ‘It changed my life,’” Schaefer recalled.

The only FDA approved reason a doctor can prescribe hCG is for fertility treatment. But doctors can write prescriptions for off-label purposes. The diet protocol fits that description for hCG.

“I think it should be done under the supervision of a physician,” Schaefer said. ” things like that are not the cure-all.”

He admits that he has seen people on the hCG diet protocol lose weight, but said there’s no evidence that the hormone plays any role. Schaefer noted that placebo studies have yielded similar results.

Lopez said it’s a simple matter of drastically reducing calorie intake.

She said Americans, on average, eat between 2,600 to 3,000 calories per day (excessive for most people), and that typical weight-loss diets cut those calories to between 900 and 1,200 per day. Based on those numbers, Lopez said it’s easy to see how a person could lose weight on a 500-calorie diet.

The problem, she added, is that extreme of a diet has less than a 10 percent success rate for keeping the weight off long-term — and may compound other health issues.

The FDA’s news release that warns consumers about illegal hCG products also says that a 500-calorie diet is “unhealthy,” “hazardous” and “potentially fatal.” Some of the side effects: gallstone formation, electrolyte imbalance and irregular heartbeat. The release also notes that anybody limiting themselves to 500 calories per day should do so only under doctor supervision.

As for use of hCG itself, there are some rare but serious side effects, including an allergic reaction — rash, swelling of the face, tongue or throat, dizziness, and trouble breathing — and thyroid concerns. That underscores the importance of consulting a physician.

Despite her skepticism, Lopez admitted that hCG could help with user’s motivation and confidence.

That could also apply to products marketed as with the confusing title “hormone-free hCG.” Those are said to have a similar chemical structure to the federally regulated hormone, and to offer similar benefits. As long as there is no hCG in the product, and it doesn’t claim extra weight-loss benefits, it is legal to market.

“This is the problem,” Lopez said. “They are legally allowed to sell them without science.”

Schaefer calls homeopathic hCG a “scam.”

Yet despite those opinions, which are echoed throughout the medical community, there are people such as Zalecki, who have lost weight on the hCG diet, even while using non-hormone hCG products.

Zalecki, wanting to drop more weight, started the hCG protocol again last month.

It’s her eighth time on the regimen.

James Staley can be reached at (575) 541-5476

What is hCG?

Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone most commonly produced by developing embryos, and found in pregnant women

Pregnancy tests are designed to detect trace amounts of hCG, which can be present in urine as soon as 10 days after conception, according to the National Health Institutes

hCG is also secreted by some cancerous cells

hCG is used to treat fertility issues in women and men

Play ball!

If you follow baseball closely enough, you are probably aware of hCG for a different reason.

In 2008, according to reports, former Major League slugger and self-professed steroid user Jose Canseco was detained by immigration officials near San Diego for trying to bring hCG into Mexico.

A year later, then-Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating baseball’s drug policy; he tested positive for hCG.

In men, hCG is used as a fertility booster because it helps increase testosterone production. Steroid users are known to use hCG because it helps reset their bodies’ natural testosterone production, a process that stops during cycles of anabolic steroid use.

Buyer beware

These manufacturers and their products were initially targeted by a joint action of the FDA and FTC because the items they sold were deemed illegal homeopathic weight loss products.

Here’s a list, with the manufacturer/distributor, and their illegal products below.

HCG Diet Direct, LLC

- HCG Diet Homeopathic Drops

HCG 1234 LLC (The hCG Drops LLC)

-Homeopathic HCG

HCG Platinum LLC; RightWay Nutrition

-HCG Platinum

-HCG Platinum X-30

-HCG Platinum X-14

Nutri Fusion Systems LLC

-HCG Fusion 30

-HCG Fusion 43

www.resetthebody.com1; www.theoriginalhcgdrops.com2

-Homeopathic Original HCG

-Homeoapthic HCG

Hcg-miracleweightloss.com

-HCG Extra Weight Loss Homeoapthic Drops

Natural3 Medical Supply

-Alcohol Free hCG Weight Loss Formula

— Source: FDA

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When I lost 25 pounds five years ago everyone asked me: How’d you do it?

What diet are you on? What pill are you taking? The answer, boringly enough, is: I eat the healthiest foods I can find. It’s not really a diet but a mindset-when you eat this way, you’re never hungry, don’t have to count calories and you can even have a treat every day. And no, I hate pills. I don’t even take Tylenol. People would hear this and roll their eyes and huff and say, whatever. They chalked up my weight loss to the fact that I exercise a lot…but I have always exercised a lot and despite it, carried 20 to 25 extra pounds on me. I was fit underneath, but fat on top.

My turnaround came when I decided to ditch junk food and bring on superfoods-foods that naturally help your body burn fat and be healthier. (Two of my all-time faves-coffee and dark chocolate-qualify!) I started eating more of them and when the weight peeled off and stayed off, I knew I’d hit on something powerful. I put it all down in a book called The Drop 10 Diet because that’s how many pounds you can lose in just 5 weeks, although you can keep going and lose as much as you want to. Eating this way, more than 40 testers shed weight equally as fast and as effortlessly as I did and now the idea has taken off.

The trick to the plan is to eat as many of the superfoods as you can at every meal and snack-each one is scientifically proven to help rev metabolism (protein and certain “good” fats do this) and shed belly fat (calcium is key). Some even keep every calorie you eat from sticking around (fiber is the magic ingredient here). By filling up on superfoods, you can, in just over one month, drop 10 pounds while staying full and satisfied. Plus, you’ll have more energy, be less stressed, and feel more motivated to work out because you’re fueling your body with the best nutrients Mother Nature can offer. Try it! There are 30 of these superfoods, including surprising picks like lean steak-its protein helps you build muscle, so your body burns more calories while you’re sitting there reading this. Get The Drop 10 Diet and start losing, today! Let the foods do the work for you!

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It’s human nature to clean your plate — and the more you’re served (or serve yourself), the more you’re likely to eat. For example, when researchers at Pennsylvania State University in University Park gave people standard-size meals for 11 days, then supersized them by 50 percent, diners took in 423 more calories per day. If you need help sticking to sensible portions when eating meals off the Drop 10 plan, downsize your dishes: Smaller plates hold less. Also, if you have trouble eyeballing servings, whip out measuring spoons and cups. It’s worth taking a little extra time now so you won’t see pounds appear later.

Flickr photo by nate steiner

Excerpted from “THE DROP 10 DIET” by Lucy Danziger Copyright © 2012 by Lucy Danziger. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

For more on diet and nutrition, click here.

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