Medifast Weight loss program
Naturally, every person regardless of who you are always wants to look and feel good, this is the essence of weight management. It focuses on what a person ingests or what they do to get rid of unwanted weight from their bodies. Exercise is the most recommended method for weight loss programs since it is the most natural way of losing weight. A person does not have to starve their body through this process as it helps in slowing down metabolism and creates a calorie deficit. However, working out may be not the only way to lose weight, one should also watch the food they eat so as to manage their weight, and this is what Medifast weight management offers. It will be the center of discussion in this essay (Baumeister, 2013). According to this program, eating right is the main reason for success of weight loss. It proposes that a person should eat six meals daily to manage cravings for calorie foods that in most cases are highly processed foods. Thus, with a good routine of the program a person is assured of losing 2-5 pounds in the initial two weeks and 1-2 pounds thereafter. The program has three phases of losing weight. The first phase is weight loss, the second transition and the final stage is maintenance (Baumeister, 2013). The first phase is about what you eat, mostly greens and it offers various flexible meals. The second phase there is reintroduction of a new group every week and the third continuing with the program while regularly exercising. These meals are the Medifast meals, lean meals, greens and healthy fats. This program is very effective since it can be carried out without a doctor's supervision. It is very safe to do on your own and is very suitable for people with very busy schedule who find it almost impossible to create time to work out. Medifast meals have high density of nutrients coupled with 24 vitamins and minerals which do not compromise on the nutrition value of what a person consumes (Baumeister, 2013). Each meal has enough low protein and healthy fiber that keeps one satisfied thereby eliminating cravings due to hunger that can sabotage weight loss plan. The main objective of the Medifast meals is to make the body reach a mild-fat burning state to preserve the muscle tissue and this assists in losing fat. The Medifast meal plans are also flexible and take into attention persons with exceptional needs such as heart diseases or vegetarians. The body, like any other natural entity, obeys physical laws working on the energy principle, this implies that for any excess energy introduced to the body, modifies the internal system through the transformation of potential chemical energy. The body's main energy storage is fat and consequent energy intake greater than energy expenditure results into an increase in the adipose tissue accompanying an increase in the lean mass, hence an increase in the body weight (Stroebe, 2008). From a situation of weight stability, a perpetual increase in the amount of energy intake yields an increase in the body weight. Energy intake can be through intake of high calorie drinks, highly processed foods or being inactive. Given the fact that body weight is proportional to energy expenditure, an increase in the body weight expenditure causes an increase in the energy expenditure (Baumeister, 2013). The weight will act on stabilizing when the energy intake equals energy expenditure. The exact opposite occurs when energy intake is persistently reduced, leading to the conclusion that in the same conditions for each, a definite energy intake corresponds to a definite body weight, which is responsible for the production of energy expenditure that is equal to that energy intake. Also, for every permanent change in energy intake, there is a definite change in body weight that corresponds to change in body weight. The implication is that for a similar permanent change in energy intake, the quantity of weight gained is dependent on the energy expenditure of the weight gained or lost that in turn depends on its composition and the unit expenditure of its components (Baumeister, 2013). It is against this backdrop that Medifast bases its argument that six meals in a day that include consumption of fibers is vital so as to reduce craving for sugars responsible for weight gain. The materials used in this program are very flexible to suit each and every person’s needs depending on their lifestyle schedules. The meals do not compromise on the nutritional content of meals despite being on a weight loss program. The phases are designed, in a way as to allow for the development giving the body time to readjust itself to the physiological processes that it is being induced into. I would endorse this program to any individual who finds hard to maintain a busy schedule while still being active. Those who live sedentary lifestyles should also try this program. It not only focuses on shedding of weight but is also very educative and inspiring.
References
Stroebe, W., & American Psychological Association. (2008). Dieting, overweight, and obesity: Self-regulation in a food-rich environment. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2013). Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications. New York: Guilford.
