The Medifast 5+1 Or The 4+2: How Do You Decide Which Plan Is For You?

I sometimes hear from people who are confused as to which Medifast plan to choose. I get a good deal of questions from people trying to determine the differences between the 4 + 1 or the 5 +1. I often hear comments like "I am trying to decide between the Medifast 4 +1 or the 5+1. What's the real difference? Which are most people on? I like the idea of having two larger meals, but I'm not sure if the calories are low enough for me to lose decent amounts of weight on that plan." I'll try to offer some clarification in the following article.

The 5 +1 Is The Most Popular Medifast Plan: With the 5 +1, you are eating five prepackaged meals per day plus one main "lean and green meal." You have the option of making this yourself or going with a carefully chosen frozen meal from the grocery store. (You can even use a restaurant meal if you're careful.) Many like the idea of eating something fresh each day.

I have to admit that this is by far the most popular package. I think that there are a couple of reasons for this. First, many people like the idea of only having one meal to cover or prepare on their own. Secondly, this option takes in around 1200 calories per day which can offer both quick and dramatic results. So many consider this to be both an effective and convenient plan. With that said, some do end up choosing the 4 +1, especially in their later phase of the diet.

Many People Use The 4 + 2 To Transition Off Of Medifast: For the most part, I find that the people on this plan are transitioning off the diet. Usually, they have met their weight loss goals and they have worked their way back up to 2 lean and green meals. So, they're only using 4 of the prepackaged diet meals. The idea is that eventually, they will work their way back up to regular and sensible eating. Eventually, they make have a Medifast snack or two that they've come to like, but this is more out of habit than necessity. I've found that people who don't enjoy cooking would prefer to be responsible for only one meal on their own. However, there are folks that truly don't mind preparing their own food, especially those who have been on the diet for a while.

So, Which Is It?: If you're just starting the diet and not transitioning, keep in mind that you will take in more calories on the 4 + 2 because you're eating two larger meals rather than only one. Since most people try to keep their lean and green at about 500 calories, you're looking at around 1600 - 1700 calories per day on this plan. However, when you consider that many people take in anywhere from 2000 - 3000 calories each day, you're probably still taking in far fewer calories than normal no matter which option you chose.

I hope that I've shown you the difference between these two plans. Both can help you lose weight and, if you really enjoy cooking your own meals and worry about being hungry, the 4 + 2 plan can be a nice way to cut your calories while not making very drastic changes. Keep in mind though that as far as support goes, most people just go with the popular 5 + 1 until they transition off the plan. But I think that both plans are more than workable, depending on your goals. Some people don't have a lot of weight to lose and 1600 calories per day are still going to be very effective for them. On the flip side, some want to have weight loss as soon as possible and they'd prefer to be more aggressive with one less lean and green meal.

Want more tips for getting started on Medifast? Lindsey Price is the author of the free ebook "Getting The Most Out Of Medifast," which includes coupons and discounts, a list of all of the food options (including the shakes,) detailed information about the diet and how it works, it's pros and cons, having success on it, and recipes for it. To get a free copy (immediate download/no information required), click here. You can also visit her diet review website to read it at http://easiest-diet.com/

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Which Nutrisystem Dinners Taste The Best?

I sometimes hear from people who are trying to determine which meals to order from Nutrisystem. And they are trying to figure out which foods they might like or enjoy the most. One of the most common inquiries or concerns focus on the dinner meals. This makes sense as these meals are a little more substantial and contain slightly bigger portions. In the following article, I'm going to tell you what I think are the best tasting dinners. Keep in mind that this in only my opinion but interestingly enough, most of my picks are ranked highly by other users.

Southwest-Style Chicken Wrap: This is an item from the basic menu. It is spicy and substantial and it includes chicken, beans, rice, corn, and peppers in a tortilla. To me, it taste a lot like a fajita. You can make this in the microwave. This meal is rated nearly five stars by other users.

Turkey Pepperoni Pizza: This item comes from the select or frozen gourmet line. The topping is really truly meant to taste like pepperoni and it is pretty close. There is a generous amount of cheese. You probably won't mistake this for delivery pizza because of its size, but it's very tasty. It's pretty filling also. It too is rated almost five stars. You can microwave it or bake it an oven. This is my favorite pizza on the menu, but if you're not going for the select foods, many of the pizzas on the basic line are quite good as well.

Chili With Beans: This comes off of the basic menu and it does contain beef (although there is a vegetarian version as well,) and it's very substantial. I like this because it is tasty and versatile. I've been known to use this on top of the turkey dog at lunch. And I also sometimes wrap it in a tortilla with a little cheese. It's rated over 4 1/2 starts out of a scale from 1 to 5.

Flame Broiled Beef Patty (Hamburger) I'm not sure why this is referred to as the "flame broiled beef patty" when in fact it is a hamburger and that is exactly what it tastes like. This meal doesn't include the bread or roll, but you are allowed to have one. As the name implies, this patty is pre broiled. You basically just reheat it and then add your toppings. It is rated 4 out of 4 stars.

Mushroom Risotto: This item is also off the basic menu. According to the ingredients list, it contains Italian sausage in addition to mushrooms, but it doesn't taste overly meaty to me. What I notice is that it's very creamy and it's not at all dry and crumbly like pre made risotto can sometimes be. It is rated about 4 stars.

Ravioli Formaggio: This is a frozen entrée that is also on the select line. I didn't really choose this because it tastes all that much different from regular ravioli. I just choose it because not many diets allow you to have cheese filled pasta so really, what's not to like? It's rated about 4 stars.

Cajun Chicken And Sausage With Rice: I like this entrée for the same reasons that I like the southwest chicken wrap. There are very distinct and strong flavors that you normally don't find on a diet. And unlike the wrap, this entrée is available on the basic menu. One taste and you detect a lot of Cajun seasonings. It's a bit spicy, but that is what I like about it. And it's rated over 4 stars.

I hope I've shown you that there's a wide variety of foods that I find tasty on both the basic and select lines. Your opinions may differ from mine, but luckily, there are a lot of dinner items from which to choose.

Want more tips on being successful on or starting Nutrisystem? Ava's Nutrisystem Information Website features articles meant to help you evaluate and help you have success with this diet. There's also a link to a free eBook and the latest coupons to help you get started. You can visit her at http://ava-alderman-weight-loss-articles.com/

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