I’ve been on this diet for quite a while and am often asked about it’s specifics. I often get comments like: “is this the lean and green diet?” The answer is, well, sort of. While the lean and green meal is one aspect of this diet each day, it isn’t the only one. I’ll explain exactly what I mean by this in the following article.
The Medifast Lean And Green Meal Explained: The diet itself isn’t called the lean and green. Instead, this meal is a fresh, larger meal that you will eat each day. You eat six times daily on this diet. For five times per day, you eat the prepackaged foods that are sent to you by the company. These are smaller, easy to prepare meals that include the popular shakes, protein bars, chili, oatmeal, eggs, stews, soups, puddings, cappuccino, chips, fruit drinks, etc.
But, for one meal each day you will prepare a fresh, larger meal on your own – called, of course “the lean and green.” Yes, you do get to eat “real food” on Medifast. So what does this meal consist of? Basically, it is 5-7 ounces of protein and 3 servings of vegetables. The protein can be meat (beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.) or vegetarian options like eggs, tofu, or TVP. The company provides you with documentation which shows you which types of protein are leanest, but the choice is really yours (although obviously you don’t want to chose fatty meats like burgers or lunch meats.)
As for the veggies, Medifast encourages you to consume more of the lower carb vegetables (greens and salad type ingredients – lettuce, mushrooms, etc.) and less of the high carb veggies like potatoes,carrots, corn, and peas. Again, the choice is yours, but you are educated on the best choices. For me, it’s easiest just to consume a lot of salad and stir fry. I particularly like the stir fry that contains a lot of red and green peppers. And the three servings that are allowed are generous enough to fill you up pretty well.
Is The Lean And Green Meal Required? Can I Skip It?: People often ask me if they will lose more weight by skipping this larger meal. In my opinion, the answer is no. The reason that this diet works so well is because eating so often with foods that are low in calories and high in protein puts your body in a metabolic situation called ketosis. This is where your body finally hits it’s stride and starts to burn it’s own fat. By skipping this meal, you are only impeding this process. And, even though the Medifast foods are fortified with lots of nutrients, it’s always a good idea to consume fresh foods. Plus, eventually when you reach your weight loss goals, you will go on to final phase of the diet where you begin eating a diet made up your own choices again. One of the main functions of the lean meal is to help you learn to make smart, healthful choices. You’re only cheating yourself if you skip this step. Finally, this meal can be as simple or as elaborate as you chose to make it. I make it very simply by using a George Foreman grill, but I have friends who go all out and get very creative. It’s designed with a lot of choices and flexibility in mind to keep you from getting bored and to encourage to get creative with healthful food choices and preparation.
Lindsey’s Medifast Review Website features recipes, videos, tips, coupons ($50 off or two weeks free), information, and products related to success on this diet. She also offers a free ebook (“Getting The Most Out Of Medifast”) to help you get started. You can visit her at http://easiest-diet.com/medifast.
