5-in-1 Plan Transition and Maintenance
Transition is the next phase of the Medifast Program. During Transition, you will be reintroduced to fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and higher-carbohydrate vegetables. You will begin Transition once you have reached your goal weight.
During Transition, you incrementally increase your daily caloric intake by reintroducing a different food group each week. The actual number of calories you need during Transition is individual, and varies depending on factors such as: height, weight, gender, your lean muscle mass, and activity level. In order to help pinpoint a calorie level appropriate for you, please refer to the Medifast Transition and Maintenance Guide, which is available free of charge, and can be ordered via The Official Medifast Site
The information provided below will give you an idea of how long you should remain in Transition -- depending upon the amount of weight you lost:
- If you lost less than 50 pounds, allow 8 weeks to transition
- If you lost 50 to 100 pounds, allow 12 weeks to transition
- If you lost more than 100 pounds, allow 16 weeks to transition
The key to transitioning from the 5 and 1 Plan is to gradually increase your calorie intake over time.
Maintenance
After Transition, Let Medifast Help
Maintenance essentially is the process of sustaining your
weight loss results by making healthy food choices and
living an active lifestyle. You will soon discover that
Maintenance is a perpetual "calorie balancing and
monitoring act." The ultimate goal of Maintenance is
to help you remain at a healthy weight for the rest of
your life.
For many individuals, Maintenance begins with a 1,500 calorie per day diet. However, the actual number of calories you need to maintain a stable weight over the long term is individual and varies depending on factors such as height, weight, gender, your lean muscle mass, and activity level. You may need to experiment with different calorie levels during Maintenance in order to find what level is right for you.
In order to help pinpoint a calorie level appropriate for you, please refer to the Medifast Transition and Maintenance Guide. This comprehensive guide contains detailed information on how to accurately figure out a Maintenance calorie level appropriate for you. The guide is available free of charge, and can be ordered or downloaded at The Official Medifast Site
Some Helpful Hints:
- Continue to eat 6 SMALL meals each day.
- Make vegetables one-half of your plate during mealtime to reduce calories.
- Choose lean cuts of meat. Measure meat portions to be between 4 to 6 oz. cooked weight. 4 oz. of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards or a computer mouse.
- Bake, Grill, Steam, Poach or Broil. Avoid fried foods or foods with cream sauces.
- Read food labels for serving size information.
- Drink calorie free beverages such as plain water, calorie free flavored water or diet drinks, diet soda, coffee, unsweetened tea.
- In a restaurant, food portions can be 2 to 4 times larger than the normal serving size. At the beginning of the meal, ask for a "To-Go" box and put at least half of the meal in the container. Or split your meal with someone. Order sauce and/or dressing "on the side" -- and use only a portion of it.
- Continue to weigh yourself on a weekly basis.
- Begin or continue to exercise daily. Small changes in your activity level can lead to big changes in your overall health.
If You Regain Weight
Any time you regain 5 to 10 pounds, consider going back on the Medifast 5 and 1 Plan for a few weeks. Approach it as a short term treatment plan that puts you back where you want to be. Also, evaluate your current life issues to see if there are areas where you need to make changes. Have you let your exercise program slip? Are you allowing stress or other emotional issues to affect your eating patterns? Are your portions too big? Take a careful look at where you might be slipping up and change those patterns immediately.
A New Beginning
Medifast doesn't end with the 5 and 1 Plan for weight loss. Transition and Maintenance are essential to maintaining weight loss results long-term. Many people include 2 to 3 Medifast Meals a day as part of their ongoing Maintenance plan. Embrace Medifast as an opportunity to create a better future -- a new beginning.
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