Medifast

Medifast Reviews

About Medifast

Medifast is ideal for dieters who haven’t gotten results from a traditional healthy meal plan or are considering surgery to achieve weight loss. Medifast is a simple weight loss program that features five meal replacement items and one meal per day. It includes options for support through support groups and health coaches.

Pros
  • Weight loss tracker
  • One-on-one counseling with coaches
  • Free online meal planner
  • Options for vegetarians, diabetics
Cons
  • Not available in grocery stores
  • Expensive products

Medifast Reviews

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    Page 4 Reviews 240 - 440
    Price

    Reviewed Sept. 11, 2015

    The biggest problem I have is that this plan is NOT cost neutral as everyone involved with the program claim. They hook you in claiming that weight loss is "2-5 lbs the 1st week and 1-2 lbs after that", this was not my case. In 6 months I lost 14 pounds. All while paying $285-$300/month for food plus more money at the store for my lean and green meal. Just another program that didn't deliver.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 11, 2015

    I was never heavy until 3 yrs ago due to personal issues and had gained weight. After a yr of being heavy, I decided to go on Medifast. So, two yrs ago I went on the 5&1 and lost 40 lbs. I stayed very thin for 2 yrs. I really changed my lifestyle and was the happiest I have been in awhile. I went on vacation for a month and when I came back I knew I had gained a couple of pounds, which I really could afford to have gained because I was too thin. I did try on a dress I was wearing to my daughter's wedding and it looked like I needed to lose a lb or 2. So after 2 yrs went back on Medifast. Followed it exactly and wasn't losing. Stayed on it for 2 weeks when I realized none of my clothing were fitting anymore. I noticed my middle was getting rolls and my stomach looked as if I were pregnant. I called Medifast and was told, "Yes that can happen, you can gain weight."

    I am so outraged and devastated. For two years I watched everything that went in my mouth and going back on Medifast for 2 weeks and spending $400, I gained 7lbs. I called the nutritionist and was told to go on the 4&2 which is gradual. Now, I look fat and definitely do not fit into the dress for my daughter's wedding in 2 weeks. I could see if I gained the weight on my own but to gain it on a diet is really heartbreaking. I am so afraid I will never lose the weight now. I called the company they are very unsympathetic, not willing to do anything when it comes to me throwing out my money. They do not budge for their customers at all. I find that to be disgraceful since I was advised to go back on the plan. I feel demoralized and I do feel they train their employees to only care about the customers when they place orders.

    Even without my phone number, if the delivery guys had driven up to my apartment, they would have seen me waiting for them. I don't live in a gated community. I live in a small apartment complex in a very quiet neighborhood with ample space in the streets and the parking lot. I want to leave a complaint but Sears Community does not let me log on, and the Shopsearefeedback.com only lets me write very little. Case# **.

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    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2015

    While I like Medifast and have been using their products on/off for last 5 yrs, their crooked selling/sales strategy of eliminating the required 7 day and 3 days notice of their automatic sales/shipment of another order not approved is not acceptable in addition to their refuse/return charge policy. I did not request the automatic additional shipment for a family member and they stopped their 7 day and 3 day notifications of their intent to ship and charge your credit card. I argued the point and was told if I refused the shipment I would be charged. Not acceptable. Medifast just lost a loyal customer.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Aug. 31, 2015

    Medifast is NOT the quick fix diet its staff promotes. The soy its primary ingredient is one of the cheapest proteins available. The food most of it unedible except for the ready shakes contains a lot of sugar and significant amount of carbs given the tiny portion. It wreaks havoc with your metabolism given that the rapid weight loss is contingent on starvation. The body can not sustain itself on this principle for a long time. The side effects reported are true. They include but are not limited to constant hunger, shakiness and weakness, bloating, gas and runny stools. The worst part is that the moment you are off this diet you gain the weight back plus some because the body clings to every calorie it ingests.

    I had never had a huge weight problem and wanted to lose 10 pounds. Well now I have to lose 27 pounds. Never had this happened to me before. My doctor said it botched up my metabolism so I have to work twice as hard. Keep your portions small often with quality protein, vegetables and high antioxidant fruits. In addition I paid 700.00 for the program. The counselors are well trained in making money. Their advice is common sense and once you meet your goal they wanted 600.00 more for me to continue. Do not fool yourself. This is a well-oiled money machine nothing more. People who do best on this program are severely overweight and will see encouraging results quickly.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Aug. 9, 2015

    I've been on Medifast for 10 months. I started with a program they offered called Fit in 4. The reason I went this way was so I could try the food and program to see if I could stick with it as this is a costly program. I liked the food and wasn't hungry. As they indicated at the beginning my energy level was low. They encourage you to take B12 supplements to curtail energy drain. They offered a discount to sign up which I did. Staff are great but their turnover in staff is significant. Not one of the people at my center when I started are still there. No guarantee of seeing the same person. I am now 17 lbs from my goal but will have exhausted the 35 wk program soon and before goal is reached. Didn't understand in the beginning the program would end before I reached goal. It is probably in the paperwork but not mentioned.

    For the most part I have stuck with the program. The staff is great about problem solving plateaus and offering recommendations. I'm very pleased with the program but will not be if the only alternative they offer is to pay for an additional period of time to meet my goal. While I have concerns about regaining weight as I have a long history of this I have been given the tools needed to maintain so it's up to me to apply them.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 6, 2015

    I have used Medifast on and off for years. Recently, as a customer service rep explained to me, the company made an executive decision not to send out reminder emails on automatic orders. What this means is, instead of having an opportunity to review my order, update it and make changes, they suddenly charge you and send it out. When they did this to me, I called immediately. They had an incorrect address and I never asked for an order. It took weeks for them to recall the order, then they charge me $32 - $15 for a return I never asked for and $17 for shipping for the ORDER I NEVER ASKED FOR. I have called & called and get no answer and no resolution. Dear Medifast, I AM DONE with you. I will never go back. Over $32, you have lost a customer you had for 10 years. Nice work.

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    Reviewed Aug. 5, 2015

    A order was placed on July 24th at 7:15pm, canceled at 7:15 am on July 25th. Even though UPS does not pick up from the main hub on weekends, I was still charged $15 for a RTS for a order that was never shipped, I never received a shipping order which would have gone out the moment UPS picked up order. Then on July 27th a shipping order came into my email saying the order had been returned on July 30th! Then a return order was sent to my e mail on the 28th! My credit card was charged a $1000+ on July 31, even though Medifast had five days to withdraw the credit from pending. Medifast did not reverse charges when order was canceled on July 25th! A order was never sent, never received, but my credit card was still charged. They said it could take up to 4 weeks for a refund for them to have use of money that doesn't belong to them! I will never associate with this Company.

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    Reviewed July 18, 2015

    Most of the previous reviews are incomplete or right on. I have lost 62 lbs on this diet. Yes, the products have soy and you have to "configure" your body to accept a diet with less calories. BUT, your body (my body, everybody's body) has STORED FAT. In most cases, there is anywhere from 10 to 110 lbs of stored fat in a body. When you go on this diet, you eat A LOT of protein. Protein is hard to break down, so your body will look for a SOURCE to burn... that is why you eat A LOT of soy. It is the EASIEST protein for your body to break down. Also, this is what can cause the gas.

    The KETO-GENIC properties FAR outweigh the need you feel for more food. Your need for food will continue as your brain continues to send signals to your stomach... Whether you fill your stomach with food that is good for you or bad, you need that for energy. I am on Maintenance and struggling a bit to keep it that way. So, my counselor recommends adding more exercise. She is right, every time I ride my bicycle, I lose. SO, I would highly recommend this diet... Just keep drinking your water and your body WILL adjust. I was the Junk food king and now I can live without it.Thanks to Medifast, I will not need to take Heart medication, Diabetes medication or Staten drugs (to lower cholesterol). I am a pure believer.

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 29, 2015

    They used to give you a seven day notice before automatically shipping your order. Now they send the 7-day notice but ship that day. Try to cancel your card on their system. Can't do it. Don't trust these people.

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    Reviewed June 24, 2015

    I lost 20 lbs. on Medifast in less than 5 months. However, I gained it all back and then an extra 5 lbs. once I fell off the wagon and out of habits. This program does work and is especially helpful for those just looking to take the first step and don't know how/where to start. There is no thinking involved when you are eating Medifast's meal replacements. However, Medifast does not teach you how to transition well into eating "regular" foods and controlling your bad eating habits from the get go. Ultimately weight loss comes down to education, self-control, and discipline. I have taken all my knowledge and experience from programs such as Medifast, Weight Watchers, and Nutrisystem and have since just started "dieting" by eating smaller portions/fewer calories/healthier-nutrient rich foods/less carbs with exercise. It's a slower method, but it's been a year and I've kept 20 lbs. off.

    A healthy lifestyle will get your further than a diet program. But diet programs like Medifast can still be useful for individuals who struggle with calorie counting or lack the education in eating clean/healthy. Medifast is probably more convenient for the working types who are surrounding by unhealthy food options. Unfortunately, food quality and variety is lacking with Medifast meal options, which is why I eventually just became a smarter cook and ate less. At the end of the day, EAT LESS & MOVE MORE are the words you need to live by.

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    Reviewed June 18, 2015

    I went on Medifast a few years ago and lost 30 lbs. Over time I gained it back. Having said that, it works. It's not the ideal way I'd like to lose weight but I like to eat and tend to eat more when I'm social. Medifast is only a tool to give you a weight loss boost and the rest is up to you in terms of whether you keep it off. My plan is to re-educate myself on healthy eating and portion control during my 2nd experience with Medifast. I went back to Medifast because it works and I need to get back on track.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingOnline & App

    Reviewed June 8, 2015

    Customer service is very poor. I received a card in mail with offer if I was willing to try again. Promo code did not work. Website is poor, service is poor, food not that great. There must be something out there that is better. But if you email them or try the chat option, they will offer for you to call the customer service line. That way, they can lie to you on the phone. I really have had enough. I recommend looking elsewhere for options for weight loss. Thank you.

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    PriceOnline & App

    Reviewed June 6, 2015

    I lost 100 pounds in 2011 and maintained it for two years. I gained back 40 pounds in 2014. I have no one to blame but myself (and my tendency to stress eat). Anyone who blames Medifast for the weight they gain after going off the diet is kidding themselves! You lose the weight and maintain it afterward only if you put in the effort to do so. I'm back on it again and have lost the 40 pounds in 4 months. I am not a shill for the company posting a good review. My honest comments (even ones that are unflattering to the company) and tips for success are below:

    Medifast centers are staffed by people trained to show you how to use the diet, not doctors or dietitians. If you read the info they give you, it says go to your doctor if you have health questions. Ask for their most experienced counselor, that will give you the best chance of success. The newer ones I've met are less than awesome. Yes, it's expensive (insert swear word here to show just how much I hate the cost) and yes, the counselors will try to sell you extras like water flavors and snacks. You don't need to buy these. They can't make you. You need to buy the Digestive Health supplement if you are on this diet. BUY IT, seriously. The soy and whey protein will give you horrible gas if you don't. I take one supplement packet each morning and then a Beano with each Medifast meal and I have less gas than I do on a normal diet.

    Don't limit yourself to just bars and shakes, or any one category of food, you'll get bored and cheat or quit. Try lots of different foods. The directions on the packets are not always the best way to prepare them. Go on the internet to find lots of different ways to prepare them to get the best taste. They can be completely different and sometimes waaaaay better. Some foods I've found to be just too gross, but they are other people's favorite food on the plan. Try selling the extras of foods you hate on the internet instead of forcing yourself to eat something you can't stand.

    The internet! I can't stress how many awesome recipes for Lean & Green meals I've found. Spend some time hunting for new flavors to keep you interested. A salad with chicken every night and you'll get bored and cheat or quit! Start this diet knowing the first couple of weeks are going to suck, suck suck. You'll be grumpy and hungry and maybe even headachy. But after that, if you follow the plan and keep the carbs in check, you settle into a groove and feel pretty good. They'll tell you to exercise, but anything more than walking made me super hungry. Screw it, I'm not eating enough calories to burn a lot of them off. I stuck to walking and less than strenuous weights twice a week at the gym.

    Unless you are a technophobe, use an app on your phone or tablet like MyFitnessPal to keep track of your food. I used this my second time around and found it made everything easier. It makes it super easy to keep track of your carbs. You aren't supposed to have to do that on Medifast. Following the rules is supposed to be all you need. Well...follow the rules and let the app keep track. I found I could actually be more flexible and do things like put Half & Half in my coffee and not blow my diet. Bottom line: Medifast worked for me. But get creative.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed May 26, 2015

    DO NOT ORDER FROM MEDIFAST... I had placed orders for several hundred dollars. I decided to take a break. I was asked to review my shopping cart for the next month order. I purposely left it empty so no order would be placed. Medifast duplicated the previous months order and shipped. Why would I be asked to review my cart before order was placed? It was left empty. Emailed for help TWICE and asked for a return and was refused... I WILL NEVER EVER, EVER ORDER FROM THEM AGAIN. Complete rip offs with absolute zero customer service. I am controlling my anger and focusing on telling everyone... Do not order from them... ** customer service and that is being kind... And my rec.

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    Reviewed May 1, 2015

    If you have any allergies to sulfates or nitrates do not try this product! It is loaded with them!

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    Reviewed April 27, 2015

    My experience with Medifast was not a positive one. I never felt satisfied throughout the day in the slightest, and then after the "lean and green" meal, I felt stuffed, then back to hungry. Food was always on my mind and I was always counting down until my next meal. This created a very unhealthy mental state for me that I STILL cannot shake, even months after not doing the program anymore! My relationship with food has suffered because of Medifast and I will forever regret spending all that money on it, it is not worth it.

    Food is your friend, and doing such a restrictive diet like this will have such negative effects on how you think of food. I overeat now more than ever after I quit Medifast because of how restricting it was and because of how much food was on my mind. I truly regret ever doing it and I don't recommend doing it. Please, try a healthy lifestyle instead of a crash diet, and lose weight the healthy way.

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    Sales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed April 23, 2015

    Yesterday I placed my second order online. Before I hit the "Place Order" button I could see the $25.43 credit I earned on my first order. Within minutes I received an e-mail from Medifast and I was shocked to see that the credit was NOT applied! What a scam! This is not what I was promised by Medifast! This morning I received another e-mail that the order was shipped. When I called the sales rep. she told me that she could not apply the credit because the order had shipped (ha-ha-ha, of course, this way I did not have time to complain) but she put a $25.43 credit on my account . This is not what I was promised and not what I wanted. Next time they can do the same trick and my credits will never be applied. This is a dishonest company! Do not do business with them! I will contact BBB and my credit card company...

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    Price

    Reviewed April 5, 2015

    It's a VERY low calorie diet plan that provides five 100 calorie "meals." The sixth meal is basically lettuce/kale/spinach and fish, 4-6 ounces of a very low calorie meat. Condiment allowances are so small, it's not even worth it. Anything that is sweet is usually artificial sugar. Most of the hot food is not even edible but you eat it anyway. I've only been on it for 10 days now and I've lost 3 lbs but it's incredibly strict...no fruit...many vegetables are out or very limited, i.e, 1/2 cup. It's all soy based...and it's expensive. I know some people have done well on it but it is not for the faint of heart or borderline committed to diet type.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed March 15, 2015

    I went to the Medifast center clinic in Chandler a few years back and had and still do regret it from the moment I walked in! They asked me how much weight I wanted to lose and that's how they based my price not telling me that is what they do!!! I walked out of there giving them a whopping $1400 or so, not including the food I had to buy which was separate! I had no idea none of these people have no experience in health care and none of them are licensed anything! The Dr. they use to send your blood work to is somebody unknown in another state and you will never see a true Dr. here or a real licensed nutritionist! Everybody that I encountered always was very young, didn't know anything about medications I was taking and flat out told me that if I got pregnant while on the plan I would probably have to terminate my pregnancy!!

    The whole reason why I wanted to go on this plan was because of the rave reviews I had seen about weight loss and did want to lose some weight before getting pregnant because everything I had tried did not work. They never mentioned all the side effects of how the soy can affect lots of things like your hair falling out etc, etc! If I came in for a weigh in and didn't lose as much weight they anticipated I would get scolded, I followed the plan exactly and didn't need to be treated like a little child if I didn't meet their precious goals. It always seemed like they were mad even if I was a 1/4 pound under the goal for the week and they would ask me what I did to not lose the weight, there was nothing I could tell them as I followed the plan exactly and had logs of everything.

    I went into the clinic for about 2 months every week weighing in and buying the food I needed for the next week before I had enough of their talking down to me, I needed positive reinforcement not negative. I came in one day and it was my birthday and I was going out of town and about to leave and said something along the lines of it being my birthday and everyone got quiet in the front and the lady that I disliked the most, says "you better not be eating any birthday cake" in the rudest tone of voice I had ever been talked to. I am not stupid and I know that being on this diet did require every ounce of participation on my part but that is the last thing I needed to hear. They were not praising me for all the hard work I had done to drop some of the pounds I wanted, all they were doing was taking my money and being a big fake group talking down to people and laughing at them when you left.

    I tried to contact the place several times about this treatment but never got a call back or anything. I was done being treated like this! I expected a refund but never received anything and was never offered anything. They probably owe me about $1000 because I saw the breakdown of what they were charging for at one time and was not even close to my total weight loss by the time I decided not to go back. I continued ordering my food online, I didn't need them and the computer didn't yell at me for things I wasn't even doing. This is a plan you will lose weight on but will gain it back in no time and if you want to live off of packaged foods for the rest of your life it may be possible for you. I did get pregnant soon after this so I did stop the plan because it is obviously not safe for a pregnant woman to be on!!!

    Bottom line is if you want to do Medifast go ahead but I would order food through a website and don't plan on having children while on the plan and plan on lots of hair loss!

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    Price

    Reviewed Feb. 16, 2015

    Was notified today that they are raising prices 7.67% - under the guise, they pride themselves on being able to provide the highest standard of ingredients and product support. What a crock of BS. Energy prices are down, wages are stagnant and ingredients that make up a portion of the products costs haven't risen sufficiently to justify such a huge increase. But profit hungry CEO's with fancy sailboats and a pyramid scheme would be. I have watched as they dropped diabetic shakes after promoting them only to try and say that they are almost equal all the time trying to say our health is their mission. The nutritionist sold out to the marketing and greedy bean counters.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Jan. 25, 2015

    My Dietitian took me off Medifast because she said the Clinic had two people on the Medifast Diet that got heart arrhythmia. Also told me that it was a money game, that doctors approve it because it makes them money.

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    Reviewed Jan. 11, 2015

    I joined and talk about buyer's remorse. $1400 just for the program and I still have to shell out additional money every couple of weeks for the supplements and bars. I am on the 4:2 plan...4 bars and 2 lean and green. I can shell out $60 a week for the bars and add another $100 when I need supplements. I am still asking myself where is the value for my $1400. I feel so guilty having spent that money that I haven't lost any weight. I want to lose the weight but now the guilt has kept me from going in to visit the dietician...Great!!!

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    Reviewed Jan. 1, 2015

    I used the products successfully for roughly 10 months and lost 43 pounds. However, I developed a serious allergy to soy and began menopause a bit sooner than was expected with some adverse symptoms.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Dec. 27, 2014

    My husband has been on this diet 4 months. Lately he has been breaking out in HUGE hives. He also has constipation..bad gas and bloating. We are seeking the opinion of his doctor on the hives...but know this cannot be a good sign.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Dec. 10, 2014

    I started the Medifast weight loss program on Oct 4, 2013. I signed a deal then that if I lost and kept off 20 lbs after 1 year, Medifast would refund me approximately $386.00. I have never missed a week for weigh ins and was buying their food on a regular basis. I lost the weight and have kept it off. Now that the centers are closing on Dec 31, 2014, Stephen ** from Medifast at the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida is not honoring the contract. I have sent several emails and I am being rejected at every instance. Medifast was good at helping me lose the weight. BUT they are frauds. All they want to do is keep your money. I am extremely upset with Medifast. All I get is an email saying that they are closing down and no other options have been provided at this time.

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    Price

    Reviewed Dec. 5, 2014

    On 17 October 2014 (7 weeks ago) I joined the Medifast Center here in Williamsburg, VA (Monticello Avenue). I paid $650.45 membership fee that day (I got a military discount). Today, exactly 7 weeks ago since that visit, I got an e-mail from Medifast saying they are closing the Monticello Avenue location. There was no mention of any sort of refund. All they said was that I could continue to buy my Medifast meals on-line. I do NOT think a 7-week membership should cost me $650.45! I have NO other Medifast center anywhere close to me. I feel that I have been cheated and lied to. I was at the Center this morning for a weigh-in and nobody told me that the center was closing in just 26 days. I know someone there must have known. I have to go back for a weigh-in on 13 December. I intend to ask them where my $650.45 went. I think I should get some sort of a refund! I am very angry.

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    Customer ServiceOnline & AppStaff

    Reviewed Nov. 29, 2014

    As others have said, this is not a safe diet. I did lose some weight on it, but a few months in I started losing hair! As a woman I was completely freaked out. I went to a doctor and he urged me to get off of Medifast. He said the huge amounts of soy were making estrogen do weird things to my body. Also, if you are going to do this diet, try to find a clinic, not the website. The company makes offers through their website and emails but NEVER honors them, or makes them so confusing and layered that you're not really getting what you think you're getting. And shipping is high. The clinic folks are usually pretty nice. But again, you've been warned: This huge amount of soy will NOT be good after a couple months.

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    Price

    Reviewed Nov. 28, 2014

    Medifast is one of the most expensive diet food providers I've encountered. I've told them in survey after survey their prices for what you get is ridiculous, then they started charging for shipping which just added insult to injury. We only purchase the snack bars now until we find a better alternative and then we'll be done with Medifast completely. You can do a diet like theirs at a much more affordable cost if you try. We tried most of their food over a 2 year period, Shakes and Snack Bars is all we'll have in our house now.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Nov. 24, 2014

    Imagine a business that has a membership that automatically places an order for you each month. They have the ability to cancel this membership online, but now imagine that they re-activate this membership and place the order anyway. There is no way to cancel an order online, even immediately after it has been placed. Now imagine customer service for that same business being unwilling to cancel the order several hours later, well before it has been shipped. Then add on top of that a $15 fee for refusing the shipment and you have the awesomeness that is Medifast.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Nov. 14, 2014

    The corporate is just terrible from their attitudes to the customer service. I ordered some food over 2 weeks ago. When I have started tracking where it was, there is some error somewhere in the process. So I called and made a simple request, "Cancel that order, you guys get it back and send me a new shipment that has no issues." They laughed at me and said, "No, you have to wait until it comes and there is nothing else we can do for you." They took my money and now telling me tough luck! There are a 100 places we could go to that will equally work and be thankful for your business and not give you this crap service. In what business can you buy something and then they have no answer for your delivery! Give me my money back. I am also making a BBB report after this. Go spend your money on another weight loss program.

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    Reviewed Nov. 8, 2014

    I used this program to lose about 40 lbs 4 years ago. It took about 10 weeks to do it. During the program my skin thinned and wrinkled and my hair turned gray almost overnight. I also noticed my voice changed. These things I didn't associate as side effects of the diet until later. This diet is based on Soy protein. I researched this later and found out how bad Soy is especially for men. It produces estrogen which I don't have to tell you has detrimental effects on men. During the diet I probably lost 1/3 of my arm muscle I guess because the diet is basically a starvation diet with drastic calorie restriction. One other thing about Soy protein is that it damages the Thyroid. You can find plenty of data online about this. For me it resulted in taking thyroid medication something that was not an issue before the diet.

    Since the diet I fight every day to keep the weight off mostly by denying myself food. If I eat at the level of a normal guy my age I quickly gain weight. I blame the diet for destroying my metabolism to the point that my body just can't use much food. So expect the joy of eating to be a thing of the past. Turns out I work with two guys who have also used this diet. One before and one at the same time as me. The guy who used it earlier than I gained all the weight he lost and then some within months of stopping. The other guy is gaining the weight back slowly like me and is about back to 2/3rds of what he lost. On him it shows mostly in the belly. For me I've gained back 2/3rds too even with the constant battle with food and have also kept the side effects of a low thyroid and slow metabolism.

    I checked out other diets similar to Medifast. They too use Soy protein so I would expect similar side effects. I've read they use Soy because it's the cheapest protein available. There is a lot of controversy about soy which tells me there are problems. I try to avoid it these days. Check this out. I read several places that soy beans crops are heavily treated with pesticides. Some say it is the most heavily treated crop. One more reason this diet may have long term side effects. Pesticides effect the Thyroid too. Maybe if pressure is put on these diets they will change their formulas to a more acceptable protein that isn't so controversial. Bottom line for me is if you're a guy don't do this diet.

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    Reviewed Nov. 4, 2014

    After hearing from several people that Medifast helped them to lose weight, I decided to give it a try. I ordered a month's food. I tried four of the products, couldn't eat three of them, any of the products (Honey Mustard Pretzels, Berry Cereal, Parmesan Cheese Puffs & Ziti). The cereal was the only one I could finish. The others were so unpalatable that after a few bites I felt I would gag if I tried one more bite. This is really an honest opinion, not exaggerating. I'm returning the unopened boxes. I truly do not know how other Medifast participants have been able to stay on this program. After reading the difficulties some people have had with the company and returns, etc., I hope I can be refunded at least part of my purchase.

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    Reviewed Nov. 1, 2014

    As a registered dietitian I feel compelled to be factual about soy and cancer, especially to Karen of Ukiah, CA. Soy beans are a plant. You are an animal. The estrogens in soy are phyto [plant] estrogens. They are similar to estrogens in your body, but not exact. So, what they do is block the estrogen receptors in your body. This means that soy is actually helpful for protecting against cancer. This is what studies for the last 15 years have shown. Research shows that soy is one of the lifestyle components that protects Japanese against prostate and breast cancer. For breast cancer survivors, soy has been shown to be protective. Please feel free to contact me and I will forward this research. As a weight management researcher, the problem I see with this product is that it doesn't deal with the underlying problems that caused the weight gain.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 31, 2014

    I just made a mistake to place my first order and within 2 minutes I wanted to modify couple of items. I was told by the customer NOT care rep that the only way to do this is by cancelling it, placing another order and then wait for my cancelled order payment for 5-7 business days. It took 2 minutes for them to grab the money from me but returning it will take 7 days? I would not wish to do business with such a shoddy company. After cancelling my order, I can't even find it in my Order History log. I will not be surprised if they try to charge it automatically for next shipment but they better NOT.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 25, 2014

    I have been doing Medifast for about 5 weeks and lost 16lbs so far. However, after this week I have considered leaving due to the extreme unprofessional behavior of the staff. They are all under 25 yrs of age and seem to have the stereotypical vapid cheerleader mentality. One staff member asked if I could continue to bring my 20 yr old daughter with me because she liked her so much when I brought her the previous week that she felt they could be best friends and talked about how much she liked her, as if I wasn't even there. I have tried to mention several times that since starting the program I am incredibly constipated and have constant gas. I was told that isn't possible because of the amount of fiber I eat. They wouldn't listen at all to any issues that I have had. The only thing they did was offer to sell me pills.

    Another girl, who was 'counseling' me this week had possibly 2 brain cells attempting to rub together to form a coherent thought. She advised me that I should try taking HCG shots while doing Medifast. She talked about her friend who bought it at a store and was using it. I had to explain to her what HCG was (with all the gory details of some of it being from pregnant horse urine) and that store bought HCG isn't HCG and the 'real' stuff is obtained from a physician and a prescription.

    When I was finished she stuck her tongue out and said "Ew... Who would take that kind of stuff??" Yet there she was trying to tell me I should try it to help with my weight loss goals. She then interrupted me and started talking about her apartment and neighborhood and how 'awesome' it is. I tried talking to her about how my husband and I went out to eat and I ended up cheating, that it was a stressful week and I gave in and ate off my meal plan. She stopped and cocked her head and said in a question 'Can't you just eat a dinner salad?'. I just stared at her.

    She started asking questions about my husband, wanting to know if he was even aware that I was trying to lose weight and if he had some agenda to try to thwart my diet. I felt like I was put on the defensive and even explained he was the one who paid for me to lose the weight at my request. She then actually had me explain to her why people eat or have a drink when they are stressed because she didn't know about that. Then she said, 'Well you just wasted an entire week of doing your meal plan.' I was pretty angry by this point and left.

    I haven't decided if I want to call a manager or just flat out quit and ask for a refund due to the extreme lack of professionalism by these staff members. I am a mid 40s mom of 2 and perhaps I am being a little harsh but I did not pay all that money to be talked down to by a little girl who appears to have as much brain power as a helium balloon and then to have the staff ask me to bring my kids so they can play together. Seriously?

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    Staff

    Reviewed Oct. 20, 2014

    A girl in my office who is very picky with her food, but was extremely overweight, started using Medifast so I thought I would give it a try. She did the program for about a month so I didn't think twice about the taste or any of it. I ordered a month's worth from Amazon. OMG! Their food is NASTY!!! And with so much going on about how processed foods are not good for anyone, how can this be good for us? I gave all of what I had other than the shakes I purchased, to the girl in my office. I am now doing WW.

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    Reviewed Oct. 16, 2014

    In November 2012 I began Medifast. At first I didn't like it because of being I'll prepared on what foods to eat etc. I lost 20 lbs and stopped the program April 2013. All I needed to lose was 20. A few tips are to know what foods you like and order those each time. Medifast website takes forever to ship so I started using amazon and it's cheaper on amazon. To prevent stress from running out of food always order a week before you run out. Do not skip meals, and always plan your lean and green meals ahead of time. Keep sugar free Popsicles and nuts as a snack. Just be prepared on this diet, it really works. The gas I combated with drinking lots of water and drinking 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar a day. Exercise is also important. I don't recommend waiting to exercise like the website says, it will stagnate your loss.

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    Reviewed Oct. 13, 2014

    This diet has the worst food ever! I have been on it 2 weeks, didn't cheat and lost 2 lbs. Vile food!

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    Reviewed Oct. 9, 2014

    After seeing a family member lose over 100 pounds in less than a year, I decided to give this a try. I am on Day 25 and I have lost 13 pounds. It is easy to follow but some of the food is disgusting. I also have problems with gas and have never in my life had problems with that before. This has caused quite a few digestive issues including constipation. So now, on top of eating the food, I have to take medicine to deal with the awful side effects. I don't have a Medifast center anywhere near me so I order my food online. Thank goodness I don't have to pay anymore than I already do!

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Oct. 8, 2014

    The worst meal replacement program ever. The worst customer service program. Very bad taste of meals, not effective. Lots of medical problems caused by meals. Very bad program.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014

    First thing on a Thursday, I paid nearly $140 to have my 12-box order shipped next business day, which is RIDICULOUS, but whatever. Apparently, that doesn't include expedited processing. So I won't receive my order until Monday. I called and even talked to a supervisor, who kindly referred me to their policies. I tried to cancel; apparently, there is no mode of communication between them and distribution, because it is "impossible" to stop an order once it's been submitted.

    Word to the wise, if you really want your order quickly, you need to not only pay $100+ dollars to get expedited shipping, but you also need to pay another $50+ to get expedited PROCESSING. Such an amazing racket. I am so utterly disgusted by this. Word to the wise, order these products from Amazon. Way cheaper and you don't have to deal with this unethical nonsense. Oh also, if you're close to a Rite Aid, Lindora is exactly the same, tastes better in many cases, and doesn't require this BS shipping situation.

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    Verified purchase

    Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014

    Be careful! If you do buy it, open it up and try the food immediately! I waited a few weeks, and there are several things I hate. They refuse to refund my money or exchange the product. I am furious. I will be returning the 2nd shipment today.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed Aug. 25, 2014

    On July 7th I contacted Medifast that a order they said was delivered has never been delivered. Order#: **. They told me they would contact UPS, the carrier. I have had several conversations with them since. Each time they say they contacted UPS and that UPS will call me. After not hearing from them I call again. They say their records show UPS called me and I received the package. But UPS has never called me. They refuse to help me in any other way. I don't really believe they contacted UPS. Yet they charged me $275 for the order... an order that was never received. It was their carrier. They need to follow through and credit me the $275 and get the money from UPS. THEY HAVE CHARGED ME FOR A $275 ORDER I NEVER RECEIVED. DO NOT ORDER FROM MEDIFAST. IT'S A SCAM. CAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS HELP.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 22, 2014

    Let me preface this by saying I do not have a Medifast Center near me in which to purchase food easily. I started Medifast about three weeks ago. After placing my order of $261.90, which would give me about 26 days of food, and receiving the food, I found that many, including 2 of the 4 "free" choices that they made for me, were completely unpalatable. I got an return authorization for 5 boxes of "food" (the equivalent of 7 days worth) and sent it back Priority Mail ($8.10) and they received it in 2 days. After waiting 5 days, I called and asked when I would be getting my replacement food and they said it would take 8 to 10 business days!!

    Medifast left me high and dry, with not enough food to fulfill the 26 days worth I had purchased so I had to go off the program as of a few days ago. Even if I had ordered more food, it would have taken this long. They had all kinds of excuses why it took so long, and I told them that if NutriSystem could do it with real, FROZEN foods, at half the price of the Medifast dehydrated packets, then I didn't think they had any real excuse. When I said that this program won't work for me because of the slow service, she said "OK". No offer at all to make things right.

    They really don't care about the customer's goals at all in my estimation. They just take an exorbitant amount of money for very little, and I mean VERY little product, and leave you spinning in the wind. I had been on NutriSystem for over two years. Never had one complaint with the company. I just wanted to wake up my sluggish metabolism with a new diet for a few months. Nutrisystem would send things out, overnight, FEDEX to keep me supplied properly and their huge, normal, non-rush shipments would take 3 days at most. Beware a company who doesn't care or respect the end user... They have ONE job, and they tout a lot of science but if they don't care about the customer, do they care about what they are giving you in their food??!!

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    Reviewed July 29, 2014

    I went in for what was to be a free consult. Changed my mind within the 3 day period. Went in to return their product which they refused. My free consult was $25 at refund. It was labeled an orientation and my refund was $82 when I paid $400. I don't need a blender ($40) or a ($30) kitchen scale or an ($8) water bottle they were giving away free.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 27, 2014

    I started on the Medifast diet and within days I was having so much stomach discomfort. The amount of gas and bloating was unreal. I just thought my body had to get used to it so I continued and took OTC medications for the discomfort. Soon, however, even that did not help and I had to quit. I was able to stop the program, which I had started on automatic replenish, and sold my leftover packets on Craigslist. I think the program would have worked had I been able to get past the GI issues.

    The food will never win raves for taste, but it was tolerable. I can say on the plus side that their customer service was really good and the lady that I talked with about sending back product seemed extremely helpful and didn't hesitate to get me the information that I needed to return the unopened boxes.

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    Reviewed July 18, 2014

    Several years ago, I found myself overweight and started Medifast, since it sounded like it worked. I gave it my all and had lost about 15 lbs. in a couple of months but ended up in the hospital with diverticulitis, that was brought on by eating their food, which is either a granola bar or other food that always left a sticky residue on all my dishes, you could imagine what it is doing to your insides.... I had to be on 2 antibiotics from everything sticking to my insides and becoming infected. No thanks. Just eat whole natural foods, no processed foods and you will lose weight. Be patient with yourself and also portion control is important. Always have low calorie snacks that you can quickly access when you are starving, so you don't make a bad choice. Don't go food shopping hungry. Much success to you!

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    Reviewed July 18, 2014

    I used Medifast in the 90's. Lost 120 lbs. in 6 months. Fortified shakes only. Loved my renewed energy, and agile shape. All of the weight came back within a year with carefully planned diet. I was told at the onset, that 95% of clients would fail. Naturally, I was going to be in the 5%. Just sayin'. BEWARE.

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    Reviewed July 5, 2014

    The Medifast plan is pretty easy for me to follow, and I like the women who work there. I have lost about 17 pounds in six weeks, most of it in the first week. The one problem I do have is horrible diarrhea with gas and leakage. Yuck! It's so bad, I have to wear pads. For the record, I am 63 years old and would like to lose about 40 more pounds. I don't buy the food online; I need the accountability of getting weighed weekly.

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    Reviewed June 21, 2014

    I ordered Medifast last spring through their website. I did not use a coach or a weight loss center. I ordered four weeks of the food and nothing further with no problems. I did lose 20 pounds in those four weeks. I suffered terrible headaches and lethargy at first. After a week, I got into the swing of things and it was fairly easy. The food is barely edible. Very weird aftertaste with most things. I stuck with the chicken noodle soup, caramel bars and banana shakes. I decided to just eat real food and lost the next 10 pounds. I don't understand ordering powdered eggs with 100 calories of fake ingredients when a real egg is only 70 calories.

    The program is good for a jump start to weight loss, but not realistic in the long run. I only had 30 pounds to lose and this gave me a jump. Probably a good program for someone with more weight to lose. If you are very disciplined, you could create something similar your own. I am not, so the packaged meals kept me on track. Just pick 5 in the morning for the day, have a lean & green and drink tons of water.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed May 29, 2014

    My wife signed up for the program with a local (Lake Mary, Fl) office. All seemed ok except it was expensive with a $349 fee. After two weeks on the program, my wife had lost 2 lbs, but was starting to develop gastritis and other digestive issues. We contacted the office and told them, was told they would call back after a busy period was over. We called again and was told there was no refund after 3 days. I later (2-3 weeks) went in person to the office to tell them I only wanted part of the sign up fee returned to be fair. ($250) The assist mgr was sympathetic and said she would appeal to the district mgr. Within 2 weeks, I received an email saying there would be no refund. I also did a chargeback on my credit card, but it was not accepted. I plan on filing a complaint with Florida about these companies that can take money for little to no service.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed May 4, 2014

    Medifast is a good program, but like everything in life... if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I am 6 weeks into the program and have lost 9 lbs. My goal loss is 45 lbs. Right now, I have had difficulty with the hunger. Supposedly after the first couple of weeks, the hunger subsides. Not for me, I feel like I could eat a whole meat lovers pizza at any given moment. Okay, let's get to the food. The macaroni is gross! The ziti is gross! The only meals I can choke down are the oatmeal and raisin bars, PB bars and cinnamon pretzel sticks. And that is it! I love oatmeal, but theirs leaves the worst sweet aftertaste EVER!

    Advice, don't go hog wild and buy the shakes and the meals like I did because once you remove a pack, you cannot return the box and get your money back. I asked the center today if they would at least exchange, and she said since they were a franchise, corporate wouldn't allow it. I have a coworker that is also on the diet, so I give meals that I don't like to her so she can try them. She likes some of the ones I couldn't eat. Now that I've tried most all of them now, not gonna experiment anymore. It's too dang expensive! Gonna stick with the 2 items that doesn't make me gag...seriously!

    Hair loss and bloating is true. I can't take the vitamins they give you with the starter kit. I honestly feel like the vitamins were the main cause of my bloating and gas. Bottom line, you get out of it what you put into it. I needed structure and accountability and I have it with this program. It's definitely an incentive to follow the program when you gotta cough up so much money for the program and the food.

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    Price

    Reviewed Feb. 15, 2014

    I signed up for Medifast because it was going to be part of a radio contest. That saved me $150.00 off of my original contract. $777.00 is still too expensive for losing 28 lbs. I am only into my second week and want to cancel. I lost 1.8 lbs the first week and did not deviate once from the program. I cannot stand the food. I would rather eat cardboard. I feel weak and shaky. This program is just not for me. I plan on trying to cancel and get a refund. Anyone have any advice. Oh, yes, the radio contest got cancelled!!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 5, 2014

    I did place an order and the customer service rep said there was a special and there would be no shipping, and an extra box of food. About a month later, I get an email "Thank you for your order," and it is being shipped?? I did not order anything a second time. I called and they said the special was about you would get an automatic order next month. The customer service agent neglected to tell me that. That's an important issue. I have had $254.25 taken out of my checking acct. I will now probably have checks bounce. The customer service rep said too bad, she can't do a thing about it, even though it wasn't even shipped yet. I told her I will refuse it and she said I wouldn't get my credit for at least a week maybe more. What a way to do business? How about an email a few days before a shipment to let the customer know, so if there is a problem they can address it before it's too late? I told them how do you take money out of my acct without permission. She said I must have gave permission over the phone when I ordered, but I didn't. I had no intention of ordering again. This should be against the law. Won't ever use them again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 28, 2014

    Unfortunately, I'd like to share my very negative experience with Medifast. The return policy is horrible. I obtained a return authorization number for some products and explained to the customer service specialist that it was a guestimate. I may have a few more boxes. The specialist did not mention to me on the call that if I did not include the items and I shipped them back without an RRA for those items specifically, they would NOT be returned to me and they would NOT provide a refund. I now called customer service and they are telling me there is nothing they can do. I am now out $75-$80. I will be sure to let my friends who are existing users know what horrible customer service Medifast has. I will never order product from Medifast again.

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    Price

    Reviewed Jan. 14, 2014

    A co-worker is a Medifast 'counselor' and set me up. I can access my account online, change orders, etc. She really knows nothing about nutrition, etc. but I did a lot of my own investigation. Don't depend upon 'counselors', get your own information. This is an MPN and its business. I needed to jump start my weight loss and thought this might be a good idea. Besides if it's someone I work with, that would help with my commitment.

    I started the first weekend in August 2013 and have lost 37 pounds. Some of the food is horrid, the eggs, the crab soup... some is so-so, and some isn't too bad. I make the soups and oatmeal the night before and heat it up at work. I use one piece of sugar free candy when I make the brownie and chocolate chip cookie. It's expensive, but not anything that you must stay with the rest of your life. Use this and gradually just do everything low carb and you'll be fine. Take supplements (regardless of what they say) and go online for LOTS of recipes. I eat my "5" at work every two hours and then go home and have a nice dinner, meat, vegetables and salad. I drink herbal tea all day.

    I have some gas (from the food and the candy) but that will taper off as I change back to low carb. I already eliminate most of the Medifast food on the weekends. You can do this - just change the way you look at food. Are you starving for pizza? Have a slice. Better to have a little than always crave stuff. This system works because you are eating small meals frequently. If you really can't do Medifast, go on Atkins, just make the meals small and eat every two hours or so during the day.

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    Reviewed Jan. 4, 2014

    I've lost 73 lbs so far on Medifast over the last 9 months with 23 more lbs to hit my goal. My doctor suggested gastric-bypass surgery and for me, that was out of the question. I've lost 1-2 pounds consistently for 9 months on Medifast. I weigh in faithfully every week and have received one-on-one counseling that has been motivating and very helpful. I LOVE that the food is portable! I can't imagine hauling frozen foods to work or outdoor events. I enjoy their bars, cereals, pretzels, cookies, brownies, Mango smoothies and more. Sure, some foods like their Mac and Cheese I don't care for but with over 70 foods to choose from - I don't buy them.

    If I maintain my goal weight for 6 months, I get 50% of the program fees back. If I maintain for a year, I get the remaining 50%. The other key feature I love about Medifast is that I was able to purchase 1 year of maintenance, so when my goal is reached, I can come in every week to get weighed and make sure I'm not putting the weight back on. I'm very much looking forward to reaching the TRANSITION phase of the diet where you slowly begin incorporating regular foods back into your diet.

    My personal experience from meeting other dieter's at Medifast is that people go there to lose BIG weight. They don't accept anyone at the centers who are not losing a minimum of 20 lbs. When you are 50+ lbs overweight, your life has gotten out of control and having a fixed weight loss strategy is very rewarding in terms of feeling like you are taking back the wheel. It is very difficult to lose BIG weight on your own or many of us would have already done it. Medifast has been a life changing experience. I started at 237 and am currently 162 with a goal weight of 140. I lost weight without surgery and feel awesome about how I look and feel.

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    Price

    Reviewed Dec. 27, 2013

    Let me start off by saying that I looked at the reviews on this site and MANY others before I went ahead and made the choice to try Medifast. I read both good and bad testimonials and decided that I was going to go ahead and try it for myself. I would not consider myself picky when it comes to eating, I can pretty much eat whatever, especially if I'm hungry. I was, when I started the Medifast, about 40-50 over my "goal weight."

    Here are the pluses and minuses of my personal experience with Medifast: 1.) Very expensive- even if you get deals online (-) 2.) The meals taste AWFUL. I could barely choke them down by the 7th day. I would liken them to cardboard, however, I think cardboard might taste better. (-) 3.) The container that comes with the food comes with a lid but do not use on hot food! I put the lid on after heating one of the meals and it popped off and exploded EVERYWHERE. I had a 2nd and even a 3rd degree burns on my hands and arms. I still have a scar that I'll probably have forever- BE CAREFUL! (-)

    4.) The Medifast meals are easily accessed and ordered online (eBay seems to have a ton) (+) 5. ) The meals taste so bad that you might be tempted to swear off food all together (+) 6.) There are websites and blogs that show you how to "adapt" the meals so that they taste better, but for me it was too much work, especially for how much the meals cost upfront. 7.) As with almost all other calorie restrictive meal plans, you will probably lose a good 3-10 lbs in the first week or two. This is mostly water weight and this rapid weight loss will most likely not last. (+ and -) Good luck!!!!

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    Online & App

    Reviewed Nov. 17, 2013

    The counseling and support are non-existent, the web site is useless and the food inedible. I lost weight but moving back to a regular diet has been disaster. Without support or a support group this is just a waste of money. Oh yeah they give you about a 500 page book but who is going to read that?

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    Reviewed Oct. 21, 2013

    I had about 20-25 lbs to lose so I signed up through a MF center for counseling, bought food, and started the program. The first month, things seemed to be going well. I had the big "weight" drop the first week (which is really just glycogen + water stores being depleted). After the first month, then the high amount of soy protein completely threw my hormones and monthly cycles off, weight loss stalled, even gained some weight even with following 100% the plan, exercise, following all advice of the counselors. I found the food to be fine, some of it was even good, after you adjusted.

    After 3 months, I was never able to reach goal weight. Three months and I was down about 14 lbs total. Even with that, I was disappointed. But then I forgot that once I stopped being on the low-carb plan, that my glycogen stores would go back to normal - that is how your body is supposed to work. You are supposed to have glycogen in your muscles. So after stopping the diet, I overnight gained back about 4-7 lbs of glycogen + water. So in fact, what I really lost on this program was 3 months of my time, about $2k and maybe 7 lbs.

    I wouldn't waste my money on this program. I wish I had just spent my time and money on seeing a nutritionist and eating a regular balanced diet with exercise. The whole low carb thing really isn't for me because the trauma of "gaining" 7 lbs overnight (glycogen and water) is just way too depressing. What I really need is to hit my goal weight even with glycogen in my muscles. I wouldn't waste your money on this program. I will never do a program like this again.

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    Reviewed Oct. 17, 2013

    I used Medifast and lost 115 pounds. Many people warned me that the food was horrible…but the reality is that people do not give the food or the program a chance. I will admit that when I started the program I too thought the taste was not that good, but I soon realized that not to be the entire story. I was told by my Health Coach to give the food 3 days and there would be a change in my taste buds. I learned it was like quitting smoking and being actually able to taste the food being eaten.

    After just 3 days I realized that my taste buds were so used to eating high carb, fatty foods and other junk...that I really did not know what food tasted like. After the FIRST 3 DAYS ON MEDIFAST I soon realized that the food was pretty darn good. Granted I do not like some stuff, like the oatmeal...but I do not like oatmeal anyway. There are over 80 meals and I love the pancakes, brownies, soft serve, pudding, cheese puff, pretzels and shakes and on and on and on.

    What I learned is that the people that whine the most are really not ready to give more than lip-service to losing weight and are quick to just look for another program to yo-yo some more. Also, most people do not understand Medifast. It is low-glycemic and offers a person a plan that promotes nutrition and minimal cravings and minimal hunger...WHEN DONE CORRECTLY. I personally think that a healthy person would really have to try hard to not lose as much weight as they want on Medifast.

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    Reviewed Oct. 3, 2013

    Medifast products are very tasteless and difficult to consume after a very short period of time. The only thing that I found palatable at all were the shakes, but these were difficult to use if you didn't have ice and a blender on hand at all times. Also, their online reordering accounts are set up so that you can never fully empty your cart. In other words, if you are not careful and don't keep putting off your order to a later date, they automatically ship you their very expensive products. In my case, we moved addresses and I was not informed I had a package delivered to my old address. I had tried numerous times to empty my cart, but it never went to zero. So now since 30 days have passed since they shipped it to my old address, I am unable to return it and get my money back. I had to completely cancel my subscription with them in order to get them to quit shipping! I can't recommend Medifast because I believe that they have dealt very poorly with me.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Sept. 29, 2013

    Okay I'll start off by saying that I do not believe that people are giving the product enough time. Although this is a fast effective way to lose weight and get healthy it still takes time to learn what you do and do not like. I have been on this plan for 5 months. I'm down 80 lbs and still losing. I did lose a lot of hair at first. Nothing that hasn't grown back, nothing that I worried about. Your body kinda goes into shock being that you only consume around 800-1000 calories depending on your lean and green daily. You will lose some hair but that's the thing about hair, it grows back. YOU DON'T GO BALD! Also because you only consume so little calories the first two weeks you might feel weak but your body gets used to let less calories and starts using the calories to burn fat! I recommend this product to anyone serious about weight loss. Don't give up, get a variety of food so you can try different things and then order what you like and not what you don't. My health coach is awesome by the way. I believe if you're not happy with your coach you can request a different one.

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    Price

    Reviewed Aug. 13, 2013

    Well, I guess I stopped before hair loss. I experienced dizziness and fatigue. I did lose weight. 9 lbs the first few weeks. I checked the ingredients and found that I was eating mostly genetically modified products and chemicals. I would much rather eat real food. The physical side effects and the cost plus what I found in the ingredients led me to cancel.

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    Reviewed Aug. 7, 2013

    I had been on the Medifast 5&1 plan for only 2 months. I had experienced a slight weight reduction, headache, gas and bloating. These are side effects the company admits to. While eating a bar I broke a tooth and a cap. Soon after, I also noticed tons of my hair falling out, on my floor, on my pillow, in the shower, all over my hands while washed it. Normally my hair is thick, vibrant and strong. It has became thin, dull and brittle. I now see my scalp and am so upset!!!

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed July 22, 2013

    Food Complaint: Medifast food is heavily laden with genetically modified soy, milk products and fructose. Thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility - even cancer and heart disease. Since the introduction of genetically engineered foods in 1996, we've had an upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems in the U.S., and animal studies have shown devastating effects from genetically engineered soy including allergies, sterility, birth defects, and offspring death rates up to five times higher than normal. Soybean crops are also heavily sprayed with chemical herbicides, such glyphosate, which a French team of researchers have found to be carcinogenic.

    Milk and milk based ingredients are a common source of allergy and inflammation. I should know, I was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy after eating Medifast food. As for fructose, a 2009 study from the University of California, Davis shows how a high-fructose diet can cause you to build new fat cells around your heart, liver, and digestive organs in just 10 weeks, plunging you into the early stages of diabetes and heart disease. The danger of their cheap ingredients aside, nothing should excuse the experience I had with their product ordering system. I had placed my order online, opting for their preferred customer option where you get free meals and free shipping in return for the promise to order X quantity.

    At the conclusion of the online transaction, I realized I didn't get to choose WHICH free meals I got. I called their customer service. The rep cancelled my online order and placed a new one on my behalf, specifying which free meals I wanted. Good so far. Food received, diet started, I'm seeing good weight loss, time to place a new order. I do so online. Get an email that my order is received. I wait, and wait and wait. The food never arrives. I call customer service and am told to wait the full potential shipping service window which ended on a Saturday. They can't investigate my order until that period has elapsed. No food on Saturday.

    I call that day to find out what's going on. I'm told I will have to wait for an answer until Monday. I'm really quite angry about it. Eventually, on Monday, I get a call to inform me that my account has been frozen because I never paid for my first order. I was outraged. My credit card had indeed been charged. The company never rectified the situation or realized culpability for the appalling lack of customer service. The dieter was left with no recourse and no way to get new food. It's fortunate really that this happened to me. I now know I was losing weight at risk due to the horrible ingredients. Bottom line, don't buy or consume the poisonous food. Losing weight is not magic. You can pursue other plans with great success.

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    Price

    Reviewed July 16, 2013

    Yes, Medifast will help you lose the weight, but no one bothers to tell you that one of the main side effects is massive hair loss. I find the products to be poor quality and too expensive. I stopped the order just in time to realize that my hair was falling out. I went to the doctor and hair dresser. The first thing they asked was if I had been on a "crash diet". Well yes I guess I had been! I do not recommend this product to anyone. Like another person stated, you would be better off buying protein bars. Saves a lot of money and hair!!!

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 6, 2013

    I joined Medifast in July of 2012. The staff was nice but I didn't care for the food. In fact, I thought it was not good at all! I did lose ten pounds the first month then I dropped out after paying a lot of money. I did like the chocolate shakes, pancakes were okay and I added things to the eggs to make them tolerable. And the one bar which was the caramel crunch bar was very good. I tried the soups, puddings, salty snacks. All were not acceptable. I have been a Jenny Craig customer and their food is excellent compared to Medifast. I am not a fussy eater but I just couldn't handle the Medifast food.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Dec. 18, 2012

    I put zero items in my cart for this month so they automatically send you last month’s order. I called the same morning that it was to be shipped and had it cancelled. They told me at that time my money would be turned back over to me in about three days, the hold on it at the bank would be lifted. So I waited three days and at the time, they took the money out of my account! Still there is no order going out, so I called my bank and they said they had asked for it honestly and got it. I could file a disclaimer and it would take 10 days to get my money back.

    So I called Medifast and they said there was nothing they could do but wait 14 days to see if I get my money back! Well after Christmas which is why I didn't order this month in the first place! They stink on ice! And unless you take this stuff for the rest of your life, you put the weight back on! Not that great and they say if you drink plenty of water you shouldn't have gas problems; I drink up to 8 bottles of water a day at work and still have gas awful. I work in the medical field and this is unacceptable! I will never buy from them again and will tell every person I talk to not to bother either! And they are not accredited with the Better Business Bureau that in itself says a lot!

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    Sales & Marketing

    Reviewed Aug. 22, 2012

    According to the Medifast website and brochures, as soon as I joined, I would receive free shipping for every order over $150 and would also enjoy a 5% discount on my first six orders and 10% discount on our seventh and future orders. I’ve placed 3 orders so far and did get those discounts. Now, the company says that they are changing their policy and we are no longer going to receive the 5 or 10% discounts. I feel this is bait and switch. Real the customer in with benefits and then lie and take them away. This is not okay with me! New customers should not be able to receive the discount if it is no longer available. Existing customers should get all the discounts because that was the agreement. I choose not to support this company.

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    Reviewed July 7, 2012

    I am on Medifiast’s system for a couple of weeks and have lost about 16 lbs. That’s a good jump start. You have to use the quick weight loss as a springboard and not think that you will be on it for life. I will probably finish my month's meals and wean myself back on a normal diet. The word diet should be used as noun, not a verb. Using diet as a verb means that something is temporary. Using it as a noun is more permanent. Jump start your diet by using the "diet" to see that you can lose the weight. So far, so good.

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    Price

    Reviewed July 5, 2012

    I ordered Medifast and gained weight the first two weeks, was bloated and felt like I had the flu. Some of the products were expired or would expire shortly if you didn't use them quickly, especially the ready-made shakes. They automatically charge and send product without confirmation of wanting order. They charged me for three months and I only got two months! They ripped me off. Also, U never did lose the weight as they say. Also people I know that did lose weight, gain it back once they stop the high-cost product. Life change of eating and exercise is cheaper and better than this. I don't know if a real doctor would promote or support it!

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    Price

    Reviewed June 6, 2012

    I have now been on the Medifast program for 5 weeks. During that time, I have had great weeks where I lost more than 5 lbs., and not so great weeks when I lost less than 1 lb. What I realized is that it wasn't a difference in the program, it was about my willingness to carefully do everything required to succeed. This is not a diet, because when I diet, I try to reduce my calories and the more I reduce the more I lose. This is a change in my thought process about eating. It is about how I eat, when I eat, what I eat, how much water I drink.

    The food is an acquired taste, but I have been able to find little tricks that make it very enjoyable. Like adding a little 0 calorie caramel flavoring to the sugar free syrup, makes it really good, or adding a teaspoon of fat free barbeque sauce to the Sloppy Joe. I now enjoy eating but the weight continues to fall off, down 25 lbs. so far and another 50 lbs. to go. If you are trying to do this online and not through a center, then I don't know that you will never understand how to manage the program and get consistent great results. It is expensive and it is a commitment, but it is a wonderful way to change your whole life.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed May 30, 2012

    I purchased the Medifast meals on 4/15/12. I was eating the meals for 3 - 4 days and my stomach was bloating. I had stomach problems and was told by my doctor to stop the Medifast meals. I called Medifast and they advised me to send them a letter from my doctor, which I did. I went over the inventory over the phone and was told I would receive partial credit for the ones I ate and full credit for the ones that were not used. It is May 30th and no one has contacted me regarding my credit refund. I have been calling several times and each time, am being told something different. I am now being told that the Accounting Dept is refusing to give me credit for the return!

    I spent $345 on the meals and they are trying to keep my money along with the items I sent. They are now telling me that it is their policy not to refund exchanges. I only exchanged 4 items out of 20 boxes. In addition to the 4 items that were returned, I was told I would receive a refund for it as well. I spoke with customer service again today and am being told that someone will call me back within 24 hours, but this is what I am always told when I call and no one calls me back. I would like to receive credit for the shipment returned. Please help! Thank you!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed May 15, 2012

    I placed an online order with Medifast on 3/27. My debit card was charged for the $111.48. When I had not received my order 3 weeks later, I called. They said that the order had been cancelled and not shipped. I then asked about the payment and they claimed that my card had not been charged. I pointed out that it had. They then said that "their accounting department was very busy", but that they would talk to them and get back to me. I called again 2 weeks later and they said they would "check with accounting" and get back to me. I did not hear from anyone nor see the reversal on my statement. I emailed 2 weeks later, no reply. I emailed again 1 week later and received a response that the next available representative would review it and get back to me. That was a week ago and I still have not heard back. What do I have to do to get my money back? This was not a return, but a normal order and they were the ones that didn't ship it. I no longer want the products because they are terrible and the worst customer service I have ever experienced with any company.

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    Reviewed Aug. 5, 2011

    I have never lost any hair in my life and ive dieted many times with other companies. On Medifast I lost so so so much hair. Go to mymedifast and search hair loss and read ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS who are frantically trying to get back their hair. MEdifast says all of the hair loss is from thyroid...so if thats the truth medifast must cause thyroid problems. I have never read from one medifast user that it grew back either. Search "bald spot" and " hair loss" at the medifast customer post site called mymedifast...you will be horrified at how many are losing so so much hair ...dont believe medifast... believe the customers

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    Reviewed June 5, 2010

    I placed an order online with a debit card for $377. The order did not process on the Medifast website due to billing/card number error. Within minutes of my order rejecting on Medifast's website, a $377 hold was placed on my bank account. The hold did not clear for 6 days. I called and the company said their system was very sensitive and to make sure to use the same exact name and address the debit card had on file. And it was case sensitive. I tried to place an order for $300 again and rejected again. Yet Medifast placed 2 separate $300 holds on my account. I was finally able to reach a supervisor and he was able to remove 1 $300 hold but not the second. My bank is unable to help until Medifast tries to post the transaction. Two weeks without access to my money. Two weeks of stressful phone conversations with minimal results. Two weeks of stress for a morbidly obese rejected customer.

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    Reviewed April 16, 2010

    I ordered a four-week supply of food. I entered a code: ** for a $50 coupon credit. I showed the credit but when the transaction was completed, the credit disappeared and the full amount was charged to my credit card. I called them and they said that the coupon was valid but there was nothing they could do, but maybe cancel the order (which was already sent because I paid for expedited service). This credit was deleted by their Web site and I find this deceptive!

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    Reviewed Jan. 22, 2010

    We tried to open a new account for a plastic surgery office in AZ. It has been five days of leaving messages for our representative to take our order. I finally spoke with a different person by the name of David ** who was the most unprofessional person I have ever spoken to. He took my $1500.00 order but told me that Frank **, my representative (who has never answered his phone or email), would have to be the one to call me back to get my payment information and place the order.

    The following day, there was no email or return call. I called again, this time, asking for a supervisor; and they gave me back to David **, who by the way is not a supervisor. He told me that all the supervisors are busy and they would call me back. He proceeded to hang up on me without taking my phone number. If this is how they treat a potential new client, I would hate to see how they treat their repeat customers.

    I feel fortunate that I found out how terrible they are before I gave them our credit card number. They have lost our business for life.

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    Reviewed July 8, 2009

    I purchased Medifast after my third child was born in order to kick start my weight loss. I ended up not being able to use it right away because I was nursing. I just wanted to have a plan ready for when I stopped nursing. I bought the product and began using it about 4 months later. I was so excited due to all the advertisement surrounding it. The first meal I ate, I almost threw up. I was so disgusted by the product that I couldn't finish the meal. I was literally gagging on the "food". I am not a picky eater. I eat diet foods, foods with no taste, foods low in sugar, etc. all the time, so I wasn't worried about this food until I actually ate it. Needless to say, I called them and immediately asked for a reimbursement. I had only opened one package so the rest of the food was intact.

    After thoroughly explaining the situation, they ended up giving me the runaround saying that I would have to talk to a supervisor. They transferred me, I left a message, I never received a call back. I attempted calling the product return center several times over the next few weeks and the phones would either not connect or I would get hung up on. I emailed them twice and each time I was ignored. This is extremely unprofessional for a program that is so widely touted.

    I ordered the 4 week + 1 week bonus package for approximately $300, and had no ability to return it and since I could not stomach the taste of the "food" I lost $300. What a waste! This was money I honestly did not have to throw away, so needless to say, I was very upset and extremely dissatisfied with the "help" at the return center.

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    Reviewed March 27, 2009

    They do not tell you that all their products are made of powder even their eggs and once you open something, you can only exchange it. The products cannot be tried and if you do not like them you are stuck with them. I had to call 5 times to get my refund on unopened products and they did not credit me for all items that I sent back that were unopened. I now have to call again and fight for my money. I had to pay $11.00 for shipping for the products to come to my house but when I sent the unopened ones back, it cost me $22.00.

    I am stuck with over $75.00 worth of products that I have to throw out. The food is horrible tasting. They do have a return policy that does state this but it is on the back of your shipping receipt not on any paper that is clear to see and When I first ordered the product I specifically asked if I do not like it can I return it and they told me yes that I would be able to get my money back. The return policy is not visible as it should be on a separate piece of paper.

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    Reviewed Aug. 30, 2006

    I purchased products June 6, 2006 and returned them according to Medifast policy within 30 days for a full refund. They report that they were outside of the 30 days, no refund given and the products were not returned to me but destroyed.

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    Medifast Company Information

    Company Name:
    Medifast
    Website:
    www.medifast1.com