Your Future Rewritten : Where Optimal Health and balance await. The first step is reaching for them.


Diabetics

Type 2:

Medifast meals, the portion controlled meal replacements utilized in Take Shape for Life’s programs 1, are clinically proven to help you control your weight while you manage your type 2 diabetes.

Researchers released the results of a weight-loss study that found that after 34 weeks, diabetic participants using Medifast’s portion-controlled meal replacement program lost twice as much weight and were twice as likely to complete the study as participants following a standard food diet based on the dietary guidelines of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2

Also, after 34 weeks, 24 percent of the Medifast users decreased OR ELIMINATED their diabetes medication, compared to 0 (zero) percent on the standard food diet. Read complete study details (PDF)

Medifast Plus for Diabetics provides the proper nutrition for people with diabetes, while allowing healthy weight loss. Be sure to discuss calorie levels with your doctor when beginning a Medifast Program.

A few FAQs 3 for diabetics:

How do I use Medifast Plus For Diabetics For Weight Loss?

Medifast recommends that you consult with your primary care physician or diabetes specialist before beginning a program using Medifast Plus for Diabetics. You should discuss blood sugar monitoring, oral diabetes agents and changes to your insulin regimen with your physician before starting the program. We suggest using Medifast Plus for Diabetics as a program that includes 5-6 supplements and one meal per day. Medifast Plus for Diabetics is recommended as a physician supervised weight loss program for Type II diabetics only.

How should I use Medifast Plus For Diabetics for General Nutrition or Weight Maintenance?

Medifast recommends that you consult with your primary care physician or diabetes specialist before beginning a program using Medifast Plus for Diabetics. You should discuss blood sugar monitoring, oral diabetes agents and changes to your insulin regimen with your physician before starting the program. We suggest a program that incorporates 1-4 Medifast Plus For Diabetics supplements into your current meal plan.

Should I continue my oral diabetes medication?

It is advised to check your blood sugar at least 2 – 3 times daily, especially at the beginning of the Medifast program. If your blood sugar levels fall below the range specified by your doctor, you should seek the advice of your physician. Medifast products provide a lower intake of calories and carbohydrates than your current diet.

What if I’m on insulin?

Prior to beginning the program, Medifast recommends that you consult with your physician about your current insulin dosage. Blood sugar testing should be preformed several times throughout the day. As your blood sugar level drops, continue consulting with your doctor about your insulin requirements.

Can I take diuretics while I’m on Medifast?

Unless absolutely necessary, avoid taking diuretics while you are on Medifast. If you are currently taking a diuretic, check with your doctor before making changes. You may need wean off the medication slowly, rather than stopping it abruptly.

Can I do Medifast if I’m diabetic?

If you are a Type II diabetic (adult onset), you should be able to do Medifast just fine. We suggest you monitor your blood sugar readings once or twice a day as well as stay in close contact with your physician for instructions on making changes in your medications.

What is the difference between Medifast Plus for Diabetics and the rest of the Medifast line?

Medifast Plus For Diabetics has been specially formulated for Diabetics. This product contains less than 6 grams of sugar per serving and 9 total carbohydrates per serving. Medifast Plus For Diabetics has been certified by the Glycemic Research Institute to make the claim “LOW GLYCEMIC” and is authorized to use the Glycemic Research Institute’s Seal of Approval.

A snippet from WebMD’s review of the Medifast weight loss program. Take Shape for Life is a wholly owned subsidiary of Medifast and the protocols are identical…

American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, agrees that the Medifast diet should be done with the approval or under the supervision of your health care provider. She says has used the program in a doctor’s office with diabetic patients with good results.

“This is a solid program, providing a nutritionally complete array of tasty foods and drinks that are ideal for diabetics or anyone who doesn’t want to weigh, measure, count calories, or prepare lots of food,” says Brown-Riggs. 4

SolutionsShould your doctor have concerns about you starting the Take Shape for Life program you can refer him to this page, have him call me, or I would be happy to place him in contact with a physician who can answer his questions and allay his concerns.  Just let me know.

Even though Take Shape for Life has been utilized by over 20 thousand physicians and health care professionals in the United States to help their patients, not every doctor is familiar with the protocols and their efficacious usage in managing type 2 diabetes, or the studies validating them.

I’m confident your doctor would be excited about the prospects of reducing or eliminating your medications through a nutritionally sound and balanced diet with an extensive proven track record – hence the 20 thousand doctors and health care professionals who use it with their patients.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the co-founder and chief architect of Take Shape for Life is Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson, 5 as highly respected as he is credentialed.

  1. Take Shape for Life is a wholly owned subsidiary of Medifast ↩
  2. Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin, M.D., F.A.C.P., is a board-certified internist and Associate Professor of Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is the director and founder of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center. He is also the principal investigator on a number of research grants and is a frequent contributor to research and popular articles on weight management.

    Dr. Cheskin’s study, “Long-Term Efficacy of 2 Diet Plans for Type 2 Diabetes on Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance,” was funded by Medifast. ↩

  3. All FAQs taken from Take Shape for Life’s Frequently Asked Questions page ↩
  4. WebMD: The Medifast Diet Plan By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, director of nutrition for WebMD and the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic. ↩
  5. He (Dr. Andersen) trained in open heart surgery at Cleveland Clinic and then went on to train for two years at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami, considered to be the premier training program in the country in surgical intensive care.

    Dr. Andersen became the tenth physician Board Certified in Critical Care and went back to the institution where he began his post graduate training, to set up the open heart program and surgical intensive care unit.

    It was here that Dr. Andersen developed a profound understanding of the pivotal role that nutrition plays in disease and health.

    For eighteen years, Dr. Andersen directed the Surgical Critical Care Program at Grandview and was Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology. In 2000, he made a monumental decision to leave his hospital-based practice to devote his full energy to helping people to become and to stay healthy. ↩

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