The other day someone emailed me and basically said, “I am very interested in the Medifast diet. I am very intrigued by the dramatic results my friend has had, but I want to know if I can substitute the Atkins shakes at the store. groceries for the Medifast. ” I have to say that probably most of the questions I get about this diet have to do with shakes. There seems to be a perception that this plan is defined by them. I understand this a bit. These items are tasty, filling, and quite convenient, so there is a lot to like about them. But, there is only one of many food options. However, I will answer the question about substituting Atkins shakes in the following article.
Why Medifast Shakes Are So Popular And Unmatched:I think these shakes get a lot of attention because they are known to be quite tasty and at the same time very low in calories and carbohydrates, and very high in protein and fiber. There are not many diet foods that are able to retain a decent taste and texture while being so nutritionally healthy. This combination (along with the other foods) puts your body in what I called the promised land, which is technically defined as ketosis. In this metabolic state, your body begins to fire up and burn its fat stores because it is not giving you the excess carbohydrates that commonly help with this job.
If you pick up and examine, let’s say a quick light shake, you’ll see that there really is no comparison. Most “diet shakes” are actually packed with sugar, calories, and carbohydrates, and therefore not as effective at achieving ketosis.
Medifast shakes versus Atkins shakes. Which is better ?:Okay, let’s take a look at it side by side. I’ll be looking at the Chocolate Royale for Atkins and the Dutch Chocolate 55 for Medifast. And know that I am evaluating them based on their ability to put you in fat burning mode. (Although I have to say that the Atkins shake has that chalky aftertaste that is unpleasant and typical of many diet foods. I can’t find this in version 55). Regardless, these two shakes are quite similar in terms of protein, carbohydrates, sugars, and fiber. In all of these categories, either one would put you in ketosis (as long as you eat meals from either diet for the rest of the day). However, real chocolate has a whopping 170 calories per serving. This is almost double the 90 calories in Dutch chocolate.
I find this to be a deal breaker. That’s almost like eating two meals (at least in terms of calories) instead of one. The goal of this is to keep calories low so you can get into fat burning mode. Why go through all the work and trouble and then consume a product that has twice the calories?
What are you really saving with Atkins Shake ?: I asked the person who sent the email why they wanted to substitute the other shake. He said he liked being able to buy them at the supermarket and perceived that they were a bit cheaper. Actually, this is not really true. These shakes average over $ 2 each. This is about what you would also pay for Medifast, sometimes less.
And I can’t stress this enough. You are eating a variety of foods on this diet, and many of them are not liquid. You will also eat eggs, chili, oatmeal, bars, etc. And most people order monthly and have the food shipped right to their doorstep. You don’t need to buy products from the grocery store on top of that. If you do, you are spending more money than you need on something that has far more calories than you would get otherwise.
If you use coupons or discounts, you can basically get 5 Medifast meals each day for about $ 8 each day (less than $ 2 each). But, if you add a shake or two from the grocery store to this, you’re hitting this as much as $ 10 – $ 12 a day for foods you don’t need and add more calories. It is simply unnecessary when they provide you with everything you need.
