Sometimes I hear from people who are worried about certain things they hear about the Medifast diet. They are often interested in the diet but are concerned about perceived side effects. An example is that of drowsiness or fatigue. I heard someone say, “I have a dear friend who has had a lot of success with Medifast. I’m interested in taking it myself, but I’m worried about fatigue. When my friend first started the diet, she was sleepy and tired for the first week.” Sort of. This is a big concern of mine because I have a very stressful job that requires a lot of energy. Will I be sleepy or tired of Medifast?”
It’s almost impossible for me to predict what someone’s experience might be. I’ve heard many variations on different people’s experiences. I’ve heard some people say they were a little more tired initially. And I’ve heard some say they actually felt more energy. There are many theories as to why this happens, but here is mine.
First of all, you need to understand that when you use this diet as designed, your body must eventually enter a metabolic state called ketosis in which your body is burning its own fat. When this happens, your body is working very hard. That could be why they suggest not exercising or at least taking it easy for the first few weeks. Your body is already working and cannot be used for this process. That’s why I think some feel tired, because their body is working harder than normal. However, some people report feeling extra energy and a lack of cravings when they hit ketosis. Once again, there is a range of possible answers.
I also think some people report having more energy on this diet because many of the foods are lactose and gluten free and extremely easy to digest. For people who have had digestive problems, this can make them feel much better and have much more energy since their body has not had to work during digestion. In that same line of thinking, many people go from eating three main meals to eating six smaller meals on the diet. This can also make digestion much easier.
On the other hand, some find that they have less energy by eating fewer calories. However, since you must eat every few hours, this becomes less of an issue due to the frequency. But to answer the question posed, you may feel less energy when you first start the diet. But you may also feel more energetic. Regardless of what you experience, most people only need to adjust for the first week or so. After that, you get used to the diet and find that you experience what your new normal is.