Can you drink alcohol on Medifast?

One of the most common question people ask me about Medifast (besides Is that the diet where you only drink milkshakes?) is if it's okay to have some wine or other favorite adult beverage and still lose weight.

The answer is yes.

And no.

The carbs in alcohol can take you out of ketosis, the fat burning state that is the magic behind Medifast and other low carb, high protein diets.

When I first started Medifast, however, I didn't want to give up my nightly drink so I just limited it to one or two ounces of wine or gin. When I went out to dinner, I ordered a Bloody Mary, which is one of the low carb crowd's recommended adult beverages. And I still managed to lose weight.

Many low carbers favor Bloody Marys

But after a couple of weeks, my weight loss stalled, and my TSFL coach advised me to ditch the alcohol altogether. Since I do not fashion myself an alcoholic (oh, denial, you are not just a river in Egypt), I gamely accepted the challenge.

I subbed my night cap for hot tea or ice water, and the pounds started melting off again.

Since then, I have indulged in an occasional alcoholic beverage, with no adverse effect on my weight loss. But I do not drink reflexively, partaking only on special occasions and limiting myself to only one small, relatively low-carb drink.

As the ads always say, your results may vary. But that is my personal experience.

If you are stalled on your Medifast weight loss and having a nightly cheat drink, consider foregoing it and see if that tips the scale in your favor.