Detailed Optavia Diet Review: Diet Plans, Benefits & More
The team behind Medifast created the health and wellness plan under its OPTAVIA brand. The brand offers products known as “Fuelings” with the same macronutrient profile as its Original Medifast products. The company claims that by incorporating healthy lifestyles, working with its coaches, and following the nutritional guidelines of its OPTAVIA products, you’ll experience “lifelong change one healthy practice at a time.”
Particularly, if you adhere to the brand’s Fuelings and then supplement them with the “Lean and green” meal (one vegetarian, one meat, and one healthy fat for your main dish) every day, you’ll feel satisfied and well-nourished. Additionally, you won’t shed a lot of muscle as you’ll be eating plenty of fiber, protein, and other essential nutrients while eating only a few calories, usually between 800 and 1000 for adults. Clients lose around 12 pounds over 12 weeks following the Optimal Weight 5 and 1 Plan.
A bit of curbing of carbs happens in the background. Since carbs are your primary energy source, cutting them out leads your body to the most effective alternative fuel source: fat. OPTAVIA is thought to cut down on carbohydrates just enough. You’ll consume 80-100 grams per day to begin burning fat.
High-Protein Diet
The diets contain greater than recommended government figures of between 10 and 35 percent of calories consumed daily are derived from protein.
Who Came Up With Optavia Diet?
Optavia was introduced as a weight-loss program by Medifast Inc. This American weight-loss business produces, distributes, and sells packaged food and other products to help you lose weight.
Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro is a fan of the diet and credits his weight loss of 35 pounds due to the Optavia diet. Check out the Optavia diet review to see whether it’s worth the effort!
How To Adhere To The Optavia Diet
The weight loss program is based on eating a mixture of processed and packaged foods purchased, known as “Fuelings,” and homemade “lean and healthy” meal plans for diets.
You can pick from a range of choices to “Fuelings and “Lean and green” meals.
Optavia “Fuelings” make up more than 60 products and include shakes and pancakes, soups, noodles, potato mash popcorn, and more. Each meal is proteins-based, low in carbs, and contains probiotics to improve digestion.
Customers can select several weight loss programs based on their weight loss goals, such as the 5&1 and the 4&2&1 plan.
5&1 Plan
5&1 Plan is the most intense. 5&1 Plan is the most demanding, requiring you to eat five meals daily. It also includes a “Lean and Green” meal you prepare yourself.
5&1 is a diet that provides between 800 and 1000 calories per day. It costs $356.15 and offers 119 servings that can last for 20 days.
4&2&1 Plan
However, The 4&2&1 Plan is a bit less organized. It includes four fuelings per day, the two “Lean and green” meals you prepare, and one snack purchased from Optavia.
4&2&1 has some more calories, around 1550 calories per day. The kit is $399 and includes 140 servings that will last about 35 days.
3&3 Plan
The 3&3 plan requires the most cooking at home and is meant for weight maintenance instead of weight loss.
Most people start this program once they’ve attained their goal weight.
3&3 offers three “fueling” each day and three balanced meals cooked at home.
In addition to the food schedule, following a meal plan, and meal plan, the Optavia diet also provides one-on-one coaching. Your personal coach will decide the best plan for you and help you along the way.
The Optavia Diet: Benefits
Suppose you’re planning to begin the OPTAVIA diet or have already started your diet journey. In that case, it’s important to be aware of the various ways to receive help throughout the journey. Below are some examples of ways it is possible to benefit from the OPTAVIA diet can benefit you:
Uninvolved coaches are paired with dieters to provide assistance.
Foods for fueling – corporate nutritional bars, shakes, snacks, and meals that are diet-friendly and available for purchase online or via the app.
Private and public Facebook support and communities.
Community groups on Instagram.
Mobile application for ordering products recipe tracking, tracking, and order tracking.
What You Can Eat
Due to what is included in the diet, the only foods available to you are those you can eat daily. “Fuelings that the company offers to include shakes, bars, soups, biscuits, and soups. “Lean and Green” meals are those that you make yourself. “Lean and Green” meals are the ones you cook yourself. Usually, they consist of a lean protein, at least two servings of healthy fats, and three servings of non-starchy vegetables.
There are a few items you can’t eat when following the diet known as Optavia.
First, starchy vegetables like corn or potatoes are not allowed in the 5&1 or 4&2&1 plans. Fresh fruits and dairy products with low fat and whole-grain products aren’t allowed in an initial couple of weeks on the plan.
Additionally, alcohol is not advised during any of the programs because it can cause unnecessary calories and raises your hunger levels.
The company also advises against coconut oil, butter, or solid shortening. In addition, desserts, chocolate, or sugary drinks are not allowed.
Potential Benefits Associated With The Optavia Diet
Convenience
The Optavia meal replacement items (also known as “Fuelings) can be delivered directly to the residence, saving you energy and time.
This makes it simpler for many people to stick to the diet plan. But remember that you’ll still require shopping for the ingredients to prepare the “Lean and green” meals.
Rapid Weight Loss
Most people need between 1500-3000 calories a day to keep their weight in check. Therefore, having a small deficit in their daily calories can help people lose weight.
If the Optavia diet limits calories to as little as 800 per day, it will definitely cause weight reduction.
Social Support
One of the major differences between the various diets and programs available is that the Optavia diet is unique in that the Optavia diet gives one-on-one coaching.
When on an eating plan, social support can greatly assist in reaching your goals.
The program also offers recordings of group calls and other activities to build an atmosphere of community that can help encourage one another.
Possible Concerns With The Optavia Diet
Expensive
The Optavia diet price varies based on the program you select, and the range of options starts at $350 per month and could be as high as 450 dollars per month. This could be a huge cost and doesn’t contain any other purchase you’ll need to create to prepare the “Lean and green” meals and other snacks.
Unsustainable Weight Loss
As with many other programs like many others, as with many other programs, Optavia Diet comes with rapid weight loss. While it may seem great initially, it could lead to several people regaining their weight once the diet has ended.
Thus, maintaining weight loss after you have completed the program can be challenging due to the strict caloric restriction and the meal choices.
Includes A Lot Of Processed Foods
While Optavia Diet’s fuelings are very low in calories, they’re packaged and processed. A lot of research has proven that processed food can have negative effects on a person’s health.
How Many Exercises Should You Do On Optavia?
OPTAVIA suggests 30 minutes on most days to do a moderate-intensity exercise that you are comfortable with and could easily incorporate, such as walking. Start slow and then gradually increase the time or intensity until your body is able, the company suggests. Be careful not to overdo it, as you’ll eventually exhaust your energy. There are specific guidelines in the Optimal Weight 5 and 1 Plan.
Last Words
Based on a variety of Optavia diet reviews written by dietitians, this diet will not alter your eating habits over the long term. Lisa Young, Ph.D., RDN, of New York City, explains that “the importance of prepackaged food items does not teach people how to eat.”
The Detroit-based Grace Derocha, RD, CDE, is a health and wellness advocate of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Also, she notes that the diet does not have enough calories. According to her, “In terms of overall nutrition and health and affordability, this diet does not top my list of the best strategies.”
If you’re looking to give this diet a try, be sure to get knowledgeable about healthy eating to sustain your weight loss over the long term after you’ve finished with the diet. Talking with a registered dietitian will aid you in cooking healthy and tasty meals and establish a positive relationship with food.
