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There are many diets in modern society, but one can change your life, and it’s called the Optavia Diet.
This diet was created by nutrition experts who live in the real world and understand the difficulties people face trying to lose weight.
The Optavia Diet is developed to help you feel fuller, maintain a better metabolism, and achieve long-term results.
This article will show you the Optavia diet and how it works. What should you eat if this diet is proper for your body type?
What is the idea behind Optavia Diet?
In the 1980s, a diet called Medifast was launched. Cocktails and bars, available by mail order, were created to substitute breakfast and lunch to make the diet easier to observe.
Today, Medifast continues, but some famous associates function on the same focus of weight loss by substituting pre-selected meals. One is the Optavia diet (formerly known as “Take Shape for Life”).
What makes the Optavia diet appealing to dieters is its convenience, and it’s also easy to comprehend and structured, which makes meal planning more comfortable.
The Optavia diet is founded on the intake of small, regular meals throughout the day, and it is created to boost metabolism and promote weight loss.
It also stresses the importance of a healthy diet, including
– Whole grains
– Lean protein
– fresh fruit
– Vegetables
The Optavia diet is not aimed at long-term sustainable weight loss but short-term weight loss via more nutritious options.
Who Created the Optavia diet?
This diet was created and promoted by Medifast. The firm is known for its packaged meals for weight loss plans, such as:
– Optavia
– Medifast
– And Take Shape for Life. Dr. Wayne Andersen is also one of the founders of the Optavia diet.
How Does the Optavia Diet Work for fat loss?
The Optavia diet is established on the concept that taking small meals and snacks many times a day will lead to manageable, endless weight loss and, finally, a change in one’s eating habits.
Instead of 3 large meals daily, you will eat small, nutritious meals six or seven times a day.
It may work for some people. Still, everyone is different in terms of genetic makeup, and no conclusive studies support this approach.
A Harvard Medical School published a paper on the effects of eating fewer meals. It concluded that weight loss is directly related to calorie restriction and that the timing and size of the meal itself do not significantly influence weight loss.
For long-term weight loss success, experts unanimously believe “small meals are the only way to go.
“Is Not only the specific diet but also the emotional and behavioral aspects essential?
They also stress the importance of considering overall health as a path to safe and meaningful weight loss goals.
Benefits of the Optavia diet
Rapid weight loss
This is mainly for those who need to lose substantial fat.
Convenience
It’s easy and convenient to buy small meals prepared in advance because there’s no need to count calories or carbohydrates.
Recipes that can be quickly cooked at home are also handy. Counting portions of typical foods instead of calories makes it easy to keep track of one’s diet.
Reducing the risk of being overweight and obese
Being chubby and obese can boost the risk of several health problems. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and cancers. Simply reducing body weight by 5% can reduce these risks.
It improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Some health experts recommend a gradual weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week, but sometimes a faster pace is preferable.
For instance, studies have shown that fast weight loss is connected with more significant improvements in blood lipid and blood sugar levels.
In other words, people with health-threatening cholesterol and blood sugar problems are better off losing weight faster.
However, the study also showed that the more gradual the weight loss, the better the change in body composition.
Health training support
Optavia also offers support through a coaching program, which some users find helpful. Coaching helps them stay on track and increase their chances of success.
Here’s the cost of the Optavia diet
The cost for a month of the Optavia diet is just over $400 for plan 5&1 and just over $300 for plans 3&3.
A month’s supply of Optavia-approved fuelling products (smoothies, soups, and snacks) can cover three to five meals daily, depending on the chosen plan. Participants must also cook a healthy diet at least once a day.
The cost of Optavia diet is costly. Still, it’s relatively inexpensive, combined with the costs of Starbucks and Grub Hub, which will likely be incurred over 30 days.
Optavia has three plans, each with different weight loss goals. Each program includes access to a health coach and various resources to develop weight loss strategies and general lifestyle tips, focusing on creating healthy eating habits.
Is the Optavia diet right for you?
If you have certain conditions that affect your diet, such as diabetes, IBS, or celiac disease, this diet plan won’t work because you’ll have to choose the ingredients for your meals. Thus, it’s essential to understand what diets work best for your body based on your DNA.
The same goes for pregnant women or those that are just given birth. This diet contains about 1,000-1,100 calories a day, which is very little, and for pregnant and breastfeeding women, it will be too little,’ she adds.
‘Because the ingredients in supplements are not regulated, there can be food-drug interactions, and you must be very careful when taking certain medications,’ says Dr. Bernard.
Please consult your doctor before choosing a new diet plan program to ensure it’s safe and suitable for your lifestyle.
Should I consider the Optavia diet for weight loss?
The Optavia diet aims to lose weight and fat by controlling the number of calories and carbohydrates you eat and snacks.
The 5&1 plan limits calories to 800-1000 kcal daily, divided into six meals. Results are mixed, but several studies have shown that full or partial meal replacement plans lead to more significant weight loss than traditional calorie-restricted diets.
Some studies also show that reducing total calorie intake is effective for weight and fat loss. The same is true for low-carb diets, at least in the short term.
The Optavia 5&1 plan was applied to 65 participants who were overweight or obese in a short-term 16-week study.
Results showed that participants who followed the Optavia 5&1 plan had significantly lower body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference than the control group at the end of the study.
Specifically, participants on the 5&1 plan lost an average of 5.7% of body weight, and 28.1% of participants lost 10% or more of body weight, which may indicate additional benefits, as studies have shown that 5-10% weight loss is connected with a lowered risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes.
However, it should be cited that participants in the Optavia plan consumed only 800-1000 cal. Per day, participants in the control group were allowed to consume more than 1500 cal—per day.
The latter is a more sustainable strategy for long-term fat loss. Personal support can also be helpful.
The same study found that 5&1 diet participants who attended at least 75% of the coaching sessions lost twice as much weight as those who attended fewer sessions. However, it should be remembered that this study was funded by Medifast, the former name of Optavia’s parent company.
However, other studies have shown that ongoing professional support promotes weight loss and maintenance.
However, most Optavia trainers are unlikely to be experts, as they are not required to be qualified or attend nutrition courses. In addition, the long-term results of the Optavia diet have yet to be studied through research. Overall, further research is required to assess the long-term effectiveness of the Optavia diet.
What can you and cannot eat on Optavia diets?
The diet plan consists of lean protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.
Optavia lists “lean,” “leanest,” and “leanest” meat and vegetable protein options, from egg white to steak.
The serving size of these protein sources depends on the lean meat content. The three vegetable servings allowed in this diet can be low, moderate, or high in carbohydrates, and they can be anything from iceberg lettuce to spaghetti squash.
At the end of the meal, dress your meal with healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, or a low-carb dressing.
Foods to avoid while following Optavia’s
Of course, stimulants such as high-calorie desserts, alcohol, and sugary drinks are not on the menu at any stage of the Optavia diet. Other foods may be restricted initially and gradually introduced after achieving weight loss goals. These include non-starchy vegetables, fresh fruit, cereals, and low-fat dairy products.
What are the risks of the Optavia diet?
Nutritional deficiencies
This diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies if too few calories are consumed for too long.
The Optavia diet plan not only limits calories but also includes food groups such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains that contain essential vitamins and minerals.
Reduced performance
Rapid weight loss can also affect performance. A review of 10 papers found that although many athletes (in this case, mainly boxers) want to lose weight, rushing to do so affects their performance and poses health risks.
Extremely low-calorie diets are unlikely to help athletes with demanding training schedules.
Some health experts recommend that athletes who want to lose weight should do so best in the off-season when training demands are not as high.
Sales pressure
Endorsement coaching can also be a drawback. Critics call the system a financial pyramid scheme because of its tiered structure.
Users who complete the Optavia program are encouraged to become coaches, sell the company’s products and recruit new salespeople. As a result, it can scare off potential customers.
Costly
This plan is expensive. Five boxes cost about $17, not including tax and shipping (or products purchased for Lean & Green Meals).
Hunger
Losing weight with this method can be very uncomfortable and unsustainable. Low-calorie diets usually cause unwanted symptoms such as intense hunger and fatigue. Feeling hungry can lead to eating outside the diet plan.
Wait! Check out this before you go for the Optavia diet…
The Optavia diet consists of three programs: two for weight loss and one for weight maintenance.
These plans promote weight loss by including more protein and fewer carbohydrates and calories.
But what is the guarantee that the Optavia diet will work for your weight loss objective?
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