The Optavia diet is a weight loss program that utilizes a combination of packaged foods, personalized coaching, and a few simple home-cooked meals. It aims to help individuals lose weight by providing low-calorie and reduced-carb meal options. This article provides a detailed review of the Optavia diet, including its effectiveness, pros, cons, and overall suitability.
What is the Optavia Diet?
Optavia is marketed as a weight-loss or maintenance plan that involves eating a mix of purchased, processed food created by the company - mainly shakes, bars, soups and crunchy snacks called "fuelings" - and homemade "lean and green" meals. Derived from the Medifast diet, OPTAVIA relies heavily on prepackaged foods, referred to as Fuelings, in combination with home-prepared recipes.
The Optavia diet is a low-calorie, reduced-carb program that combines packaged foods, homemade meals, and personalized coaching to encourage weight loss. The program offers several plans to choose from, all of which involve a mixture of packaged Optavia Fuelings and homemade entrees known as Lean and Green meals. For people who aren’t interested in cooking, the company also provides a line of premade low carb meals called Flavors of Home as a replacement for Lean and Green meals.
One of the appealing aspects of the Optavia diet is that you don't have to count carbs, calories, or points. Instead, you simply add water to powdered food products or unwrap a bar as part of your plan, which can include up to six portion-controlled meals daily. This can be a bonus for people who just don't want to put any effort into planning their meals, but the options are limited.
How the Optavia Diet Works
The Optavia diet encourages weight loss through a combination of one-on-one coaching, a few simple home-cooked meals, and low calorie packaged products. To join Optavia as a client, you must first connect with a Coach. Signing up for Optavia starts with talking with an Optavia Coach over the phone. During this phone call, you’ll choose an Optavia diet plan, set weight loss goals, and familiarize yourself with the program.
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The program offers several plans to choose from, all of which involve a mixture of packaged Optavia Fuelings and homemade entrees known as Lean and Green meals. The Optavia program provides additional tools to aid weight loss and maintenance, including tips and inspiration via: text message, community forums, weekly support calls, and an app that allows you to set meal reminders and track your food intake and activity. The company also provides specialized programs for older adults, teens, people who are nursing, and people with diabetes or gout.
Optavia also offers guidance from its own staff of diet coaches to help you learn their trademarked "Habits of Health". The plan additionally recommends doing about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day. Eventually, once your weight loss goals are met, the brand offers a secondary plan for weight loss maintenance that users can subscribe to.
Optavia Fuelings
Optavia Fuelings are Optavia-branded products that are low in carbs and high in protein and contain added probiotics - friendly bacteria that may boost your gut health. You can choose from more than 60 Optavia Fuelings, including bars, cookies, shakes, puddings, cereals, soups, and pastas.
Fuelings use sugar substitutes, small portion sizes, whey protein powder, and soy protein isolate to create low carb, high protein versions of popular food items, like vanilla milkshakes and mac and cheese. There are two kinds of Fuelings to choose from: Essential Fuelings and Select Fuelings. Essential Fuelings are Optavia’s versions of classic American dishes and flavors, such as Cheesy Buttermilk Cheddar Mac, Wild Rice & Chicken Flavored Soup, and Essential Creamy Vanilla Shake.
At least half of any Optavia diet consists of its "fuelings," which include bars, shakes, cookies, cereal and some savory options, like soup and smashed potatoes. These processed foods often list soy protein or whey protein as the primary ingredient. Each fueling product contains around 100 to 150 calories.
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Lean and Green Meals
Lean and green meals fill out the rest of the diet, which requires you to shop and prepare via meal prep sessions on your own time.
Here’s what a Lean and Green meal should include:
- 5-7 ounces (145-200 grams) of cooked lean protein
- 3 servings of non-starchy vegetables
- Up to 2 servings of healthy fats
The program also includes a dining out guide that explains how to order a Lean and Green meal at your favorite restaurant.
Foods allowed in your daily Lean and Green meal:
- Meat: chicken, turkey, lean beef, game meats, lamb, pork chop or tenderloin, ground meat (at least 85% lean)
- Fish and shellfish: halibut, trout, salmon, tuna, lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops
- Eggs: whole eggs, egg whites, Egg Beaters
- Soy products: only tofu
- Vegetable oils: canola, flaxseed, walnut, olive
- Additional healthy fats: low carb salad dressings, olives, reduced fat margarine, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, avocado
- Low carb vegetables: collard greens, spinach, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, spaghetti squash, jicama
- Sugar-free snacks: ice pops, gelatin, gum, mints
- Sugar-free beverages: water, unsweetened almond milk, tea, coffee
- Condiments and seasonings: dried herbs, spices, salt, lemon juice, lime juice, yellow mustard, soy sauce, salsa, sugar-free syrup, zero-calorie sweeteners, 1/2 teaspoon only of ketchup, cocktail sauce, or barbecue sauce
Foods to avoid - unless included in Fuelings:
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- Fried foods: meats, fish, shellfish, vegetables, sweets like certain pastries
- Refined grains: white bread, pasta, biscuits, pancakes, flour tortillas, crackers, white rice, cookies, cakes, pastries
- Certain fats: butter, coconut oil, solid shortening
- Full fat dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt
- Alcohol: all varieties
- Sugar-sweetened beverages: soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweet tea
Optavia Meal Plans
Optavia offers three meal plans:
- Optimal Weight 5&1 Plan: The most popular plan, this version includes five Optavia Fuelings and one balanced Lean and Green meal each day.
- Optimal Weight 4&2&1 Plan: For those who need more calories or flexibility in food choices, this plan includes four Optavia Fuelings, two Lean and Green meals, and one snack per day.
- Optimal Health 3&3 Plan: Designed for maintenance, this plan includes three Optavia Fuelings and three balanced Lean and Green meals per day.
For weight loss, most people start with the Optimal Weight 5&1 Plan, which is an 800-1,000-calorie regimen that the company claims can help you drop 12 pounds (5.4 kg) over 12 weeks. On the 5&1 plan, you’re instructed to eat 5 Optavia Fuelings and 1 Lean and Green meal each day. The program recommends eating a meal or a Fueling every 2-3 hours and incorporating 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. The 5&1 plan also includes 1 optional snack per day, which must be approved by your Coach.
Here's an example of a day's meals on the 5-and-1 Plan. Keep in mind that you would eat every two hours:
- Golden chocolate chip pancakes
- Wild strawberry shake
- Homestyle chick'n noodle soup
- Honey mustard and onion sticks
- Salmon and broccoli with lemon, thyme and ginger (lean-and-green meal)
- Creamy double peanut butter crisp bar
Transition and Maintenance
Once you reach your desired weight, you enter a 6-week transition phase, which involves slowly increasing your calories to no more than 1,550 calories per day. You’ll also be allowed to incorporate a wider variety of foods, including:
- Fruit: all fresh fruit, particularly berries because they’re lower in carbs
- Low fat or nonfat dairy: yogurt, milk, cheese
- Whole grains: whole grain bread, high fiber breakfast cereal, brown rice, whole wheat pasta
- Legumes: peas, lentils, beans, soybeans
- Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, corn, peas
After 6 weeks, Optavia recommends transitioning to the Optimal Health 3&3 Plan, which includes 3 Lean and Green meals and 3 Fuelings daily, plus ongoing Optavia coaching.
Can the Optavia Diet Help You Lose Weight?
The Optavia diet is designed to help people lose weight and fat by reducing calories and carbs through portion-controlled meals and snacks. The 5&1 plan limits calories to 800-1,000 per day, divided among 6 portioned-controlled meals.
A short-term 16-week study followed 65 people on Optavia’s 5&1 Plan with excess weight or obesity and found that those on Optavia’s 5&1 Plan had significantly lower weight, fat levels, and waist circumference than the control group by the end of the study. Specifically, those on the 5&1 Plan lost 5.7% of their body weight, on average, and 28.1% of participants lost more than 10%. This may suggest additional benefits, as research associates 5-10% weight loss with a reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The average weight loss on the 5 & 1 Plan is 12 pounds in 12 weeks. Being overweight is one of the most significant risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. If OPTAVIA helps you lose weight and keep it off, it can help tilt the odds in your favor in fending off insulin resistance.
However, it’s important to note that participants on the Optavia plan were eating only 800-1,000 calories per day, while those in the control group were allowed 1,500 calories or more daily. The latter is a more sustainable approach to long-term weight loss. The one-on-one coaching may be helpful as well. The same study found that individuals on the 5&1 diet who completed at least 75% of the coaching sessions lost more than twice as much weight as those who participated in fewer sessions.
Pros of the Optavia Diet
In addition to weight loss, some people may be drawn to the Optavia diet because it’s easy to follow, may improve blood pressure levels, and offers ongoing support.
- Easy to follow: Since the diet relies mostly on packaged Fuelings, you’re responsible for cooking only one meal per day on the 5&1 Plan. What’s more, each plan comes with meal logs and sample meal plans to make it easier to follow.
- May improve blood pressure: Optavia programs may help improve blood pressure through weight loss and limited sodium intake. All Optavia meal plans are designed to provide less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day - although it’s up to you to choose low sodium options for Lean and Green meals.
- Offers ongoing support: Optavia’s Coaches are available throughout the weight loss and maintenance programs. As noted above, one study found a significant relationship between the number of coaching sessions on the Optavia 5&1 Plan and improved weight loss.
Cons of the Optavia Diet
While the Optavia diet may be an effective weight loss method for some, it has several downsides to consider.
- Very low in calories: With just 800-1,000 calories per day, the Optavia 5&1 program is quite low in calories, especially for individuals who are used to eating 2,000 or more calories per day. While this rapid reduction in calories may result in overall weight loss, research has shown that it can also lead to significant muscle loss. In addition, low calorie diets may decrease the number of calories your body burns, making it even more difficult to lose weight.
- May be difficult to stick with: The 5&1 Plan includes 5 packaged Fuelings and 1 low carb meal per day. As a result, it can be quite restrictive in food options and calorie count. Since you may tire of relying on packaged foods for most of your meals, it could become easy to cheat on the diet or develop cravings for other foods.
- Can be costly: Regardless of your specific plan, the Optavia diet can be expensive, especially when you factor in the additional cost of groceries for Lean and Green meals.
- May be incompatible with other eating patterns: The Optavia diet includes specialized programs for vegetarians, people with diabetes, and people who are nursing. Plus, about two-thirds of its products are certified gluten-free. However, options are limited for those on specific diets.
Potential Health Risks
Because the OPTAVIA diet is low in carbs and calories, it can result in potential health problems. Additionally, rapid weight loss increases the risk of arrhythmia, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
The processed, powdered variety of protein that's featured in programs like Optavia can lead to some less-than-pleasant side effects. A major 'red flag' here is the use of the word, 'fuelings,' which are designed to replace meals on Optavia. These protein powders often contain additives (including sugar alcohols, emulsifiers and texturizing agents) that can lead to unwanted GI side effects, making you far better off eating meals that include high protein foods that you enjoy vs. drinking them in the form of powder that may promote feelings of discomfort - particularly in the context of extreme calorie deficit. Plus, the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements like shakes and powders for safety and efficacy the same way it does for food.
Who Should Avoid the Optavia Diet?
Pregnant women and those younger than 13 shouldn’t be on any OPTAVIA program. Teens, nursing mothers, people with gout and those with diabetes should stick to the OPTAVIA program options developed for their unique needs after clearing it with their doctors.
Older, sedentary adults and people who exercise more than 45 minutes daily should avoid the 5 & 1 Plan. People with serious illnesses - like cancer, liver disease, kidney disease or an eating disorder - shouldn’t follow any plan unless they have recovered and are cleared by their health care providers.
Cost of the Optavia Diet
The cost of Optavia depends on the types and number of products you purchase each month. Optavia products are available individually and in kits. Individual Fuelings cost $2.96 or $3.46 per serving, while kits come out to $3.60 or $3.38 per serving, depending on the kit. Keep in mind that these prices don’t reflect the additional cost of groceries needed to prepare Green and Lean meals.
The essential 5&1 plan, which is Optavia's flagship offering, cost more than $375 per month, and that's not including what you'll spend on your "lean and green" meals (or what you cook at home).
Here's what you can expect to pay for each program in 2024 (there is a discount for the first month's kit, these prices reflect the regular price):
- Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan: $511.50 for 154 servings
- Optimal Weight 5 & 1 ACTIVE Plan: $571.45 for 184 servings, including whey protein and the essential amino acids powder).
- Optimal Weight 4 & 2 ACTIVE Plan: $515.15 for 179 servings