Are you searching for the BEST weight loss program in existence? Look no further!
In this article I will specifically discuss the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan ( AKA the Optavia 5 & 1 Plan), the ultimate Optavia program for rapid weight loss.
No clue what Optavia is? No problem… for more information on Optavia in general, click HERE!
Now let’s get started. We have SO much to discuss!
The Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan – What is it?
The Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan is a scientifically designed program that not only transitions your body into a fat-burning machine, but also provides you with the mental tools to keep the pounds off once you achieve your ideal weight.
How is this possible you ask?
When following the plan, as detailed below, you will enter a gentle, but efficient, “fat-burning” state that is maintainable for long-term success. In addition, you will do mental homework along your journey to ensure that your new “healthy habits” stick.
Designed by physicians for fighting the obesity plague, this plan is based upon scientific research, is supported by a multitude of clinical studies, and has been endorsed by Johns Hopkins & The Mayo Clinic, along with 20,000+ doctors.
The science is there and science does not lie.
If you REALLY are serious about dropping weight, this plan is hassle-free and broken down in black and white to ensure success with a simple to follow guide. All the work has been done for you… you just follow the steps!
Let’s Talk Food – What Can I Eat?
Of course, the most common question when it comes down to ANY diet is “What Can I Eat?”. If you are anything like me, food is of the utmost importance and when discussing weight loss it is one of the most critical components.
With the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan, food is consumed six times per day. Yes… you read that correctly… you eat SIX different times (spaced 2-3 hours apart) in a 24-hour period!
The food that you partake in is divided into two categories:
- Fuelings
- Lean & Green Meal
Does that sound like gibberish? Hold-up… keep reading. I will explain! The key take-away here is that you will ingest food SIX times daily (5 fuelings + 1 Lean & Green) with each spaced 2-3 hours apart!
What is a Fueling? – This is Critical
What Optavia terms as “fuelings” are essentially small snacks that you order directly from Optavia. They are delivered directly to your doorstep.
There are over 50 fueling options that you can choose from ranging from brownies, to macaroni, to pasta, to smashed potatoes, to pancakes, to shakes, to bars. You get the picture!
Each fueling was scientifically designed by a team of food scientists, Registered Dietitians, and Nutritionists to be nutritionally interchangeable meaning that the nutritional profiles of each product is nearly identical.
This theoretically means that if you want to partake in a brownie for each of your five fuelings for the day, you can do this and STILL lose weight! This is sounding pretty amazing, right?
In addition, these fuelings are comprised of an appropriate balance of carbohydrates, fat, protein, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. THIS is what stimulates that gentle fat-burning state that we briefly discussed above! Also, they are clean label and do not contain colors, flavors, or sweeteners from artificial sources.
So… you consume 5 fuelings per day (spaced 2-3 hours apart); but, what about that Lean & Green?
The Lean & Green Meal – Real Food for Weight Loss
As noted above, on the Optimal 5 & 1 Plan, you eat 5 fuelings + 1 Lean & Green meal per day. So… what does the Lean & Green Meal consist of?
The Lean & Green meal is the ONLY thing with this plan that you have to worry about preparing… meaning you go to the
grocery store, purchase ingredients, and prepare. I don’t know about you, but only being responsible for making one meal per day sure sounds nice to me!
For starters, think about this meal as consisting of three categories:
- Proteins (Lean)
- Vegetables (Green)
- Healthy Fats
You can find some of my favorite Lean and Green Recipes by clicking HERE!
Now we can break this down into real food talk.
PROTEINS – THE LEAN ELEMENT
All proteins are divided into three categories:
- Leanest
- Leaner
- Lean
Determining the category of your protein of choice is simply made by looking at the chart below:
This chart tells you, depending on which protein you select, whether you get 5 ounces, 6 ounces, or 7 ounces of meat. In addition, it tells you if you need to add a healthy fat or not (we will discuss this further below).
All weights of meat are for cooked weight.
That’s easy enough, right?
VEGETABLES – THE GREEN ELEMENT
Now comes the Green portion of the Lean & Green meal. The greens are essentially your vegetables of choice.
You get three servings of greens (vegetables) per Lean & Green.
One serving is typically 1/2 cup of vegetables, unless otherwise noted.
You can utilize the chart below which does specify the amount per serving based upon which veggie you choose (don’t worry about the carbohydrate levels):
REMEMBER… you get three servings. This could be comprised of a total of 1.5 cups of broccoli OR a single serving of three different vegetables!
HEALTHY FATS – THE EXTRA ELEMENT
Depending upon your protein selection, sometimes the addition of healthy fats are required.
Why?
Healthy fats are crucial for the proper function of the gall bladder. In addition, they help the body absorb certain vitamins, such as Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
While your lean meats (see chart above under Proteins) do naturally contain healthy fats, your leaner and leanest choices need you to supplement the healthy fat component.
No worries… this is easy.
Guess what? There is a chart that depicts EXACTLY what you should do. You simply refer to the LEAN chart above to see if you need to incorporate healthy fats and, if so, one or two servings. Then look at the chart below with some examples of healthy fats to add.
Your healthy fat does NOT have to be added solely to your Lean & Green meal. If you know that you are going to require 1-2 servings of healthy fats, feel free to add it to one of your fuelings!
In a nutshell, this completes your Lean & Green Meal for the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan.
Wait… there’s more!
Condiments – Your Food Doesn’t Have to be Bland
Just because you are losing weight doesn’t mean that you have to eat boring foods… let’s add some zest! Optavia allows for this.
What do I mean by this?
You can spice up your foods with condiments!
In order to see if a condiment fits into the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan, simply look at the food labels. If one serving of your condiment of choice contains less than 1 gram of carbohydrate, guess what? It’s approved.
You can utilize a maximum of three condiments daily and remain on-plan. These can be utilized with your Lean & Green Meal OR with a fueling.
Here are some examples of condiments that fit the guidelines:
Go ahead… spice it up… it’s allowed!!!
Snacks – You Even Get Snacks
This is getting unbelievable, right?
They get us! The Optavia people KNOW that occasionally we just need a snack!
While this “snack” part of the plan is optional and should be used sparingly… it is crucial to know that if you are just having one of those days when you need a little more then you can have it.
Below are some snack examples that are approved for the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan:
The Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan – Anything Else?
You should have a great idea by now what exactly the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan entails; however, there are a few MORE things that I MUST mention for completeness’ sake.
WATER
Water intake is essential to flush out waste… including the fat that we are expelling!
When participating in this plan, it is critical to consume a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily!
SLEEP
Studies have shown that sleep is very important while on any weight loss plan.
A lack of sleep is verified to alter hormone activity thus causing increased hunger. We all know what happens when we become “hangry”… our odds of unhealthy food choices increases dramatically!
A minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night is vital.
I sincerely hope that I have answered ALL of your questions regarding the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan. I am ALWAYS here to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
Please feel free to comment below… I would love to aid you on your journey of weight loss.
You can follow my personal journey with the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan by clicking HERE!
Your biggest fan & cheerleader,
Owner & Founder of DumpTheRump.com
Independent Health Coach/Podiatric Physician
You have definitely piqued my interest in this diet. I have tried so many diets with varying levels of success, but this looks like one I could really stick to. I feel like keeping it simple and having a clear outline of exactly what you can eat makes a big difference in your success.
Hello Mike! Thank you for the visit! I am so glad that you found my information informative… that is my goal here! The trying of multiple diets is all too common… I have been there and done that myself. BUT… this is SO different. You will find that it is actually not a diet at all AND everything is clearly spelled out for you… you just follow the science-backed instructions! I would love to work with you.