Are you, or someone close to you, struggling with extra, unwanted weight? Are you TRULY ready to DUMP THE RUMP once and for all and keep it off? If so… I, as a healthcare provider and independent health coach, am genuinely here to help you wade through the vast multitude of overly-marketed “diet plans” and discuss programs that will truly lead to success.
This article is going to focus on a program called Optavia. So, now you may be asking… WHAT IS THE OPTAVIA DIET?
Maybe you have seen Optavia mentioned before on social media sites OR maybe this is a new word for you all-together. No worries… sit back, get comfy, and let’s tackle everything you could want to know!
A Brief History Lesson on Optavia
You may be wondering why evaluating the history of diet programs is important. Let me explain. Whenever you are a potential client of any prospective company or organization, you want to ensure that you are able to differentiate between those that are legitimate and those that are scams just attempting to draw you in and take away your hard-earned money.
Optavia actually goes back over 40 years.
Initially, it was founded in 1981 as a program called Medifast which consisted of meal replacements distributed only by physicians. In 2002, Take Shape for Life was formed which allowed clients whom utilized Medifast products the support and guidance of independent coaches. Finally, in 2017, it was re branded to the current name of Optavia and includes a vast support network full of doctors and coaches with an extensive array of products.
I simply cannot discuss the history of Optavia without mentioning the face of the company… Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen.
Dr. “A”, as he is commonly referred to within the Optavia community, is the co-founder of Optavia and was the 10th board-certified physician within the realm of critical care. In fact, it was the frustration of meeting his critically ill patients whom were already in significantly advanced disease states that lured him to focus on a more preventative approach to medicine versus the normal, curative approach.
Now, as one of the pioneers of medicine focused on nutritional intervention, he has devoted his life to helping others reach optimal health. Should you decide that Optavia is for you, and place an order, you will learn a LOT more about Dr. Andersen in the book he authored and one of Optavia’s core components of success, “Dr. A’s Habits of Health”.
So… Optavia, in one form or another, has been around for a LONG time. That is a great sign. Secondly, it is engineered by a well-respected and off-the-charts intelligent physician who has devoted his life to providing individuals, just like you and I, a pathway to optimal health. Do you see where I am going with this?
Enough about history…
The Optavia Choice – Deciding Which Plan is for You
The FIRST decision to make when joining Optavia for weight-related issues is to determine which plan you would like to proceed with.
Yes… you read that correctly. There is more than one plan under Optavia and the plan that you choose, via assessing your current health and goals, will essentially determine what your daily eating regimen will look like.
As you can see on the list below, Optavia offers a multitude of plans in order to fit not only the needs but also the preferences of literally ANYBODY over the age of 12 that is desiring a healthier lifestyle.
- Optimal Weight 5&1 – Maximum weight loss plan for adults
- Optimal Weight 4&2&1 – Intended for:
- individuals whom want to continue eating all food groups
- Type 1 Diabetics closely monitored by a healthcare provider
- Type 2 Diabetics
- individuals whom are 65 years of age or older and not regularly active
- individuals that exercise greater than 45 minutes per day
- individuals that have less than 15 pound weight loss goals
- individuals whom want to continue eating all food groups
- Optimal 5&2&2 – Ideal for the following individuals:
- individuals whom want to continue eating all food groups
- Type 1 Diabetics closely monitored by a healthcare provider
- Type 2 Diabetes with over 100 pounds to lose
- individuals whom are 65 years of age or older and not regularly active
- individuals that exercise greater than 45 minutes per day
- those that have less than 15 pound weight loss goals
- Optimal Health 3&3 Plan – Utilized for those wanting to sustain a healthy weight
- Optavia for Nursing Mothers
- Optavia for Diabetes
- Optavia for Gout
- Optavia for Seniors (65 years of age and older)
- Optavia for Teen Boys (13-18 years old)
- Optavia for Teen Girls (13-18 years old)
I’ve Chosen a Plan for Me – Now… What is the Optavia Diet?
The correct answer to this question is that Optavia is actually NOT a diet at all. Have I confused you yet? Let me explain.
Yes… it does include all of these different options for weight loss and many people do refer to it as the “Optavia Diet”; BUT, Optavia does much more than this by primarily focusing on a comprehensive approach geared towards addressing and re-shaping an individual’s logistical and psychological barriers to achieving optimal health.
In a nutshell, the program provides you with not only the tools to lose weight in a healthy way, but also the tools needed to maintain that weight and become a better version of yourself.
Because of this fact, It is essential to point out here that there are times that you may need to transition from plan to plan throughout your Optavia experience. Here is one example for clarity purposes:
- Julie has a goal of an 80 pounds loss and joins Optavia on the 5&1 Plan. She quickly loses 60 pounds and then decides that she would really like to up her exercise routine.
- Because her physical training will be intense and more than 45 minutes per day, she transitions to the 4&2&1 plan.
- Julie reaches her goal weight and transitions to the 3&3 Plan for maintenance. Hoo-Ray Julie!!!
- One year later Julie delivers a sweet bundle of joy and begins Optavia for Nursing Mothers to lose her baby weight.
- Once satisfied, again returns to the 3&3 Plan for maintenance.
Got it?
Let’s Get Down to Business and Talk about Food!
The two most popular Optavia Plans for weight loss are the Optimal Weight 5&1 Plan and the 4&2&1 Plan. So, appropriately, I would like to discuss exactly what you are allowed to consume on these plans.
As I am certain that you have noticed by now, these two particular plans have numbers within the title of the plan. These numbers mean a lot and make it very simple to understand what you get to eat on each.
- The first number you see represents how many of what Optavia terms as “fuelings” are allowed per day. There are over 60 choices of fuelings which include, but are not limited to, items such as shakes, bars, brownies, mashed potatoes, pasta, soups, pancakes, and biscuits. These are mailed directly to your doorstep via Optavia. Each of the fuelings are nutritionally interchangeable and scientifically designed to be high in protein, low in carbs, and contain all the vitamins, minerals and probiotics that the average person needs.
- The second number constitutes how many “lean & green” meals are permitted for each day. A lean & green meal consists of 5-7 ounces of cooked lean protein and three servings of non-starchy vegetables. Up two healthy fats can be added depending on your protein choice. Click HERE to see some recipe examples to gain a better understanding!
- If there is a third number present, this represents the number of healthy snacks that are authorized per day. Healthy snack options include the following:
- up to three pieces of sugar-free mints or gum
- three celery stalks
- two dill pickle spears
- 1/2 cup serving of sugar-free gelatin (ex. Jell-O)
- one fruit-flavored sugar-free Popsicle
- 1/2 ounce of nuts (should be used sparingly)
- 10 whole almonds
- 7 halves of walnuts
- 20 kernels of pistachios
No matter which Optavia plan that you decide is right for you, the healthy habit of eating small, nutritious meals six times daily should be practiced. This is achieved by consuming your fuelings and/or lean and green meal(s) at regular, 2-3 hour intervals with your first meal being within an hour of waking up. This ensures proper hunger control and blood sugar stabilization.
Water, Water and MORE Water
Surely you knew that we couldn’t talk about any weight loss program without talking about water.
Water not only plays a critical role in our overall health, but it is also essential to flush waste out of the body. During weight loss, this “waste” also includes byproducts of fat burning.
In consideration of this, Optavia recommends that you consume a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily. Of course, it is advocated that you discuss any change in consumption with your healthcare provider as it can affect certain medications and health conditions.
Wait… There is MORE – The Four Components of Optavia
I have always been a firm believer that weight loss is a large percentage mental work and a small percentage diet and/or exercise.
Do you remember above when I stated that Optavia addresses and re-shapes an individual’s logistical and psychological barriers to achieving optimal health? Well… we are about to discuss this in a little more detail.
Because Optavia desires for you to live your healthiest possible life, there is a lot more to the program than merely an eating plan. Optavia prides itself with four components that will ultimately set the foundation for you to be successful:
- Personal Coach – There are a ton of weight loss programs out there. A handful of those provide you with a coach or mentor. Optavia goes above and beyond in providing you with a coach that is trained to keep you accountable, answer ANY questions that you may have at the quick touch of a button (your phone), and celebrate your wins with you, along with your struggles, throughout your journey.
- Habits of Health System – Do you recall when I referenced “Dr. A’s Habits of Health” book above? Well… this Habits of Health system works on the mental component of shifting from unhealthy habits to healthier ones. Adopting these healthy habits in the place of old ones is EXACTLY what you NEED to ensure that your transformation is life-long and this book/system walks you through this process step-by-step.
- Optavia Community – It is essential, when truly desiring to be successful at anything in life, to be surrounded with both like-minded individuals wanting the same outcomes, AND experienced mentors who have accomplished what you are craving. With thousands of both live and previously recorded video client calls, to a multitude of social media groups, to Nutrition Support and more, Optavia definitely addresses the community component to ensure success.
- Fuelings – As discussed before, Optavia’s fuelings are unparalleled and key for you to be victorious in your journey.
What is the Optavia Diet? – Is Your Question Answered?
I sincerely hope that I have answered all the questions you had surrounding what the Optavia Diet is and that you understand that Optavia is way more than merely a weight loss program.
I have personally been a participant of the Optavia 5&1 Plan for 8 months now and could not be more happy with both my mental and physical success. Feel free to follow my journey by clicking HERE.
Should you have ANY additional questions or concerns surrounding Optavia please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will be ecstatic to be of any assistance.
As always, thank you so much for visiting my site and I look forward to hearing about your weight loss success journeys soon.
Your Biggest Supporter,
Owner & Founder of DumpTheRump.com
Independent Health Coach/Podiatric Physician
Thank you so much for this detailed and informative post.
I have friends who have tried any number of diets over the years and, while they have enjoyed some success with paleo and keto, it never seems to last. They always end up stacking the weight they have lost back on, usually with interest!
I must admit that I’ve never heard of the Optavia diet and so was astounded to learn that it has been around for over 40 years.
It appears to have a great history, being founded by a respected physician who took the approach of treating the root cause of his patients’ illnesses rather than just trying to cure symptoms.
The fact that there are multiple plans and that you can choose the one that suits your circumstances and lifestyle is a huge bonus. Including teens, seniors and diabetics.
It’s great, too, that Optavia is not so much a “diet” as a comprehensive approach to achieving optimal health by addressing and re-shaping the individual’s logistical and psychological barriers.
I will certainly be bringing this to the attention of my friends.
Hello Phil and thank you for visiting my site. I am so glad that you enjoyed my article and gained some knowledge regarding the Optavia Program. Prior to my journey on Optavia, which you can reference beginning on Day 1 by clicking HERE, I had tried all the things. This is 100% the only legit thing that has truly worked for me and I know that I have the tools to keep it off. Please refer your friends to my page. I would LOVE to help them reach their dreams and goals.