Optavia

syreni87

Is anyone else doing the Optavia/MediFast plan? I am on the 5&1 and would like to connect with people on a similar journey.

renaedar

I am on Optavia and been on it for 5 weeks. I started on 8/8/20. Are you still on the plan?

HeidiCooksSupper

Optavia is Medifast plus coaching. Calorie consumption is limited to 800 to 1000 calories per day by eating pre-packaged foods. I looked it up on some review sites and learned the following.

Optavia has a couple of arguments for it:

• Some folks do well with prepackaged and portioned foods
• Coaching, when well done, has been shown in research to have some long term benefits.
• People who follow it do lose more in the first few weeks.

It also has a bunch of things arguing against it.

• There's no research showing it works long term.
• 800 to 1000 calories is too few to maintain health long term. It also doesn't help long term compliance.
• The plan relies on pre-packaged, highly processed foods.
• It is a one-size-fits-all plan that assumes eventual maintenance equals 1500 calories/day.
• It costs money.

My conclusion, it might work short term for some people but is unlikely to result in long term weight loss or development of a successful lifelong diet for health.

jpgebbie2

I'm doing the plan and really finding it easy. The food was an adjustment, but now I like it. I am 56 and no kids at home. I find it nice not to have to really cook and clean dishes during the day and enjoy a healthy dinner with my husband. The lean and green recipes are pretty good. I started at 247 in late August and am now 212. Feeling really good. Will power like I have never had before. People raved about the sleep, but that took awhile. I now sleep great - just drink my water earlier so I'm not going to the bathroom 5 times a night. Good Luck to you ladies and if you ever want to chat, let me know.

rhopar33

I just started Optavia Jan 1,2022. I did the Medifast version about 8 years ago and lost lots of weight. I am having a wedding vow renewal in Mexico in March and my goal is to lose as close to 30 lbs as possible in two months. I am also drinking a gallon of water per day. Can't really exercise due to knee mobility so I'm solely relying upon the diet.

paperpudding

Whatever method you are using - Optavia or anything else - unless you are very obese, then 30 lb in 2 months (that is around 4 lb per week, every week) - is not realistic or advisable

mirianyusm

I am sure everybody can lose weight for a little while eating 800 - 1000 cal a day until you can't sustain eating 800 - 1000 cal a day. If somebody did it a few years ago and now need to do it again, it means that it was not successful. You might try eating at a small deficit and logging in MFP. It will be slow for sure, but believe me, it will be way faster in the long term. Best of lucks.

lindyhehu

@rhopar33 I hope you are feeling and looking great for your upcoming vow renewal! I'm on the transition off of optavia on my way to maintenance and I'm so thankful that this plan has provided me rapid initial results, AS WELL AS a realistic plan for the future. (I don't think anybody who has actually followed the plan, and read through and really studied the nutrition maintenance advice in the most recent books that come with the plan would have negative feedback for you - as I'm sure it has also been updated in the past 8 years). I'm sure you'll do great.