Anybody on here doing "Optavia"?

There is no magic diet plan or supplement. You can lose massive amounts of weight by just eating less than you need and weigh everything on a scale.

https://www.playersmoney.com/optavia/

It's a multi-level marketing program. Started by the people behind "Medifast." Enough said.

It's an expensive rebranding of previous programs with a "Greenwashing" front that goes on about natural shakes and refusing GMOS

https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/take-shape-for-life/

We are not impressed with Take Shape For Life. This weight loss program is expensive and in our opinion does not provide good value for money. $426.15 for what is essentially a collection of upmarket snacks is not going to help you establish healthy eating habits and we imagine that the aim of this program is that you stay on it long term. That way you can continue to buy these overpriced meal replacements forever.

Hungry_Shopgirl wrote: »

savithny wrote: »

It's a multi-level marketing program. Started by the people behind "Medifast."

Oh, see I didn't know it was related to Medifast. I did a search on here before I posted 'cause I didn't want to start a new topic if this had already been discussed. "Optavia" turned out 0 results. But "Medifast" on the other hand....

Once a scam artist is unmasked, they often go get another mask. Makes them harder to track.

grgrubbe wrote: »

I just started Optavia on the 1st.

I hope you've read the posts above.

bossymomd wrote: »

I've been on it for two weeks now. I've lost weight on it. It does seem to help with portion control and eating less. Hoping when I'm ready I can transition to real food without gaining

Good luck. You might want to educate yourself about sustainable weight management by reading the stickies before then.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads

Bossymomd, I am starting the program tomorrow myself. It was suggested to me by my functional Dr as a way to jumpstart my weight loss and teach to me eat smaller and cleaner all day. Although I'm well aware of how I should be eating, it's difficult to follow through when you're depressed about your weight and your emotions take over. I don't plan on making it something I have to have to live by. Just a healthy reset of sorts and something to give me a little confidence. Maybe it is a MLM, but I'm willing to give it a shot to make myself feel better. It's a personal decision not something you should be bullied about. Everyone needs something different emotionally and physically. Wish you the best on achieving your goals and hope I have some success as well!

michelledantinne wrote: »

Bossymomd, I am starting the program tomorrow myself. It was suggested to me by my functional Dr as a way to jumpstart my weight loss and teach to me eat smaller and cleaner all day. Although I'm well aware of how I should be eating, it's difficult to follow through when you're depressed about your weight and your emotions take over. I don't plan on making it something I have to have to live by. Just a healthy reset of sorts and something to give me a little confidence. Maybe it is a MLM, but I'm willing to give it a shot to make myself feel better. It's a personal decision not something you should be bullied about. Everyone needs something different emotionally and physically. Wish you the best on achieving your goals and hope I have some success as well!

@michelledantinne

"my functional Dr"???

"jumpstart my weight loss"?

"eat cleaner"?

"reset"?

trying a MLM scam?

I'm so sorry it's got to this point with you, with you spouting pseudoscientific buzzwords. Terribly worrying.

You're on MFP. Read the Most Helpful Posts, and learn how to use it properly, for FREE, scientific weight loss.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads

I hope you're seeing a real doctor or psychiatrist about your depression. I wish you the very best.

Well done for using the forums. They've helped me lost 80 lbs and keep it off for 17 months. I cannot recommend the Helpful Posts highly enough.

Here's John Oliver on MLMs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6MwGeOm8iI

I'm sorry, the responses here are soooo unsupportive! What works for some may not work for all! I did the Medifast program in the past and it worked amazing for ME. The "just eat good on your own and exercise" approach does not work for ME. I need the structure. I need the strict program that gives me the meal replacements and strict program guidelines for making my protein and veggies that keep me from cheating. And Medifast (now OptaVia) has a great transition program actually... it sounds like those who have such strong opinions are not actually aware of how it all works.

And anyone that thinks that ALL companies are not created and designed to be "money making schemes" needs to educate themselves. Yes, MLMs are set up to give money to the referrers and personal coaches. Rather than it all going up the chain of command to a massive company profit like most operate. How is that worse or better? I've been with several MLMs over the years and they all had their pros and cons (as did the multiple Fortune 500 companies I worked for throughout my career). Geez, so judgey without merit.

I just restarted the OptaVia program two months ago - as did my sister - and I'm down 35 lbs and she's down 25. Again, that's what is working great for US. It's a shame to not get more support from people on here that are pro-women and pro-success and glad that everyone find something that works for THEM.

Anyway, it works for ME and yay for me on that! And yay for you on what works for you.

Enough said... back to the OptaVia Cinnamon Cake fueling that I just made instead in my waffle iron, to go with my almond milk latte. Yum! Have a great day everyone!

[post edited by MFP mods]

I started Optavia on September 6 & lost 20lbs in the 1st month, which I couldn't believe. There's a lot of comment s on here about it being MLM & expensive- it is. It's $400 per month, & you eat 5 of their meals (bars & stuff) throughout the day & then have a "Lean & Green" meal - 5-7oz of meat depending on which protein you choose, & 1.5 cups veggies. It sounds bland, but there's a lot of support & recipes online & they're delicious (my husband, who ISN'T doing the program, likes them). There's even dining out guides so you can still go to restaurants & have a social life. Your life won't revolve around this diet.

The bars / food is really good & filling. The big thing is that it teaches healthy habits- it doesn't just throw food at you. There's a workbook, & health coaches, & it's an all-encompassing thing. The reminders on my phone to eat every 3 hours have been wonderful- I was a "starve all day" dieter before, so I'm getting out of that habit. The workbook has a weekly focus (water intake, sleep, moving more throughout the day, etc.), so that you're slowly incorporating healthy & positive habits into your life.

I'm not a coach & don't plan on becoming one, but I am a very satisfied customer of Optavia/Medifast. I'm losing weight quicker than I ever thought possible, & my sleep, energy, mood, & general health has all improved drastically. I love that they gradually build in healthy life habits- I don't feel like I'm on a diet, more like a total wellness makeover. I know that when I'm off the 5&1 weight loss portion of the diet, I'll be guided into healthier eating habits until I'm making all my food choices on my own. This program is just the training wheels teaching how to navigate a healthy lifestyle on one's own.

Most MLMs are skeezy & involve pushy people pressuring you into trying their products that end up sitting in your cupboard- this is not one of them. I hope you find success on Optavia, too! & I hope you're able to find supportive groups on Facebook or elsewhere that can encourage & guide you. These naysayers can't be boosting your morale at all.

The "naysayers" are trying to save the OP some cash and some heartache.. A lot of people, myself included have tried a bunch of fad diets and meal plans, lost the weight and put it back on because they don't teach you healthy eating habits, they make you eat so low calorie that as soon as you are allowed to have proper food again you're like a kid in a sweet shop and you also put the water weight back on, so then you get back into the cycle of using the products again because "yay it worked before".

You have lost 20lbs in one month of using these products, which as @YepItsKriss pointed out is most likely a majority of water weight because you're living on very little actual food, not fat loss, a lot of the posters above advising against it are long-term maintainers who have lost the weight eating normally and learning to manage their calorie intake without spending $100's - I know who I would be listening to.

kommodevaran wrote: »

Your weight is just a byproduct of your everyday habits - have good habits, and you will get and maintain a good weight.

I have nothing to add to the topic at hand, but I just had to comment on this statement. It's so simple and so no nonsense, but it really spoke to me. I have a list of my goals and I had to write this down at the bottom of my list because my goals are all habit based instead of weight or appearance based, and I just felt like it was a great little reminder for myself.

alixehrhardt wrote: »

I'm sorry, the responses here are soooo unsupportive! What works for some may not work for all! I did the Medifast program in the past and it worked amazing for ME. The "just eat good on your own and exercise" approach does not work for ME. I need the structure. I need the strict program that gives me the meal replacements and strict program guidelines for making my protein and veggies that keep me from cheating. And Medifast (now OptaVia) has a great transition program actually... it sounds like those who have such strong opinions are not actually aware of how it all works.

And anyone that thinks that ALL companies are not created and designed to be "money making schemes" needs to educate themselves. Yes, MLMs are set up to give money to the referrers and personal coaches. Rather than it all going up the chain of command to a massive company profit like most operate. How is that worse or better? I've been with several MLMs over the years and they all had their pros and cons (as did the multiple Fortune 500 companies I worked for throughout my career). Geez, so judgey without merit.

I just restarted the OptaVia program two months ago - as did my sister - and I'm down 35 lbs and she's down 25. Again, that's what is working great for US. It's a shame to not get more support from people on here that are pro-women and pro-success and glad that everyone find something that works for THEM.

Anyway, it works for ME and yay for me on that! And yay for you on what works for you.

Enough said... back to the OptaVia Cinnamon Cake fueling that I just made instead in my waffle iron, to go with my almond milk latte. Yum! Have a great day everyone!

[post edited by MFP mods]

So you state that it works, yet you needed to start it again because you regained. Sounds to me that it doesn't teach how to sustain a real food diet.
Wish you luck on the next round.

clowemarykay wrote: »

I am on the second week of optavia. They had me on 900-1000 calories as a fitness instructor. I did not lose any weight, had a "coach" call me names and insult me. It is very sales driven and it has been a very very very negative experience for me. I will take away the eating high protein small meals more frequently but that is about it. It was very expensive and full of propaganda. You could not post anything on their site on facebook unless you it about losing weight. When i tried to ask why i was not losing, they deleted my post. Terrible program

how were you not losing on 900-1000 calories? thats very low for even most people and should have resulted in weight loss