Former Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro — mostly known for his TV-famous sugary concoctions — attributed his dramatic weight loss to the program in the same year. Additionally, heart experts recommend that people generally avoid saturated fats as they are known to increase levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood. Be sure to check the serving size – a small handful of peanuts is all you need to get 1 serving of Optavia healthy fat. On the other hand, bad fats are the saturated and trans fats that you get from meat, dairy, and processed foods.
That may sound fine if you’re looking to lose weight, but she warns that you may miss out on vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. “These are imbalanced or lost with the prepackaged meals and the extreme decrease in calories,” she says. It’s a higher-protein-based diet with lower carbohydrates, but it does not cut out any food groups,” says the Detroit-basedGrace Derocha, RD, CDCES, a nutritionist with Marquee Health.
The 3&3 and 4&2&1 plans typically supply between 1,100 and 2,500 calories daily and can be appropriate for longer periods. For example, studies have connected rapid weight loss with more significant improvements in lipid and glycemic profiles. To make this meal greener, add cherry tomatoes tossed in balsamic vinegar mid-way through the cooking time and scatter chopped basil over the sheet pan before serving.
An energy intake this low makes it very hard to get all recommended nutrients, and research does not suggest the diet or the weight loss is necessarily maintainable. Also, the addition of a probiotic sounds good, but the reality is that it may offer little, if any, benefit. New research suggests that to be effective probiotic strains need to be individualized to one’s specific gut needs. The Optavia diet promotes weight loss via low calorie packaged foods, low carb homemade meals, and one-on-one coaching. While you’re encouraged to cook 1–3 Lean and Green meals per day, depending on the plan, they’re simple to make — and the program includes specific recipes and a list of food options.
Losing weight is no easy feat, which is why it’s helpful to follow a specific diet to get results. And there are a slew of branded diets out there that many people choose to follow, such as WW , Nutrisystem, Bulletproof, and Atkins. And another diet that you may be seeing a lot of these days as you scroll through social media is the Optavia diet.
To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Health. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. It requires you to purchase pre-made products as well as tackle specific recipes from scratch. Walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to have numerous health benefits.
Plus, about two-thirds of its products are certified gluten-free. Plus, research suggests that having a lifestyle coach or counselor may aid long-term weight maintenance . Since the diet relies mostly on packaged Fuelings, you’re responsible for cooking only one meal per day on the 5&1 Plan. The 5&1 plan limits calories to 800–1,000 per day, divided among 6 portioned-controlled meals.
The additional food needed to make healthy meals at home has to be bought separately. Shakes are considered a fueling, but they are very different from the other fuelings offered. These traditional protein diet shakes contain around 100 calories, 14 grams of protein and 0.5 to 1 gram of fat.
Plus, the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements like shakes and powders for safety and efficacy the same way it does for food. More recently, Optavia has expanded offerings to include a selection of new programs designed for individuals with diagnosed diabetes, as well as considerations what if parents guide for people over the age of 65. These programs slightly deviate from Optavia’s signature 5&1 plan that first debuted in 2017, and may be more customizable with input from your doctor. Any food label that includes the words “partially hydrogenated oils” contains trans fat.
