Optavia diet-anybody try it?

amother

Amber

Thu, Apr 25 2019, 4:19 pm

amother [ Rose ] wrote:

It definitely works. I lost 20 pounds in 5 months.
I went off the diet as soon as I found out I was pregnant.
I hate people who say, “oh everyone I know gained all their weight back plus more” and my answer to that is, you need to stay on their program long term and not fall off the rail or you will gain your weight back ).

So you think it’s normal to have to buy their food for the rest of your life to prevent gaining the weight back? That’s nuts! Any diet which doesn’t teach you and encourage you how to choose and eat normal, healthy food is not sustainable long term. There’s no chochma to just eating whatever you buy from them; it’s learning to deal with real life situations where there will be food, and making proper choices, that will be successful. And it is very expensive to boot. I know people who did it, lost weight and gained it back as soon as they started eating their own food.

amother

Amber

Thu, Apr 25 2019, 4:22 pm

seeker wrote:

Of course there are no magic bullets. I'm not looking for platitudes. I just want some actual information about what this plan is, other than just general ravings about how much weight people are losing. A lot of people I know are in this and they really are losing weight but I don't get exactly what the plan is and I'd like to know more about it.

You just drink their shakes in the beginning and have very minimal food allowed, people told me they were STARVING when started it...then you buy some other food, and are at their mercy having to keep buying their food. That’s the whole thing, if you ever want to eat regular food, you will gain the weight back immediately.

amother

Emerald

Thu, Apr 25 2019, 4:52 pm

I did it and was very happy with the results. I'm quite heavy and lost 10lbs in one week. Everyone was telling me it's just water weight but that weight is still off. I yoyo-d for a while and recommitted but got pregnant. I started again after I was done nursing but it messed with my cycle so I stopped. It's been over 2 years now and that initial ten pounds is still off. I learned which foods worked for me and it was easy to not have to think and just grab something. Some are awful but many are quite tasty.

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 9:58 am

This program is Doctor approved, so its hard to claim that its unhealthy. Also, it has been around for more than 30 years, so it's not a "fad diet"; It has stood the test of time.
No, it's not for everyone, and true, by using their food it doesn't "teach" you how to eat healthy nutritious food. (Raise your hand if you have been on one of those "healthy diets" and rebounded after a while. What happened to those healrhy habits you learned?)
Optavia is not just about the packaged food. They have healthy habits that they try to have you incorporate while you are in the weight loss stage, so that you will be able to transition to normal food when you are in maintenance. The principles behind the program is to eat small (100 calorie) meals every 2-3 hours, which gets your body to constantly be burning fat. There is one larger meal per day.
The reason I think that this program has become very popular lately is because of its simplicity. Let's face it- being on a diet is lots and lots of work and takes advanced planning. Its very hard to maintain a diet long term when you are leading a busy stressful life (and which if us isn't?) Optavia takes the hard work out of dieting. Their food, called "feulings," are portion controlled and contain the perfect amount of protein, fiber, carbs and nutrients that you need.
It has been a lifesaver for many people who have tried all the typical diets (weight watchers etc) and have not been successful.
Personally I find their feulings delicious and rarely feel hungry. If I'm hungry it's because I have not been drinking enough water.
If you are feeling desperate and have tried many programs, don't dismiss Optavia without properly looking into it. It may just be the thing that could help you finally lose the weight and get healthy.

notshanarishona

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 12:40 pm

Personally I would not pm a member who joins just to sell products (I.e. all 3 of her posts are about Optavia).
I have looked into Optavia and tried it for a few days. The main thing you have to lose is your money 😁. A months fuelings can be close to 400. They don't let you buy one bar at a time so you need to buy a package of each type of food just to see if you like it and some are not so edible in my opinion. The coaches while very friendly and nice (1) have almost no medical knowledge and (2) have a lot of negius because they get a percentage of income based on what you buy .

The program is a good way to loss weight fast if you don't care about enjoying your food , don't mind being too weak to exercise , and are willing to take the risk that you might gain it all back when you transition to regular eating . Also , many doctors don't approve the program and hold that it's not healthy to restrict yourself and I have heard of people with permanent complications from it. It's a very extreme plan.

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 3:07 pm

Regarding the money- I was very hesitant to try this plan precisely because of the cost. Someone I spoke to before starting this mentioned that you may actually save money by eating the products and I thought that was extremely far-fetched and ludicrous, especially being that I have a large family and I don't buy food just for myself. But I told myself that my health is important, and being overweight carries many health risks that can cost a lot in the end! So I went ahead and joined the program.
Lo and behold, after being on the program for many months now, I actually do believe that I am either saving money, or maybe breaking even. Although I am part of a family, each person who eats adds to the bill. Now I'm not eating almost any of the family food.
I worked out the numbers, I am spending somewhere around 12-13 dollars on Optavia food per day for me. It sounds a lot when you say close to 400 a month. But per day its not that much, and they give you 10 percent discount if you order a minimum amount. Tbh, when I was on weight watchers etc, I was probably spending more, since I needed lots of fresh produce and protein, all of which add up! (Besides for the cost associated with weight watchers itself.) Plus, I used to treat myself here and there (Starbucks etc.) or pick up a slice or two of pizza, sushi...none of that happens now so I save money there as well. Bottom line, I am somehow able to afford the extra 350 dollars a month without an issue, where, before Optavia I would have told you that that is an extra expense that we could not handle.
I am not a coach, so I am not trying to gain anything here.

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 3:29 pm

Regarding the coaches, some are more knowledgeable than others. However, they are generally people who have been through the journey and are meant to help you navigate through your weight loss challenges. To me, having a personal coach was one of the best perks of the program, and it's at no extra cost! I had been paying a nutritionist weekly before optavia - and that didn't do much for me. Now I speak to my coach when I am struggling and I find her to be an incredible support .
In general, one of the principles of Optavia is community, where people support each other. There are weekly support calls, (kind of like weight watchers meetings or OA) that are very helpful in keeping you on track.
And regarding taste, most people I know who are on it find the food to be delicious. There are a few things I did not like, but most of the food I do and I actually couldn't wait to get back to them after Pesach. One thing you can do if you are afraid to commit is buy off some food from someone you know who is on it. This way you can try a few things without buying the whole box.

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 3:41 pm

And regarding "being too weak to exercise", after the first few days when you are getting into a mild ketosis, you should not feel weak. In fact, I have a lot more energy now, having dropped 40 lbs., than I ever did. I find myself running up the stairs and being able to go through the day without a nap. They do not want you doing heavy excercize because you are not ingesting enough calories, but that doesn't mean you are weak during the day.
And - news flash- every single diet on planet earth runs you the risk of regaining all your weight as soon as you go back to "regular eating". Duh. The only way you can maintain the weight loss Is if you stick to the principles of the diet. In this case, you do not have to stay in their food. You can keep to the principles of the program by eating 100 calorie snacks every 2 to 3 hours.
Again, I am not a coach so I have nothing to gain here if you choose to join. But I am grateful to have found this program and I feel that it could be the answer for many hard working mothers who need to juggle a lot and still want to get healthier. And it bothers me when there is misinformation put out there which could prevent people from making an informed decision.

amother

Amber

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 7:28 pm

amother [ Azure ] wrote:

I was told it costs between $400 and $700 per month, from someone on it.

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 11:19 pm

700?? I cant imagine how that makes any sense.
Here is the rundown, in case anyone really wants to know.
Each box contains 7 feulings (what they call a snack). You need 5 per day.
There are two lines, the Optavia line which contains probiotics and no unnatural ingredients , and the classic (Medifast) line which does not contain probiotics etc. If you want the better quality, you can pay about 40 dollars more a month, or save money and buy the cheaper line.
Medifast = 18.95 per box
Optavia = 20.95 per box.
If you do the math, you are spending 406.07 for Medifast, but with a 10 percent discount, it's actually $365.47. (Includes shipping). For the month. (30 days)
If you buy Optavia, your total would be $404.03 (after the discount.)
So I'm not sure how it's possible that your friend is spending 700 a month. Maybe her husband is also on it, or maybe she is buying for 2 months at a time?
I just checked my account: my first month order was 322 (they give you 5 free boxes for your first order), and afterwards, they are all around 360. (I usually buy Medifast, but sometimes buy Optavia because one or two items are only available in Optavia as kosher.)
Its important to mention that you want to buy it through a coach. If you buy through Amazon, it's much more expensive.
Feel free to see all this info on their website, including prices and comparison between classic and Optavia feulings.
You get the 10 percent discount on every order if you order a minimum of I think 250. That also qualifies for free shipping.

amother

Azure

Wed, May 01 2019, 9:56 am

imachossid wrote:

Here's a video about optavia from a nutritionist. https://youtu.be/PmkwDy558o0

I just wanted to watch this clip to get an honest, unbiased review. I always like to keep an open mind. I only watched the first 7 minutes, but I am finding it astounding and actually quite funny how misinformed she is. She says she researched this program but obviously knows very little about it, and with this clip she is spreading more misinformation.
Firstly, she says there is no website that explains the program. There is actually a very extensive website that has all the info you need. Plus lots of blogs. It should be quite easy to get correct info on the program. EVery person on it I have ever met is more than happy to share the particulars- there is no lack of transparency.
Second, she believes participants eat 5 or 6 "small candy bars" during the day, and a tiny portion of kale and low fat protien. Um...no.
You can have bars, but there are lots of other options such as pasta, shakes, cereal, pudding, cookies, muffins etc. The main meal of the day is a generous portion of protien (5 - 7 oz) which is more generous than lots of other programs...
I havent even heard the rest but im wondering if it's worth my while seeing as how little she actually knows about the program. Can't Believe It