Top 22: OPTAVIA Diet

OPTAVIA offers three programs for optimal weight:

• 5 & 1 Plan.

• 4 & 2 & 1 Plan.

• 4 & 4 Plan.

At the foundation of each plan is the Habits of Health Transformational System, which focuses on six key microhabits:

• Weight.

• Eating and hydration.

• Motion.

• Sleep.

• Mind.

• Surroundings. 

You'll eat a set number of prepackaged Fuelings each day and one or two low-carbohydrate meals, which you prepare using food from the grocery store.

• You’re asked to eat fatty fish twice a week.

• Some plans allow for a healthy daily snack, such as fresh fruit. 

• In addition to a meal plan, you’re encouraged to follow the Habits of Health Transformational system to learn healthy habits in every area of life.

• You’ll be matched with an independent coach. Ninety percent of the coaches were once OPTAVIA clients.

What are OPTAVIA Fuelings?

OPTAVIA Fuelings are nutrition supplements that add vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet without a lot of calories. Because they are already portioned for you, there is no room for error or unintended overeating.

OPTAVIA ’s Plans

Optimal Weight 3 & 3

On this plan, you'll eat six times a day: three Fuelings and three nutritionally balanced meals. You'll consume one Fueling or meal every 2-3 hours.

Optimal Weight 5 & 1

On the most popular Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan, you'll eat five Fuelings each day. These prepackaged meals and snacks range from shakes to bars and even include soup, pancake mix and cereal. All options contain protein and a probiotic that improves gut health and are made without colors, flavors or sweeteners from artificial sources.

For your sixth meal, you’ll prepare a Lean & Green Meal with lean protein, three servings of nonstarchy vegetables and a bit of healthy fat. Grilled chicken and spinach salad with olive oil vinaigrette is an example meal.

Members are encouraged to eat two servings of fatty fish each week to prevent a deficiency in essential fatty acid, in keeping with the recommendations of the American Heart Association. Fatty fish include:

• Anchovies.

• Arctic char. 

• Halibut.

• Herring.

• Mackerel.

• Salmon.

• Sardines. 

• Trout. 

• Tuna.

Optimal Weight 4 & 2 & 1

This is the most flexible meal plan OPTAVIA offers. Each day, you’ll eat four Fuelings, two Lean & Green meals and one healthy snack, such as a fruit or baked potato. Someone who exercises regularly or works an active job would likely prefer this plan.

Specific plans are available for individuals with diabetes, nursing mothers, people diagnosed with gout, older adults and teenagers.

Yes, you can lose weight on the OPTAVIA diet. As with all weight loss diets, factors such as weight, age, muscle mass, activity level, genetic makeup and metabolic rate influence how much weight you lose. Perhaps most importantly, you should also ask yourself how likely you can stick to a plan long term. Dieticians don't recommend living on processed bars and shakes for an extended time, even if they don’t contain artificial colors or flavors.

Short-Term Weight Loss

According to the company, the average weight loss on the 5 & 1 Plan is 12 pounds in 12 weeks. The average weight loss on the 4 & 2 & 1 Plan is 10 pounds in 12 weeks.

Long-Term Weight Loss

There's little reliable evidence that most commercial weight loss programs, including OPTAVIA, result in people achieving long-term weight loss.

Weight Maintenance and Management

You’ll work with OPTAVIA coaches throughout the weight loss program. Once you’ve reached your goal weight, you can transition to the 3 & 3 plan, consisting of three Fuelings and three balanced meals daily.

Those who used OPTAVIA maintained a weight loss of 10.3 pounds, compared to 4.2 pounds in the control group, according to a review of the National Weight Control Registry over 10 years (1).

• Read over the OPTAVIA Guide.

• Find a coach.

• Order your Fuelings.

Stock up on nonstarchy vegetables and lean proteins for your Lean & Green Meals.

The cost of following the OPTAVIA diet depends on how much food you buy from the company, with a box of snacks containing seven servings starting at $23.25 and a large kit with nearly 30 days of Fuelings starting at $395.25. The company waives its $7 shipping fee on orders over $300. Other than the cost of food, there is no charge to be a Premier member. The Habits of Health Transformational System, which bundles the “Dr. A’s Habits of Health” and “Your LifeBook” books, costs $49.95. You will also need to purchase the food for your daily Lean & Green meal – lean protein and vegetables.

Here are the details of the OPTAVIA Premier program, a monthly recurring subscription:

• The Essential Optimal Kit: This is purchased by those following the 5 & 1 plan. It contains enough food for nearly 30 days (119 items) and costs $395.25. OPTAVIA says you'll need to add on five more boxes of Fuelings to last the full month. 

• The Essential On-the-Go Kit: This is also purchased by individuals on the 5 & 1 plan. Similarly, it contains 30 days of food items (minus the five extra boxes of Fuelings) and also costs $395.25. 

• The Essential Optimal Kit: Intended for those on the 4 & 2 & 1 plan, this kit contains 30 days of food (140 items) and costs $442.

No, OPTAVIA is not a very easy diet to follow and places near the bottom of U.S. News' Easiest Diets to Follow 2023 ranking. Some people will be attracted to the fact that there's no need for meal planning because you purchase the food for five of your six meals each day directly from OPTAVIA. Other members will enjoy eating something every few hours.

OPTAVIA refers to their Fuelings as “meals,” which is a misnomer because they're more like very low-calorie snacks of approximately 100 calories each. This highly restrictive caloric intake may make it hard for some people to stick to the diet.

“The calorie limit of 1,000 to 1,200 in the weight loss phase is unnecessarily low for most people and very low for active individuals,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, founder of NutritionStarringYOU and author of "The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook." She adds that it's "certainly unsustainable and also extraordinarily difficult to meet basic nutrient needs with so little food.”

• Gluten free friendly. Recipes can be easily modified and still follow a gluten-free diet.

• Halal friendly. Recipes can be easily modified and still follow the diet.

• Kosher friendly. Recipes can be easily modified and still follow the diet.

• Low-carb. Low-carb diets contain significantly less calories from carbs than the federal dietary recommendation of 45% to 65%.

• Low-fat. The diet encourages a moderate consumption of healthy fats, like olive oil, and discourages unhealthy fats, such as saturated fats – with less than about 30% of total calories coming from fat.

Pregnant women and those younger than 13 shouldn’t be on any weight loss program. Teens, nursing mothers, people with gout and those with diabetes should stick to those programs developed for their unique needs after clearing it with their doctors.

Older, sedentary adults and people who exercise more than 45 minutes daily should avoid the 5 &1 Plan. People with serious illnesses – like cancer, liver disease, kidney disease or an eating disorder – shouldn’t follow any plan unless they have recovered and are cleared by their health care providers.

If you’re on any medications – especially warfarin, lithium, diabetes medication or medications for high blood pressure – talk to your doctor before starting any of the programs, the company advises.