Publisher's Synopsis
The name "Optavia" may sound like a life-insurance firm or even an eyeglasses brand, but it's actually a popular weight-loss plan from Medifast Inc., the multilevel marketing company previously fined $3.7 million for false advertising. Named one of the top trending diets in 2018 by Google, Optavia has received an endorsement from a celebrity adherent, too. Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro -- most famous for his TV-famous sugary concoctions -- attributed his dramatic weight loss to following the program. "A lot of people have been asking me how I've slimmed down lately so I just wanted to share that I've used the Optavia program," he wrote on Instagram in 2018. "I'm not being paid to say this and it should be noted that I think everybody is different and you should do whatever suits you but this is what I'm doing and I'm very happy with the results so far!"
Nothing is officially off limits on the diet, but it's not exactly a cake walk. The program restricts calories and advises its followers to buy special "fuelings" in order to shed pounds. "It's tricky to recommend restrictive diet plans like Optavia on the whole," says Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN. "While accountability and community are key components to any behavior change program, behavior modification with restrictive eating patterns sets some of us up for disordered eating habits and restrict-binge-restrict tendencies."
If you don't enjoy cooking or have time to make meals, you may be interested in a diet that minimizes your time in the kitchen. The Optavia diet does just that. It encourages weight loss through a combination of low calorie, prepackaged products, a few simple home-cooked meals, and one-on-one support from a coach.
