Welcome to our review of Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan. This weight loss plan is designed by Optavia, who’s plans have been recommended by more than 20,000 doctors since 1980 and used by over 1 million clients.
This product therefore comes with a good reputation, so we are keen to have a look at what this plan involves and how it can help you.
Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan Key Features
- nutritional education
- meal replacements
- choice of 60 fuelings
- choice of 3 different kits
- prices start at $414.60
- gentle yet efficient way to burn fat
- helps maintain lean muscle mass
What Is Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan
Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan is basically a program for weight loss. It is also called a Medifast 5&1 Plan where users are supposed to achieve their healthy weight and for the results to be visible for the long-term.
This Optavia diet is a low calorie, reduced carb program that comes in form of packaged foods, homemade meals, and personalized coaching to encourage weight loss. There is a mixture of packaged Optavia Fuelings and homemade entrees known as Lean and Green meals.
With this plan, a user will be given 6 small meals to be taken each day, expert coaching with regards to regular exercise, and Optavia products to make eating easier to manage.
There is a need to buy a BeSlim kit to start with the program. The kit consists of Optavia products such as Optavia foods, snack bars, cereals, shakes, soups, and smoothies.
Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan offers 3 BeSlim kits: Essential On-The-Go Kit, Essential Optimal Kit, and Select Favorites Kit.
The plan and kits are owned by Take Shape For Life, which operates under Medifast. It was founded in 2002 and is its headquarter is located in Port Neches, Texas.
Apart from the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan, the company also offers other health plans such as the Powerful Hydration, Optimal Health 3&3 Plan, and Optimal 4 & 2 & 1. The company recommends taking these plans after the completion of the main weight-loss program.
Take Shape For Life sells its BeSlim kits and Optavia foods through its official website where users can also gain access to personal coaching. In addition, the company gives daily inspiration to contribute to the mental health of the user who is trying to lose his/her weight.
The OPTAVIA Optimal Weight 5 in 1 Plan® is an eating plan that creates a nutrient rich environment in your body to give you more energy while putting you into a calorie deficit to help you lose weight healthily. Once you lose weight, you have to keep it off, which is the ultimate goal of weight management.
According to some people, when you are on the OPTAVIA Optimal Weight 5 and 1 Plan® you can expect to lose anywhere between 12-20 pounds a month. While you are on the plan you will eat every 2-3 hours; 5 of the meals will be OPTAVIA foods. You’ll also eat a lean and green meal. Your initial order will consist of 22 boxes which will be enough to get you through an entire month.
What Are The Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan Ingredients?
The plan comes with Optavia foods, planned meals, and coaching. The 5 main ingredients of the products used for Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan are protein, monk fruit extract, fiber, probiotics, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Each of the Optavia Fuelings comprises 11 grams of protein, 14 carbs, 24 vitamins and minerals, 3 grams of fat, and 6 grams of sugar. On top of that, all the probiotics you need every day are in the foods. Each of your 5 daily fuelings has around 100-110 calories per meal and they’re packed full of essential Vitamins A-E. There are no artificial sweeteners and GMOs. Gluten free options are also available.
These ingredients are all meant to help reduce weight by restricting caloric intake. Apart from the food and vitamins in the plan, exercise is also a powerful way of achieving weight loss.
How Does Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan Work?
When users undergo the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan, the average pounds they can lose is 20. This is according to the official website of the company.
Apparently, it takes 12 weeks for the weight-loss to be visible but again, the results will differ from person to person. The amount of effort put in and the lifestyle of the user also have an impact on how well the program works.
To start the weight-loss program, the user needs to purchase one of the kits offered, which can last for 20-30 days. The kits contain an assortment of Optavia smoothies, bars, shakes, cereals, and other condiments.
In addition to the kits, you also get one-on-one coaching online to assist users regarding the exercise plans and recipes for Optavia food. So basically, the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan will work best if you purchase a kit.
When you reach the target weight, you will go into a 6-week transition phase during which you can increase your caloric intake to no more than 1,550 calories per day. You can also take a wider variety of foods such as fresh fruit, Low fat or nonfat dairy, Whole grains, Legumes, and Starchy vegetables.
What are Optavia Fuelings?
These products are low in carbs and high in protein. They also contain probiotics. There are more than 60 Optavia Fuelings to choose from, including shakes, puddings, pastas, bars, cookies, cereals, and soups.
They comprise whey protein powder, soy protein, and sugar substitutes to create low carb, high protein versions of popular food items. These fuelings usually come in small portion sizes.
You eat 5 Optavia Fuelings every day and you eat a fueling every 2–3 hours. On a typical day, here’s how that looks like:
- Essential Strawberry Shake
- Essential Drizzled Berry Crisp Bar
- Essential Golden Chocolate Chip Pancakes with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of sugar-free maple syrup
- Essential Jalapeño Cheddar Poppers
- Essential Homestyle Chicken Flavored & Vegetable Noodle Soup
There are two kinds of Fuelings.
There are essential fuelings, which are Optavia’s versions of classic American dishes and flavors. This includes things like Wild Rice & Chicken Flavored Soup, Essential Creamy Vanilla Shake, and Cheesy Buttermilk Cheddar Mac.
Alternatively, you can get Select Fuelings, which are diverse and delicious flavors from around the world. This includes Honey Chili Cranberry Nut Bar and Spinach Pesto Mac & Cheese.
Optional Snacks
The 5&1 plan also includes 1 optional snack per day, which must be approved by your Coach. Some examples of plan-approved snacks are 1/2 cup (60 grams) of sugar-free gelatin, 3 celery sticks, and 1/2 ounce (14 grams) of nuts.
Lean and Green Meals
The lean and green meal is the only thing you have to get outside of the box of foods. The lean and green meal is something that you prepare yourself each day. These meals typically have 5-7 ounces of cooked lean protein like chicken, egg whites, or fish, grilled or baked coupled with 2-3 servings of non-starchy greens or veggies. You may need smaller quantities than you purchased in the past because you’ll only be eating one lean and green meal per day and you will decrease the size of the portion that you eat in order to lose weight. There are tons of lean and green recipes you can find that work just fine.
The portions and the ingredients of the meal are provided in the 5 and 1 guide when you buy the plan. The guide will give you the proper meats, greens, healthy fats, healthy snacks and condiments that you are recommended to take and in the amounts you should be taking them. You may also need a dining out guide for the times when you go out to restaurants with family and friends so you know what to order.
In a nutshell, with the Optimal 5 and 1 plan, you will eat 5 daily fueling servings and your one lean and green meal. You can also take water if you can and try to get enough sleep to get the most out of the diet plan.
Working Out (Exercise)
In your first 2-3 weeks of the plan, you should not work out because when you’re on the 5&1 plan, you’ll be in a constant calorie deficit. Additional workouts require additional fuel, something that your body will have a hard time sustaining. However, once you hit your weight goal, you can bring exercise back in.
During the period when you are not working out, a brisk walk or light yoga are fine. Just avoid anything that will raise your heart rate too high.
Coaching
Optavia is a direct selling company, and the distributors who markets its products are called Coaches. Most people who work as coaches are people who’ve had previous experience with Optavia product(s) (Optavia is not strict on this as it is not a requirement to be a coach).
One thing that you should know is that the coaches are not certified nutrition professionals — it is not a requirement that they have the requisite qualifications to be nutritionists (but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be nutritionists amongst them).
If you want to buy any Optavia product, you won’t find it on a shelf. You must first connect with a Coach and you can find them on the official Optavia website.
You can either search for a specific coach or enter your personal details in order to be linked to a Coach in your area.
When you sign up for the program, you’ll meet with your coach every day for at least 4 days. You can then discuss with your Coach to determine an optimal schedule for one-on-one meetings, as well as how to keep in touch.
Optavia Coaches are paid on commission, so the Optavia products you order will be through the link your coach provides you with.
Who Is Behind The Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan?
Medifast, the parent of Take Shape For Life, was founded by William Vitale in 1980.
He was a medical doctor whose products were sold to other medical professionals in the industry. Medifast was listed on the New York Stock Exchange and in 2001, the name was changed to Medifast, Inc.
Take Shape For Life was then created by Cradley T. MacDonald and Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson to serve as a Coach-to-Client system.
The Cost of The Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan
If you sign up for an Optavia Premier membership, products will be mailed to you automatically each month. Premier members can also qualify for 5 free Fuelings boxes when they order 15 boxes or 1 kit.
Ethical Business Practice
Optavia is a member of the Direct Selling Association (DSA) and abide by their Code of Ethics. This means they take their responsibility towards the consumer seriously and conduct their business in a professional manner.
Being a member of the DSA, they also provide advice and a clear process should you wish to make a complaint.
This is a positive feature of the product and company, meaning they are reputable and you can trust them.
Is The Optimal Weight 5 and 1 Plan effective?
This diet is meant to help people lose weight and fat by reducing calories and carbs that they take in. Some studies have shown that such a plan leads to greater weight loss than a traditional calorie-restricted diet.
A study on Optavia’s 5&1 Plan found that the test subjects on Optavia’s 5&1 Plan had significantly lower weight, fat levels, and waist circumference than the control group by the end of the study.
The test subjects on the Optavia plan were eating only 800–1,000 calories per day, while those in the control group were allowed 1,500 calories or more daily. Those on the plan lost 5.7% of their body weight, on average, and 28.1% of participants lost more than 10%.
The plan reduces overall calorie intake (it is a very low calorie diet), which will help promote weight loss, at least in the short term.
The test subjects who completed at least 75% of the coaching sessions lost more than twice as much weight as those who participated in fewer sessions showing that the coaching sessions have a role in increasing the effectiveness of the plan. This is not unique to Optavia because overall, ongoing expert coaching helps people improve weight loss and diet adherence.
It is important to point out that the study was funded by Medifast. There are also no studies into the long-term effects of the Optavia diet.
Is Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan Safe?
The company claims that Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan has benefits such as burning fat, losing weight fast, and feeling satiated after taking the meals.
There are Optavia Fuelings that help the user maintain their weight. Since this weight-loss program uses ingredients and exercise that are good for losing weight, the company assures that it is safe and effective.
However, there may be side effects such as constipation, loose stool, gas, and bloating.
Pros of Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan
- You will achieve rapid weight loss in the short term because you limit the calories.
- It is time-saving because you don’t have to do a lot of food preparation.
Cons of Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan
- Since there is significant calorific restriction you are prone to regaining your weight if you quit the diet.
- The diet is relatively expensive because you spend a few hundred dollars every month. On top of that, you will not have counted the additional cost of groceries needed to prepare Green and Lean meals.
- The coaches you will be working with are likely not trained health professionals or nutritionists.
- The meal plan mainly comprises highly processed foods
Verdict
The optimal weight 5 and 1 plan from Optavia is a quality product from a trustworthy company who adhere to high standards. It is a great way to cultivate healthy habits because you have to adhere to the rules and work with a coach.
One of the main things you’ll like about it is that you get a lot of support. This is not just a product, but also an education platform because you are provided with assistance and learn how to live a healthier lifestyle.
For the average person looking for a weight loss product, the price may seem expensive but there aren’t many products within its price range that can compare favorably to it. Besides, if you look at the amount of fuelings (food and snacks) you get and the education that comes with it, the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan should be worth the money.
This is a meal replacement program. So the money you would normally spend on food instead goes towards this plan which means that you won’t be spending way more than you normally do.
If you don’t like cooking or are too busy and haven’t got the time to make meals, you may be interested in a diet that minimizes your time in the kitchen. The Optavia diet is meant for that while promoting healthy eating. It allows you to achieve weight loss through a combination of one-on-one coaching, a few simple home-cooked meals, and low-calorie packaged products.