OPTIFAST, whose official tagline is “the serious solution for weight loss,” is a complete diet program in which you are medically monitored in a well planned program. The OPTIFAST program has been clinically verified to help people lose weight and keep it off. Aiming to take care of the whole person, it combines support, therapy, everyday life education, medical monitoring, and food replacement to get people back to a healthy weight and standard of living. Over 1 million people have been through the program since its inception in 1974, including Oprah Winfrey who lost over 100 pounds on the program.
OPTIFAST was introduced to help out seriously overweight people who have weight-related health risks, but it can work for anyone who is looking for a well-ordered and supported plan. If you can handle going on a liquids-only diet for more than a few weeks, this could be the diet for you.
Medical monitoring includes a thorough preliminary medical examination along with any necessary tests to determine your level of health and any health risks, a personalized weight loss plan, continued guidance and monitoring during treatment, and communication with your primary care physician as needed.
Meal substitute is described as providing high-quality complete food in pre-portioned and calorie-controlled servings, which are quick and simple to organize. This translates to consuming liquid formula instead of solid foods. At first the liquids fully substitute meals and then the patient is slowly transitioned to include healthy cooked meals in their diet. The program offers OPTIFAST 800 liquid and powder formula shakes, soups, and nutrition bars, HP shakes for bariatric patients, vitamin and mineral supplements, high protein drinks, Benefiber and Beneprotein powder.
Treatment is provided in OPTIFAST Clinics, many of which are located in local hospitals and health facilities. Each clinic provides one-on-one counseling sessions, small group discussions, peer support forums, educational materials, and customized activity plans.
OPTIFAST.com includes a clinic finder characteristic that maps the clinics nearest your location and provides basic information about the program. The Resources pages provide some basic information for use in combination with program participation, but the site is not very robust. Contact your local clinic or check their web pages to get specific details on the program and pricing information. Cost is between $2500 and $3500 for one year, but this does include the cost of meal replacement.
