HOW TO DO OPTAVIA ON YOUR OWN RECIPES

Optavia is a diet that is becoming more and more popular. Perhaps, you have heard about the many benefits of the Optavia diet. And, you are thinking of trying it.

So, is it possible to do the Optavia diet on your own?

The short answer is yes, and this article will be a guide on how to do it the right way.

Optavia Diet - The Basics

Optavia is a kind of die that uses pre-packaged foods, bars, and shakes as meal replacements. There's also an addition of small but calorie-controlled meals. The meal plan should be able to create a calorie-deficit environment, which then induces the body's weight loss process.

The diet mainly focuses on non-starchy vegetables and lean proteins. High-calorie foods and sweets are highly discouraged.

A Sample Diet Plan

The central theme of the Optavia diet is that you need to consume several meals throughout the day. Each meal is within a strict pre-determined calorie range. Typically, a serving of vegetables is about half a cup. Below is an example of a 7-day meal plan.

Day 1

* Non-starchy vegetables x 3 servings

* 7 ounces of Egg whites, shrimp, or cod x 3 servings

* snack of pickled pears, sugar-free gum, or celery sticks x 1

* healthy fat x 2 servings

* fuelings (Optavia shakes or bars) x 1

Day 2

* 6 ounces of chicken breast, trout, or pork tenderloin x 3 servings

* healthy fat serving x 1

* non-starch vegetables x 3

* fuelings x 3

Day 3

* 5 ounces of dark poultry meat, beefsteak, or salon x 2 meals

* non-starchy vegetables x 3 servings

* pre-packaged Optavia meal x 1

* snack x 1

* fuelings x 3

Day 4

* 7 ounces of egg whites, shrimp, or cod x 3 servings

* healthy fat servings x 2

* non-starchy vegetables x 3 servings

* snack x 1

* fuelings x 3

Day 5

* 5 ounces of dark poultry meat, beefsteak, or salmon x 2 meals

* non-starchy vegetables x 3 servings

* pre-packaged Optavia meal x 1

* snack x 1

* fuelings x 3

Day 6

* 6 ounces of chicken breast, trout, or pork tenderloin x 3 servings

* healthy fat x 1 serving

* non-starchy vegetables x 3 servings

* fuelings x 3

Day 7

* 7 ounces of egg whites, shrimp, or cod x 3 servings

* healthy fat x 2 servings

* non-starchy vegetables x 3 servings

* snack x 1

* fuelings x 3

Optavia Diet Tips

The meal plan consistently recommends fuelings. Fuelings can be a pre-packaged product. However, you can consume most foods as long as you eat the same nutrients of the fuelings and go for something similar. This could be a vegetable chili, red bead, or granola bar.

There are also the non-starchy vegetables that you need to pay attention to. In the Optavia diet, the non-starchy vegetables are subdivided into the lower carb, moderate carb, and higher carb.

For the lower carb, you can have salad greens. Moderate carbs are similar to summer squash or cauliflower. Peppers or broccoli are examples of higher carbs.

Your meals will typically include five to seven ounces of lean protein. You'd also want non-starchy vegetables, about three servings. Plus healthy fats. The amount of healthy fat you need will largely depend on fat found in the protein of choice.

Each week, you need to consume omega-3 fatty acids. Thus, it would be best to incorporate fatty fish into your meal plans. You'll need at least two servings per week. You are free to consume your meals whenever you feel like it. However, it's recommended that you eat once every two to three hours.

Once you successfully reach your desired weight, you'll need to incorporate whole grains, low-fat dairy, and fruit. This is to cancel the calorie deficit to maintain your target weight.

What You Should Not Eat

In the Optavia diet, there's no food type that is forbidden. It's mostly about getting the right nutrition and balancing the calorie. Hence, sweets are inadvisable as they are not good for the body and the calories are too high, making calorie balancing very difficult.

Wrapping It All Up

The Optavia diet is an excellent program to try if you want to lose weight. You can say that most of its meal plans are lean and green. The diet also recommends eating small meals once every two to three hours. Lastly, the diet highly discourages sweets mostly because of health and calorie-balancing issues.