Before you start Optavia, or any packaged-food diet, read this

At the start of each summer, ads for pre-packaged diet programs start popping up on TV and on the Web, with promises of fast results with no grocery shopping or meal planning – and often with little or no exercise.

The first couple of times someone asked me about OPTAVIA, a relatively new diet program, I didn’t give it much thought. But by the time 10 people had emailed, texted or stopped in my office to ask about it in the span of less than a week, I realized something was brewing.

OPTAVIA is the new, updated program by diet veteran Medifast. Centered on pre-packaged “Fuelings” – shelf-stable pouches and boxes of meals and snacks – OPTAVIA is similar to Ideal Protein, Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem.

It’s no secret, I’m not a fan of pre-packaged diet systems, so I began looking into this trendy one with a skeptical eye. But after researching OPTAVIA through its online content and phone calls to the company, I have to say, it’s not the worst of the group.

Still, that’s faint praise because it’s not what I would recommend to a client seeking to lose weight, improve nutrition and develop a healthy relationship with food.

More OPTAVIA in a bit, but, first it is important to understand that these meal programs create an unnecessary reliance on pre-packaged foods.

A very similar nutritional profile can be achieved with real, whole-food meals and snacks like Greek yogurt with fresh berries, veggie omelets made with a blend of eggs and egg whites, grilled fish with wilted spinach, a fold-over turkey sandwich on whole grain bread… None of which come in a ready-made, shelf-stable container. (For health and weight loss, add a realistic exercise program.)

But I get it.

These pre-packaged food systems may make it easier by eliminating much of the guess-work and self-doubt. This is especially important in the beginning as one is establishing a new pattern of eating.

Rather than one of these programs, I would recommend an appointment with a registered dietitian, who can help you develop a sustainable plan tailored to fit your lifestyle, food preferences, cooking and dining out habits.

If someone had already decided to sign up for OPTAVIA – or any other program like this — I would still encourage them to seek out a registered dietitian as their coach to guide them as they transition from the limited scope of pre-packaged meals back into real-world eating.

The first phase of these programs may help you achieve some of your weight-loss goals, but keeping the weight off can then be an even bigger challenge.

It’s not realistic to think that we can exist on pre-packaged meals for a significant period of time (especially in this town), so having a professional to help guide you through this transition is an essential element for long-term success.

As far as OPTAVIA, would I recommend it?

Probably not.

But this is the program that seems to be on everyone’s minds these days, and so if you’re determined to try OPTAVIA, here’s the rundown of how it works, and the pros and cons as I see them.

There are three levels of OPTAVIA:

• Optimal Weight 5&1: Five pre-packaged Fuelings with one real, whole-food “lean & green” meal daily. The customer sales rep I spoke with said that the length of time people stay in the 5&1 plan depends on how much weight they need to lose. She noted that the typical rate of weight loss in this phase is about 20 pounds per six weeks, or about 3 pounds a week, though results vary. With (the extremely low) 800 to 1,000 calories daily and 80 to 100 grams of carbs, this is the strictest of the three phases.

• Optimal Weight 4&2&1: Four pre-packaged Fuelings with two real, whole-food “lean & green” meals and one “healthy” snack daily. Approximately 1,100 to 1300 calories and 85-100 grams of carbs per day. This second phase is a bridge between the intense first phase one and longer-term third phase; length of time that a person stays in this middle phase varies by individual need.

• Optimal Health 3&3 Plan: Three pre-packaged Fuelings daily with three balanced meals daily. Calories vary based on individual metabolic rate. The suggestion by OPTAVIA is that one can stay in this phase indefinitely. (Again, this is not something that I find realistic.)

Supplements: OPTAVIA offers omega-3’s, digestive enzymes and probiotics, though they don’t really push supplements, because, as they note, the pre-packaged “fuelings” are fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Diet pills: No stimulant pills or other type of diet medications are prescribed as part of OPTAVIA.

Exercise: Exercise is encouraged, though with a “proceed with caution” type of advisory: For those who have an established exercise routine in place, the program recommends cutting duration and intensity in half for the first couple of weeks. And if you’re not exercising already at the start of OPTAVIA, they recommend waiting two to three weeks to start.

Coaching and online support: OPTAVIA offers the support of coaches and online forums, video chats and weekly support meetings. Coaching can be 100 percent virtual, all online and by phone, though if you prefer to meet with a coach in person, OPTAVIA has a database of coaches listed by region.

Cost of OPTAVIA: OPTAVIA “Fuelings” are interchangeable and include sweet bars, shakes and puddings as well as savory chips, pasta and soups. As a frame of reference, the 5&1 Plan calls for 22 boxes per month, translating to $416 to $505 per month.

The “Lean & Green” meals can be prepared at home, or purchased from OPTAVIA for roughly an additional $5 per meal ($29.70 for a box of six meals).

Once you pay for the pre-packaged food, you have access to coaches and online forum.

What makes OPTAVIA slightly better than some:

There’s nothing wacky about it – no stimulants, no questionable pills and no supplements. I like the emphasis on frequent small meals and snacks throughout the day. And while I don’t love a diet centered on pre-packaged foods, I like the fact at least “Fuelings” are made without artificial colors or sweeteners, and their “select” line is also preservative-free.

I also like their strong built-in network of one-on-one and social support. And for what it’s worth, when I called customer service as a “consumer” with a few questions, I found them to be informative with literally no pressure to sign up or buy anything.

What I don’t like about OPTAVIA, in particular.

Like any of the past generations of pre-packaged meal programs, I find that it is unnecessarily restrictive. And the calories are extremely limited in the first phase – as low as 800 calories per day – far lower than I would ever recommend.