The Optifast Meal Replacement Diet – My Experiences Of The Plan

This article features a review of Optifast meal replacement products by Optifast and includes affiliate links. The views and experiences expressed in this selection of products, including Optifast shakes on sale, are solely my own.

When I was approached by Optifast (made by Nestle Health Science) to try out their meal replacement diet I must admit I was a little sceptical. We all know I like my food and I hate to feel hungry.

There is no way I could cope with any diet if it left me hungry! I was actually quite surprised about how the Optifast diet works and I think you might be too.

Read on to find out more about the Optifast weight loss plan and how much weight I lost in my first week.

What is the Optifast diet and how does it work?

Nestle Health Science has created the Optifast program, which is endorsed by the NHS, and is now available for anyone to buy and use to lose weight.

It is a high protein plan with nutritionally complete and balanced products so you don’t go without anything whilst losing weight, having all your nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that this product can help individuals attain long-term weight loss, which is something we all strive for.

With three different plans to choose from, they can fit with your lifestyle, whether you enjoy fitness or you’re a busy person who needs something to grab between meetings.

I was impressed by the flexibility the plan offers, as I enjoy my food and want to be able to enjoy meals with my family while also losing weight. All Optifast weight loss products are simple and easy to prepare, which suits my lifestyle well.

Unlike other meal replacement diets, the Optifast diet encourages the return to healthy eating. This was really important to me.

I don’t agree with plans which are a temporary solution. The sort that you suddenly stop and go back to your unhealthy diet afterwards. It’s not worth it, right?

Would I recommend Optifast?

Yes! Prior to trying the Optifast diet, I had never considered meal replacement diets to be a good idea. Seeing the Optifast shakes on sale intrigued me.

I imagined that it would involve being hungry and depriving myself to lose weight. Something you all know is just not in my nature.

Whilst a total meal replacement diet isn’t for me, I much preferred the flexibility of the partial meal replacement.

However, I can see how a long-term structured plan would be perfect for others who need more structure and a strict plan to follow. I was completely satisfied without needing to eat whilst following my diet.

I would definitely recommend the partial meal replacement option from my experience. Especially for those on the go.

Making a quick and easy shake, even on the go, or grabbing a bar, is much better for you than a sandwich from the shop!

I am going to continue replacing one to two meals for a while, as I know it fits in with working from home and easily picking up a quick lunch! It fits perfectly with still making and enjoying healthy meals in the evening.

Want to see if the diet is for you? Have a look at Optifast’s BMI calculator and see which plans are available to you. Check them out with your goals and lifestyle.

Optifast would not recommend a weight loss program if you already have a healthy BMI. Be sure to use my discount code at the end of this post when you order.

How do the plans on Optifast work?

Depending on your goals, BMI and personal preferences, you can replace one meal a day, two meals a day, or all food. There are three main options for weight loss, as well as a maintenance plan. The Optifast shakes on sale make it easy to swap and change between plans.

The 6-week plan

If you follow the “6-week plan” it is split into three phases.

The first involves you replacing all meals and snacks with 4 Optifast products a day. For three weeks, you would only have these products.

Over the next three weeks, gradually incorporate meals that follow the Mediterranean-style of eating. Concentrate on consuming non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins, and low-carb foods.

The goal is to maintain the healthy diet plan established after six weeks.

The intermittent fasting plan

If you are a fan of diets like the 5:2 diet, this may be the perfect plan for you.

It involves replacing all meals on alternate days with the Optifast weight loss products or having 2 consecutive days of only Optifast products followed by 5 days of regular, healthy meals.

I guess this is a little easier than a full meal replacement diet. You can eat normally (but healthily) on alternate days!

Partial meal replacement plan

This I guess could be described as a bit of a mix-and-match type option.

If you enjoy your food but are happy to replace one or two meals a day, then this is ideal for you. Instead of breakfast and/or lunch, you can have a replacement and still have a healthy “normal” tea. With Optifast shakes on sale, or bars, creme or soup if you prefer, there is something for everyone.

Maintenance plan

This is essentially eating healthily, consisting mostly of non-starchy vegetables, lean protein, and low carbohydrates. If you replace a meal a day, or even just odd meals, this aims to help you maintain your weight.

An example of when you may use this is when you go on holiday. If you can’t eat as healthily in the evening, consider taking replacements with you for breakfast and lunch. This, of course, limits your calorie intake and any holiday weight gain whilst still enjoying yourself.

The Optifast diet website also offers some tasty-looking recipes to help.

What were my experiences with the Optifast diet?

I started with the intention of doing the full 6-week meal replacement plan. My thoughts were that I needed a kickstart to losing weight.

This would be a way for me to get good losses. I needed to kick myself back into losing weight and being the size I was happiest.

How did I like the plan?

I quickly remembered that I like my food too much, so replacing all meals each day was too much for me. The meal replacements kept me full, and the only reason I wanted food was more psychological.

I knew the Optifast meal replacement products had all the nutrients I needed. They kept me full, but I also really value the time spent having an actual meal with my family!

For that reason, I changed to the partial meal replacement on day two. It suited me much more, and I found it easy to get along with. The Optifast shakes on sale make it easy to pick and choose what works for you.

How did the meal replacement choices taste?

Although I was never into shakes initially, I found the Optifast shakes to be a quick and easy way to start the day. If you enjoy protein shakes, these will be a great option for you, as the taste is very similar.

There are four flavours available: vanilla, chocolate, coffee and strawberry. My preference was definitely the coffee flavour, ice-cold with ice cubes!

It offers a taste quite similar to that of an iced coffee. If you often opt for a cup of coffee instead of a full meal in the morning, this would be an ideal solution for you.

If you want to change up the shakes a little, I found popping the vanilla ones in an infusing drinks bottle with things like mint helped, though I kept forgetting to take photos of them to share, and now it seems the supermarket has run out of fresh mint!

The Vanilla creme has a similar taste and consistency to custard when chilled in the fridge. Whilst it is not as mousse-like as Angel Delight, it is a similar flavour and a great sweet meal replacement choice.

I would advise leaving it in the fridge for an additional 20 minutes, as this is when it tastes its best, in my opinion.

I found it a good choice for a lunch replacement as the sweetness keeps you going through the afternoon, avoiding biscuits and other sweet cravings!

The bars were definitely my favourite; they didn’t taste like diet food and were really just like protein bars. I found them surprisingly filling and a great grab-and-go meal replacement choice.

It is recommended to have only one bar per day, and, of course, they are intended as a meal replacement, not a snack. My favourites were the berry and cappuccino flavours. Both are very moreish!

Great for a lunch snack if you’re busy and on the go, or as an alternative to a shake for breakfast.

I am not usually a fan of instant soups and usually prefer to make my own from scratch. For that reason, it took me some time to get accustomed to the Optifast weight loss soups.

I would definitely recommend eating them as soon as they are made. They are cream-soup type, reconstituted with warm rather than boiling water, and cool down easily. Of course, cold soup is never as nice as warm soup.

Making the meal replacements

The instructions were simple and easy to follow, so I had no problems making up the sachets.

I would definitely recommend using the Optifast shaker for the drinks, as it makes mixing them significantly easier. If you are not keen on them being made according to instructions, you can always add ice cubes and blend to achieve a slushy texture.

One option is to add a squeeze of lemon juice, some mint leaves, and perhaps a couple of strawberries to the vanilla Optifast shake. It’s a great combination.

I thought ice with the coffee Optifast was definitely the best, so give that a try!

Did I lose weight on the Optifast diet?

So, the bit you are probably wondering most about, did I actually lose any weight. The simple answer is yes. I have gained a lot of weight this last year due to depression and generally being a bit greedy.

Without losing a few stones, I don’t think you would see the difference in comparison photos. If I am being honest, I don’t like how I look, so I prefer not to share them yet anyway.

I did, however, lose a whopping 7 lbs in the first week and 5.5 lbs in the second week. Please bear in mind that this is my own result, and for anyone looking to try the Optifast weight loss plan, you should expect your own results, as everyone is different.

The first week consisted of one full day of meal replacements and no additional food. This was followed by 6 days of replacing one or two meals with a meal replacement. I was ensuring that the other meals were healthy and low-calorie, as advised.

My second week was predominantly spent replacing just one meal a day with Optifast weight loss products, so I wasn’t expecting as much of a loss and was pleasantly surprised.

I possibly could have actually lost more if it weren’t for Ben making an absolutely delicious Victoria sponge cake. Of course, it would have been rude not to enjoy it!

Throughout the week, I had three large slices of the cake, yet I still lost 7 pounds. I am very pleased with that. I would much rather lose slightly less weight and enjoy it than deprive myself!

A discount code for you!

Feel free to use the code EXTRA10OFF for an extra 10% off website prices on the Optifast meal replacement plan! There are a variety of Optifast shakes on sale, so check all the flavours out and find your favourite. Check out the Optifast one-week trial to see if it is perfect for you.

To read all my posts with tips and experiences of various diets, exercises and lots more, check out my comprehensive Weight Loss section.

Other articles you may find helpful

If you are looking for a new diet to try and are still undecided check out my full weight loss guide with lots of different plans. A few popular ones are:

• The Noom Diet
• Second Nature Diet
• Slimming World guide
• Ketogenic diet
• Weight Watchers
• Fast 800
• Do the unthinkable
• Weight loss surgery
• Lighter Life

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