Optifast Program
The OPTIFAST program is a clinically proven weight loss program with documented outcomes in over 80 studies. The primary goal of the OPTIFAST program is to help patients improve their health through weight loss. Research has shown that the average weight loss in a full formula OPTIFAST program is 52 pounds. Follow up studies show that after 5 years, more than half of the OPTIFAST program participants had maintained enough weight loss to improve their health (medically significant weight loss).
Compared with most weight loss programs, this is an exceptional achievement.
OPTIFAST is a high quality, nutritionally balanced, calorie-controlled liquid diet. It supplies more than 100% of the recommended amounts of high quality protein, minerals, and vitamins. It also supplies smaller but essential amounts of carbohydrates and essential fatty acids. This program is ideal for those who have over fifty pounds to lose, need to see faster results so as to improve medical conditions, or need to narrow their stimulus for food choices.
Optifast Partial Meal Replacement Program
This is a combination of OPTIFAST formula and store bought foods. This program is ideal for those with weight loss goals between 20-50 pounds. Patients following this plan use 2-4 meal replacements each day and enjoy 1-2 nutritious, low calorie meals.
Optifast Full Meal Replacement Program
The full formula program eliminates the need for you to count calories, prepare meals, or control your food intake in any way other than to consume the number of OPTIFAST shakes, snack bars or soups that you are prescribed. Research shows that as the variety of food choices decrease, caloric intake also decreases. This concept is termed stimuli narrowing and provides the scientific rationale for a full meal replacement diet.
Many patients at Egea find the convenience of the OPTIFAST full meal replacement program gives them a welcome break from their normal eating pattern.
A full meal replacement diet, along with a comprehensive treatment program, is the most effective non-surgical obesity treatment currently available. It is the only clinically studied and proven effective solution for mild to moderate obesity.
Patients begin the full meal replacement diet in the active weight loss phase, which typically lasts 12 weeks. This is followed by a 6 week gradual transition phase to self-prepared foods. Shorter plans can be devised for those patients who may not be able to commit to a full 18 week program. Throughout the active weight loss and transition phases of the program, patients are medically monitored, attend weekly group sessions covering topics in nutrition, behavior and activity so as to sustain their weight loss and behavior changes.
Patients can expect to achieve 2-7 pounds of weight loss per week. Patients who have chronic medical conditions in addition to their obesity can expect to reduce and in many cases eliminate medications used to treat these weight-related conditions.