Optislim Vs. Optifast

What Is Optifast?

The Pros and Cons of Optifast

Pros

Cons

It’s medically supervised.

It may not provide the calories or nutrition you need.

It can help you lose weight.

It doesn’t provide calories in the form of whole foods.

Optifast is a brand of diet plan that incorporates varying meal replacement products, from bars to soups to the more conventional options such as shakes. Its distinguishing factor rests in the fact that Optifast is more than a variety of weight-loss products — it is a regimented program as well.

It is a medically supervised program offered at weight-loss clinics, which allows for heightened safety when undergoing a very-low-calorie diet (which can be dangerous if not carried out with due caution).

  1. Active Weight Loss Phase: This is the first stage and is comprised of 12 to 16 weeks of total meal replacement using the Optifast products. This is also when a client will meet with an assigned medical provider for monitoring and counseling.
  2. Transition Phase: The second stage is ordinarily four to six weeks long and consists of slowly returning self-prepared foods to mealtimes, as opposed to consistent meal replacements. This occurs while you still attend classes in the hope of changing your relationship with food and how you view your dietary habits.
  3. Maintenance Phase: The third and final phase is the maintenance phase, and it is also the longest phase. It can last up to 52 weeks in total; this is when clients are advised to attend support sessions to consolidate what they have learned in previous sessions regarding positive eating habits and sustain their weight loss. There is partial use of meal replacements during this time.

What Is Optislim?

The Pros and Cons of Optislim

Pros

Cons

It may help you lose weight.

It doesn't provide the calories, nutrition or protein you need.

It doesn’t provide calories in the form of whole foods.

It’s not medically supervised.

It’s only available in Australia.

Optislim is similar to Optifast in the sense that it is a brand offering meal replacement products, but it differs in that it does not offer a medically supervised program to go alongside the meal replacements. Optifast is a medically supervised program offered at weight loss clinics, whereas Optislim is an Australian brand of weight loss foods. Optislim is only available for delivery in Australia through its official website.

Optislim provides shakes, bars and soups as meal replacements. These products come in a variety of flavors and types (including Optislim Platinum) but they all fall into two distinct categories: VLCD and LCD. These acronyms stand for "very-low-calorie diet" and "low-calorie diet," respectively.

VCLDs and LCDs provide the basis of both Optifast and Optislim diets, but it is important to understand the risks associated with these types of diets, particularly in the case of Optislim — in which the diets are not monitored.

The National Health Service of the United Kingdom explains that VLCDs (sometimes referred to as very-low-energy diets or VLEDs) consist of a medically supervised diet plan with a daily intake of 800 calories or fewer. They are usually categorized by diets that replace full, nutritious meals with liquid substitutes, such as shakes, that claim to contain all the required nutrients.

In fact, the only participants they did provide enough protein to were the youngest and smallest people assigned female at birth of the group, excluding a large portion of subjects. One of the high-protein diets was Optislim, providing a logical reason to doubt its nutritional effectiveness.

Warning

It is strongly advised that VLCDs be conducted under medical supervision and not on your own.

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Safe?

VCLDs originated as a form of obesity treatment, but they are still not used as the very first step of obesity management. They can be a challenging and potentially harmful diet to maintain, and often do not provide the results desired once completed.

Because of the low calorie count and general lack of nutrition provided by these meal replacements, following a VLCD can be exceptionally difficult. Aside from persistent hunger and tiredness from your body not receiving the energy it needs, side effects can also include:

  • Dry mouth
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Cramps
  • Hair thinning

Meal replacement diets are desirable because they can have quick results. Weight loss occurs quickly due to the low calorie intake, so results are achieved at a much faster rate than with more conventional weight loss plans.

However, these plans carry with them their own set of risks that must be considered before you decide to take them on. There are a variety of individual factors that can complicate these diets, including age, lifestyle and personal health.

When it comes to Optislim vs. Optifast, it really depends on your own personal schedule. While the Optifast plan appears to be more beneficial, thanks to its monitoring and classes, it can be time consuming and does not necessarily fit in with an individual's busy lifestyle — which may make Optislim a preferable option. However, easier is not always better, and clinical evidence suggests that Optislim is not quite as nutritionally beneficial as it boasts.

Read more on: livestrong