The OPTIFAST program can be a valuable learning experience that can set you up for long-term weight loss success. Together with the support of your medical weight loss doctor, the Optifast program creates an experience that highlights the fundamental aspects of successful weight loss, and can show you how you can transition to a healthier way of life by making simple changes.
There are four fundamental aspects of weight loss, and they are:
- Attitude
- Exercise
- Nutrition
- Psychology
The Weight loss program gives you a chance to step away from your regular routine and evaluate what changes may be helpful in your life.
Changing Your Attitude
Your attitude refers to your overall values and the commitment you are making to yourself and to your weight loss program. This means:
- Taking ownership of the choices you make
- Knowing your limits and accepting those boundaries
- Being willing to persevere through temporary discomfort
- Evaluating the consequences of your actions and making choices that will help you reach your goal
You have a choice to look at everything you do with a positive attitude. Doing so can help you stay on track during your Optifast program.
Exercise Everyday
The Optifast products will help you take control of your diet, freeing up the mental energy to evaluate your current fitness level and exercise habits. As a general guideline, try to exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week. This adds up to 2.5 hours of exercise every week. The more exercise you can fit in, the more calories you’ll burn and the faster you’ll lose weight.
Make changes to your exercise habits by:
- Increasing your incidental activity, which includes movements you do at work or home that are not fitness related, but still burn calories (like walking)
- Meet with a personal trainer to learn proper fitness techniques so you can avoid injury
- Find a friend, co-worker or family member who is interested in working out more as well and become gym partners
Nutrition
The Optifast products are nutritionally complete, helping you to get as many nutrients as possible in a low-calorie diet. Using the products will help you lose weight, but learning from the products can help you maintain weight loss, as well.
The Optifast products can teach you several things about proper nutrition habits, including:
- How to eat smaller portion sizes
- The benefits of eating multiple small meals every day
- What it feels like to be full without overeating
- How maximizing nutrient intake helps control hunger
- What times of day your body grows hungriest
Psychology
One thing that many people report learning during the OPTIFAST program is that hunger is often mental. Everyone grows hungry, but often our hunger signals become crossed with mental cues to eat. Things like emotional eating, social cues to eat and eating out of boredom are often addressed during the OPTIFAST program.
The Optifast weight loss program is a great tool in gaining control over your diet. Using the OPTIFAST products under the guidance of your weight loss doctor can help you lose weight more effectively than diet and exercise on their own.
