Our team is constantly on the lookout for weight loss programs, tricks, and strategies that deliver results. We understand that a lot of people want to lose weight but struggle to find a diet or program that works for them.
There’s no “one size fits all” solution that will work perfectly for everyone.
That’s why we believe that an abundance of weight loss programs is actually a good thing; although it can be a bit overwhelming at times.
There are several key factors that we consider when looking into a weight loss program. One of the most important qualities is whether the program takes a healthy approach to losing pounds.
If you look on the Optavia website you’ll find plenty of smiling faces and thin waists. There are testimonials from people who have lost weight and plenty of features that sound helpful – but how well will the diet work for you?
While there are plenty of great reviews about Optavia, there were a few complaints that we found on the Better Business Bureau website. Keep in mind that this is a small sampling, and isn’t at all reflective of the vast majority of people who have tried Optavia or those who have found success using their program.
Top 6 Complaints About Optavia Weight Loss
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1. Not Everyone Likes Their Approach to Weight Loss
While there are certainly many positive testimonials for Optavia, a few people have found the eating plan hard to stick with. The program can and has helped many people lose weight quickly. Managing a calorie deficiency is a good way to control or lose weight, but it can be hard from some people to stick with for more than a few weeks. For some, this has made the Optavia diet plan hard to sustain over the long term.
RELATED: Is Optavia a Good Weight Loss Plan?
On average, a person may require between 1500 and 2500 calories a day depending on their age, sex, and physical activity levels. If they’re eating less than this each day, they should lose weight, but if you’re used to overeating this can be a difficult transition to make.
By reducing your caloric intake so significantly you’re essentially guaranteed to lose weight. That’s why Optavia has been proven to work.
There are some previous customers who claim to have suffered some side effects due to this minimal caloric budget, which is probably to be expected. As someone who has followed diets similar to Optavia, I can tell you that it can take some getting used to for sure. The longer I stuck with it, however, the easier it got.
Overall, the approach that Optavia takes is not very sustainable over the long haul, but it will help you reach your weight loss goals in the short term.
To maintain your results, you can work with your Coach to come up with a healthy eating plan that is sustainable moving forward so you can hopefully keep the weight off that you’ve worked so hard to lose.
2. Weight Loss Didn’t Last
Sustainability is a good sign that you’ve found a healthy diet that you can rely on. Unfortunately, some customers who initially lost weight with Optavia claim that weight returned quickly after the first twelve weeks. A healthy diet is one that encourages smart meal choices that you can rely on daily. With Optavia, customers essentially starve themselves for 12 weeks and then regain the weight once they attempt to transition to a more sustainable diet.
It may seem like the solution is to simply continue using Optavia, but in reality, that is pretty hard for most people.
This is one reason that Optavia encourages learning how to make their Lean and Green Meals. These are meals you can make on your own, and they’re healthy and can help you maintain your weight over the long term.
That said, that is why working with your coach is important – if you want to keep the weight off, develop a plan to do so, in consultation with your Optavia Coach.
Optavia offers the tools necessary to help you keep the weight off, it will just be up to you on how you choose to use them.
3. Food is Expensive
Optavia claims that their monthly plans cost less than buying 3 normal meals per day. This should be true considering the lack of substance in their meals and snacks, but many customers know that this simply isn’t the case. They have multiple plans available with the most expensive option costing nearly $500 per month. A single person could easily plan their meals and buy their own groceries for much less.
To make matters worse, some customers complain that they didn’t like the food. Whether it’s a snack bar, a pancake, a milkshake, or a biscuit; their food has a similar chalky taste that is nearly impossible to wash away. And the taste is only one of the many problems with the meals that they provide.
One previous customer claimed that she had a Zoom meeting with her “coach” and other newcomers when she started Optavia. The primary point of discussion was how badly the food was going to affect her. The coach admitted that she would likely experience cramping, constipation, and diarrhea. They claimed that this would only occur during a temporary detox period as the body adjusts.
RELATED: Optavia Side Effects
That same customer reluctantly started the program and began experiencing all of the symptoms mentioned. She claims to have tried several different meal options all with similar results. She stuck with the program for a week before giving it up and visiting the doctor. Meanwhile, her coach tried to minimize the issue and stated that it was a necessary stage of the transition.
This is only one of many instances where problems like this occur. An Optavia coach who promoted the program for over 11 years pointed out that severe gut issues are very common with their diet. Various gastrointestinal problems have plagued the diet despite the company claiming to have upgraded their meals with all-natural ingredients and probiotics.
For some people, the negative effects of the Optavia diet are even more severe. For example, rapid weight loss can cause the body to release additional cholesterol into the bile. It can also reduce the gallbladder’s ability to fully empty. People who use rapid weight-loss diets are far more likely to develop gallstones.
These aren’t the types of risks you should expect when adhering to a healthy weight loss diet. The food should not taste terrible and cause gastrointestinal issues. It also shouldn’t increase the risk of health conditions like gallstones. This is especially true if you are paying nearly $500 a month for the food.
There are many better food options available at the local grocery store. There, you can control the ingredients you purchase and influence the way your food tastes. It may require a little more work than ordering a complete meal online, but when it comes to the meals offered by Optavia, it’s almost always the healthier choice.
Nutrisytem: Most Affordable Diet Delivery Option
4. Customer Service
The Better Business Bureau has some complaints from customers who claimed to have fought for months to get their refund. Some of those customers claimed to be still waiting for that refund. Not only does Optavia charge a high price for their meal plans, but they also expect customers to pay the return shipping fee when requesting a refund.
Customers pay to send the product back and are supposed to receive a refund within 10 days. Instead, the reported customers said that Optavia held onto that money as long as possible and sometimes resists their effort to receive a refund altogether.
Some customer complaints mention waiting months to receive a refund. The customers that try to seek assistance from customer service rarely get the help they were looking for.
One customer complaint mentions returning an order because it contained sugar. Her coach provided a link to the page for returns. She completed the form, which then told her that she needed to contact customer service for an authorization code. On the phone, the customer service informed her that returns are handled entirely online and not through customer service. Multiple attempts to escalate the call with a supervisor were denied and the customer was left in the dark with no assistance according to their review.
5. Additional Charges
Trying to fight with customer service for a refund is already a stressful endeavor, but some customers have it even worse. Multiple complaints involve customers who say they were charged for programs they did not order. For example, one customer was charged a monthly plan fee even after canceling her subscription.
That's an additional $500 for a product that she did not want. And it didn't stop there. She says she was charged two more times before finally getting Optavia to fully close her account.
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In some cases, Optavia reportedly charged customers twice in one month or overcharged them for a single order. One customer said they were overbilled on two occasions for more than $700. They were promised a refund within 5 business days. They said they eventually waited two weeks for only a partial refund. After another month they claimed to still have not received the full refund and were unable to speak with anyone who could help at the company.
6. Multi-Level Marketing
Optavia makes its money by having customers become coaches who then sell their product to a larger group of people. Some of those people eventually become coaches and the product continues to move downstream.
While this has been seen as a "bad" thing, it all depends on how you put their MLM system to work.
For many of the coaches, Optavia has been a great business and is an excellent way to connect with people in their community to help them get healthier. While it may not always work for everyone, there are plenty of people who have turned Optavia into a successful business opportunity for themselves.
Summary
While Optavia has its share of complaints, there are plenty of people who have had a lot of success using it. If you're considering signing up, it's worth reading a broad range of verified customer reviews, which will allow you to weigh both the good and bad.
You can also contact a Coach, who can walk you through how the program works, and how they may be able to help you reach your weight loss or health goals.
Either way, you have options.
If you're looking for the most affordable diet delivery option, that also includes 24/7 on demand coaching, then we recommend checking out Nutrisystem:
