Maintenance level

Our Maintenance Level is designed to help you maintain your desired body weight after weight loss.

When you’ve achieved your weight loss goal, you’re ready to transition to the Maintenance Level, where you can enjoy 3 healthy, calorie-controlled meals per day. The flexibility of the OPTIFAST VLCD Program means that, if you need to, you can always re-introduce OPTIFAST VLCD products whenever you feel the need to get back on track.

How does it work?

During the Maintenance Level you will enjoy:

3 low-calorie meals (approximately 350 calories each)
2 or more cups of low starch vegetables
2 litres of water or calorie-free fluids (minimum)
2 serves of fruit (approximately 70 calories)
1 serve of dairy (approximately 100 calories)

What a day might look like:

Meal	Sample meal plan 1	Sample meal plan 2	Sample meal plan 3
Breakfast	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)
Morning Tea	Tea/coffee 1 serve of fruit	Tea/coffee 150g of low fat yoghurt	Tea/coffee 150g of low fat yoghurt
Lunch	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)
Afternoon Tea	Tea/coffee 1 cup of carrot and celery sticks	Tea/coffee 1 cup of carrot and celery sticks 1 piece of fruit	Tea/coffee 1 cup of carrot and celery sticks 1 piece of fruit
Dinner	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)	Low-calorie meal (~350kcal, 25g protein, 25g carbohydrate)
Supper	Cup of black or herbal tea 150g of low fat yoghurt 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries	1/2 cup of fruit salad	Herbal Tea 125mL of diet jelly with 1/2 cup of fruit salad
Total Nutrient Intake	1290 calories 86g protein 108g carbohydrate	1287 calories 86g protein 111g carbohydrate	1296 calories 87g protein 111g carbohydrate

What is a ‘low starch vegetable’?

Below is a list of low starch vegetables, as well as vegetables to avoid due to their higher carbohydrate and calorie content. The OPTIFAST VLCD Program recommends at least 2 cups a day of allowed vegetables, however increasing that quantity makes little difference to your weight loss and may help to keep you satisfied. Vegetables can be raw or cooked - it doesn’t matter which.

*Please note that when on 'Active' and 'Maintenance' Levels, vegetables in the 'avoid' columns can be incorporated into your low-calorie meal.*

Full list of Allowed Foods & Condiments

Allowed

Low starch vegetables

Alfalfa sprouts
Asparagus
Bean sprouts
Beetroot (30-40g)
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Capsicum

Carrots (30-40g)
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green beans
Konjac noodles
(Slendier/Slim
Pasta range)

Lettuce
(all types)
Leeks
Mushrooms
Onions
Radishes
Shallots
Silver beet

Snow peas
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Watercress
Zucchini

Avoid

Corn
Green peas
Legumes
Lentils
Potato
Sweet potato
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Turnip

Fruit & Dairy Serves

Fruit and dairy serves are continued on the Maintenance Level, see below for recommendations on serves:

Allowed – Active 2, Active 1, Maintenance Levels Only

Fruit (one serve = 50-70 calories)

Apple (1 small)
Lychees (4)
Plums (2)
Apricots (2)
Orange (1)
Mandarin (1-2)

Pineapple (2 slices)
Strawberries (1.5 punnets)
Cherries (15)
Passionfruit (4)
Rhubarb (200g)

Grapes (1/2 cup)
Peach (1)
Prunes (3)
Pear (1 small)
Canned fruit in natural juice (120g)

Avoid

Dried Fruit
Fruit Juice

Allowed – Active 2, Active 1, Maintenance Levels Only

Low-Fat Dairy (one serve = 100 calories)

Reduced Fat Hard Cheese (30g)
Cottage Cheese (1/3 cup)
Low-Fat Ice Cream (1 scoop)

Low-Fat Milk (250ml)
Low-Fat Yoghurt (1 small tub ~ 150g)

Avoid

Full-Cream Dairy

FAQs

Your calorie-controlled or low-calorie meal should be around 350 calories. Aim for 1 serve or ¼ of your plate to be protein (100g meat or chicken, 130g white flesh fish, 2 eggs or 150g tofu), 1 serve or ¼ or your plate to be grains (2 slices of bread, 1 cup cooked pasta, ¾ cup of rice or 1 medium potato) and fill half the plate with low starch vegetables or salad. You can also include 1 tbsp of a sauce or dressing. This plate concept will help to keep your meal under 350 calories. Alternatively, check out the calorie- controlled recipes in the recipe section of the website or on the OPTIFAST My Program app. Each recipe indicates how many calories per serve.

If you are concerned about transitioning through the other levels of the OPTIFAST VLCD Program, consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian who will be able to help you with this transition as well as educate you regarding appropriate foods to include, portion sizes and how to manage your daily calorie intake, as this can be individual. For tools to help guide you as well as recipe ideas, download the OPTIFAST My Program app.