You’re 40 pounds overweight, and you’re tired—tired of huffing and puffing, and tired of feeling unhealthy. You’ve tried diets and plans before, but nothing has worked. You need something different. You need one-on-one emotional and medical support to help you change your patterns.

The Nutrition and Wellness Center at Bridgeport Hospital has just the plan for you: Optifast. Optifast is an individualized program, medically monitored by a dietitian and a physician, to help you lose weight sensibly and keep it off.

The 18-week program works like this:

• For the first 12 weeks, you eat only Optifast food – a menu of shakes, soups and nutrition bars. The final six weeks focus on reintroducing you to regular, healthy foods.
• During the program, you have individual meetings every other week with a registered dietitian to discuss your progress and obstacles. You’ll also receive guidance in setting your weight-loss goals and creating a sensible exercise plan.
• The cost of Optifast food is $80 every two weeks for a modified program, and $150 every two weeks for a full program. The counseling sessions are covered by most insurance plans.