Diet trends have always been a hot topic, and weight loss products come and go. Lately, a few members of MyObesityTeam have been asking, “Has anyone tried GOLO?”

GOLO is a commercial weight management program available only through the company’s website. To follow the plan, you eat certain foods provided by the company and take branded supplements with every meal.

Can GOLO provide sustainable weight loss, or is it just another short-term fad diet? Read on to learn more.

What Is the GOLO Weight Management Plan?

The GOLO diet plan includes ready-made meals and dietary supplements. Both are manufactured in the United States. After purchasing meals, customers have access to GOLO’s online resources, which include recipes and meal-tracking tools, as well as the ability to join a private Facebook group.

The GOLO website suggests you can order all of your meals from GOLO to follow the plan or replace one or two of your usual meals with a GOLO meal to support weight loss. The meals can be heated up in less than five minutes, and they’re delivered in a biodegradable box. Each GOLO meal contains between 300 and 410 calories, which makes the GOLO eating plan a low-calorie diet.

It’s important to note that calorie needs vary for each person. According to Cleveland Clinic, an adult older than 21 will need anywhere between 1,600 and 3,000 calories each day. You should discuss your specific calorie needs with a healthcare provider before trying any calorie-restricted diet plan.

GOLO meals contain a variety of ingredients that are minced or chopped into small pieces, like a stir-fry. Each meal contains veggies, lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats. There are five meal options:

• Beef Blend
• Egg Blend
• Chicken Blend
• Chicken and Rice Blend
• Plant-Based Blend

The website also suggests adding water to the meals to make them into a soup, dividing the meals into four portions for snacks, or adding your own ingredients to help customize your meals.

The meals contain 27 percent to 37 percent of your daily recommended fiber, depending on the type. Nutritional studies, which were not focused specifically on the GOLO plan, have shown that a diet based on whole foods that are naturally high in fiber (including whole grains, brown rice, fruits, vegetables, and beans) can support weight loss.

Everyone’s nutrition needs are different, and it may not be realistic or sustainable to only eat GOLO meals. It’s also important to consider whether the plan offers enough variety, flexibility, and guidance to support balanced eating habits in everyday life — even if you stopped buying GOLO products. If you’re considering the GOLO eating plan, talk about it with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to make sure you’d get all of the nutrition and guidance you need.

What’s the GOLO Release Supplement?

Supplements are another key aspect of the GOLO diet plan. The Release supplement is meant to be taken with every meal. It has magnesium, zinc, and chromium, along with a proprietary blend of herbs and other ingredients.

According to GOLO, Release reduces belly fat by lowering insulin resistance and controlling hunger. In one study sponsored by GOLO, 34 people diagnosed with obesity followed the GOLO meal plan for 13 weeks. (The study began with 68 participants, but half dropped out because of a lack of time to participate, poor adherence to the diet plan, or side effects.)

About half of the 34 participants who finished the study took the Release supplement three times a day, and the other half took a placebo (inactive treatment) while eating GOLO meals. After 13 weeks, those on the Release supplement lost about 13 pounds, while those taking the placebo had lost about 7 pounds. Those taking the Release supplement had a greater reduction in waist circumference than the placebo group. They also had lower fasting insulin levels, suggesting that insulin resistance (a sign of prediabetes and metabolic syndrome) was improving with the Release supplement.

Because this study was sponsored by GOLO, the research may be biased. It was also only tested on a small population of people. More research that is unsponsored would be helpful to know if the Release supplement truly provides weight loss benefits.

Other GOLO Supplements

GOLO also sells a few other supplements and products meant to support digestion and weight loss. The GO-3 Plus supplement has fiber, antioxidants, and probiotics to help with digestion. There’s also a Go-Digest supplement with digestive enzymes meant to help break down food earlier in the digestive process.

GOLO’s Rest & GO supplement has B vitamins and a mix of herbs meant to improve sleep and energy. Finally, Move & GO is a combination of fiber and antioxidants intended to support bowel regularity and blood sugar control.

Unfortunately, dietary supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means there’s no way to know if they actually contain what’s written on the label or if they provide the health benefits that they say they do. Your healthcare provider can help you decide if certain dietary supplements may help you, hurt you, or just waste your money. Supplements can interact with certain medications, so it’s crucial to talk to your healthcare provider before you start a new supplement.

When evaluating supplements, look for certifications from reputable organizations such as NSF International, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab.com, which indicate rigorous third-party testing. These certifications can offer more confidence in a supplement’s quality, safety, and ingredient accuracy.

Does the GOLO Diet Work To Treat Obesity?

Portion-controlled meals, such as those sold by GOLO, have been shown to promote weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. They can help simplify meal planning and make healthy eating and calorie counting easier.

However, the reasons for obesity are complex. They can involve genetics, stress levels, sleep deprivation, other health conditions, and more. The treatment for obesity involves a combination of behavioral and dietary changes, as well as physical activity. The GOLO plan only addresses the dietary component.

GOLO offers a growing selection of dietary supplements without peer-reviewed third-party studies to vouch for their safety and effectiveness. Even though one study showed the GOLO Release supplement may help with weight loss when used with a low-calorie diet, more research is needed to fully understand the benefits. However, purchasing the supplements is not required to follow the meal plan.

Should You Try GOLO To Lose Weight?

Only you and your healthcare provider can decide if GOLO is right for you. GOLO may be able to help support your goals, but you should talk to your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian nutritionist if you’re considering the program. They can make sure the program aligns with your recommended treatment plan.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like to cook or wants a substitute for convenience foods (like fast food or processed snacks), a weight loss program with ready-made meals may be a good resource to help support your goals.

That being said, some may find the plan boring, especially if you’re relying only on the limited variety of GOLO foods for most of your meals. It’s also possible that you won’t lose weight on the program if you overeat during other meals. Remember, other factors like stress, sleep, physical activity, underlying health conditions, and even genetics can also affect body weight.

A registered dietitian nutritionist can help you create a weight management plan specific to your nutrition needs and goals. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how you want to achieve your goals in a way that works for your lifestyle and budget. Just be sure to inform your healthcare provider about any changes to the ways you’re addressing your weight loss goals.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyObesityTeam is the social network for people with obesity and their loved ones. On MyObesityTeam, more than 57,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with obesity.

Have you tried GOLO or another ready-made meal plan for weight management? If so, how did it work with your health goals? Share your experience in the comments below or on your Activities page.