Any Optifast users out there?

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  • harisv
    harisv Posts: 15
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    I get B12 injections monthly and have for a couple of years. What does the probiotic do? I definitely need Metamucil! I have tried walking 1 mile a day this week and have done this twice as my energy is so low. I still have not gotten past being tired. Not sure I'll make 12 weeks but I make that decision once I get to 6 weeks.

    A probiotic restores the good bacteria in your gut and ensures proper functioning of the digestive system. Hang in there!
  • mcdermka
    mcdermka Posts: 17 Member
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    Harisv,

    Good work on your weight loss!

    :smile:
  • alliemarie77
    alliemarie77 Posts: 378 Member
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    I am not a user of Opitfast. I think that everyone's weight loss is great! I will encourage you to ween yourself off when you are nearing the end of your journey. Then try to lose the remaining pounds with proper eating habits, and exercise. In hopes that you will be able to maintain the weight loss. I wish you ALL the best, and feel free to add me as a friend if you wish! I am not here to tear anyone down, but I do ask that you read my profile before adding me.

    ~Allie
  • mandark07
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    I just started the Optifast program (day 5) and I'm starting to see results, but curious from our veteran users. I have no support at home (my roommates are overeaters like me but have no desire to change yet). I am tempted every time I walk into the kitchen and I've been pretty good but it's getting harder and harder, any tips to deal with roommates or temptations?
  • eloriemcnicol
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    I understand that you're looking for "positive replies" but I really urge you to step away from optifast and not follow this fad. Optifast is not good for your body, it is extremely unhealthy and ineffective and inefficient for the long run. You may lose weight quickly but you will literally be pumping your body full of sugar and toxic processed fillers. All these products do is fill you up so that you aren't hungry. Having a few cigarettes will have the same effect and result. literally. it's not teaching you to make good choices, it doesn't educate you about good nutrition and lifestyle. You are starving your body, destroying your metabolism, limiting your bodies ability to distribute oxygen to your brain and setting yourself up for failure. I really urge you to learn about these products an do your research before you join the heard of sheep, destroying their bodies while looking or an easy way out. Please, don't ruin your body, you only have one. Treat it right.
  • mcdermka
    mcdermka Posts: 17 Member
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    I understand that you're looking for "positive replies" but I really urge you to step away from optifast and not follow this fad. Optifast is not good for your body, it is extremely unhealthy and ineffective and inefficient for the long run. You may lose weight quickly but you will literally be pumping your body full of sugar and toxic processed fillers. All these products do is fill you up so that you aren't hungry. Having a few cigarettes will have the same effect and result. literally. it's not teaching you to make good choices, it doesn't educate you about good nutrition and lifestyle. You are starving your body, destroying your metabolism, limiting your bodies ability to distribute oxygen to your brain and setting yourself up for failure. I really urge you to learn about these products an do your research before you join the heard of sheep, destroying their bodies while looking or an easy way out. Please, don't ruin your body, you only have one. Treat it right.

    Optifast is not a fad..... Look it up!
  • mcdermka
    mcdermka Posts: 17 Member
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    I just started the Optifast program (day 5) and I'm starting to see results, but curious from our veteran users. I have no support at home (my roommates are overeaters like me but have no desire to change yet). I am tempted every time I walk into the kitchen and I've been pretty good but it's getting harder and harder, any tips to deal with roommates or temptations?


    Just remember why you started the program and how much better you'll feel without the excess weight! Who knows maybe once your roomies see your results they'll want to make a change too!!
  • harisv
    harisv Posts: 15
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    Harisv,

    Good work on your weight loss!

    :smile:

    Thanks :) All the best for yours.
  • harisv
    harisv Posts: 15
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    I understand that you're looking for "positive replies" but I really urge you to step away from optifast and not follow this fad. Optifast is not good for your body, it is extremely unhealthy and ineffective and inefficient for the long run. You may lose weight quickly but you will literally be pumping your body full of sugar and toxic processed fillers. All these products do is fill you up so that you aren't hungry. Having a few cigarettes will have the same effect and result. literally. it's not teaching you to make good choices, it doesn't educate you about good nutrition and lifestyle. You are starving your body, destroying your metabolism, limiting your bodies ability to distribute oxygen to your brain and setting yourself up for failure. I really urge you to learn about these products an do your research before you join the heard of sheep, destroying their bodies while looking or an easy way out. Please, don't ruin your body, you only have one. Treat it right.

    This is not a fad (a fad doesn't last 25+ years). I feel better than ever since I started it! Optifast is not just the shakes, is a lifestyle change program. You start with the shakes for accelerated results (for a number of weeks) and then you transition to healthy food, better eating habits, and some exercising.
  • redhatlady99
    redhatlady99 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hello
  • redhatlady99
    redhatlady99 Posts: 2 Member
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    :smile: Hello, I will be starting the Optifast program in a couple of weeks. My girlfriend just completed the program with great success. She lost over 70 pounds in 7 months. She said the Optifast program works. You must Follow the program as instructed and you will graduate with lots of tools that will help to make better choices in the future. I was told the meal replacements are to give people like me a chance to take a break from regular food, and not have to make any real choices except for the flavor of the shake. LOL

    This program is definitely a long-term approach. It will help me reach an appropriate weight and maintain it. I have tried a lot of programs that have not worked for me. This was the last resort that I am willing to try. This is a drastic solution to not being able to quit putting food in my mouth, but my weight is all an all-time high, and my glucose level is high. I do want to get healthy and live longer. I wish all of you the best on your weight lost journey! I am looking forward to the support of other Optifast users.

    I will keep you posted.
  • harisv
    harisv Posts: 15
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    Good luck with the program!
  • mcdermka
    mcdermka Posts: 17 Member
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    Just finished week 4 and according to my scale I did not lose anything! I am following the diet without cheats. Can it be possible not to lose on so low calories? I started walking... 1 mile a couple of times this past week... I doubt that could be considered too much exercise to lose.
  • NewMnky1
    NewMnky1 Posts: 264
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    I started doing Optifast in June 2012. I did a modified version of Optifast because the full version was a bit too drastic for me and I thought I would set myself up for failure (I could never not eat food). Because I was on modified I didn't do any of the group classes etc. I met with a nutritionist three times during my time doing Optifast and of course had the regular meetings and blood work done with the Dr.

    As stated above I started in June 2012 and started with two shakes a day, a snack and a meal. I did that until Mid Nov 2012 when I transitioned to one shake a day two meals and a snack, I did that until Dec and then I was totally off shakes.
    I have been on "regular food" since the second week in Dec and have continued to lose weight. I have totally changed my way of eating and thinking about food and I exercise 6 days a week (two of those days being strength training and the rest cardio).
    I liked the modified version because it still let me eat food and I got to figure out what healthy eating was on my own as I went. I educated myself and had amazing willpower.

    Yes, you will gain the weight back if after you stop the program you go back to eating the way you did and don't exercise. But if you educate yourself and really want to get healthy, it is a great way to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, which really helps with the motivation to keep going. This program can be safe if you make sure to follow what the Dr. says and ensure you are doing it correctly. I do caution those who are doing it on their own without medical supervision, I wouldn't recommend that.

    This like any other weight loss method (even MFP) works if you do it correctly, exercise and maintain the new lifestyle. If you fall off, stop trying or don't care anymore you will fail.

    This was a life changing, amazing, experience for me and I don't think I could have gotten where I am without doing Optifast.

    PS. for those who say it is the root of all evil or not healthy, you are not totally correct. When people do this correctly, they have regular blood work done and see a Dr on a regular (weekly) basis. So it is healthy. Yes it is processed powder but it is also a life saver. It (along with exercise) helped to corrected my high blood pressure, borderline diabetes and high risk factor for heart attack. It is what some severly obese people need to get a kick start to get healthy.
    I will admit that I did get Gallstones from doing Optifast and had to have my Gallbladder removed (without incident or subsequent side effects) but that was a small price to pay to get a healthy lifestyle and not have to worry about dying of a heart attack.
  • MBeeA
    MBeeA Posts: 1
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    I just completed my fifth week on the modified fast. I have about 40-50 pounds to lose on a very petite frame and have spent a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. I needed a real shock to change my habits for good. My loss has been getting progressively smaller each week, just 1.6 pounds at yesterday's meeting. All together I've lost about 14 pounds, but I realize the heavy loss at first was just water weight. I'm not straying from the program at all, am trying to add a healthy variety to my one meal/snack, always conscious that I need to gain control over this for a lifetime. I've added back some light weights work with my workouts recently.

    Interesting that one poster's doctor told her 2+ pounds was on the low end. I'm trying not to be discouraged, but if I've made no changes to my food intake, why is the weight loss slowing so much? Although Weight Watchers never worked long-term for me, that's what I used to lose on it when I was "good."
  • Yoduder
    Yoduder Posts: 1
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    Both my wife and I have done Optifast in the past and it works !!
    Some weeks you will lose 1-2 lbs but just have faith and not cheat
    You will lose 3-4 the next week. We both have kept the weight off
    After a year and it has taught us portion control. We were so used
    To eating out and consuming 1000's of calories and you just need to
    Learn that you can't eat that way when you grow older and expect to
    Stay the same weight.

    Some have chimed in that it is an unhealthy diet. But Optifast has been
    Around for decades and is endorsed by many health plans. It just plain
    Works if you follow it. I don't agree that eating pizzas and burgers and being
    Fat is healthier than eating less and being on this diet and losing the lbs.
    Your BP will drop pretty quick and you being feeling better because all that
    Junk isn't in your stomach.
  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
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    I understand that you're looking for "positive replies" but I really urge you to step away from optifast and not follow this fad. Optifast is not good for your body, it is extremely unhealthy and ineffective and inefficient for the long run. You may lose weight quickly but you will literally be pumping your body full of sugar and toxic processed fillers. All these products do is fill you up so that you aren't hungry. Having a few cigarettes will have the same effect and result. literally. it's not teaching you to make good choices, it doesn't educate you about good nutrition and lifestyle. You are starving your body, destroying your metabolism, limiting your bodies ability to distribute oxygen to your brain and setting yourself up for failure. I really urge you to learn about these products an do your research before you join the heard of sheep, destroying their bodies while looking or an easy way out. Please, don't ruin your body, you only have one. Treat it right.

    This is not a fad (a fad doesn't last 25+ years). I feel better than ever since I started it! Optifast is not just the shakes, is a lifestyle change program. You start with the shakes for accelerated results (for a number of weeks) and then you transition to healthy food, better eating habits, and some exercising.

    Well the Atkins diet has been going for roughly the same amount of times and thats the king of FADS
  • WMS72
    Options
    I am not a user of Opitfast. I think that everyone's weight loss is great! I will encourage you to ween yourself off when you are nearing the end of your journey. Then try to lose the remaining pounds with proper eating habits, and exercise. In hopes that you will be able to maintain the weight loss. I wish you ALL the best, and feel free to add me as a friend if you wish! I am not here to tear anyone down, but I do ask that you read my profile before adding me.

    ~Allie

    This is EXACTLY how the program works. You start on 3 x Optifast products a day, then work down to zero as you lose weight,

    I've just completed week 7, and have lost 10.8kgs (24lbs) so far.

    Anyone else who is following the plan is welcome to add me as a friend :)
  • harisv
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    I am in my 8th week of Optifast an I am very pleased with the results. Ideally, I would like to lose a few more pounds, however, even if I stay at this level I will be very happy. I decided not to renew my Optifast supplies and starting this Saturday, I am going to do the whole30 program after the reading the book "It starts with food" http://whole9life.com/itstartswithfood/
    I have also read the "Wheat Belly" book, very eye opening.

    I will be still doing the "maintenance" program through the clinic that I got my Optifast, so I will be still going for my twice a week weigh-ins & B shots, and the seminars. They recommended that I phase-out Optifast, but I cannot wait to do the Whole30 with a 100% high quality real food. I will be shopping at Whole foods a lot, however, it shouldn't be more expensive than Optifast. Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the Optifast part, I have accomplished everything I hoped for! I got my blood work a few days ago, everything that matters improved!
  • RAhasnotHelped
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    I have had medical issues all my life. RA flares cause me to be bedridden or chair dependent. I did Opti after I came out of remission (children) in my twenties. I followed all the rules back then and did change my life and kept most of the weight off for 20+ years. The RA has now gone internal besides extremities and the weight and MY EATING HABITS made me regain some of that weight back on. But it took years to get the weight I have become, so I know, you really have to plan for the same amount of time to take it off and keep it off.

    Today is my first day of starting Opti again. I know the weight loss will be slow, especially since the exercise portion of gaining control back isn't happening right now. I do applaud each and everyone for addressing their weight problems and moving towards your end game...to a more healthy and happy human (no matter how). I do hope to experience a bond with this group. We should all be happy for anyone trying .... I will be supportive and hope encouraging will be the root of this group, I will be and am!:bigsmile: