Any Optifast users out there?

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  • mrskbrocktobe
    mrskbrocktobe Posts: 1
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    Hi everyone,
    I´m starting the Optifast 52 Program in germany tomorrow..actually starting the introduction week, so my last week of normal food until January.. I´m a litttle spooked thinking about not eating real food for months but i´m actually also very glad to take a break from food shopping and my normal eating habits..
    i woudn´t say that i am an unhealthy eater i just tend to eat way too much.. i love to cook and prepare, it kinda calms me down after a busy workday..

    but i think i really need to reset my eating behaviour and am sure that optifast it the way to go..

    how are you other starters or longtimers feeling? any advice?where are you doing the program?
    i´d love to share and talk.

    best wishes
    mrskbrocktobe
  • chubbybuddy1952
    chubbybuddy1952 Posts: 1
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    would like to join group. starting optifast today on my own....anyone else doing this without medical supervision? I attended the meeting but my insurance will not cover anything. for those using medical supervision...what does the blood work provide....I drink 6-8 glasses of water daily; does anyone take supplents..
    Diane
  • supergirl6
    supergirl6 Posts: 224 Member
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    I do not use optifast, but I do a program that is similar through the bariatric center at my hospital. I've had a ton of conversations with people about it because it's "extremeness" freaks people out. Personally it's been a lifesaver for me.

    I started out with about 170 lbs to lose. I was following the MFP plan, working out, eating well, losing weight regularly. I dropped 30 lbs that way. Then my thyroid quit working and I gained almost 25 lbs in a little over a month, despite not having changed anything about how I was eating or working out. No matter how hard I worked, the weight just kept adding back on. Then I developed a gluten intolerance that had me throwing up 3-4 times a week after I would eat. We didn't know that it was a gluten intolerance at first and I ended up spending a lot of money on tests that came back telling me I was normal. I eventually eliminated gluten from my diet just to see if that would help and a lot of the sickness went away and the weight gain stopped, but I couldn't lose. I lost about 14 lbs in 6 months before starting the optifast type plan through my hospital's center.

    I've been on it now 7 weeks and I am feeling so fantastic. The weight has come off pretty steadily - a lot at first but now to a more normal 2-3 lbs a week. I was grumpy for the first two weeks or so, but now I am happy and motivated and what my coworkers call "bright and shiny" every day. I haven't been sick ONCE in 7 weeks which makes it totally worth it. I'm lucky that the products are all gluten free, but I think the best part of the program is the support group of people just like me I've found in my weekly support class. We all have the same trials and successes, and having someone to talk frankly with is kind of wonderful. We talk with dieticians, doctors, behavioralists, personal trainers - and they are all personally invested in our success. In a few weeks I'll transition to regular food, but I feel stronger and more knowledgable now about approaching a gluten free, low carb lifestyle than I did when I was struggling on my own. I'll be gluten free and low carb for the rest of my life and I finally feel like I can face that.

    So my opinion of programs like this is very positive but ONLY in the context of the vital support system and having experts in your corner. I disagree with doing it on your own - I think you might lose weight but you won't change the person you were when you started, and that's the key to this program being worthwhile.

    But I also think that's the key to ANY program being worthwhile.
  • MissDireWolf
    MissDireWolf Posts: 14 Member
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    I'm on week 5 of Optifast800 and I'm really enjoying the program. My last weekly weigh in was on Friday (10/25) and I lost -5.5lbs this week. I feel fantastically great!!!

    I cannot say the plan will work for everyone, but it does for me. I am under medical supervision and glad my insurance picks up the actual Dr's visits and all lab tests. I think it's been so successful for me is because I've incorporated a 30-60 min walking program 6 days a week. In fact on the weekends I am now walking 3 miles in under an hour.

    I do take a supplement every morning with my first shake and also have 2 cups of chicken broth in between the other 4 shakes and 1 protein bar. I am not hungry at all and the "break" away from eating is actually teaching me to make better choices once I do return to a meal plan. I have to say I am looking forward to using meals as "fuel" and also learning to better gage being hungry (which was never the case with my poor eating habits). I also drink at least 10 glasses of water daily and have completely eliminated diet sodas and coffee. I actually sleep better now and wake up with tons of energy. Even my daily headaches are gone!!!

    I wish I found Optifast sooner. It has truly been a lifesaver for me.
  • arplatt
    arplatt Posts: 2
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    I have actually just started my optifast journey today. I am doing it with my doctor. I have been prepping the week before. I really an excited about it. I gained most of my weight through various reasons. My doctor started to worry about my blood values so he suggested this. I am really hopeful.
  • carolynab79
    carolynab79 Posts: 3
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    Hi Arplatt-I just started today too. My General Practitioner Physician referred me as my statistics say I'm morbidly obese...pretty scary words when you hear it and see it on paper. I'm hoping the comprehensiveness of the plan with the shrink, dietician, trainer and of course physician will allow me to wrap my head around the way I have to live my life...forever!
  • bethyzz1
    bethyzz1 Posts: 1
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    Supergirl, Hi I am wondering which plan you get through your hospital and if it covered by insurance. It seems really good and I am hoping to get into such a supervised plan. Thanks
  • brokenwhisper
    brokenwhisper Posts: 1
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    Hey everyone... Anyone in Colorado? I was planning on doing Optifast again for the second time in my life. The first time it went great. So I bought tons of boxed shakes, bars and soups. I started doing it... and realized I was having allergic reaction to it all! Ahhh!!! So I would love to sell all my surplus for cheap... I just want it out of the house. The expiration dates are for 2014 in everything. Anyone interested?
  • MissDireWolf
    MissDireWolf Posts: 14 Member
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    Curious to see how's everyone doing who started Optifast in the past few months?

    Started Sept 28 SW 275/CW241/GW175
  • kbrevik
    kbrevik Posts: 1 Member
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    You are doing great on the plan!! I started about two weeks after you did and as of last week's weigh in I am down 20 pounds, which I think is great!
  • CaitlinR85
    CaitlinR85 Posts: 35
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    In Week 2 of Optifast now. Doing the Australian version. Any other Optifasters feel free to add me! I'm keen to support and share with others on the same diet :)
  • steph_minard
    steph_minard Posts: 1 Member
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    I am finishing my first week but didn't actually start until two days ago, (strictly optifast bars and drinks). I weigh in tonight. I am doing it through Kaiser and they have covered all lab, x-ray, dr. costs so I just pay weekly for the program. I am looking forward to sharing on this topic, getting and giving support! So far so good so I'm very hopeful. SW/194 CW/191 GW/130 (5'3)
  • MissDireWolf
    MissDireWolf Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks for the updates! I go for my Week 7 weigh-in and actually bumping up my caloric intake (per my Physician) to 940 calories a day where I can incorporate 1 meal a day.

    For those just starting out, please realize to take it one day at a time and not to think of it as a race. Looking forward to everyone's progress.

    MDW
  • missujen
    missujen Posts: 1
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    I'm on day one of my new journey. Just drank my very first optifast drink five minutes ago!
  • Karma_888
    Karma_888 Posts: 14 Member
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    yup...I start Friday...on 1350 calories this week....how did you find your first shake??
    are you med supervised or flying on your own?
  • Karma_888
    Karma_888 Posts: 14 Member
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    How are you holding up?? Just drank my first shake....
  • MissDireWolf
    MissDireWolf Posts: 14 Member
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    Just finished week 8 and survived Thanksgiving with flying colors!

    Love the shakes and the results.

    SW 275/CW 233/GW 175
  • nebthet
    nebthet Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi, I hope you don't mind me posting here. While I am not using the Optifast product right now, I am using a similar product made by the same company. Boost.

    I am from Ontario, Canada. I had my first orientation into the Bariatrics program in September. On my first meeting with the physician in charge of me in October, she stated that literally they will be putting me on Optifast for months. She didn't sugar coat it. Sadly though, they don't take into consideration if you are on a low income budget. There is no way I can afford $400+ per month on this product.

    Therefore I listened and I had the blood work done, abdominal scan, and I haven't heard what any of the results were yet. That will come up in my 3 month meeting this month. When I got home I researched. While I know I can't afford Optifast, I did find that Boost had a similar product, but had additional calories. While I knew the results would not be as quick, I figured why not. It's half the cost.

    Over the last couple of months, instead of buying food home, I bought the Boost instead. I am starting with a mix of the regular, high protein and diabetic. I am going to be switching purely over to the diabetic Boost due it is having the highest protein 16g with lowest carb levels. Also 16g, I have found myself less hundry on it than the Regular and High Protein. In the mean time, I ate the food I had sitting in the freezer that I had completely forgot about and had a couple goodbye meals at restaurants I used to frequent. I won't be seeing them for a very long time.

    During my transition period over the last couple of weeks I noticed a couple of things.
    - I am seriously addicted to Chocolate (ie Chocolate bars). Give me one peice of that and I am like a crack addict looking for the next hit. It must be avoided at all costs. So I am hoping after going through this process I am going to be so sick of chocilate flavour.

    - I have a habit of bing eating bread. Therefor I wish to remove grains from my diet permanently. Even the cardiologist told me we only need Protein and a few veggies, nothing more.

    - I am also addicted to McDonald's french fries. Though I think it is more the salt than the fries themselves.

    - I have no "real" support from family or friends. Family helps by driving me to appointments, but when I tell them I can't have chocilate or cookies or anything like that, what do they do? Give me chocolate and cookies as gifts for Christmas. Gee Thanks. In the trash they go, My mother was so bad that once she heard what the specialists had to say at the Orientation, she no longer supported the program, because she didn't like it, and therefore, I shouldn't like it either.

    - Prior to starting this, there was no full button.. seriously. Unless my stomach was hurting, I had no indication that I was full or my appetite actually satisfied. This is forcing me to question my bodily responses and how my mind reacts.

    - I have issues when drinking water that I need to work on. When I was around 11 my stepmother forced me onto a calorie restricted diet. When I got home from school she would make me down 3x16oz glasses of water in less than ten minutes despite my complaint of my stomach hurting. Then she made me go walking. So now I have an aversion to drinking anything other than a few sips of water at a time. I need to get over that.

    - Realisations that my eating habits are a result of my litteraly eating my anger and frustration instead of simply telling someone to bugger off. People pleasing and anger eating did. So now I have points to work on with my cousellors.

    What am I starting out as? 400lbs, age 35 at 5'7"tall. I want to lose at least 200lbs. I would be happy with that.

    I am starting out with a slightly altered plan. Taking the Boost Regular x2 (240 cal + 41g carb + 10g Protein) and High Protein x2 (240cal + 33g carb + 15g Protein) for the first month and a bit to use them up and then transitioning over to Boost Diabetic x4 (190 cal + 16g carb + 16g Protein, gluten free).

    I have developed four under 190 cal recipes to use should I wish to replace 1 Boost meal with something different during this month.
    I will be keeping my calorie limit at 800 calories once I am over to the diabetic boost. I will still drink my coffee in the morning so calories from that are included but will be slowly transitioning to a decaffinated coffee. Decaf herbal teas with no milk or sugar are also still in the mix.

    Diet soda is the bane of my existance and I know I am going to have a harder time quitting that than I did smoking.

    Sorry for my introductory post being so long. I just think it is great that this thread exists and I finally have some people to communicate with that are going through some of the same things I am.

    If you wish, please feel free to add me. Those using the product or going through the bariatric programs. I could use any support and advice.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
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    wow just saw there were a few rather negative comments to my post. not sure what attracted the nay-sayers here, but what i am actually looking for are positive and happy people who are on this same journey. like minded people if you will. support and encouragement are vital and if there are any optifast users out there who would like to be pals on here send me a request, i would love to share support with you =)

    I don't believe those comments were meant to be negative. Yes, these fad diets will make you lose because of the calorie deficit, but you can do the same just logging what you eat and adhering to a specific calorie count. I've lost over 50 lbs just cutting back and adhering to around 1500 calories a day and adding some walking and Zumba into the mix. And...I have thyroid problems AND PCOS which make weight loss difficult. So if I can do it with my medical issues, then anyone can really!

    My point is...you can lose weight without having to drink shakes or go on fad diets which usually results in weight gain again after you resume normal eating. The key is healthy balanced eating. But I really do wish you luck! If it works for you, then hey...I just think most people here (myself included) are just concerned for your health.
  • tattoocutie81
    tattoocutie81 Posts: 3
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    I did optifast as well.. in transition now.. I lost 56lbs in the first 4 months.. I feel fantastic.. I don't consider this a "fad diet"... It helped me develop a different relationship with food. and I look at food in a totally different perspective now.. I will agree this diet is not for everyone.. and it takes a super dedicated person to be successful... If you want to lose weight and keep it off you will.. You will make the necessary changes to make that happen. Anyone can put weight back on... People have to do what works best for them. So don't knock people who use different methods then you do!

    Cheers Optifasters!!! xoxo

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