Optifast Patient Looking for Friends

Altimeter
Altimeter Posts: 1
edited October 17 in Introduce Yourself
I'm in week five of Optifast, and as of my week four weigh-in, I'm down almost 15 pounds. The diet was suggested to me by my doctor after numerous attempts at Weight Watchers and other reputable programs. I have more hope and a better outlook now than I have in years, and I will use the support built in to my program for a long term change to a new lifestyle. There is no finish line!

I realize that the Optifast program is not for everyone and I appreciate all opinions, but I'm looking to make contact with folks who are currently on Optifast or who have been through it. What are your experiences? Any advice for getting through the program and maintaining long term? or are you just starting out like me? I want to hear from you!

Thanks for reading and for your support of the MFP Community, whoever you may be, and whatever your story!

Replies

  • Ladyshiraz79
    Ladyshiraz79 Posts: 1
    Hello, I just currently started and I too am looking for friends for encouragement in the same program. Hope we can hook up.

    -Ladyshiraz79
  • Tuffjourney
    Tuffjourney Posts: 971
    Hi, I'm not on Optifast, but I am on HMR which is similiar. Best of luck to you both!
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    I started my journey do a modified version of Optifast, my wife and I did three shakes a day with one meal consisting of 6 oz of lean protein, 3 servings of veggies, and a fruit. Feel free to add me. We did the program for 6 months and I lost 130 lbs on the program, the last 60 or so came off in the last 6 months and I have basically maintained for about 4 months so far
  • Merrychrissmith
    Merrychrissmith Posts: 231 Member
    I did Optifast years ago. Lost 50 lbs in about 10 weeks.

    Advice:

    DON'T CHEAT! DRINK WATER! fOLLOW THE PROGRAM (as if your life depended on it....know what I mean?)

    It works and you will be free. Maintain afterwards...not loike me. Back to MFP to lose this weight forever.

    Optifast works really well.
  • corrieviking
    corrieviking Posts: 2
    I just joined this forum and was just checking out some of the threads and stumbled on yours. I was amazed at the number of pounds people were able to lose using optifast. I have about 90lbs. to lose and my body just seems to want to hold onto every single one of them. I have tried the low carb, low fat protein type diet with varying degrees of success. I am now so confused about what i'm "allowed" to eat or not, what's a good food and what's not I'm thinking something like optifast might simplify things tremendously. Where can I find optifast? How expensive is it?
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    I just joined this forum and was just checking out some of the threads and stumbled on yours. I was amazed at the number of pounds people were able to lose using optifast. I have about 90lbs. to lose and my body just seems to want to hold onto every single one of them. I have tried the low carb, low fat protein type diet with varying degrees of success. I am now so confused about what i'm "allowed" to eat or not, what's a good food and what's not I'm thinking something like optifast might simplify things tremendously. Where can I find optifast? How expensive is it?

    I have seen it for sale on Ebay and Amazon, but your best bet is to go to their website www.optifast.com and look for a weight loss clinic that offers it. It is more than just the shakes which are $3 a piece, the program cost my wife and I $7k, but together we lost about 320 lbs. It is a team approach with weekly weigh ins and meetings. You should be monitored by dr's while on it, cause you are taking in very little calories and it is a very strict regiment. It has been the easiest diet I have ever done and with the help of the dr's, psychologists, and nutritionist it made it all that much easier. Not to alarm you with the sticker price shock in that $7k was program fees, bi weekly dr visits, as well as 6 months worth of food for 2 people, three meals a day each, or part of the time I was on four shakes a day since I was over 300 lbs when I started. The shakes were $3 each, bars were $4 each
  • corrieviking
    corrieviking Posts: 2
    well I have to admit that is a definite financial committment but compared with an $18000 lap band procedure I BRIEFLY considered, 7K is a walk in the park! Seriously though did you feel starved, frustrated, etc. on this diet and do you think I would have half a chance without all the pricey support? I mean do people just order the shakes/bars and try it on their own? I imagine it was easier doing it with your significant other. I on the other hand I will have to make a typical dinner every night for my husband and crew and resist that and tuck into my salad and shake?
  • mcjmommy
    mcjmommy Posts: 148 Member
    I did Optifast last summer from May 1st until September 1st. I found out I was pregnant during that time so I stopped the supplements for 2 weeks, miscarried and waited about a month to start up again when my doctor said it was safe. I lost about 60 pounds on the product and have lost another 25 since I've gone back to a "full food" diet.
    It was the best decision I have ever made for my health. I am enjoying summer with my kids. I am able to play outside with them, walk, ride bikes, play baseball, etc.
    My husband has also done 12 weeks on the product and he has lost more than 60 pounds (not as much to lose as I did).
    It's fun to say "a year ago we couldn't have done this ..." :)
    My dad and sister have also used the product and have had good results. You need to follow the recommendations of your doctor and after you stop the product, you still have to exercise and eat properly.
    Let me know if you have specific questions! Best of luck to you - make wise choices!
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    well I have to admit that is a definite financial committment but compared with an $18000 lap band procedure I BRIEFLY considered, 7K is a walk in the park! Seriously though did you feel starved, frustrated, etc. on this diet and do you think I would have half a chance without all the pricey support? I mean do people just order the shakes/bars and try it on their own? I imagine it was easier doing it with your significant other. I on the other hand I will have to make a typical dinner every night for my husband and crew and resist that and tuck into my salad and shake?

    In all honesty, after the first day, when I went from 11 am to 7 pm without eating because I was saving my last shake for after dinner I was never hungry. My regiment was I ate about every 3 to 4 hours. I would drink a bottle of water and a shake at 7 am, at 11 am, at 3 pm, followed with a sensible dinner at 7 pm consisting of 6 oz of lean protein, three servings of vegetables, and a fruit. I would drink a bottle or two of water with dinner as well. Most people that did it at the weight management program did go to meetings and dr visits. They monitor your bloodwork every 10 to 12 weeks as well. You could do it on your own, but be very careful and talk to your dr before, during, and after. If you do a straight up Optifast Program, I think those patients were on 5 shakes a day. Make sure you take a multi vitamin as well as supplement your shakes with some fiber as well. After the first week or so on the diet I didn't even miss starches. Also no alcohol should be consumed while you're doing it.
  • TeddyBear47
    TeddyBear47 Posts: 200 Member
    I was on opti fast a lomg time ago. I had to have my gallbladder out and I also have digestive problems due to optifast. I know that anything that I write will not change your mind so good luck and I hope that yor health does not suffer afterwards.
  • Tuffjourney
    Tuffjourney Posts: 971
    I was on opti fast a lomg time ago. I had to have my gallbladder out and I also have digestive problems due to optifast. I know that anything that I write will not change your mind so good luck and I hope that yor health does not suffer afterwards.

    When I lost about 50 lbs, I too then needed my gallbladder out. It wasn't related to the product, just the fast weightloss. Being such a crappy eater prior to the diet is what ruined my gallbladder. I had removed and have never felt better and hope to lose the rest of the weight!
  • AllisonCline
    AllisonCline Posts: 2
    Hi All

    I am on my second run of optifast - I did the 12 weeks a year ago and lost 50 pounds then gained back 30 now I am on week 3 again of 12 weeks and I am down 18 pounds. I know how you all feel about the cramps and digestive problems but I only have that problem when I use the chocolate shakes - the vanilla don't do that to me.

    I love the optifast it is the only thing that has every worked for me that was healthy!
  • JulieLesieur
    JulieLesieur Posts: 1 Member
    I did Optifast. Lost 50 pounds in 12 weeks. Gain 20 pounds back after 2 years because I was not able to deal with a very streesfull situation. As soon as I was able to foci, I went back on optifast for 5 weeks. Was easy for me. One trick, I use Walden farm 0 calorie syrop to flavour my shake. I order them online. I like chose because, this way I can have different flavour shake. I use strawberry, blueberry, table syrup and caramel. The chocolate syrup is not tasty but anyways they make the chocolate shake. Hope it will give you some ideas.
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