Any Optifast users out there?

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Replies

  • Hey Kevin!

    we started product 3 weeks before Christmas. It was hell!!! but it DID get easier...

    My tips for newbies - (based on Optifast 900)

    WATER WATER WATER!!! The brain cannot recognise the difference between hunger and thirst!!! You are getting your nutrition from your shakes. You should be aiming for 3 litres a day and that includes the water you use for your shakes.
    use at least 16 oz to feel fuller. And you don't want to get constipated as there is not a lot of fibre in the shakes...you might want to consider psylium fibre capsules - (not a laxative!!) but please talk to your doctor.

    TIMING- NO MORE THAT 4 HOURS BETWEEN SHAKES- in order to maintain ketosis, you have to keep your blood sugar level as level as possible. and drink that extra water in between

    extras - 20 calories a day max- can include milk for your coffee ( A BIT! everything counts...) diet pop, artificial flavorings for your shakes, low cal and sodium broth, but don't over do it. Follow what ever your plan recommends.

    FLAVOUR!! shakes getting boring?? throw some flavoring in!! coconut or orange flavoring in a chocolate shake will blow your mind!!! (but remember the 20 calorie cap!)

    EXCERCISE - DONT OVER DO IT RIGHT NOW - you are already shocking your body enough- worry about muscle toning later.

    DISTRACTION - GET OFF THE COUCH or PVR through those commercials....good time to clean spring clean those cubboards...break your old habits now!!!

    chew sugarless gums (watch the calories - no more that 20 cals a day)

    NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING is a must. The program I am in offers 26 weeks of weekly classes (12 weeks of full product, 5 weeks of transition, and 9 more weeks of what they call maintenance....but we are all still losing :) this is essential!! after that we have 4-6 sessions of our choice (nutritional, behavioral, or kinesthetic) over the next 6 months.

    now we also had blood work done and ECGs every 2-3 weeks (part of our program)

    TRANSITION- I will tell you about that later - there are too many peeps on her right now that are not ready to hear about food and I don't want to add to their stress....but get used to journaling on MFP because you will need to keep track of those calories anyway.

    exercise now? - walking class, aquafit, strength training and I am a nurse so I am always tearing around. Consider a activity tracking bracelet and use apps like mapmyfitness.com or fitbit.com

    Take one day at a time - don't rely on the scale, rely on how you feel, and take measurements....

    You can do this!!!

    Deb!!!

    @sanzza - I was a non-insulin dependant diabetic and it have completely reversed with my weight loss!! My sugars and HBAIC are completely normal!!




    This helped alot! thank you! I am on day 5 and down 7 pounds. I have 4 shakes a day and 64 oz of water and am still hungry! does this ever go away?
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Hey Kevin!

    we started product 3 weeks before Christmas. It was hell!!! but it DID get easier...

    My tips for newbies - (based on Optifast 900)

    WATER WATER WATER!!! The brain cannot recognise the difference between hunger and thirst!!! You are getting your nutrition from your shakes. You should be aiming for 3 litres a day and that includes the water you use for your shakes.
    use at least 16 oz to feel fuller. And you don't want to get constipated as there is not a lot of fibre in the shakes...you might want to consider psylium fibre capsules - (not a laxative!!) but please talk to your doctor.

    TIMING- NO MORE THAT 4 HOURS BETWEEN SHAKES- in order to maintain ketosis, you have to keep your blood sugar level as level as possible. and drink that extra water in between

    extras - 20 calories a day max- can include milk for your coffee ( A BIT! everything counts...) diet pop, artificial flavorings for your shakes, low cal and sodium broth, but don't over do it. Follow what ever your plan recommends.

    FLAVOUR!! shakes getting boring?? throw some flavoring in!! coconut or orange flavoring in a chocolate shake will blow your mind!!! (but remember the 20 calorie cap!)

    EXCERCISE - DONT OVER DO IT RIGHT NOW - you are already shocking your body enough- worry about muscle toning later.

    DISTRACTION - GET OFF THE COUCH or PVR through those commercials....good time to clean spring clean those cubboards...break your old habits now!!!

    chew sugarless gums (watch the calories - no more that 20 cals a day)

    NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING is a must. The program I am in offers 26 weeks of weekly classes (12 weeks of full product, 5 weeks of transition, and 9 more weeks of what they call maintenance....but we are all still losing :) this is essential!! after that we have 4-6 sessions of our choice (nutritional, behavioral, or kinesthetic) over the next 6 months.

    now we also had blood work done and ECGs every 2-3 weeks (part of our program)

    TRANSITION- I will tell you about that later - there are too many peeps on her right now that are not ready to hear about food and I don't want to add to their stress....but get used to journaling on MFP because you will need to keep track of those calories anyway.

    exercise now? - walking class, aquafit, strength training and I am a nurse so I am always tearing around. Consider a activity tracking bracelet and use apps like mapmyfitness.com or fitbit.com

    Take one day at a time - don't rely on the scale, rely on how you feel, and take measurements....

    You can do this!!!

    Deb!!!

    @sanzza - I was a non-insulin dependant diabetic and it have completely reversed with my weight loss!! My sugars and HBAIC are completely normal!!




    This helped alot! thank you! I am on day 5 and down 7 pounds. I have 4 shakes a day and 64 oz of water and am still hungry! does this ever go away?

    you're hungry? then you're doing the starvation part of it right.
  • Hey Kevin!

    we started product 3 weeks before Christmas. It was hell!!! but it DID get easier...

    My tips for newbies - (based on Optifast 900)

    WATER WATER WATER!!! The brain cannot recognise the difference between hunger and thirst!!! You are getting your nutrition from your shakes. You should be aiming for 3 litres a day and that includes the water you use for your shakes.
    use at least 16 oz to feel fuller. And you don't want to get constipated as there is not a lot of fibre in the shakes...you might want to consider psylium fibre capsules - (not a laxative!!) but please talk to your doctor.

    TIMING- NO MORE THAT 4 HOURS BETWEEN SHAKES- in order to maintain ketosis, you have to keep your blood sugar level as level as possible. and drink that extra water in between

    extras - 20 calories a day max- can include milk for your coffee ( A BIT! everything counts...) diet pop, artificial flavorings for your shakes, low cal and sodium broth, but don't over do it. Follow what ever your plan recommends.

    FLAVOUR!! shakes getting boring?? throw some flavoring in!! coconut or orange flavoring in a chocolate shake will blow your mind!!! (but remember the 20 calorie cap!)

    EXCERCISE - DONT OVER DO IT RIGHT NOW - you are already shocking your body enough- worry about muscle toning later.

    DISTRACTION - GET OFF THE COUCH or PVR through those commercials....good time to clean spring clean those cubboards...break your old habits now!!!

    chew sugarless gums (watch the calories - no more that 20 cals a day)

    NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING is a must. The program I am in offers 26 weeks of weekly classes (12 weeks of full product, 5 weeks of transition, and 9 more weeks of what they call maintenance....but we are all still losing :) this is essential!! after that we have 4-6 sessions of our choice (nutritional, behavioral, or kinesthetic) over the next 6 months.

    now we also had blood work done and ECGs every 2-3 weeks (part of our program)

    TRANSITION- I will tell you about that later - there are too many peeps on her right now that are not ready to hear about food and I don't want to add to their stress....but get used to journaling on MFP because you will need to keep track of those calories anyway.

    exercise now? - walking class, aquafit, strength training and I am a nurse so I am always tearing around. Consider a activity tracking bracelet and use apps like mapmyfitness.com or fitbit.com

    Take one day at a time - don't rely on the scale, rely on how you feel, and take measurements....

    You can do this!!!

    Deb!!!

    @sanzza - I was a non-insulin dependant diabetic and it have completely reversed with my weight loss!! My sugars and HBAIC are completely normal!!




    This helped alot! thank you! I am on day 5 and down 7 pounds. I have 4 shakes a day and 64 oz of water and am still hungry! does this ever go away?

    you're hungry? then you're doing the starvation part of it right.

    I have read all your previous post and know your opinion on this diet but I am currently 130 pounds overweight and have health issues and this diet is what my doctors recommend for me so what I am looking for is someone to help me through it not put down the diet. Its not for everyone so if you have some tips ill be happy to hear them if not I'm happy for you that you were able to do this without something so extreme but your comments about the diet that could just save my life is not needed.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Hey Kevin!

    we started product 3 weeks before Christmas. It was hell!!! but it DID get easier...

    My tips for newbies - (based on Optifast 900)

    WATER WATER WATER!!! The brain cannot recognise the difference between hunger and thirst!!! You are getting your nutrition from your shakes. You should be aiming for 3 litres a day and that includes the water you use for your shakes.
    use at least 16 oz to feel fuller. And you don't want to get constipated as there is not a lot of fibre in the shakes...you might want to consider psylium fibre capsules - (not a laxative!!) but please talk to your doctor.

    TIMING- NO MORE THAT 4 HOURS BETWEEN SHAKES- in order to maintain ketosis, you have to keep your blood sugar level as level as possible. and drink that extra water in between

    extras - 20 calories a day max- can include milk for your coffee ( A BIT! everything counts...) diet pop, artificial flavorings for your shakes, low cal and sodium broth, but don't over do it. Follow what ever your plan recommends.

    FLAVOUR!! shakes getting boring?? throw some flavoring in!! coconut or orange flavoring in a chocolate shake will blow your mind!!! (but remember the 20 calorie cap!)

    EXCERCISE - DONT OVER DO IT RIGHT NOW - you are already shocking your body enough- worry about muscle toning later.

    DISTRACTION - GET OFF THE COUCH or PVR through those commercials....good time to clean spring clean those cubboards...break your old habits now!!!

    chew sugarless gums (watch the calories - no more that 20 cals a day)

    NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING is a must. The program I am in offers 26 weeks of weekly classes (12 weeks of full product, 5 weeks of transition, and 9 more weeks of what they call maintenance....but we are all still losing :) this is essential!! after that we have 4-6 sessions of our choice (nutritional, behavioral, or kinesthetic) over the next 6 months.

    now we also had blood work done and ECGs every 2-3 weeks (part of our program)

    TRANSITION- I will tell you about that later - there are too many peeps on her right now that are not ready to hear about food and I don't want to add to their stress....but get used to journaling on MFP because you will need to keep track of those calories anyway.

    exercise now? - walking class, aquafit, strength training and I am a nurse so I am always tearing around. Consider a activity tracking bracelet and use apps like mapmyfitness.com or fitbit.com

    Take one day at a time - don't rely on the scale, rely on how you feel, and take measurements....

    You can do this!!!

    Deb!!!

    @sanzza - I was a non-insulin dependant diabetic and it have completely reversed with my weight loss!! My sugars and HBAIC are completely normal!!




    This helped alot! thank you! I am on day 5 and down 7 pounds. I have 4 shakes a day and 64 oz of water and am still hungry! does this ever go away?

    you're hungry? then you're doing the starvation part of it right.

    I have read all your previous post and know your opinion on this diet but I am currently 130 pounds overweight and have health issues and this diet is what my doctors recommend for me so what I am looking for is someone to help me through it not put down the diet. Its not for everyone so if you have some tips ill be happy to hear them if not I'm happy for you that you were able to do this without something so extreme but your comments about the diet that could just save my life is not needed.
    you didn't want tips, you wanted a quick fix. I can offer one, not the other.

    the other is a lifestyle change.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

    if it's important enough to save your life, why not do it right... instead of the OMG I HATE THIS FEELING and having to throw lots of money at shakes? I just can't wrap my head around that portion of this "diet".

    Dr's are likely getting a kickback from the sale or administration of this. It's an extreme push.
  • Hi Dl81,

    7lbs in 5 days is awesome keep up the good work. I never went through a lot of hunger but some of the folks in my group said that it was really bad for the first two weeks and then it went away completely. Your body can survive for a long time on 800 calories it's just not going to be happy about it.

    It sounds like you are drinking the water and that really helps. Sometimes if you blend the shake with some ice cubes it may feel a little bulkier and fill you more.

    Feel free to message me with any questions you may have, good luck you are on the right track.

    Obviously anyone who has a significant amount of weight to lose needs to make a total lifestyle change. Its very difficult to do that when you are carrying all of the extra weight. The Optifast program is a great headstart to get a jump on changing your lifestyle. There are no easy simple fixes to this issue but you already knew that.

    Take care,
    CK
  • Flying_Joe
    Flying_Joe Posts: 15 Member
    I started Optifast February 10, 2014. Now 2 and a half months later, I've reached the halfway point for my own personal weight loss target (70 lbs down of 140 to lose in all), which is pretty exciting...

    It's been easy at times and very hard at times. I think what I may have needed most was contact with others doing the same thing (with Optfast) to share with, so this thread is a great idea for those starting out.

    I know I had my great doubts about this approach before starting and also during the first 2-3 weeks, but I've now learned how helpful this approach has been to me. One thing that being freed up from meals has revealed to me was just what are my strongest triggers for intense cravings and inappropriate eating, and that the answer to that can be quite different for each of us - so it is important to be crystal clear on this to effect some real change when we get started on eating regular food again. The counselling component is essential before we are ready to move into maintenance.

    I could not have gotten this far without Optifast as an approach - I'm now light enough that I am finally able to start to exercise more and more each day - which is becoming easier and easier to do - building my sense of wellbeing exponentially.

    However, it is hard still to imagine another 4 or 5 months of this, but with the exercise I'm doing now, the success I've achieved so far, and especially by encouraging some others here and getting some support on the hard days through this site - I hope to make it to September and keep with this approach until then.

    Any Optifast users looking for mutual support - please do let me know by friend request... Cheers!

    51766130.png
  • danarochelle
    danarochelle Posts: 212 Member
    I'm going to start OP again. I'd love to have support and give it as well. 8-)
  • amykens
    amykens Posts: 14 Member
    I used opifast about 8 years ago. I lost about 40 pounds but that was all that I needed. My advise to you is to keep up with exercise. I was not vigilante and kept my weight of for 2 years then added the weight back on fast. There were also 4 people in my optifast group who had done optifast previously but put all their weight back on. I am not saying this happens to everyone, but I wish I would have kept up with my fitness routine. After having small children I was not vigilant, and am regretting it now. Good luck.
  • I started Optifast about 2 weeks ago! I could use some friends for motivation! Please add me!
  • Karma_888
    Karma_888 Posts: 14 Member
    Hey Kevin!

    we started product 3 weeks before Christmas. It was hell!!! but it DID get easier...

    My tips for newbies - (based on Optifast 900)

    WATER WATER WATER!!! The brain cannot recognise the difference between hunger and thirst!!! You are getting your nutrition from your shakes. You should be aiming for 3 litres a day and that includes the water you use for your shakes.
    use at least 16 oz to feel fuller. And you don't want to get constipated as there is not a lot of fibre in the shakes...you might want to consider psylium fibre capsules - (not a laxative!!) but please talk to your doctor.

    TIMING- NO MORE THAT 4 HOURS BETWEEN SHAKES- in order to maintain ketosis, you have to keep your blood sugar level as level as possible. and drink that extra water in between

    extras - 20 calories a day max- can include milk for your coffee ( A BIT! everything counts...) diet pop, artificial flavorings for your shakes, low cal and sodium broth, but don't over do it. Follow what ever your plan recommends.

    FLAVOUR!! shakes getting boring?? throw some flavoring in!! coconut or orange flavoring in a chocolate shake will blow your mind!!! (but remember the 20 calorie cap!)

    EXCERCISE - DONT OVER DO IT RIGHT NOW - you are already shocking your body enough- worry about muscle toning later.

    DISTRACTION - GET OFF THE COUCH or PVR through those commercials....good time to clean spring clean those cubboards...break your old habits now!!!

    chew sugarless gums (watch the calories - no more that 20 cals a day)

    NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING is a must. The program I am in offers 26 weeks of weekly classes (12 weeks of full product, 5 weeks of transition, and 9 more weeks of what they call maintenance....but we are all still losing :) this is essential!! after that we have 4-6 sessions of our choice (nutritional, behavioral, or kinesthetic) over the next 6 months.

    now we also had blood work done and ECGs every 2-3 weeks (part of our program)

    TRANSITION- I will tell you about that later - there are too many peeps on her right now that are not ready to hear about food and I don't want to add to their stress....but get used to journaling on MFP because you will need to keep track of those calories anyway.

    exercise now? - walking class, aquafit, strength training and I am a nurse so I am always tearing around. Consider a activity tracking bracelet and use apps like mapmyfitness.com or fitbit.com

    Take one day at a time - don't rely on the scale, rely on how you feel, and take measurements....

    You can do this!!!

    Deb!!!

    @sanzza - I was a non-insulin dependant diabetic and it have completely reversed with my weight loss!! My sugars and HBAIC are completely normal!!




    This helped alot! thank you! I am on day 5 and down 7 pounds. I have 4 shakes a day and 64 oz of water and am still hungry! does this ever go away?

    you're hungry? then you're doing the starvation part of it right.

    I have read all your previous post and know your opinion on this diet but I am currently 130 pounds overweight and have health issues and this diet is what my doctors recommend for me so what I am looking for is someone to help me through it not put down the diet. Its not for everyone so if you have some tips ill be happy to hear them if not I'm happy for you that you were able to do this without something so extreme but your comments about the diet that could just save my life is not needed.
    you didn't want tips, you wanted a quick fix. I can offer one, not the other.

    the other is a lifestyle change.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

    if it's important enough to save your life, why not do it right... instead of the OMG I HATE THIS FEELING and having to throw lots of money at shakes? I just can't wrap my head around that portion of this "diet".

    Dr's are likely getting a kickback from the sale or administration of this. It's an extreme push.

    Seeing as my post/info for the newbies is being reposted over again and added to by someone who is very "anti-product", I am going to weigh in again. (pardon the pun)

    Optifast helps you to loose weight fast. Its true, there's no doubt in my mind about it. Drs are getting kickbacks, probably. They believe in the program and feel that its an option for their patients. Hopefully those same doctors are giving the added counselling and support that help those of us who tried everything (except bariatric surgery) to do it the old fashioned way. My weight is still coming off even though I have been off shakes since February, not because I am starving myself, but because I have learned and adapted to a lifestyle change. I am exercising more now BECAUSE I CAN. I am eating better and am fuller with less. I know now that if I go back to my previous habits the weight will come back, and I am taking every step necessary to prevent that. The decision is mine to make, and my choice was very successful for me. If I

    Why someone would come into a thread clearly labeled "optifast users" and criticise people who have been struggling with their weight for ages who are trying something that you may not necessarily agree with is completely beyond me. Thank you so much Trog, for taking the time to support the bloggers who are coming to this forum for advice and support. ANd thank you for posting your opinions, which have obviously done often in this forum. I make a choice to come to this forum to offer my support to others as well, to learn from their successes and mistakes. If I don't like what is said, I (usually) ignore it. I don't agree with what everyone says, I don't have to. But I keep my negative opinions to myself. Its about respect, I guess.

    I really wish this forum had a like/dislike feature. It would save so much time when I'm scrolling through posts....I could avoid the stress and negativity of reading stuff that isn't going positively impact my weight loss journey or how I chose to achieve it.
  • Just wanted to say Hello - day 1 today - feels good to not be alone in this! :)
  • Hi Pam,

    Welcome, good luck with the program there are some really supportive people on here. Keep coming back

    CK
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
    I saw my doctor today and got my products. I am starting tomorrow. I am doing 4 products and 1 cooked meal per day. I am really nervous about being successful. Long road ahead as I have over 100 lbs to lose.
  • I just started the Optifast diet on April 27. It's day 3 and I thought it would be harder to stay away from "real food".
  • mislibra
    mislibra Posts: 1 Member
    I just started Optifast 900 on April 30th , it's day 5 and I'm almost down 12 pounds!! I'd live to befriend others who are doing it or have done it,
  • macmallrat
    macmallrat Posts: 5
    Hi Everyone,

    I started optifast 800 on Monday, so this is day 4. I am trying to "weight" (haha) to get on the scale until next Monday. I have about 75 pounds to lose. So far, I don't feel so bad and am also working out with my trainer 3x a week. I am much more hungry on the days I work out, but tons of water does help. It's great to see this group on here - I'm excited to talk with everyone else who is on this journey.
  • CuteBirdie
    CuteBirdie Posts: 1
    I'm on the Optifast 800 Program too. I just started on May 3rd. Just finishing up Day 5. I feel much better than I thought I would. I was prepared to be extremely hungry, light-headed and I haven't had any of this! I have experienced mild hunger pains, but usually by the time I start to feel hungry, it's time to sip down another shake. I'm glad I purchase all ready to drink cartons. It's so easy to grab every few hours. I'm on 4 shakes and 1 soup per day. I've lost 4.5 lbs in 4 days! I must say I was VERY ready and extremely motivated to start. The nurse at my clinic said she can always tell when someone will do well on the program by how motivated and positive they are. So stay positive! I love that I don't have to focus on food right now. That will come later. So far this has been the best weight loss program where I saw results very quickly! The only challenge I have is some fatigue which is supposed to go away after the first week. I bought a "fitbit" which I love and has been motivating me to fight through the fatigue and walk. It is a very addicting and motivating tool to use. Hey Mac - Great job! I'm impressed you are with your trainer 3x a week...Fabulous! Hang in there everyone. This is indeed a journey...One I think we will all be so happy to be on. Stay Positive!
  • GearK
    GearK Posts: 1
    Starting on Monday, 76lbs need to go :)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I'm just curious if OP of this thread has reached her goal since posting this 16 months ago.

    I with she and all of the other posters from last year would stop by and give everyone an update on their experiences with this particular approach.
  • NorthernCalGal
    NorthernCalGal Posts: 12 Member
    Checking back in with everyone -- I am on the 2nd week of transitioning to real food -- finding myself a lot hungrier now -- when I was just on Optifast products I had no problem with hunger.

    I am very happy with my weight loss so far - 49 lbs in 16 1/2 weeks :) I definitely lose more when I exercise and the key to keeping it off is exercise -- trying to get that into my head that this is a forever situation for me -- a health issue that I have to manage for the rest of my life.

    Best of luck to everyone -- hang in there for the newbies -- in my group it seems like many of us are just about at the halfway point - some who had 50 lbs to lose have lost 25 - those of us with about 100 to lose have lost 50 -- men definitely lose faster so the women should never compare themselves to them.
  • shnnnlwrnce
    shnnnlwrnce Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, I'm new here. I was just wondering if anyone who has used Optifast and completed it had any extra optifast left. I want to try this but I don't want to fully commit to buying these in case I dislike the taste. I'm in the Los Angeles area. If you have any exra please contact me.
  • **Update**

    5 months in, still on 3 shakes and 2 bars a day. Once and awhile I'll have veggies. Just a little over 100lbs lost so far. Still need about 45 more to go.

    fc0e3f30-c8e7-461f-8656-0979258bc918.jpg
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    **Update**

    5 months in, still on 3 shakes and 2 bars a day. Once and awhile I'll have veggies. Just a little over 100lbs lost so far. Still need about 45 more to go.

    fc0e3f30-c8e7-461f-8656-0979258bc918.jpg

    Thank you for the update. When you reach target do they help you learn how to eat ? I started a program like this that I begged to be in but then they didn't really want me in it b/c I was not big enough but only relented b/c I bugged so much about how much it affected my injury and may have used feminine wiles. Alas they were right. I was not very successful b/c I didn't have enough to lose and it was disheartening watching others lose so fast. So, I never got to finish but wondered how some of my "friends" in the group fared after. I remember being concerned that some of them had pretty wild eating habits prior and wondering when we would get to the part that taught healthy eating. I assumed since I quit/was phased out of the program to have my injury operated on, that it was something that happened at the end?
  • I have found Optifast a very useful tool.

    I have lost 15 kilos (around 33 pounds) on the first phase of 12 weeks with 3 meal replacements, 2-4 cups of low starch vegetables, teaspoon of oil and heaps of water. Really enjoying life in my lower body with blood pressure at bottom of range and blood glucose levels slightly above normal back in middle of normal range.

    Exercise has been a mixture of weights at the gym, interval training, walking and really bad dancing.

    I have been maintaining at this level for around a month while I focus on other things in life and now I feel really to refocus and lose some more. About 20 kilos (44 pounds) to go.

    I don't get the Optifast hating on here. There is some really cool medical research going on in this area right now relating to VLCD and health improvements on the obese. I add myself to those stats. Google under VLCD medical research and read for yourself.

    Maintenance is about sustainable long term changes. How you lose the weight does not indicate how well you will maintain. Personally I have not had trouble maintaining my weight but I found weight loss next to impossible and nothing was effective. So I researched on line and found that Optifast was successful with obese people with blood glucose issues.

    And no you can't do Optifast and then go back to over eating and expect to maintain. But it can be a very effective tool used wisely.

    (I am Australian and we do a slightly different plan with the vegetables and oil and for some larger people additional protein)
  • sjhithersay
    sjhithersay Posts: 1 Member
    Hi Guys
    I am on day 5 of Optifast and although i'm rather tired and hungry im really happy at my 1.6kg weight loss. Because I dont have as much to loose I was started in the transition phase. I was just wondering if anyone had any experiences to share about the next phase as im worried once i start eating more whole foods the weight will just flood right back on as quickly as it dropped off.
    Thanks
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Hi Guys
    I am on day 5 of Optifast and although i'm rather tired and hungry im really happy at my 1.6kg weight loss. Because I dont have as much to loose I was started in the transition phase. I was just wondering if anyone had any experiences to share about the next phase as im worried once i start eating more whole foods the weight will just flood right back on as quickly as it dropped off.
    Thanks
    if the calorie difference is just as high as the shake diet is low, then basically that's the case.

    If you only had so little to lose, why did you go with a chainsaw instead of a scalpel in the first place?
  • There is no reason why you should regain the weight unless you overeat.

    What did a normal day of food look like before? How will it be different after Optifast. To create permanent changes you need to make make permanent changes. It's as simple and difficult as that.

    Can I ask how much you have to lose?
  • I did the medically supervised Optifast diet twice in the last 6 years. The first time I lost 80lbs, then 6 months later tore my knee up, ACL, MCL and meniscus, had surgery and rehab and gained the weight back--at least that's my excuse. The second time I lost 70 lbs., and then I tore a tendon in my foot in Karate, another surgery and another 6 months rehab. Then to top everything off, I had to have 2 more unrelated surgeries laying me up for months.
    One of our group's psychologist said a monkey can lose weight on Optifast--I believe him. The hard part is the daily struggle to keep it off once you lose it. I know it can work because my wife did it with me the first time and she lost 60 lbs. and has been able to maintain a 50 lb. weight loss. She journals everything that goes in to her body, including her feelings and exercises almost every day. She religiously drinks 80 to 100 ounces of water a day. She is now a 2nd degree black belt, that took 10 years, and she teaches yoga. By the way I'm 55 years old and she is 58. However, most of the group I went through weight loss with have gained it back. Last October I had vertical sleeve surgery where they removed about 80% of my stomach, and lost 60 pounds, now I am down 49 pounds. I am slowly regaining the weight. In desperation, I am now 3 days into an Optifast diet without medical supervision; I bought it from Amazon. I work out 3 days per week at CrossFit and my goal is to get down to 180 lbs. Keep in mind, no one can out exercise a bad diet; weight loss will only work by calorie reduction. I hope I’m not bumming anyone out, but it is almost impossible to lose weight and keep it off. The best chance a person has is some type of weight loss surgery. But, don’t take my word for it; research it and you will see.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I did the medically supervised Optifast diet twice in the last 6 years. The first time I lost 80lbs, then 6 months later tore my knee up, ACL, MCL and meniscus, had surgery and rehab and gained the weight back--at least that's my excuse. The second time I lost 70 lbs., and then I tore a tendon in my foot in Karate, another surgery and another 6 months rehab. Then to top everything off, I had to have 2 more unrelated surgeries laying me up for months.
    One of our group's psychologist said a monkey can lose weight on Optifast--I believe him. The hard part is the daily struggle to keep it off once you lose it. I know it can work because my wife did it with me the first time and she lost 60 lbs. and has been able to maintain a 50 lb. weight loss. She journals everything that goes in to her body, including her feelings and exercises almost every day. She religiously drinks 80 to 100 ounces of water a day. She is now a 2nd degree black belt, that took 10 years, and she teaches yoga. By the way I'm 55 years old and she is 58. However, most of the group I went through weight loss with have gained it back. Last October I had vertical sleeve surgery where they removed about 80% of my stomach, and lost 60 pounds, now I am down 49 pounds. I am slowly regaining the weight. In desperation, I am now 3 days into an Optifast diet without medical supervision; I bought it from Amazon. I work out 3 days per week at CrossFit and my goal is to get down to 180 lbs. Keep in mind, no one can out exercise a bad diet; weight loss will only work by calorie reduction. I hope I’m not bumming anyone out, but it is almost impossible to lose weight and keep it off. The best chance a person has is some type of weight loss surgery. But, don’t take my word for it; research it and you will see.

    I can confidently say that both of these statements are patently false.
  • Wrong, based on what?
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