New to Optifast.. and already discouraged..

erubs87
erubs87 Posts: 3
in Motivation and Support
I started Optifast two days ago and psychologically am having a rough time. I was so ready to start the program but all I think about is food! Did anyone else feel this way? My boyfriend is trying to be supportive at home but he has to eat when I'm there due to our schedules. I have yet to go to a class with the program but still feel really isolated and alone (hence why I am turning to here!).. making me tempted to just throw in the towel.. already..


Anyone have any advice?

Replies

  • mkallie
    mkallie Posts: 110 Member
    I don't have any experience with Optifast, but I did just cut down to 1200 calories per day and it has been ok. In my experience the first few days are the hardest, and then you kind of fall into a routine. The first few days were a battle and now I actually feel crappy if I try and eat too much.

    One thing about my diet though is that I am keeping sugars and processed food way down and going up a little bit on fat. At low calorie levels, I have found that having enough healthy fat in my diet is really critical to feeling full/calm/happy.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    I had to google optifast. I had no idea what you were talking about.

    It seems so drastic.

    I am sorry you feel that you have to do something so extreme to get the results you want. Powdered meal replacement is something I could never do. Too much restriction...

    I'd rather count calories.
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    Well you are a stronger person than I am. I would miss the smell of food cooking too much. There are better ways to go about this. This site is a wealth of information and recipes. I hope you find a better option.

    Lisa.
  • Polishprinsezz
    Polishprinsezz Posts: 249 Member
    how about a healthy diet and exercise instead? do you plan to live on optifast the rest of your life? does optifast teach you how to eat real food and maintain a healthyweight for the rest of your life? dont fall for the weighhtloss gimmick. those companies prey on the desperate. they teach you nothing. you will have much better luck with all the wealth of info from this forum. best of luck.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    My doctor put me on a VLCD about 850 for a week. It wasn't liquid but mushy foods like soup and oatmeal. The only thing that kept me going was that it was only for a week. I am sure you can find people on optifast, but I don't know where.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    You are discouraged because you are missing out on FIBER and FAT -- both are important to the body and both help with huger.
  • ktmortimxr
    ktmortimxr Posts: 1
    Last year I did the slim fast diet where you replace meals with shakes. It was awful. I was so unmotivated, depressed and hungry all the time. Yeah you loose weight really quickly (I lost like 6 pounds in a week) but your body is becoming used to eating so few calories and as soon as you start eating normally again the weight will go straight back on. It's so not worth doing this because you just end up feeling really really bad about yourself. I'm now starting my dieting again (after my body finally getting back to normal eating habits) and I'm just doing a normal healthy diet with excersise and honestly it's only been 5 days but I'm happy and motivated to do this, unlike last time. It takes longer to loose weight but you'll benefit in the long run. Hope this helps (:
  • mexicook
    mexicook Posts: 8 Member
    Optifast is only sold in Canada via a health program (not sure about other countries). I'm starting next week. I had to be fully checked by doctor before enrolling and we have weekly visits with a GP, they monitor us very close, while also giving us three hour group sessions every week on how to break unhealthy habits, how to eat clean, how to manage a healthy lifestyle, and how to be more active. All sessions are mandatory. The program I'm on aims to break the psychological need to eat for pleasure. It's a year long and consists of preparation stage where they adjust us to a 1200 calorie a day meal, then to optifast for 3 months. We then transition back to food slowly over the next six months, while continuing with group sessions.
  • mexicook
    mexicook Posts: 8 Member
    I'm starting next week, feel free to add me as friend. I've found that support from other optifast users very helpful. There are quite a few optifast users on here, and the ones I've added so far have been very positive! Good luck with it!
  • frameloss
    frameloss Posts: 92 Member
    I did optimist in high school, but was regulated by a doctor due to my age. I was also required to do it with milk instead of water, again due to my age! It wAs tthe best thing I could have done! When I finished the 3-4 month programwas lost around 50 lbs and ended up weighing 138. I am now 140. Ever sieve that freshman year in high school, I have never been over 154 and have been as low as 129.(only exception was when I was prego!).

    What is nice about optimist is you don't have to thi k about what to eat and what not to eat! It is not a permeant solution, but helps get you started and motivated because you see results quickly! As you get ready to reintroduce food, do it slowly

    I still remember having the shakes for breakfast and lunch, and them 3 oz of chicken with mustard for dinner,

    Good luck!
  • sauron94
    sauron94 Posts: 9
    ^^^ optimist??? She's on Optifast, not optimist.
  • MoochieRama
    MoochieRama Posts: 71 Member
    I'm on a medical shake diet too. You can do it, just put 1/4 cup fruit + vanilla or almond flavoring in your drink. I had 5 fruits/veggies a day & do kettleWorx every other day. I dropped 11 & 5 inches 1st mo. I have to do mine for 12 weeks per my doc. Add me as a friend ok?
  • Murph1908
    Murph1908 Posts: 125 Member
    You don't need Optifast. Just follow the MFP program and monitor your calories in and out. I lost my weight, and didn't give up any kind of food.

    And like someone said, it's not a permanent solution. What happens if it does work for you, and you get off of it. Likely you'll be back to your old habits. Once I hit my goal, I stay on the same plan, just with more calories to eat.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    I don't know much about Optifast, so I'm not sure if you're on it specifically because of a doctor's recommendation or what. If it's something you really HAVE to do, then I wish you the best and I hope you find others who can relate to you.

    However, if it's by choice just because you want to lose weight fast or something, then I suggest what others have already said: forget the drastic diet, just eat healthier and exercise. Use MFP. You won't lose weight as fast but you will lose and it will STAY off - which is something that can't be said for crash diets. There's no need to torture yourself and do something that you're not going to be able to stick with. Learning how to eat properly and keep yourself fit through exercise (even if it's just walking) will improve not just your weight but your total health as well. If that's an option for you, I really feel that's the way to go.

    Best of luck either way.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    You probably won't find a lot of support here for Optifast, as VLCD's are not particularly popular except under doctor orders/drastic circumstances for precisely some of the same reasons you list in your OP. You could give it a try, but there are other ways you can lose the weight while eating real food and without going hungry, and for many people those ways are more sustainable in the long run. The trick is to find what works for you and that you can stick with for the next year or so.
  • BramageOMG
    BramageOMG Posts: 319 Member
    I just stole this from someone above because its all you need to read.....

    how about a healthy diet and exercise instead? do you plan to live on optifast the rest of your life? does optifast teach you how to eat real food and maintain a healthyweight for the rest of your life? dont fall for the weighhtloss gimmick. those companies prey on the desperate. they teach you nothing. you will have much better luck with all the wealth of info from this forum. best of luck.



    I see she posted on another thread that the General forum was too negative. Funny, the people here all have tickers with significant weight loss.. :) I hope she gains 12 lbs HA!
  • Fsunami
    Fsunami Posts: 241 Member
    Hi

    FR sent, see PM

    Fsunami
  • Jayma375
    Jayma375 Posts: 60 Member
    I did Optifast a long, long time ago - back when Oprah did it and lost 75 pounds. I did great on the program and was on it and didn't eat anything solid or besides the Optifast, water or other no cal liquids for 3 months. I even took a trip to Europe while on it and did fine. It took a few days to get into ketosis when I wasn't hungry but once that occurred I was fine. The problem started when I went off the liquid diet and began to eat regular food again. I gained the 70 pounds back within the year and then continued to gain more.

    It can work great if you can then go back to eating real food without gaining..... Even though they taught us all about proper diet etc. and I knew what to do to be successful, I couldn't keep it off.

    I also had WLS 13 years ago and lost 175 pounds and gained a portion of that back too. This time I'm trying the slow and steady method on MFP.
  • ImmortalFire
    ImmortalFire Posts: 31 Member
    I personally haven't. but my mom did it at the end of last year and lost 100 pounds, and she hasn't gained the weight back. I'm guessing you have around 8 weeks of the first phase to go almost maybe (i can't quite remember the phase lengths)? From memory, my mom found the first week difficult but really got into it after the first 2 weeks, so I can definitely sympathise with you and the struggle that it is. But you only have approx 8 weeks of the first phase.
    Keep going because it will get better and you will have results :)
  • julski13
    julski13 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm in week 10 of Optifast. Keep going! The first week was the hardest, after that you get your energy back and the stomach gets used to less food. It is terrific for those of us that hate the constant decisions. My Weight Mgmt clinic requires weekly visits with the doctor, behaviorist, etc and after week 12 I will also start seeing the nutritionist and transition to real food for dinner, keeping the liquids up until I get to goal. After 30 years of yo-yo dieting I feel this is making a permanent change - I will NEVER be able to eat the way I used to. Taking a break from food and food decisions has been very helpful for me. Ours is a year-long program with lots of accountability. Best thing I've ever done for myself. Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

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