Need some ideas Pleaseeee!!

Hi everyone! I'm so excited 'cause I've got the call I was waiting for!! I'm for surgery on May 31st at St. Joseph Hospital in Hamilton. I started the Optifast diet 2 days ago (since the Dr. recommended me to have it for 3 weeks!) It's been only 2 days and I'm hating it already ! I was told to mix it with Crystal Light to change the flavor a litlle bit, which has helped. But I guess my question is: what else can I do to change it?? can I use fresh fruit (like bananas or any kind of berries), What other kind of liquids/food can I have? Thanks a lot for your help; and support!
Ps. Optifast: chocolate

First, congrats on getting your date!  It will be here in no time.

Second, are you using milk or water to make your OF?  I find the water makes it taste horrible, but 1% milk and crushed ice was like a milk shake.  Crushed ice is better, IMO.  If you don't have a blender with a crush setting, I'd advise getting one.  I'm nearly a year out and I still use it to pulverize the frozen strawberries I add to my protein powder.

I didn't use any CL in my OF.  What I did use was a flavouring called LorAnn Oils.  They are available at Bulk Barn and sold right on the checkout counter.  They are very small bottles because they are very, VERY strong in flavour.  Just a small dribble will do.  They come in a variety of flavours, but for the chocolate OF, my favourite was Banana Cream.  Some use the extracts available in the grocery store. 

If you like Timmy's Iced Capps, then make some decaf coffee (or buy a small one), and put it in the fridge.  Once cold, add some to your chocolate OF (with the milk), add some crushed ice (or just cubes) and voila!  Iced Capp!

Personally, I didn't mind the OF at all.

As for fruit, the answer is definite NO.  Too much sugar, albeit natural.  I thought I'd try this once and was really reemed out for it.

Good luck!!

A lot of people have added thosesugar free flavour shots I think - like vanilla extract, etc., just can't have sugar alcohols. Almond extract...."essences"

I think coffee (decaf) maybe?

I would look around for splenda based (or stevia based) flavoring for coffee or milk.

You can try blending it with ice cold water and icecubes and add some instant coffee (decaf) . I don't think you can have any berries, way too high in carbs. You could try some flavourings like peppermint extract.

You CANNOT have fruit. That's too many carbs, too many calories.

You need to mix the optifast with water, or a no calorie beverage, like decaf coffee.

This all should have been told to you by your WLS centre.

Some centres allow you to have a few cups of veggies, like lettuce and cucumber, sugar free jello, and that's all.

you really need to call your WLS centre and clarify what you're allowed to have. It is of great concern to me that you think you can mix fruit in with optifast.

I second that notion. NO FRUIT OR MILK with your optifast. I did 3 weeks also, yes it sucked but according to my surgeon it made my surgery much safer and easier. Please listen to you WLS centres instructions.

All the best on your journey

I mix my chocolate with decaf cold coffee and a half cap of mint/pepermint extrat, yum tastes like after eight chocolate. And someonelse recomended rasp crsytal lite, I put half teaspoon in and to me it taste like cheesecake.
Can't have fruit or milk in it.

You are only permitted to add water to your optifast.  Don't use milk, no fruit.  The whole purpose of Optifast is to limit your caloric intake to about 900 per day.  If you start adding things to your optifast, you are going to defeat the whole purpose.  You can add sugar free syrup, decaf coffee, crystal light, extracts, ice.  I used to add chocolate extract and/or decaf coffee crystals to the chocolate shakes because I found the crystal light made them too sweet.  You should have recieved a book of instructions from Hamilton at your surgical class that tells you exactly what you can and can't have during this stage.  At St. Joe's you aren't allowed anything solid for the full duration of the optifast and no drinks that contain any calories.  Read your bible. :)  It lays it all out for you.  Best of luck :)

I had surgery at St Joes and I know that they are very clear on what you can have on opti fast. You can only mix it with water, no fruit allowed and no foods are allowed. The do allow broths low in fat sugar free popsicles and sugar free jello. If you are not sure on what you are allowed you should always check with the clinic.  I am surprised if they did not not tell you what you were allowed. 3 weeks is not that bad I did it and it is the beginning of a life change. Sometimes when I look back I think that the opti fast was the easy part.

H I there! I'd like to thank you all for  your tips and advice! They are very helpful.
Yes, I was told what to eat and what not to, but I thought that we were
Allow to some extras. So far I have had my Optifast only with water and lots of ice; but I
Was getting tired of it! Now I know it can be mixed with decaf and Crystal light. Once again THANKS!