Medifast

Hi! My doctor is requiring 5 weeks of Medifast for weight loss before surgery. I start tomorrow-anyone have any tips for this or things that make it more palatable?!? Anything would be appreciated!! Thanks!! Tara

Tara, Hun I did not have to do this so I am not much help but I just wanted to wish you all the best with your next 5 weeks and with your surgery. ~hugs~ I don't know if I could make the 5 weeks of that stuff.... Let me ask why Dr's do this? What is the reason? and why some don't even want any diet prior..... Take care Debra P

Hi Debra! I don't know why drs differ in their requirements so much but my dr requires that you lose 10% before surgery and Medifast is how he has you do it I have gotten the suggestion to add different flavored cooking extracts to the vanilla to change the flavor so hopefully that will help Thank you for your positive thoughts and good wishes!! Tara

Tara, I read that you only have the vanilla? Can you have berries and fruit to add to it or is it ONLY the shakes with nothing added? If you can that might be a great thing, take fresh fruits and add them so you can change things up a bit.. Take care Debra P

Debra, No berries I can add cooking extract to change the flavor but according to the nurse at the drs office that is about it. I can also add it to my coffee and pretend it is a latte Thanks for the thought! Tara

Hi Tara, My last resort diet BEFORE deciding on surgery was Medifast. I actually liked it and lost weight with it, but it was not for me long term. I found the shakes very tasty, Especially the chocolate ones. Since I was diabetic I was limited in my choices and could only have vanilla, chocolate or strawberry shakes for diabetics. They also have snack bars and oatmeal. But I didn't like any of those things or the strawberry shakes. I added extra water and it was like drinking chocolate milk, or put in the blender with some ice and it's a thicker shake. Good luck and remember, it is only for a few weeks - we can all get through ANYTHING in a few weeks! Robin

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement You are right that we can do anything if only for a few weeks!! Of course my drs office was out of everything except vanilla shakes today so I will be having vanilla for the next week. Snack bars and oatmeal were not even offered as options-they said you can have black coffee, black tea, medifast or water. Nothing else!! At least I don't have to worry about choices I will definately have to get some chocolate next week. Thanks again! Tara

Tara - I happen to have about 2 boxes of the chocolate left. If you would like to email me your address, I will pop them in the mail to you - no charge, my pre-op gift to you! I have no use for them now, so you are welcome to them! (Plus it'll save you a few bucks!) I did actually use some my first week or two out of surgery. They sort of hit the spot for something cold. anyway - you can email me via OH or at my office - [email protected] and I'll send whatever I have left to you! Robin

Robin- Thank you so much You are so kind! I emailed the info to your OH address. Take Care. Tara

Tara! Not sure who your surgeon is, but there is a local group in Ellis (Schenectady) *****quires preop wt loss w/ medifast (Lirio/Clarke). The LENGTH on the diet preop has to do with the wt they want you to lose, I have known people needing 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks! They all did it. The 5 weeks will go faster than you can imagine if you try and keep your mind on the ULTIMATE GOAL! Being healthy. That has to be more important than naything else you put in your mouth (the temporary fix!). NOT easy but you can do it! I beleive in you! Now YOU can buy MANY medifast shakes/meals/bars etc. online these days! Search for Medifst diet there are many sites! Have you any Sugar Free syrups? (made from splenda?) Davinic's Torani's or artisan flavors are all great! TJ MAXX has many and online u can get tehm from places such as www.netrition.com here in NY or Davinic's has 51 Sugar Free flavors! http://www.davincigourmet.com Torani has 23 Sugar Free flavors http://www.torani.com/create/fpsugarfree.shtml ARTISAN Sugar Free Flavored Syrups http://www.artisancoffeeroasters.com/syrups/index.html Nature's Flavor's Low-Carb Syrups http://www.naturesflavors.com/default.php?cPath=39&sort=1a&&showall=1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now why do surgeons require a wt loss preop...many reasons... (*I will repost this here it is my saved response as that ? gets asked a lot!) WT LOSS BEFORE SURGERY/MOTIVATION/AVOIDING THE LAST SUPPER SYNDROME In our program we are required to loose 10% of our body wt before surgery.... Loosing weight pre-op is required by many surgeons & for many reasons... and I am so happy I did! 1.. to show motivation, 2.. ability to adhere to a plan (as we will need to for life!), if you can't be mindful and able to follow restrictions pre-op how will you do it post-op? 3.. to increase your health even a modest 5-10% wt. loss is very helpful, the National Institute of health has even researched this...(hence why weigh****chers is so focused on the 10% wt loss) 4.. decreases surgical complications (by exercise and decrease wt your heart and lungs are in better shape for surgery, anesthesia and healing!)... 5.. Also psychologically it is tough going from a super-sized big Mac meal to clear liquids for 2 weeks post-op! 6.. ***MAIN ONE FOR PROTEIN SPARING or MEDIFAST DIETING***It helps shrink the liver and this eases their surgical procedure and decreases chance of nicking it.... 7.. exercising before helps you continue after! 8..The more you lose pre-op the less you will have to lose post-op and the closer to an ideal body-wt you will attain! I lost the weight by doing the food pyramid. That's it, I was eating so bad (fast food daily, large portions, consuming every high-fat/sugar thing imaginable and NOT exercising that just cutting down and walking 2 miles a day helped! For ME, it was "no one" was going to stop me from having this operation, it was my decision and all that was asked of me was to loose 30 lbs, I figured this is a small price for such a wonderful gift I would be given and the opportunity to have a healthier happier longer life....! I was so motivated/psyched; I dropped 30 pounds in 30 days and went on to drop 15 more before surgery! (Although this took me 2 months, as it got harder and I had a few last meals, we all do but you can't let this ruin your opportunity!) Exercise was another key; I faithfully walked 2 miles everyday..it helped that my mom went with me a lot! (a buddy is so helpful!) I followed the food pyramid given to me by clinical nutritionist Dr. Boham...I also wrote everything down (Many find www.fitday.com helpful for this) that went in my MOUTH!!! Or you can get food pyramid/bullseye version at: http://www.xenical.com/hcp/1400_Am_Beye.pdf I also had to remind myself how BAD I wanted this! Everyday it was/had to be more important to me to change my bad habits and lose weight to have this surgery than to continue to slowly kill myself with food/keep myself from the only hope I had!. I also told everyone about my plans and they helped support me, my friends/family and coworkers! I really can't give you any more guidance than this, it really had to come from within, it was a mindset with me, and I wanted this BAD real bad and I knew it was my last resort/chance! I felt invigorated and motivated by the end results...the long-term had to outweigh the short-term gratification of eating bad choices or overeating! It was a learning opportunity for me to change my habits and practice chewing well, not drinking with meals and eating smaller portions, giving up sugar/caffeine/carbonation/alcohol (if any of those are your issues, carbonation/caffeine/alcohol weren't issues for me)! So a few weeks/months of healthy habits to lose pre-op wt is not a lot if you frame it right! IT IS NOT FOREVER and it is about starting this journey! Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# pre-op or 15%) Plastics 6/9/04 Dr. King