Surgery 3 Weeks Away: Optifast Day 1

Hi Everyone!

My surgery is scheduled 3 weeks from today. I have to be on Optifast for 3 weeks, today being Day 1. I managed to get them down, but they are NOT good lol. Any tips on getting them down easier?

Thanks!!!

Check out the "Surviving Optifast" thread on the Ontario Recipes forum - the link to the forum is in my signature.

I found my mouth was very dry......i chewed gum. I didn't hate Opti, was on for 2 weeks. Other ppl have suggestions to flavor things up but I actually did 1/2 choc and 1/2 vanilla so it wasn't too overwhelmingly one flavor or the other.

Cold, cold, cold.....I made sure the water was ice cold and then I added the shake with crushed ice and blended it.  It was almost like a Wendy's frosty.  

Good Luck 

Yeah like the last poster said nice 'n cold and use a special glass like a large wine goblet.  Make it an "event".  All part of the mind over matter that we need to be aware of on this journey.  You'll be fine it's all worth it.

Hi Tracy,  I was also on optifast for 3 weeks.  I added things and didn't mind it at all.  Some of my favorites for chocolate were, decaf coffee, raspberry crystal light, caramel flavour drops.  For vanilla I added tangerine crystal light, and english toffee flavour drops. I whipped them up with water and ice in my magic bullet.  They tasted good to me.  The three weeks will go by quickly. I x'd the days off on a calendar.   

Thanks so much everyone for the great tips! I'm going to check out the "surviving optifast" and the flavor shots.....and add crushed ice today. So worth it!! Appreciate the tips!!

For me, I found gratitude to be a key ingredient in getting shakes down and in completely changing the type and amount of food/liquid I gave my body. I tried to immerse myself in being thankful for this opportunity ahead for me . Heck you can even offer thanks to those gritty drinks for nourishing your body and preparing it for life saving surgery :-)  It's fuel, that's it -I went into shock in many ways that my decades long patterns had to change and this was the time I finally and seriously had to start challenging my deeply rooted feelings of finding comfort in food - it was my friend, my lover, my secret place to hide. Sometimes it felt like food was the only thing I could count on. It is a serious and sad dysfunctional relationship. I was feeling very deprived without my copious amounts of food and had to look at this addiction head on. It's not easy, but surgery is a choice and being grateful for the tools to prepare me for surgery helped me a lot. There are lots of great shake suggestions on this site. All the best to you and thanks to all for keeping the great ideas flowing on here. :-)

Hi Tracey,

Other than really cold water/ice, flavorings etc.  Try a glass with a lid and straw.  Some like it thicker/thinner.  I did 12 oz of cold water (when I finish one shake, I'd rinse my shaker cup, fill it with 12 oz of water and put it in the fridge until the next one).  Also, set yourself a schedule for your shakes.  I would have mine at 6, 10, 2 and 6.  Then a snack of SF jello in the evening.

All centres allow extras, but the extras depend on the centre.  Some get veggies, I got broth and sf jello, and sf popsicles/freezies (they are starting to come out again for summer).

All else fails, keep your eyes on the prize.  It's only 3 weeks, it'll be over before you know it.  Just don't be surprised at the optitrots/clog.

Cathy

CONGRATS TO YOU. I WAS JUST WONDERING I SEE DR. GLAZIER ON MAY 26, 15. AFTER YOU SEE HIM DOES IT GO PRETTY QUICK? IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD AND I KNOW IT'S WORHT IT, BUT JUST LOOKING FOR SOME GUIDENCE. THX AND GOOD LUCK