The start of the liquid diet...

Hi Gang,
Doris and I will be starting our liquid diets 4 days apart from eachother. I start mine on February 10th for 4 weeks and Doris starts hers on the 14th for 2 weeks. The recommended and enforced protein to take during the weeks of liquids is OptiFast. Here's where I decided to draw the line. I know that OptiFast is a medically proven shake that helps lost weight but why is this the only thing we can take? Anyways to make a long story short, I wasn't able to hitch a ride to Montreal to go and pick up the OptiFast so I opted to find the closest powder on market that would do the same thing and I landed on this at the health store in Aylmer.


I know I should go with the proven product and what not but when I think about it, some surgeons don't require you to do a liquid diet before hand anyways so how can this hurt? I'm anxious to start. I've got a little over 48 hours before my "last meal". 

What are your thoughts? Am I wrong for doing this? I know it will work.

My goal is to lose 30 pounds while on liquids. Lets get 'er done! 

Derek  

Hello my friend....
I had bought all my optifast prior to surgery and to make a long story short, surgery was delayed for over a year. When I finally was able to start I couldn't stomach the product. I tried for three days and then starting vomiting. So I called the surgeon's office and went looking online and was able to stomach Unjury protein. They was no problem with the type of protein powder as long as it gave you the same nutrients as the optifast. I do think that there is a marketing ploy with optifast and the surgeon's offices so I wouldn't sweat it. The goal of this diet is to shrink your liver in order for the surgeon to be able to lift it more easily when doing this procedure lapraoscoply. So losing fat and liver fat is the main objective. I was even allowed to drink tomatoe juice and eat lettuce and cukes while on my liquid diet. So just follow the plan and lose the weight! I would call the surgeon's office though and mention it to them. I don't know how strict they are with compliance. I wouldn't want you to do all of this and find out they won't operate on you for not having to comply to the protocol.
Bren

I don't think there will be any problem if you take that instead of optifast, but I wouldn't tell the surgeon or Martine that you didn't take optifast, when I was on optifast, I didn't tolerate it at first and called Martine,asking if I should change for slim fast, and she said no, they can cancel my surgery if I don't take optifast... So go ahead, take the product you have, I think it will do the same thing, but just tell them you took optifast...just in case!

Hi Derek -
 
I was wondering about the Optifast too - and since I work in Ottawa/live in Gatineau, I wondered if I could purchase my supply from the Ottawa Hospital instead of driving to Montreal.  Also, I'm curious about the length of time for Optifast...I think I recall that Dr. Atlas was saying I would have to do optifast for 6 weeks, which seems crazy long!  Has anyone had to do Optifast for this long?  I know it depends on your BMI and mine is around  57.

Elena

PS - Derek you'll have to change your surgery year to 2011 in your signature.  :)

I know someone who did 6 weeks of optifast. I think it is 2 weeks for bmi less han 50, 4 weeks for 50-55, and 6 for over 55.

 Hey Derek,

I think it all comes down to the amount of protein, carbs and fat in each of them. Try to find the nutritional info for OptiFast online and see if it's comparable to the product that you wanna buy, because in the end of the day, that's all that matters. But I would follow salem4444's advice and tell them you had OptiFast, just in case... 

Hope you can stomach it! (Okay, okay, bad joke!)

Ana

Oh Derek they could cancel your surgery..  Because optfast is by perscription only you could get busted.  They will know if you take it. You wouldn't want to get to the OR and then be told it is cancelled. I don't think it is worth it. Opti-fast is made by Nestles company.  Even when I got mine at the hospital because I am a patient there for many years and they are doing my follow up I had to have the perscription in hand before I could get it.     Doris  QC. 

I think you can always say that you got your optifast from another patient who didn't need it, to explain why you didn't buy i at the clinic...if they ask...

And that's what I plan on doing Diane! 

I appreciate all your support and concerns everyone. Never has Dr. Garneau said anything about cancelling surgery if I didn't take OptiFast. I know it is the liquid protein powder of choice and all, but how will they be able to narrow down that I didn't use OptiFast with 30+ pounds of weight loss with another product? I'm ready to take my chances.

Hey Derek,  I know that dr.Atlas said that the only way he would operate on me was if I took Optifast and he would cancel my surgery if I didn't take it....   Wouldn't want that to happen to you OR me so i'm not taking any chances, I'll go get it any way I can....  

Take care

Anne