Optifast

Hi everyone,   I am new to the boards and will be starting the Optifast program on 4/19.  I have tried ever diet known to mankind and am sick and tired of feeling fat and unhealthy.  This is my last shot at losing the weight as the WLS is not an option for me.  Not becasue I do not meet the qualifications but because I 100% do, it is just that I am way to afraid of choosing to have an elective surgery and way to afraid I coudln't handle the after affects of it either. I want this to work more then anything ,but  I am so afraid that I will not be able to do it.  I do not want to fail again.  I have never been successful at losing more then 40lbs in my whole life  A friend of mine is going to be doing this with me as well so we will be able to look to one another for support. I just wondered if anyone out there has tried this and what your thoughts and weight loss was on it as well.  Any type of feedback on this would be much appreciated  I am trying to pysch myself up for this, as I am going on the full meal replacement for 14 weeks.  The Dr. calls it the "vacation from food phase"....I call it pure hell.....LOL!  I am an instant gratification kind of person and choose this option because in order to stay motivated I need to see big results and fast. Thanks in advance for any info you can all offer me.  Oh by the way my name is Mary Lou

Hi Mary Lou, Congratulations and lots of luck and success on your journey to good health!   I can really understand where you're coming from when you say your sick of feeling unhealthy and overweight because I feel the same way.  It certianly does feel like a prison sentence, one within ourselves,.  Weight loss surgery isn't an option for me either.  So, I can completely relate with you. After hearing so many inspiring long-term success stories, throughout my life, I believe that the manner in which we seek to lose the weight doesn't seem to be what really counts, since people have have lost weight and kept it off in so many different ways.  If yout think about it, it seems that the common thread among success stories is that these people all come up with some initial plan of how they're going to lose weight (whether it be through diet, exercise, surgery, or a combination) and then they somehow keep their mind right, so that they don't sabotage their efforts, even when they slip up.  They just move forward and onward, always keeping their mind in check.   For anyone who's had long-term success who is reading this, what do think? True, not true...? Give us some insight, if you can on how to do that. Thanks,  Sabrina

Never tried the Optifast; just wanted to tell you Hi, and welcome to our board. Angie

Thanks for the feedback and for welcoming me to the boards.  I am scared but hopeful that I can do this.

Never tried Optifast either but I was taught about it, and girl, it's rough.  You've got a bigger set of balls than I do because I couldn't even try it.  Best of luck to you and your girlfriend. And welcome to our board!   

Actually I think you have the bigger balls because I would be to much a chicken to do the surgery route like you.  Good luck with it.  I hope it goes well for you.   All my firends who have had GBS look amazing and are doing great. 

Welcome to the board! Please don't get discouraged because you are worth it. Being impatient and needing a good swift kick to start my journey to being of a reasonable weight, I am currently on an Opti-fast type of diet.....a Protein Modified Sparing Fast...mine is actually a little more drastic (500-800 calories--more like 500) and am under Doctor's care.  I started eating/drinking the product on March 15th and at my last weigh in last Thursday I was already at 15 lbs lost.  That was just three weeks (even with PMSing and water retention) ...but please mind that I am also exercising for 30 minutes each and every day (no excuses...no matter how bad I feel)....usually on a treadmill at 2.5 to 3.0 miles per hour My program is actually 8 weeks of total "fast" and at week 9 I start refeeding slowly (with education on how to continue to eat properly) by week 13 I will be totally on my own food wise.....but I will continue to see my doctor bi-weekly and monthly for atleast the next six months. At first you will be hungry and the first few days are rough, but once you get into true Ketosis state that will go away and you do feel more energetic as your body begins to burn fat and not lose any more water weight (usually the first 10 pounds is water weight) I go for my fourth weigh in tomorrow and I'll keep you posted for sure.......you go girl!

Ps.  Doctor says average weight loss for my program for women is 35 lbs....50 for men.....imagine what the possibilities are considering you are on a longer program!!!!! Good jumpstart!!!

Congratulations on your success with your program thus far. Like I said I am scared as hell but more afraid of what will happen to me if I do not get my eating undercontrol.  I just so hope it works for me.  I guess the proof will be in the pudding as they say.  Thanks for your feedback

Hi Mary Lou,      Back in 2003, I did the HMR medically-supervised program which is similar: 5 or more shakes a day, a large amount of water, and at least 2,000 calories of cardio exercise each week.  I dropped 42# even though I was only really compliant for the middle half (first quarter I wasn't exercising much, last quarter I started cheating food-wise).  So yes, you can drop weight quickly on these programs if you honestly follow exactly what they tell you to do.  And you have us to support you through those rough moments!  :-)