Have you considered having surgery in Mexico? Out-of-pocket costs there tend to be quite a bit lower than they are in the states. There are plenty of people on this boards who've taken that option because they could not afford to have surgery in the US.

Hi, I have been on jenny craig for 12 weeks and lost 14.8kg. I've now also started optifast and in my first week I lost 1.2kg. I found it hard not to cheat here and there, no solid meals but a bite of something on and off. Now in my second week and it's much easier already. I've realized I wasnt hungry at all but the minute I smelt something yummy I felt I needed some. It's all mind over matter I think. Training yourself to realize that you dont need that food ..... how did you land up doing on the liquid diet?

Weighing, measuring, and logging your food can help a lot. Try something like MyFitnessPal, it's free and a lot of people use it. Keep yourself to a calorie goal; seeing it written down is really good for accountability.

Chunky423,

I just now saw this post so I hope I'm not too late. Two years ago I entered myself into a Medically Managed Program that allows for three meals per day and snacks as needed. I weighed in at 444 pounds and ballooned to 452 within two weeks. Since then I have dropped steadily to 342 this past week. YOU CAN DO THIS. It won't be easy, but take the route of the tortoise, the rewards will be substantial.

I did Optifast for 12 weeks and did not eat a bite of solid food in all of that time. It was excruciating, and I would not recommend it to anyone. I lost 50lbs but managed to gain it back and then some. Over the years it was one of many attempts at weight loss. On the liquid diet I was always hungry, not just hungry but a deep gnawing hunger that never went away. I drank tons of water and tea but always felt hungry. My blood pressure dropped and I couldn't stand up quickly or I would pass out. After exercise I would almost pass out in the shower, everything would go black and I would have to lean up against the wall to prevent falling down. I still cannot stand shakes to this day and that was in the mid 1980's.

It is not a fix for a lifetime of bad eating habits. As we all know dieting doesn't work. You need to make life long changes and eat healthier. Most of us that have had WLS eat high protein and low carb. I know that I was desperate when I did Optifast, and it did work for awhile, but it wasn't a permanent fix. If you truly want to lose weight and maintain it I would recommend WLS, if your insurance covers it.

Good luck to you!