Really struggling with sticking to the Optifast

Hi Ovalspice:

Welcome and thanks for joining us! 

First, congratulations on giving  up smoking, l know how hard that is!

Second, I understand I was on optifast for 6 weeks and even though some days the cravings get tempting,

you have to keep your eye on the prize. If you tell yourself it's going to be the worst 4 weeks of your life, you

just might convinence yourself that, if you tell yourself, it's going to be okay and your going to use this time

to prepare your body and mind for the surgery, your going to rock this! Sometimes I found looking at pictures of 

me helped, or making a list of goals for myself, reading comments from people here and knowing my options

of losing weight was limited, and I needed to do this for me!  

You can do it too, if this is what you really want, you have already quit smoking and gotten the first week of optifast

in so YES! You can do hard things, you have already proven that!  I wish you all the best 

Wow. I should've known to come here and ask for encouragement.......you guys are awesome. Thank you. You gave me the right amount of compassion and "I get it" mixed in with some "get over yourself and suck it up". I feel about 1000x better than I did a few hours ago. This weekend is a bit of a scratch, but there is absolutely NOTHING stopping tomorrow from going well except for me!!! And I was reminded of a concept that I read in a blog on Sparkpeople recently - if I get pulled over for speeding and get a ticket, do I use that as a good reason to continue speeding and getting tickets? Nooooooooo. So why do I tell myself that I might as well ruin the rest of the day if I've given into temptation already????

I will be implementing many of your suggestions everybody. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my post. I will most definitely pay it forward many times over in the next several months.

Cheers!

IM ON DAY 4, AND I HAVE BEEN CRAVING EVERYTHING BUT OPTIFAST.  i GOT ALL CHOCOLATE AND FIND IT QUITE GOOD MIXED WITH ICE.  I BLEND IT TILL IT IS LIKE A MOOSE FROTHY AND FOAMY.  I DRINK LOTS OF WATER FLAVOURED WITH CRYSTAL LIGHT AND EAT MY LETTUCE.  I NEEDED SOMETHING WARM, SO I TOOK A PKG OF FROZEN BROCCOLI AND MIXED IT WITH A CONTAINER OF CHICKEN BROTH AND PUT IT ALL IN THE BLENDER WITH SALT AND PEPPER, I WHIPPED IT UP IN THE BLENDER TILL IT WAS PUREED, NOW I TAKE A CUP AT A TIME AND HEAT IT IN THE MICROWAVE.  I DON'T KNOW IF IM EATING MORE THAN A CUP OF BROCCOLI BUT IT SURE HELPS TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE IM NOT JUST HAVING COLD DRINKS.  MY SURGERY IS WITH DR STARR ON MARCH 14 IM STARTING TO GET EXCITED NOW  I HAVE 3 WEEKS OF OPTIFAST. PRIOR TO SURGERY

 TAKE TOMORROW AS DAY 1  AND START AGAIN, KEEP LOOKING AT EACH DAY AS ONE LESS, AND CONCENTRATE ON THE GOAL  THE DAYS WILL PASS WHETHER YOU STICK TO THE DIET OR NOT BUT IF YOU STICK TO IT YOU WILL BE IN BETTER SHAPE AND YOUR LIVER WILL BE HEALTHIER AND EASIER FOR THEM TO WORK AROUND. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW WAY OF LIFE FOR YOU FULL OF HOPE AND FUN, A HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER LIFE STYLE.  YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO THINGS YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO AGAIN AND YOU WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF, THIS WILL PROJECT ON THOSE AROUND YOU.  YOU WILL FIND YOU HAVE MORE FUN WALKING BECAUSE YOU CAN ENJOY THE VIEWS AND COMPANY, NOT HURTING OR LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SIT DOWN.  WISHING TO DO THINGS WILL BECOME A REALITY.  WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO AS WE WATCH OUR BODIES CHANGE, OUR LIVES WILL CHANGE. 

THE GOAL  OF SURGERY IS ALMOST HERE, GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT AND DON'T PUT YOURSELF DOWN JUST DO YOUR BEST.  IF YOU ARE LIKE ME YOU BEAT YOURSELF UP FOR EVERYTHING AND NOW ITS TIME TO STOP DOING THAT AND BE DETERMINED.  BE GOOD TO YOURSELF AND REMIND YOURSELF OF HOW WELL YOU DID TODAY, NOT HOW YOU FAILED. 

 Thank you so much for responding. I decided to private message you b/c we're on similar timelines in terms of surgery and have the same surgeon lol. Isn't Dr. Starr a hoot? He's so tiny I could exhale wrong and knock him over hehe. Tracey, one of his assistants, tells me that he drinks 2 vanilla Optifast every freakin' day. He's insane!!

I had gastric banding surgery back in 2008 and though I was initially successful ( lost 65 pounds in 6 months), that was mostly due to the fact that I was vomitting after every meal. I never was able to find the right amount of "fill" in my band - I was either too tight and couldn't keep food down or I was too loose and could eat whatever I wanted. Not being successful with the band has made me feel even more shame than I was already feeling just being fat lol. I"m so scared that I'm going to fail at the bypass too. BUT, and there is a but, I must remind myself of that - I have worked really hard to demonstrate to myself and to those close to me and to the clinic that I really am ready for this surgery and to make it a success. I see it as my last chance. It's do or die time. I have very specific reason for doing it.

But wow is it easy to get off track. I HATE the optifast lol. God, do you know what I did tonight? I ordered a pizza. That's how far I fell off the "program". But, what's left of it is now in the garbage. And tomorrow is a new day.

Thanks again for writing. I'd love to stay in touch and be a support to eachother if you're interested. My name is Andrea.

Have a great night!

Got up this am, have been on optifast 4 days today is my 5th and i gained .4, how can u gain on optifast ????  well ill just keep plugging along.  I like Dr Starr, but keep feeling I'm missing out on information.  my visits are so fast and they rush through, I keep feeling I can't remember everything they say.  When u got your list for optifast, did they say you could have SF jello?    I go for pre-op tomorrow, someone said they will give you all the info you need to know following surgery at that time I hope so.  Have you heard anything about driving after, or lifting restrictions.  I am a community nurse and have to lift people and legs to do wound care etc, so this is a concern with bending and lifting.  I have 4 weeks holiday and sick leave saved up but then on my own, so hopefully i can get back to work without too much disruption.  Do you work?  Keep in touch and take one day at a time, I just look to March 14 and don't think about the days in between  Well im heading out to my first client, Had my optifast, hoping I dont have to hit the bathroom before I leave, that stuff runs right through me.  Happy thoughts  Jean

 

Hi Ladies!  I had Dr Starr for my surgery on Feb 4th and I have to say that he is AMAZING!!!  I can't wait to see him tomorrow and thank him for helping me take my life back!  Yes he is pretty quick in his appointments with you but I went in armed with my list of questions and he gave me all the time in the world to make sure he answered every single one of them.  They don't give you much post op information until you are out of surgery.  If you get Jennifer or Guylanne as your nurses, you will be all set.  They were absolutely amazing and made sure I was comfortable with everything before I went home.  I'm still learning as I go but if you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Kim

Jean,

I don't know if this is common, but I gained too - 2 whole pounds!  I don't know if my scales are wonky.  They read me 7lbs heavier without clothes than the TGH scales did in clothes and shoes.  The scales today went from 284.4 to 282.0 to 283.4 to 284.0 and have setlled there, 1.3lbs more than before.

Yesterday, they read 285.  I haven't cheated, not one iota either.  Now, I'm going back down again.  I think either the scales are not working properly (maybe need new batteries), or it was because I was constipated the last 3 days.  Wait a day or two and you might start losing the weight you 'gained'.  I was getting really concerned too, until I put two and two together (sorry, bad pun).  Anyway, I hope that's all it is!

Jenn.  :)

Hi Jean...

I was going through the posts and looking for those with surgery dates so I can update the list. I think I got all of the information but if there is anything that needs to be updated please post in the thread or feel free to PM me.

Shell

(1) Yes, Dr. Starr is my personal hero. He changed my life forever and I will never forget him. Do you know how much volunteer and charitable work he does? He's also very involved in his kids' lives - I think he's just the greatest guy. Unlike my friends' WLS surgeons, he showed three times post-op in the hospital to check on me. Quick in and out, but still, he did check on me.

 

2) If you give up on the Optifast and cheat, you are only sabotaging yourself. Nobody else. There, is that what in the back of your mind you were thinking? Bet it was.

3) HERE"S THE REALITY. You are a brave and inspiring person, because you have committed to saving your own life. Don't blow it. You have been given a remarkable opportunity. If you take full advantage, you're going to feel like a million bucks this time next year. I GUARANTEE IT. 

 

 

I was on it fir 6 weeks and i loved it. But i focused on my goal of getting prepared for surgery. Just focus on your goal and you will get there. Just remember that you need to shrink your liver so there is less of a chance of them cutting it in surgery. Like the others have said one day at a time. There are sugar free syrups you can buy that may help and also you can use crystal light. But please stay focused on your optifast. If your liver isn't shrunk enough they may get you started in surgery then stop and then you will have to start optifast all over again. Or even worse. If your liver isn't small enough you put yourself in a higher risk of death in surgery.