Struggling with Opti

I am on day 6 of 14 of Optifast and I have trouble getting in 4 shakes a day. I can manage 3 but 4 is overkill and makes me feel incredibly nauseous. The hunger has surpressed and I'm getting in a lot of water and some broth, but that 4th shake is a struggle. Anyone else?

Are you spacing them out at least four hours apart? I found I made them really thick all except one as I found it was just to filling to drink four that way. One of them I just used the water or cold coffee and 2 cubes and whirled it up so it was much thinner and was easier to drink it when it was thinner consistency. Some made one into a pudding like texture so it was less volume to consume and they used that one in the evening for a snack type thing and the volume would be less. Guess it depends on what is bothering you, is it the volume or the taste or texture, etc. Maybe ease up on the broth and water until you get the 4th one in you in case you are filling up on those liquids then when you try to drink it, you are full of liquid in the belly then is sloshes around. I know many that only managed 3 per day but most centres tell you to aim really hard to get the 4 but they will accept 3. You could call and ask them to see if 3 is good enough.

I have been spacing them out. I am going to try really hard to get 4 in a day.

I HATE the vanilla and so I was told I could add some cocoa powder to it to make it chocolate.

I'll I used was vanilla, I played around with it and found d the best way I liked it was a teaspoon of decafe coffee(instant), coconut extract, a dash of cinnamon and ice! I still crave it today! Maybe this will help u! I very rarely drank my forth one, I was on it for 18 days and lost 15 pounds!

Congratulations you are almost half way done. I didn't have that problem. I would make my night time one a pudding with a ton of ice and eat with a spoon. Good luck

I NEVER made 4 in a day. I may not heave lost much on Opti but I was not hungry and my losses since surgery have been great (knock wood).

My Surgeon was okay with this and said as long as I was not hungry and I was not cheating it was okay.

Sorry you are having trouble getting in the four shakes in. I did not have this problem. They definitely encouraged me at my surgical class to get all four shakes in.

I've heard of people having struggles in the past getting all four so don't worry, your not the first or last person who will encounter this issue.

Try your best to get them all in. Perhaps, Divide your fourth shake into halves, and use them as snacks in between your other shakes. Not sure if that will be helpful, but a suggestion.

Your getting closer to your date! You must be excited. Good luck!

I'm on day 17 and have been finding I don't feel like I need the fourth shake, although I always have it. Last night's was at midnight after I got home from the gym.

I've been trying to follow a 9:00, 1:00, 6:00, 10:00 schedule but I find they don't taste great and I'm not hungry so I postpone that last one. Splitting that fourth shake into two snacks might make it easier to get them all in. The dietician for my program said it's really important to get all four shakes in for protein to prevent muscle loss.

Drinking it fast might help. I find the flavour deteriorates really quickly if you let it sit. I try to have mine gone within five minutes of mixing.

I was okay with Opti, didn't love it didn't hate it. I had to do 2 weeks. I got one box of vanilla & one box of chocolate. I preferred the vanilla. I would mix a few drops of orange extract into my vanilla opti for a "orange creamsicle" flavour and I would put a bit of raspberry crystal light powder into my chocolate opti for a "chocolate raspberry" flavour. I will be honest I think the last 2 or 3 days right before surgery I could not get down the 4th opti either. So I drank extra broth and extra sugar free Popsicles. Try your best, its very hard, mentally, emotionally, and all the sweetness is hard for a few weeks straight. Should you drink all four shakes, yes. If you don't just promise yourself you are not cheating and eating food, just have more broth or popsicles.

You can do this. Good luck!