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My Optifast diet

post #1 of 37
7/28/09 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...94#post2048094

I posted this thread before about weight loss after surgery. Things have only gotten worse. I am up to 272 pounds. My knee and foot constantly hurt as a result of surgery. I am in physical therapy and seem to be making progress gaining strength. Non-narcotic painkillers do nothing to kill the pain. The only thing that works is Lortab or other opiate derivatives. I do not take them because I do not want to have to deal with coming off of it again. That was just hell.
A friend here at Ohio State recommended a diet program known as Optifast. My student insurance or military benefits do not cover it, but that is okay, I can pay out of pocket. Last Monday, I went in for my consultation and evaluation. My measurements are detailed below. Besides the measurements, they did an EKG (turned out fine) and drew blood. I went back to the nutritionist and doctor yesterday. My thyroid and liver are normal.

Cholesterol: 185
Sugar: 79
Triglycerides: 139

As big as I am, I am happy that the above three. The bad thing was my blood pressure. 126/100.

Tuesday morning will be my first day on the program. A picture was taken (side profile) and I will post it once it is emailed to me.

Optifast: 3 shakes per day, chocolate flavored. The powder can be mixed with water or diet soda in a blender. I can have coffee or other diet drinks. Each shake has 200 calories, 26g of protein and 10g of carbohydrates as well as 35% of daily vitamins.

Initial measurements:

Neck: 20”
Chest: 52”
Abdomen 50”
Top of leg:
Arm:

I don’t remember the leg and arm measurement. I will post it later.

Has anybody else here ever been on this diet? 600 calories seems really low. Hell, detainees and pow's are guaranteed 1500 calories per day under Geneva Conventions.
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post #2 of 37
7/28/09 at 12:59pm
Does'nt sound too healthy imo...
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post #3 of 37
7/28/09 at 1:05pm
At your weight, you should be starting somewhere north of 2000 calories a day and lowering it as you lose weight.
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post #4 of 37
7/28/09 at 1:08pm
Thread Starter 
I agree with the both of you. The deciding factor for me was that the program has been around since 1974. I see a MD once every week and have blood drawn and analyzed.

What is the difference if weight is lost slowly or quickly? Isn't the important thing changing habits so that the weight does not come back?
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post #5 of 37
7/28/09 at 1:11pm
losing too much lbm too fast can affect every muscle, heart included.

i know several people that had heart attacks soon after gastric bypass and cannot believe it was coincidental
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post #6 of 37
7/28/09 at 1:24pm
Agree with the comments above that 600 is way too few calories. Hell, I weigh about 162 and take in close to 3k calories a day just to maintain weight. In fairness I'll admit that back when I lost a ton of weight I was on very low calories for a while - it worked, but looking back I would have done things differently.

The other issue I have with this type of diet is that it's doing nothing to teach you how to make healthy choices in terms of what you eat. I assume you're not planning to buy these shakes for the rest of your life.

At some point, if you want to maintain a healthy weight you're going to have to develop better eating habits. No reason to put that off - skip the shakes and start now.

FWIW at my max 8 years ago I was about 265, so it's definitely doable. Not an expert, but if I can be of help feel free to PM me.
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post #7 of 37
7/28/09 at 1:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcg View Post
Agree with the comments above that 600 is way too few calories. Hell, I weigh about 162 and take in close to 3k calories a day just to maintain weight. In fairness I'll admit that back when I lost a ton of weight I was on very low calories for a while - it worked, but looking back I would have done things differently.

The other issue I have with this type of diet is that it's doing nothing to teach you how to make healthy choices in terms of what you eat. I assume you're not planning to buy these shakes for the rest of your life.

At some point, if you want to maintain a healthy weight you're going to have to develop better eating habits. No reason to put that off - skip the shakes and start now.

FWIW at my max 8 years ago I was about 265, so it's definitely doable. Not an expert, but if I can be of help feel free to PM me.

Would you mind elaborating on what you would have did different?
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post #8 of 37
7/28/09 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unbreakable View Post
Would you mind elaborating on what you would have did different?

Sure. Put simply, I just wasn't eating enough. For a time I was down to one smallish meal a day. Was in college at the time, and some of my roommates were concerned that I had an eating disorder. Remember at the time thinking that that was ridiculous, but looking back I'm not so sure.

Tough to hang on to muscle when you're at 600 calories a day. Knowing what I know now I would have kept intake in the range of 1k calories under maintenance and focused more on making sure I was getting necessary vitamins/minerals/etc. At the very least I could have taken a multivitamin.

In that respect BWB would be much better off than I was as he's under the supervision of a physician and is on a plan that's ensuring he's getting the nutrients that he needs, but the point stands that it's not a lifelong solution.

Plus, lets be honest - consuming nothing but shakes is going to suck. Learning that you can eat "bad" foods as long as you do so in moderation is all part of the process.
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post #9 of 37
7/28/09 at 3:12pm
I wish to chime in--in regards to BWB and the choice of Optifast. Frankly it is very safe and he will be under the supervision of a physician. 600 calories daily is indeed a very low calorie diet no doubt. If he choses to be 'perfect on plan' and zero cheating he can have a loss of 60 lbs in 12 weeks/3 months. Due to his injury and the slow recovery time this may be the best way he has chosen to assure that he is fit and healthy and back on track. Those who disagree with his choice from this point on I'd suggest supporting him. As stated; he WILL be under a supervision of a clinic: nutritionist, physician and as a result there is no harm. Now, if he was doing this all on his own, then of course the concerns expressed would be valid. Here, they are not. And can be detrimental to him and his progress/success. Good luck BWB, I wish you the best.
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post #10 of 37
7/28/09 at 3:23pm
You don't understand your body and as long as you persist with the same level of bumbling ignorance you'll be in your current condition. I don't mean that as an insult, I'm just trying to help you understand that you don't need some specialized program with credentials for you to believe and have faith in, you need to understand the concepts behind it as a foundation first and foremost.
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post #11 of 37
7/28/09 at 3:25pm
Yeah, because we all know being under the supervision of a doctor means it's perfectly safe. No harm at all.
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post #12 of 37
7/28/09 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wisconsheepgirl View Post
I wish to chime in--in regards to BWB and the choice of Optifast. Frankly it is very safe and he will be under the supervision of a physician. 600 calories daily is indeed a very low calorie diet no doubt. If he choses to be 'perfect on plan' and zero cheating he can have a loss of 60 lbs in 12 weeks/3 months. Due to his injury and the slow recovery time this may be the best way he has chosen to assure that he is fit and healthy and back on track. Those who disagree with his choice from this point on I'd suggest supporting him. As stated; he WILL be under a supervision of a clinic: nutritionist, physician and as a result there is no harm. Now, if he was doing this all on his own, then of course the concerns expressed would be valid. Here, they are not. And can be detrimental to him and his progress/success. Good luck BWB, I wish you the best.

Quite frankly, most nutritionists are useless, and anyone who would recommend a 600 calorie diet is woefully ignorant.
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post #13 of 37
7/28/09 at 7:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Bond View Post
Quite frankly, most nutritionists are useless, and anyone who would recommend a 600 calorie diet is woefully ignorant.

If that were true, wouldn't the FDA intervene? Technically, Optifast is a prescription. They seem to have a good record as it has been around since 1974. It seems that candidates for bariatric surgery are put on Optifast as well.
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post #14 of 37
7/28/09 at 8:09pm
You'll lose weight with such a severe caloric deficit, but you will run into many problems. Besides, the goverment's track record with dietary recommendations isn't exactly brilliant. The grain-heavy, low-fat diet promoted by the old food pyramid is at least partly responsible for the current obesity issue in this country.
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post #15 of 37
7/28/09 at 10:46pm
I did a quick look at the Optifast site. I'm not at all impressed with the ingredient list. The second ingredient is sugar and it contains "corn syrup solids." It contains a lot of cheap ingredients like soy and soy products. Salt? Why? Calcium Caseinate is garbage. It looks like a bunch of crap. I would suggest a different shake. "Ingredients: Calcium Caseinate, Fructose, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Nonfat Milk, Sodium Caseinate, Corn Syrup Solids, Sunflower Oil, Magnesium Phosphate, Salt, Disodium Phosphate, Aspartame*, Sodium Caseinate, Soy Lecithin, Vitamin C, Ferric Orthophosphate, Tocopherol (to protect flavor), Carrageenan, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol Acetate), Niacinamide, Copper Gluconate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Chromium Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Molybdenum Amino Acid Chelate, Riboflavin, Thiamin Momonitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin K (Phytonadione), Magnesium Carbonate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)." Here are some good shakes in my favorite flavors: http://www.iherb.com/Amazing-Grass-A...-oz/18006?at=0 http://www.iherb.com/Vega-Sequel-Nat...79-g/9138?at=0 Have you considered a shake for breakfast and dinner (or lunch) and a small, nutritious, nutrient-packed lunch (or dinner)? It's a similar tack as yours but the addition of whole food, especially raw, is a good idea. EDIT: I just wanted to add that in order to make these shakes a more complete meal and up the caloric value, I would suggest adding fruit like bananas and mango or papaya, some berries, flax seed, some nut butter (preferably raw) and even a scoop of unprocessed oats (not quick-cooking oats) or some wheat germ. Good luck!
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