Optifast.. I like it!

I'm on day 2 of pre op diet and am having the caramel shakes which I think are devine! I'm a caramel freak (caramello koalas especially) and thought the shakes would be horrid but I am pleasantly surprised.
Def won't be trying the chicken soup.  The idea of sweaty balls! LMAO!

Did/are you having protein with veges once a day and 2 shakes? What did you do for pre op diet?

I really want to go into ketosis and not stuff it up so am being really strict with what I'm putting I to my mouth.

I have been pleasantly surprised this morning as I reluctantly whizzed up my first optifast shake- chocolate.

I tried them 7-8 yrs ago and they were watery and disgusting.... But today... Totally fine. I'm used to the tony ferguson shakes and it was quite similar. Cold water and ice blended up is a must I think. That's how I like shakes.

I too have several weeks until surgery date.... But thought I'd get started to lose some extra weight pre op. Fingers crossed. Well done to you stramy07.... You are like minded. 5kg!! That's fantastic. I hope I can do as well. I'll be doing a sachet for Breakfast replacement (that's the plan) until I have to do the 2 weeks straight.

Not sure how I'll go over Easter though and staying with family.... We'll see. My two year old is very annoyed that he can't have some of "mummy's" chocolate milk drink! If only he knew!!

Ginger

I used to add a spoon full of instant coffee to the vanilla shake and enjoyed it, just incase you have any left to 'enjoy'

I bought a mixed pack of the shakes, just to try them out and see which ones I'd like, before I go on them full time, from the last week of may until my op on the 9th of June.
I have been using them as a breakfast alternative, and found that they've really worked for me.
I loved the Coffee, Banana, and Strawberry, the Chocolate flavour wasn't bad, but was very thick, which I found helped a lot to fill me up, so I didn't mind that.
I really didn't like the Vanilla, I just found it bland, and not for me.
I had one of the guys here at work give me a Caramel flavour to try.
I liked it, but it was quite sweet, maybe have that one as a treat or for something different.

Anyway, I'm down 5kgs since my first weight in at the surgeons office in mid Feb, so I'm happy about that!!

Thanks ladies, I'm not into overly sweet stuff at the best of times, might give it a miss..

Caramel is quite sweet, I went off it for a while but I'm now enjoying it again - I like it hot in a big mug in the evenings watching telly. Mix with a bit of cold water first then add hot water. Yummy! I also do this with chocolate (tastes like Horlicks) and the coffee or vanilla with coffee (tastes like the instant frothy flavoured coffee sachets).

Hi the caramel optimist is very sweet. I love caramel but don't really like it. Very sweet but not very caramelly.
Cheers

I'm seeing on pharmacy online there is now a caramel flavour.. Has anyone tried this?! I am thinking it might be a go-er for me!

Innerninja - sounds like the pudding is definitely going on my shopping list! Thanks for the tip!

Liz~ I think that's a brilliant way to go, thanks!

JolieC wrote:

Seriously though as a newbie who hasn't yet started Opti, I really appreciate all these insights! Is it possible to buy different favours singly to try them, or can you only buy in packs? Thanks!

You can buy a pack of variety flavours for the shakes but I'm afraid the soups, bars and desserts you have to buy a whole box to try one.
Sometimes people on this site do offer to sell most of a box that they don't like, so that may be a cheaper option for you

Almost 4 months out and I now use the optifast chocolate dessert as my favorite go to treat. I still have soups in cupboard, earlier in the piece I would only use them as add one to other soups to up the protein. I'm guessing I'll do the same once winter kicks in but I certainly will not be re stocking the cupboard once they're gone.

JolieC wrote:

Wenchiepooh wrote:

I've said it before, and I shall say it again.

It is impossible to differentiate between Optifast chicken soup and sweaty balls.

 ...which is why I refuse to entertain sweaty balls as a main meal alternative!  Mwahahaha strictly snack food!

Seriously though as a newbie who hasn't yet started Opti, I really appreciate all these insights! Is it possible to buy different favours singly to try them, or can you only buy in packs? Thanks!

Wheeee!!

I'm afraid I've only ever seen the packs. Definitely do recommend getting the pack with all the flavours in them. That way you'll know what you do and don't like for when you're going through pre-op hell. I thought I'd love the banana and coffee flavours.. ehhh, not so much when I tried them. Choc, vanilla and strawberry were my faves.

Wenchiepooh wrote:

I've said it before, and I shall say it again.

It is impossible to differentiate between Optifast chicken soup and sweaty balls.

 ...which is why I refuse to entertain sweaty balls as a main meal alternative!  Mwahahaha strictly snack food!

Seriously though as a newbie who hasn't yet started Opti, I really appreciate all these insights! Is it possible to buy different favours singly to try them, or can you only buy in packs? Thanks!

Wenchiepooh wrote:

I've said it before, and I shall say it again.

It is impossible to differentiate between Optifast chicken soup and sweaty balls.

    LMFAO!

I've said it before, and I shall say it again.

It is impossible to differentiate between Optifast chicken soup and sweaty balls.

Tonibubble wrote:

I really like the coffee optifast & still have it for breakfast, can't face food early in the morning still. I like it blended with lots of ice so it's really cold. Hated the chicken soup, tasted like chemicals!

Tonibubble this is exactly what I do.. I also like the Coffee one and I can't stand the chicken soup! LOL.. I use my little bullet blender and blend my coffee opti with ice and the 200ml of water and take it to work in the morning.. That keeps me going till around 1 pm.. It has helped me kick my iced coffee and toasted sandwich fix in the mornings LOL.. I also have laid off the real coffee which is awesome!

I really like the coffee optifast & still have it for breakfast, can't face food early in the morning still. I like it blended with lots of ice so it's really cold. Hated the chicken soup, tasted like chemicals!

Yes - I have to admit to not minding the old Opti fast shakes.  Except the soup = well the chicken one anyway - was disgusting and I've got a box of them Ill never use.  I also bought some berry bars and they are also Truly horrendous.

However the shakes, all flavours I've found surprisingly palatable and surprisingly adept at satisfying hunger.  TOgether with the odd stir fry and greek salad - Im surviving okay at the moment.  Surgery in a week and a half.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Yeah Graceful, he really is a lovely dr and so is Sue his receptionist she also had it done :) 
I saw the dietitian Ange and shes was really happy that I had started optifast before even seeing Harsha and Im lucky I guess I don't have to give up all meals at all until the op. I get to have 3 optifast a day and 80g of protein and as many veggies fruit as I want. 
But then I do have to be 180kg (Murdoch hospital rules) by the 9th June but I feel I wont have a issue I started at 205 in jan this year and I'm 188 kg :)

Hi thetimehascome, I had Dr Harsha as my surgeon and he was fantastic! 

Really approachable, really listens, and explains thing clearly. He visited me twice in hospital and I was only there 3 nights. He has also had the sleeve so can relate to what you are going through.

I had minimal pain ( off pain killers within the week) and the incision site are healing really well. 

I loved banana and coffee opti - can't handle banana anymore, I tried this morning. My favourite was opti chicken soup. Ilightly cooked veges in chilli oil and then added them to the soup. I ate it for dinner 14 days straight. 

Then came broths and soups for two weeks post diet. Haven't gone near soup since!

That is exactly what happens Mummawhale I'm sure that most of us on here have lost massive amounts of weight at one time or other, I know that I have. The biggest problem is that it always comes back again and brings lots of extra friends with it. Hopefully the sleeve as a tool, will help us to avoid that trap.

I used Optifast about ten years ago on a managed diet with a doctor.   I also took diet pills to suppress my appetite.  I did this for about 4 months and lost around 26kg.  It was great, the diet pills made me feel great and I was amazed how quickly the weight came off. Since this time I have tried this diet a number of times but have had difficulty tolerating the diet pills and the taste of the shakes.   The mere thought of having to use Optifast again had me reeling because I wasn't sure I wasn't going to be able to cope with it without diet pills and as I eat constantly I was sure I was going to be under considerable stress. I now also have more than twice as much weight to lose.
I can now say I am absolutely amazed.  This time round I have been having Optifast mixed in a blender with crushed ice and I love it.   It comes out just like a smoothie, that whey aftertaste doesn't really exist with the crushed ice and it's completely refreshing.  I'm amazed, I always thought that I'd like to be able to live off smoothies and with these Optifast shakes I now virtually am.  I'm completely addicted.  I no longer dread having to have a shake and I look forward to the next one.  
As for the hunger, I'm amazed at that too.  On the first day, I didn't feel that hungry because of the amount of food I had eaten the night before, but by the end of the day I was quite grumpy.  I growled at my kids for the slightest thing, and had absolutely no energy.  I couldn't even be bothered talking.  I have twin teenagers currently in year 12 so I'm constantly at them about home work and study etc, but I could really feel that while I was thinking it I just didn't have the energy to get it out.  You'd think they'd be grateful for the break, but they didn't like their grumpy mother so they couldn't see the woods for the trees.
The grumpiness eased on the second day and by the third day I was feeling amazing.   I'm not even hungry which is a feat in itself for me because I eat constantly.  I am so happy.   I can believe how great I feel.  I also realise that the diet pills really did very little to suppress the appetite and just mainly made me speed.   It's so much nicer without them I can't believe it.  Of course now I'm thinking to myself why do I need surgery, why don't I just keep going on Optifast?  I did it before so I know I can do it.    Then that little voice comes up and reminds me what happens when I stop!

I Love the banana flavour :) have been having it 3 times a day since jan 25th:) only 13 weeks to go!!! have lost 15.2kgs so far so Im not complaining haha

If I am having Opti on it's own 200 ml of water gives it a bit of thickness, recently I have been using 250 ml of water and a scoop of vanilla protein power which mellows out the taste of the chocolate somewhat.

I must add to yesterday's post. I made myself a choc opti for breakfast this morning, wasn't feeling the love for anything solid.

I don't think I like opti for post-op. I had to leave about 1/4 of it. It is now far too rich for my stomach's liking, and that was making it with 250 ml of water instead of the 200 ml as stated on the pack. Bugger.