Weight loss on opti vs weight loss with sleeve (Pre op vs post op)

Thanks Oki, I was wondering about that, since opti is designed as a vlcd for weight loss. Thats interesting about the ratios of glycogen to water.

Ah ok, Well here's the scientific explanation. :)

Glycogen vs Fat for weightloss:
Pre op
Optifast is a ketogenic diet. You lose glycogen stores off the liver. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis
Glycogen needs a 3 to 1 ratio of fluid for storage. So losing one kilo of glycogen will also mean a loss of 3 kg of fluid. The high fluid loss during a ketogenic diet means loss of minerals and vitamins. Optifast replaces those without adding in some of the vitamins that increase bleeding during an op etc (which is why you have to stop other vitamins weeks before your operation).
If you are concerned that the slow weight loss during opti is fat loss, not glycogen loss, go to the chemist and ask for Ketodiastix (pee sticks). You can check the colour chart and make sure you are in ketosis.

If you come off Opti, when you eat higher carbs, the fluid goes back ON - hence the sudden weight gain when people stop low carb diets. Breaking the ketogenic (opti) diet will take the body out of ketosis and put glycogen/fluid stores back.

Post op,
The dramatic ketosis diet stops and your weight loss is "normal" fat not glycogen, as you are no longer on a dramatically low carb diet to burn glycogen. Fluid is not an issue. Weight lost will remain lost with no sudden regain due to fluid.

Therefore there is no connection between weight loss pre op (ketogenic) and post op (small portions).

Well you did ask !

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm not panicing over post op weight loss, I was just curious (that's the scientist in me) to see if there was any relation at all based on the anecdotes of the lovely members here. I figure, if I've been thinking about it, I'm surely not the only one...

I was on a strict Optifast (no substitutes!) for 2 weeks, and never broke the plan. I did lose 4 kg in the first week, and then 2 kg in the second. But my weight loss has been slow post surgery - pretty well 0.5 kg a week since about the second month. Having said that, I'm 8 months out and never had a plateau (ok, one week only). So fast loss on Opti doesn't mean fast loss post surgery.

This is a life long project. Don't worry about losing weight pre-op Meg is right, it's for liver shrinkage. Don't lose weight too fast too soon - your skin will thank you. Just remember in a year or two you will be still eating small amounts and what happens in 14 days before surgery doesn't predict anything! good luck

Synna wrote:

Hi everyone. If you've read my diary, you know that Ive been on opti for a week, and lost 1.2kg. I'm feeling a bit down, because I keep reading about others (who are roughly the same size as me) having great massive weight losses on the 2 week pre op opti. Perhaps I'm just being impatient, not that I'm ever like that IRL, lol.


I was also thinking about people's weight loss on opti and if there's a correlation to weight loss with the sleeve, ie slow losers on opti become slow losers on the sleeve.

So, what was your rate of loss on opti and your rate of loss with the sleeve?

I was on opti pre op and also had loses similar to yours and I was 40 kg heavier than you. I too saw others loosing alot more on opti and felt a bit glum about it.

Hi Synna,



I think 1.2kg weight loss is fantastic and right on track for where you should be at. I lost 5.2 kg in the 5 weeks prior to my surgery. I have lost 5.8 in the 2 weeks since surgery but expect that to slow down once my body settles down. A kilo a week would do me just fine, nice steady weight loss like that and pretty much all excess weight would be gone in a year. Personally i think what you are losing is fine, but I know it is hard not to wish it would all come off at once. Just hang in there and keep doing what you are doing and you will be fine.



Hugs

Jed

Important thing to remember here is that you are actually trying to shrink your liver, the weight loss is just a bonus :D

I was on modified Opti for 2 and a 1/2 months pre op. I only stuck to it pretty religiously the last 2 weeks. I lost 13kgs in that time, so roughly a kilo a week. First week I lost 3, then it was slow going from there :) I lost it about the same post op.

Hi everyone. If you've read my diary, you know that Ive been on opti for a week, and lost 1.2kg. I'm feeling a bit down, because I keep reading about others (who are roughly the same size as me) having great massive weight losses on the 2 week pre op opti. Perhaps I'm just being impatient, not that I'm ever like that IRL, lol.


I was also thinking about people's weight loss on opti and if there's a correlation to weight loss with the sleeve, ie slow losers on opti become slow losers on the sleeve.

So, what was your rate of loss on opti and your rate of loss with the sleeve?