opti diet

My surgeon did not worry too much about the quantity of veges I was eating (and hey lets face it, it would be very hard to OD on veges, lol!) I got by by having lots of vege soups. Carrot soup was a favourite, I highly recommend if you are a fan of pumpkin soup as it is very similar in its texture and sweetness.

Just keep reminding yourself that this pre-op diet will be the hardest but LAST diet you will ever have to do again!! The results of the pre-op diet are highly worth it - weight loss, plus a healthy liver ready for surgery :)

I did 6 weeks of Optifast, and I lost 18 kgs, truly worth it as it has given me a great headstart with my weight loss.

Keep focussing on the positives!! Hang in there!! Its all good :)

I am on day 5 of opti now and have to say everyone was right it gets more tolerable as you go on hahaha. I did not like the cappucino bars so won't be making that mistake again. I am sure I am eating more than 2 cups of vegies a day but they are green leafy vegies no spuds, kumara or pumpkin and my rationale is better i over do the vegies than break what I have achieved so far oh and I also find the diet jellies a really good gap filler.

thanks for the tips guys. I have to start Opti on firday and am not looking forward to it. i have had the shakes before and get so bored with it, so thanks for the tips. I also have heard frezzing the bars makes them better too.

Great tips again,i will be trying everything to make the two weeks more please pleasent

Another tip:

Buy some flavour essences! For example, freeze vanilla opti, then add a few drops of coconut essence and pineapple essence blend with the bamix or blender. Voila! Virgin Pina colada!

Add two or three REAL strawberries to strawberry Opti... blend and YUM!

Mint or orange essence in chocolate opti=a jaffa or mint slice!

The possibilities are endless!

My tip for Optifast Chocolate and Strawberry is to shove it with 300ml of water into a blender - blend for 2 minutes, then add a tray of ice and continue to blend. It takes me about 15 minutes to drink, so I feel like I have actually had a meal.

There are things you can do to make Opti more tasty

1. Froth it using a milk shake maker. Makes it feel more like the real deal.
2. Try all the flavors (and OptiSlim too), just make sure it says VLCD on the box before buying it.
3. Try adding ice to it, particularly the espresso flavor
4. Try adding the right amount of ice and puree to make a Opti slushee

There are bars, soups and desserts (mousses) as well, which break up the tedium.

The main thing is to be imaginative with your veges. There are some great recipes here that can provide some crunch and variety. I chose to do the easy path - Coles' prepackaged cruncy Asian chilli salad, but it could get boring if you're on it for a long time.

Hi all

Many thanks for the tips and advise.......I will start as soon as I get my parcel in the mail. Its sounds exciting, but I think that maybe it might be hard going, with the taste etc, but I guess we have to do what we have to do.....

Good luck everyone and looking forward to talking some more

Shirley

I have put myself on optifast early to allow myself to lose weight before the op so I am doing 5 weeks of opti...

So far the only 2 flavours I can handle are strawberry and coffe I put in 300ml of water instead of 200 and add a lot of ice...I always have a bag in my freezer..

Also I should share a big mistake I made in regards to the optifast...
I have been under a lot of stress and I cracked 2 nights ago and reverted back to my eating to make me feel better...

And I ate some chips with mayo and boy did i regret it...first of all because it probably sent me back a couple of kilos but also coz I got physically sick...

I had the worst upset stomach well into the night and ended up bringing it all back...

Now I believe that is because i have been giving my liver and stomach a rest for over a week and my system was probably enjoying not being overloaded and I went and ate the worst thing I could eat and my body rejected it...

So maybe a word to the wise if you start the opti stick to it or you might end up having a sleepless night like me

I hope this helps a fellow sleever not going through the night I just had trust me the pain and disconfort is not worth it...on a semi good note now just thinking about food turns my stomach...

TTYL xox

Good luck with it Shirley...

It is wonderful...lol not, i have just started opti and have to be on it for 12 weeks... and i admit it is a struggle....im not doing to good. but i am trying

hope it all goes well for you

Basically - the Optifast diet is 3 Optifast meals a day (that is 1 shake, 1 bar, 1 soup or 1 desert per meal), with up to 2 cups of low starch vegetables (generally green vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms) a day, avoiding carrots, potatoes etc etc. The other important part is drinking lots of water - minimum of 2L a day. There should be a little booklet in each box of Optifast, there is a meal planner on their website too.

Hi everyone

Just wondering if anyone could please help me with the opti diet, what am I meant to be eating, or rather not eating.

My surgery is little over one month away, and I have been putting on weight terribly, so I want to start early. I had been banded 6 years ago, and had that out in April this year, and I don't think that I was on the opti for very long before, they didn't do it back then.

I have ordered my opti via the internet, but any advise for gladly be appreciated...thanks