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Optifast Diet



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Has anyone been on the Optifast diet prior to the lapband procedure? My boyfriend is having the lapband procedure, but has to be on optifast for a month prior to it. He's having a hard time with this diet, as it is all liquid. Any suggestions on how to curb the appetite through this period???

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this isn't the best section for this post, you should post it in the general section and you would get more responses.

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I had to be on Optifast for 2 weeks prior to surgery. It is tough, but my doctor also let us have the Optifast bars twice a day. That helped a little. Wish him our best and just remember what he is doing it for. A happier and healthier him.

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My doc doesn't require Optifast, just a reasonable, mostly Protein diet for 3 weeks. It wasn't all that difficult.

However quite a few years ago I saw a Endocrinologist and he put me on a 9 week Optifast diet. I lasted about 6 weeks. It was the hardest and most unpleasant thing I've ever tried to do. If you're having to go through something similar now, even for just 3 weeks, my heart goes out to you!

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I had two do it for 2 weeks prior to surgery. Yuck! What made it easier was that we were allowed any of the Optifast products, plus 2 cups of non-starch vegetables and 1 pc fruit per day. We also were given an extensive Condiments list to add for flavour. The bars were good, and the choc mousse dessert made a reasonable change.

As for the vegetables, think "filling" veg like eggplant, mushrooms and sprouted mung Beans.

A favourite Optifast phase meal of mine was a "stirfry" mix of chopped mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, onion, mung bean sprouts, seasoned with a little herbs ad a dash of olive oil, cooked on the BBQ hotplate (to pick up the meaty flavours from the BBQ). mmm! yummy!

HOWEVER - If I never eat Optifast or mung Beans again in my life, I can honestly say that I will die happy! LOL!!!

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We didn't have all those other foods to choose from. Optifast at that time was just the foul tasting liquid shake drink. And I know what you mean - if I never have to drink that stuff again I can die a happy woman too!

My doc has a Protein shake mix that is really good. I can only get it from him unless I go to the source online. It's called Peak Performance. It is a whey based Protein source. That made the liquid diet phase easy for me.

Mung Beans? Sure sounds lucious...

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I did Optifast when it was first offered in 1988. It was hard. I fasted for 13 weeks. The shakes were HORRIBLE. My gallbladder atrophied and I had tohave it removed. But, I did loose weight. Hot liquids helped curb my appetite. Brushing my teeth helped. You can do it.

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    • BabySpoons

      Sometimes reading the posts here make me wonder if some people just weren't mentally ready for WLS and needed more time with the bariatric team psychiatrist. Complaining about the limited drink/food choices early on... blah..blah...blah. The living to eat mentality really needs to go and be replaced with eating to live. JS
      · 1 reply
      1. Bypass2Freedom

        We have to remember that everyone moves at their own pace. For some it may be harder to adjust, people may have other factors at play that feed into the unhealthy relationship with food e.g. eating disorders, trauma. I'd hope those who you are referring to address this outside of this forum, with a professional.


        This is a place to feel safe to vent, seek advice, hopefully without judgement.


        Compassion goes a long way :)

    • Theweightisover2024🙌💪

      Question for anyone, how did you get your mind right before surgery? Like as far as eating better foods and just doing better in general? I'm having a really hard time with this. Any help is appreciated 🙏❤️
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      1. NickelChip

        I had about 6 months between deciding to do surgery and getting scheduled. I came across the book The Pound of Cure by Dr. Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon in Arizona, and started to implement some of the changes he recommended (and lost 13 lbs in the process without ever feeling deprived). The book is very simple, and the focus is on whole, plant based foods, but within reason. It's not an all or nothing approach, or going vegan or something, but focuses on improvement and aiming for getting it right 80-90% of the time. His suggestions are divided into 12 sections that you can tackle over time, perhaps one per month for a year if a person is just trying to improve nutrition and build good habits. They range from things like cutting out artificial sweetener or eating more beans to eating a pound of vegetables per day. I found it really effective pre-surgery and it's an eating style I will be working to get back to as I am further out from surgery and have more capacity. Small changes you can sustain will do the most for building good habits for life.

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        That sounds awesome. I'll have to check that out thanks!

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