Last Supper

Some people have suggested that before starting optifast, to go out and have a giant "last supper" kind of meal

Somehow this sits wrong with me as it sort of represents that all or nothing thinking to me. Its not like I will never be able to eat out again.....or eat Indian food again (actually how do people tolerate spices afterwards?)....or enjoy family get togethers just because I can't/won't stuff myself to the gills.

I also dont want to have any thoughts afterwards of..."oh I wish I had done that one last time before surgery" either.

Any thoughts on this 'food funeral' and what it signifies? Encourage or discourage?

 I think if you ask 20 people this question, you'll get 20 different answers lol.   Personally speaking, I found that after starting OF, that I went through a grieving period of missing food.  I missed the actual action of biting into something and I missed the many flavours.  I'm not going to lie and say it was easy, because it wasn't.  It was a struggle most days, but I'm so glad that I was on OF for 4 weeks, because it gave me a chance to work through a lot of my issues with food.  I really realized how much of a food addict I was.  I did find that the week b4 starting OF, my hubby and I had many "last suppers" lol.  It's funny though because even though we ordered pizza, we ordered a much healthier version with ham instead of pepperoni, just single cheese, and lots of veggies.   I think you need to do what you think is best for you!   

BTW...how is your Mom?   I think about your situation a lot, and really hope all goes well for you. 

She is home for a few days before she has to go back to the hospital on Thursday. She is weak and terribly thin....but positive, so that's good. Thank you for your thoughts. They are truly appreciated.

I have been thinking about this a lot as I am starting optifast in about a week.  I am not going to have a huge last supper because anything I eat now for meals can be modified to eat later (lasanga, without the noodles for example).  However, I plan on cutting out certain things that I will never even try again because I don't want to have them in my life anymore at all.  So I have indulged in a few "lasts" of those items (peanut buster parfait from DQ).

So I am only having "last" tastes of things I intend to never have again...sort of a goodbye...if that makes sense?  I know some will argue that you could have those things again in small quantities, but I am deciding now that they are gone for good.

Tracy

I had a nice last meal before optifast. It wasn't extraordinary - bbqed steak and a nice glass of wine. It wasn't a food funeral though it was a celebration of the changes and new life to come. It also wasn't about goodbye to that food, more acknowledgement that it might be a good while before I could eat them as steak, asparagus etc can be hard to digest.

You can have a 'last meal', but it need not be something you regret.

My husband and I went out to a nice dinner at the Keg and talked about the upcoming surgery and what it all means for us. It was really nice. I didn't go crazy and we treated it more like a celebration of our new life. But as others have said you need to do what you are comfortable with.

I didn't have a last supper/food funeral for 2 reasons.
1. It can, depending on what you eat increase the size of the liver and the whole point of Optifast is to shrink it.

2. I never looked at the surgery as an "I can't have ___ ever again". I look at it as "I can eat anything, just smaller, dare I say... normal sized portions".

I didn't say goodbye to anything. At my dad's birthday party I even had a fork full of cake. That one bite was enough for me now. Before I would've eaten a large slice & the leftovers.

The decision to have a last meal is very much a personal one so I wouldnt tell you one way or another to go for it. Just don't get into the mindset that this is going to be a restrictive lifestyle.

ETA: I tolerate spices the same now as before surgery - I haven't had any pouch issues with that. BUT... I don't tolerate salt anymore. If I add salt to anything, even a da**** tastes salty!

I did not go out for a giant last supper but I did go out for my last supper before optifast and I am glad that I did. I went to one of my favorite places for Chinese food all you can eat. I did not pig out and in fact I did not eat much since I had a cold and was not feeling that great. I did eat some things that I knew that I would never eat again. The real nice part about going out was that it allowed my husband and I some time to really talk about the operation and how much my life was going to change.  We knew it would be a long time before we would go out for a meal again so that was another reason we went for the last meal. In fact this Nov will be 2 years out for me and I have not steeped a foot into that restaurant so I am glad we went that night.
As for spices everyone is so different. I use to love hot spicy food.  Now if the chili is hot and spicy I can not eat it. Same with sausages. Use to the hot and now I am lucky if I can do medium. I know other people who have no problem with spices. We are all so different.
I would encourage you to have that food you know you should not have after wards and say good by so you will not be tempted after wards

 Well, I did things differently. We went to this great hamburger take-out place near us, that make big homemade burgers and had one with fries and a chocolate shake. I ate it all and as I knew I would be was stuffed and uncomfortable. I took the time to really think about how many times I felt "stuffed" and uncomfortable and how it didn't make me feel good at all, and in reality it made me feel worse. You eat it so quickly, but feel crappy for much longer. I then vowed I would not have that awful "stuffed" feeling again, ever! In reality I had a funeral for that overeating feeling, not the food itself, since I know I'll be able to eat pretty much anything, perhaps modified.
Good luck on your decision, make the one that works for you!
Jackie

I had several last dinners being food I decided I would never eat again - meaning all the bad foods that I would never be able to eat again in my new life, like greasy fish and chips, etc and when I say never be able to eat again, it was all my choice.  So, yes I needed to have a food funeral and glad I did - my way of saying goodbye to my old unhealthy lifestyle.

So, do what you need to do for you.  And good luck.


Cheers