Question about doing Optifast alone

Has anyone ever done Optifast as its own weight loss tool, in and of itself?  There is a doctor here in Toronto (Dr. Goldfarb) that medically supervises Optifast-only diets.  Here is Dr. Goldfarb's website: http://www.optifast.ca/

Before I got my orientation date at TWH, I made an appointment to see Dr. Goldfarb in March (that was the earliest appointment he had) because I figured I'd be waiting a long time and thought I'd scope out my options in the meantime.  So, my orientation date is February 22nd, but my appointment with Dr. Goldfarb is in the first week of March.

The question I have is this - and I know I can ask this at my orientation too, but hey, I'm impatient! :)

If I go ahead and start the process for surgery, is it possible to also try to get a head start on weight loss by starting an Optifast regime while I'm waiting for surgery?  Having done some online research on Optifast diets alone (without surgery), I see that it is about as effective as any other diet - people lose all the weight and then they gain it all back again after they go off of it. 

But I'm wondering if it would be useful to go on this diet while waiting for surgery in order to start losing weight now, and then once I have the surgery, moving to the nutrition plan I'm supposed to follow for WLS.  So, basically, instead of doing Optifast for just a week or two before surgery through the bariatric program, doing it as its own program up until surgery, when I will then have my permanent tool to help me lose the rest of the weight and keep it off.

Anyone ever done this, or heard of this being done?  Is there any reason not to do this?  I don't know as much about Optifast and WLS as the rest of you do, so I thought I'd see what people think.

It is good to lose some weight before surgery by changing your habits. IMHO, I would not do the "opti-fast" diet while waiting for surgery! I lost 30lbs before my RNY and they told me if I lost even just 1 more lb, I was out of the program. I too thought I was doing a good but I knew that it wouldn't last in the end and I REALLY wanted the surgery. So, I continued on with my life and showed the team that I really wanted this life changing decision. I am sooooo glad that I did and I would never look back.
You will hinder the process of the surgery, if that's what you really want. OR you can do the opti-fast diet, lose the weight and that will show the team that you CAN do it on your own and you will no longer be a candidate. They go by your BMI, there is a cut off point (40 is the magic number with no health issues)

If your orientation date is so close, that means your surgery will likely be later this year or so.

I know a girl that has been doing the opti-fast diet and she has done really well! This was her last chance before she chooses surgery, if it fails- she will be having the surgery. Only time will tell.
I know another girl that did the opti-fast diet a few years ago and she gained all her weight back and more and in turn ended up having RNY one week before me.

Good luck with whatever you decide

I can only speak from my own personal experience everyone is different so here is my take on Optifast.

As many people will tell you its probably one of the hardest things you will do throughout the whole weight loss surgery journey. I did three weeks of Optifast. I got through it but it was tough. Most days where good and some days I would have happily eaten a cardboard box.

I'd say that the first three days are the worst and after that your brain gives in and it becomes easier but let me tell you I was counting every single day till the three weeks where up. I almost jogged to the freaken operating room for gawd sake.

Food is such a part of everyday life. On Optifast I really missed the social aspect of eating each day.

Anyway could I have done months of Optifast.....HELL NO. I would do it again in a heart beat if I needed to but certainly not for months at a time like some of these programs offer.

Good luck with your decision

Ann

I honestly wouldnt bother with Dr. Goldfarb's plan. It's just not sustainable long term. You'll have to do Opti before surgery. Why pay more than you have to? Goldfarb's plan is also very time consuming. The appts are long and you have to go for the sessions - behaviour modification, etc... I did the plan years back and the behaviour mod. classes were a joke. We spent the entire 3 hours listening to the ramblings of a drunkard and the person leading the class did nothing about it. She just let him go on and on and on. After a few of those, I dropped out of the program.

IMHO, I would not do it. I know there are tons of medically supervised diets out there - some good, some awful (think Dr. Bernstein). As I understand it, Optifast is meant as a "quick-fix", in a sense. Most, not all, people lose a relatively large amount of weight in the 2-4 weeks they do it. I started at about 310 lbs at the beginning of Opti and ended at 295 lbs 2 weeks later. Yes, drastic weight loss for two weeks but I'm certain at least 1/2 of it was water weight (I spent more time urinating during the first week than I care to remember.)

Think about what happens to your body when you go on a crash diet (which I tend to think Optifast is.) Some people feel fatiqued from the severe lack of calories, because of its very restrictive nature, some people will go on binging episodes, if on it long enough, you can possibly have side-effects such as anemia, lowered immune response and muscle loss. IMHO, these are just not things I want to risk just prior to major surgery where I am already battling to meet all the nutritional needs of my body.

I think a much better solution, if you want to "diet" before surgery would be to meet with a nutritionist - either the one assigned to you through the program or an independent one - and set up a healthy meal plan. Going on a lower carb/higher protein diet prior to surgery is a much more enjoyable, sustainable, and healthy way to go. I'm through Thunder Bay/Hamilton and we are on liquids for a further four weeks post op. That means I'll not have had ANY solids for a total of six weeks. I can't wait to get to the pureed stage and I absolutely loved Optifast.

Focus on eating healthy, both before and after surgery. The weight will come off if you follow the program.

Thea

My sister has been on ( and off) of the Dr Goldfarb Optifast program.  She had lost 40 lbs but has since put back on 10...she was successful in rapid weight loss for the first month, then the cheating began...and I do not mean this as a criticism of my sister...I just think that anything that restrictive has to be time limited and anything more than a few weeks is just too long.

When it is a regime for surgery prep, the end is in sight and a new eating plan is just around the corner.  Optifast is a prescription-a medicine if you will...in order to lose weight, but it does not give the tools necessary to return to healthy eating.

Dr Goldfarb has a 'program', but like anything it requires compliance...my sister lives 2 hours from his office and he was just fine with her emailing any concerns or questions and coming in once a month to be weighed...oh ya, and to purchase another month of Optifast from him...at much higher rates than we paid for our RNY prep Optifast.  He gave no nutritional counselling, no behaviour modification and no support...just put his hand out to be paid.  Now in fairness, my sister chose only to buy the product from him, but if he was truely in it for patient health and wellness, attendance at support and beh'r mod classes would be mandatory...in my opinion.

I would hate to discourage anyone from trying to lose weight, but I would also not want to see good money thrown out and more importantly, the well being of a person struggling to lose weight not properly cared for.

Thanks very much for your responses, everyone!  I've had my doubts about doing this, but haven't cancelled the appointment yet because I wanted to see what the rest of you thought.  I will hold the appointment until after my orientation and then decide.  I'm leaning pretty strongly towards cancelling the Dr. Goldfarb appointment, and what I learn at the orientation will likely reinforce that, but I just want to be sure.

This is a great place - so full of people willing to share their experiences!

I participated in the Ottawa Weight Clinic's "Core Program" at the Ottawa Hospital last year. This is the same clinic that manages the weight loss surgery all under Dr Dent.

The "Core Program" consists of an optifast only diet for either six weeks or twelve weeks with weekly attendance at the hospital for weight, waist, and BP measurements, meeting with the doctor ans aa ninety minute session from either an exercise specialist, dietitian, or behavior expert.

The program works. Unlike some here, I had no problems with the shakes and a year later am still down ninety pounds simply from combining the shakes only eating with nightly walking on my treadmill.

If you are seriously overweight (I weighed in at 392 lbs) they will want you to lose weight before the surgery to reduce the likelihood of complications, improve your post surgical healing, and to demonstrate that you are prepared for the discipline of living a life of regulated food consumption.

I do recommend the optifast diet, it was very easy to maintain because there are no choices but the most the Ottawa hospital program permits is the twelve week program before you are back on solid foods. 

I actually lost 130 pounds in the the first six months but by Christmas had lost all my discipline and with the lowered metabolism and failure to follow up on the exercise, managed to put 35 pounds back on. The Oprah Winfrey effect.

I'm scheduled for RNY surgery on Monday.  

Thanks for this, spitintheocean - it's really helpful to have your point of view as well.  And best of luck in your surgery tomorrow!

My biggest concern is that I go on it, lose "too much" weight, and then become ineligible for the surgery.  I think I'm about 325 right now (haven't weighed myself lately - too depressing), so my BMI is 51.7.  But if BMI 40 is the cut-off, then I could still lose something like 70 lbs before they make me ineligible.  I am finding my mobility is becoming much more limited lately, and it's starting to worry me.

I'm not that worried about the money - I'm willing to pay for it, especially since my food costs will be pretty much nil while I'm on it.  (When I think of the money I waste on junk food, lunches at work, etc...eep.)  For me, it's the health effects and long term weight loss results that concern me most.  I want the surgery, so I don't want to ruin my chances by going on a diet that will almost certainly not work for me if I do it alone.

As for what Optifast is like - I have no idea how I'll find the Optifast diet until I go on it.  My personality tends towards the "path of least resistance", so I think the no choice thing could maybe be a help rather than a hindrance during the first while.  But I also know myself, and that whenever I have "dieted" in the past, the worse the restrictions of the diet, the faster I gain when the restrictions are removed. 

So for it to work for me, I think I'd have to ensure that I could do Optifast for a while, start losing weight on it, and then get the surgery for the permanent tool.  The problem is, there is no way to know what the timing is for the surgery, so I could end up losing some weight on Optifast and then having the "Oprah Winfrey effect" before my surgery is scheduled and gain it all back! :)

So, you've all given me lots to think about, so I can ask some questions at my orientation from a more informed place.  Thanks, everyone!

How many shakes did you have a day ?