It's been 10+ years now and the weight's still off!
Written: May 19 '01 (Updated May 20 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Helpfulness of Suport |
 |
|
|
Pros: A head start to weight loss for the morbidly obese (not just overweight)
Cons: You need to learn lifestyle changes for the weight to stay off; expensive
The Bottom Line: Only for the morbidly obese - and make sure you have a caring physician and staff, not one of those 'franchise' diet docs.
|
|
|
| mrsjim's Full Review: Optifast Program |
I thought that Eopinions readers would like to hear from a successful graduate of the Optifast program!
I was in the Program in 1990-91. That year, I was at a high (I think - I was afraid to get on a scale for years) of 265 pounds when I was accepted into the program. At 5'4" tall and 27 years old, I was wearing size 24-26 clothes and totally miserable. When you weigh that much, it's really hard to get excited about the prospect of a 1/2 to 2 pound a week weight loss, so a program like Optifast can be a beneficial 'head start' for the severely obese person who needs the encouragement of a significant weight loss to carry on with maintaining permanent healthy lifestyle changes.
I must state right here, though - I did the Program as part of an 18-month Stanford University study on weight loss maintenance. Since Oprah had just lost all that weight on the program, naturally thousands of women called to try to enter the study - which only cost each participant $500 (half of which was refunded at the end of the study). I know Optifast costs much more than that in the real world!
If you are planning on doing this program, take a long hard look at the medical facility offering it. As a guideline, I was required to attend group counseling and nutrition sessions once a week. I also had to come in for medical checkups, which included bi-weekly blood work and EKG to make sure everything was okay. It was also recommended that all participants take the prescription drug "Actigall" to prevent gall bladder damage (which was supplied to us by the study at no extra charge).
Two weeks prior to the fast stage, we were all required to keep a 'food journal' where we wrote down every bite we ate and if we were hungry when we ate it. These were submitted to the medical counselor each week.
The fast itself was five shakes, totalling 800 calories per day. I don't recall the exact nutrtional info other than they were made with egg-white protein. I also took FiberCon each day since I wasn't getting any fiber in my diet.
During the program, I kept my own personal journal in which I wrote down my thoughts, experiences and feelings. The first two weeks were definitely the most difficult - I'd say the best thing a participant could do is NOT watch TV commercials or food advertising. It's hard to overcome those old eating triggers.
As far as exercise, we were advised to get a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week of walking or whatever - however we were told that the more exercise we did, the better our results would be. Encouraged by my weight loss (10.5 pounds the first week, 20 pounds by the end of the first month) I quickly added time and hills to my daily walking, then joined a low-impact aerobics class at the Rec Center. By the end of the fast, I was going to regular Jazzercise classes five days a week, as well as walking.
At the end of the 12 week fast, I was down to 207.5 pounds. 26 weeks after the beginning of the fast, I was down to 182.5. Currently I am about 152. The point is, I have kept the weight off and stayed below post-fast levels for 11 years now! My photos are posted on my webpage - if you're interested...
So, would I recommend Optifast? Well...
A caveat here - Optifast is NOT for everyone. It is intended for only the morbidly obese - not just someone who has 10-30 pounds to lose. Talk to your regular physician first. You need to have the proper mindset - this is not a magic pill (the proof being that I was one of only 3% of the study participants who kept the weight off by the study's end). Make sure the medical center offering it has a competent staff, adequate medical testing, and spends time with you when you come in. Most importantly, you have to accept that you'll need to change your eating and exercise habits permanently in order for the weight to stay off. Good luck!
Recommended:
Yes
Approximate Monthly Cost (US$) Unsure
Food Variety Restrictions You eat the same thing for months
Restrictiveness of Portions Few small portions
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mrsjim
|
|
Location: San Mateo, California
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Married, no kids, love cycling & working out!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.