Optifast Program

Pros: Oh You will Lose the Weight Fast, but at What cost??
Cons: All Liquid Diet which Causes you to go absolutely Insane, and worse of all the weight comes back!

Over a decade ago, I was evaluated and accepted by the Optifast program. I participated in this program for close to nine months, and I personally will tell you that this was nine months of living hell.

Optifast is a liquid diet only diet....

Pros: Easy,shakes taste great,loss of appetite,cost effective versus normal food cost for overeater
Cons: NO FOOD, quick weight loss, medically supervised,follow entire program through maintenance or risk gain

I am an Optifast success!! I had to lose 85 pounds, and it was easy, in six months I met my goal...BUT that is only the beginning of Optifast..you must know going into the fast that you will stay on the program,attending meetings after your weight loss...

Pros: Fast weight loss, no physical hunger, shakes convenient & tast great!
Cons: Some say it's expensive, but my insurance covered the costs.

Many of the reviews here appear to have been written reviewing the "old" Optifast program (i.e., Oprah,1986).

Optifast has changed, for the better. I know - I have been on it twice. Once when I was 18 and my parents made me do it - I was not...

Pros: You will lose weight, it's medically monitored, classes to teach you to eat.
Cons: Horrendously expensive, not covered by insurance, shakes taste AWFUL, no food.

I went on the Optifast diet a few years ago through a local hospital. I was only on it for a month (I landed in the hospital for an UNRELATED problem, went off it in the hospital, and after eating real food again, couldn't go back), and in that time I...

Pros: Quick, no choice, weight loss plan
Cons: Cost, Eventually need to go back on food

When my knee became so painful that I was forced to see my doctor, I knew he would say something about my weight. It has be creeping--no, actually galloping,up--to an unacceptable level. I finally broke down and saw my doctor, and warned him first...

Pros: Rapid weight loss, confidence surge.
Cons: You have to come back to reality and eat food.

I sometimes return to my early reviews that were ridiculously lacking in content, and I repair them. Some are so bad I have to completely delete instead of overhaul. My Optifast review needed a complete face-lift so here goes.

On my quest to...

Pros: My mom lost 47 lbs. in about 7 weeks.
Cons: My mom died on this program.

My mom worked for a hospital in North Carolina that sponsored the Optifast program. She weighed 247 pounds, and she really did want to lose weight. At the urging of her boss, she enrolled in the Optifast program. The year was 1988, and her three...

Pros: Easy program, will promote weight loss
Cons: Not a healthy choice, expensive

In all fairness, I would like to say that I tried this program over 5 years ago, and, therefore, the product very well may have improved. However it would have had to improve tremendously to even reach an acceptable level.

I was on the...

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

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...

Pros: A great moneymaker fro the manufacturers
Cons: Unbelievably dangerous program

I had been in an accident and hurt my back. I was prescribed painkillers, anti-inflammatory meds and Optifast (for quick weight loss to relieve pressure on my back). After filling out piles of forms (asking about meds and medical treatment) and getting...

Pros: Fast Weight Loss
Cons: Not a long term fix

I worked with the dietician department in our local hospital. They were using the optifast program with some of their patients. I personally didn't use the product. It is supposed to be for people who are quite a bit overweight.

I was...

Pros: Fast, it works!, perfect nutrition, low calorie, never hungry, counseling, medical monitoring
Cons: expensive, possible hair loss, loose skin, may regain weight

I have tried to lose weight on every diet in the book, weight watchers, Jenny Craig, The Zone, Atkins, etc. I was only ever able to stay on the diet a month or two and would get discouraged by the slow results and the temptation of eating food off the ...

Pros: Structured program helps with changing life style. Very safe. Truly effective.
Cons: Shakes don't taste too good. Oh well.

I'm 5'10 and weighed 310 pounds ten months ago. After being on the Optifast program (which was offered to me through my HMO) for six months, and two month on the maintainence program, I now weigh 175. Even after around two months of being back on normal ...

Pros: fast weight loss, medical supervision, simple, excellent track record.
Cons: No Food, variety or choices; cost; some initial discomfort (but consider medication for appetite)

Here are some facts that I used to evaluate my decision to choose Optifast. You can find this study at the Optifast website. My review/experience will follow: 1. The average BMI entry into the diet is 39. Do you know what your BMI is? OptiFast is ...

Pros: No dishes, groceries, meal preparations;
Break destructive eating habits;
Fast results are motivating;
Delicious
Cons: Bad breath;
First few days, you'll be hungry;
Social situations (some can't understand);

I have nothing but good things to say about Optifast. I think of myself as a picky eater and I don't mind the taste of the shakes at all. I find that the vanilla tastes like soft serve ice cream and chocolate is good too. You can also use instant ...

Pros: shakes taste great can have bars or soup or dessert. weight does come off
Cons: still cooking for the family.

I consider myself overweight but not obese. I started using Optifast three weeks ago and find it fantastic. I did not start with the intense program, instead I started with two shakes a day and one calorie controlled meal. Almost all of it vegetables ...

Pros: Fast weight loss. Lots of support.
Cons: Hunger for first week.

I have about 40 - 45 pounds to lose and I am tired of losing 1-2 pounds per week, as I have before on Weight Watchers. I end up getting bored, do something social, and then end up eating too many calories. (I think Weight Watchers is a fine program, ...

Pros: Huge weight loss, more energy, higher self esteem, MOTIVATED
Cons: miss taste sensations -smelling food helps satisfy.Product range limited compared to USA

Weighing 242.5pounds to start with in 8 days I have lost 14.33 pounds. (Sorry if that looks funny, I'm in Oz so we work in kg which is 110kg with a 6.5kg loss). Our program seems to be a little different than some of the reviews I have read. I am on the ...

Pros: None.
Cons: Dangerous, rapid weight loss with absolutely no way to keep it off. Avoid.

I did. I'm sorry I did.

I didn't get sick and I lost a lot of weight.

But I learned absolutely nothing about how to eat properly and keep the weight off. Basically, it was a waste of all that money and my time. Plus, it was...

Pros: rapid weight loss
Cons: rapid weight gain after coming off the diet

I decided to try the Optifast diet program after my mother and sister went on the diet. They both seemed to be having such success that I was ecstatic with their results.

The portions were an eight oz. glass of the drink five times a day....

Pros: Easy Weight Loss, Immediate results however with any diet discipline is key
Cons: somewhat expensive

I have been on the Optifast program for 5 months and have lost over 100 lbs. The diet is not for everyone, but if you are determined to lose the weight this is the right program for you. Most people fail to mention that Optifast has a full liquid diet...

Pros: loose weight! Never hungry, classes, individual and group support. Cost same spent on Junk food!
Cons: NONE unless being healthy is a bad thing!

If anyone is thinking about using Optifast as a diet tool, let me tell them DO IT! But you have to be ready! Not ready to loose weight, but ready to become healthy, to stay alive! This program is not an easy way out and if you are not ready to be ...

Pros: fool proof, drink shakes =lose weight I promise this diet works!
Cons: social gatherings are hard, avoid them for the first few weeks, it gets easier.

Ive read some reviews here on Optifast...I have been on the program for over 6 months..basically, any diet works, if you stay committed to it..so Optifast is no miracle. But i think ive tried every diet u can think of and this is the only one that worked ...

Pros: Quick weight loss, Lots of energy
Cons: First week hard, all liquid

I was desperate and as a last resort called the closest clinic. The nutritional counselor was wonderful and even though I didn't think I could do it...she was supportive. Within the first week I had lost 11 lbs. I felt better than I had in years and...

Pros: Easy process, eat 1 healthy meal with 5 shakes daily, tons of energy, soaring confidence.
Cons: Not enough food, gittery & diaherea, Shakes are disgusting.

I was able to buy the products from an on-line clinic and I must say, today is my second day and I feel GREAT!!! I was told by the on-line clinic nurse to drink 5 shakes a day and eat 1 low carb Healthy Choice 480 or less calorie meal a day. Within 45 ...

Pros: quick weight loss
Cons: hard to socialize with with other people at times. Traveling can be also difficult.

I lost a lot of weight with Optifast back in 1999. Sadly, it all came back. I cannot blame it on the ...

Pros: Rapid weight loss, no thought involved.
Cons: VERY expensive. $200 plus dollars per WEEK.

The cost was high, but I did lose 30 lbs over 2 months.
I've gained back 5 or so in the past month since I've been off of it.

You can get the same calorie components / ingredients by taking a fat free milk with sliced lowfat meats like...

Pros: Shakes R great, Pudding sucks, quick results
Cons: Need support

Hi, my name is Patricia and I began the Opti-fast diet a week and a half ago. Today is by far my worst day since beginning. I have always been thin and enjoyed every minute of it. However when those babies came I didn't really pay much attention to ...

Pros: Easy. Produces substantial, consistent weight loss over a relatively short period. Fills you up.
Cons: Taste is bland. In Australia I discovered an equivalent product, Kicstart, which tastes much better.

After 2 or 3 days of replacing all three daily meals with Optifast/Kicstart I felt normal, energetic and not hungry. I missed the taste, texture and smell of food, but the fact that you are visably losing weight and that the programme need only last about 3 months makes avoiding temptation easy. I mix the shakes with a couple of teaspoonfulls of instant coffee to improve the taste and take care of my caffeine addiction.

Cost in Australia for either Optifast or the better tasting Kicstart is around AU$190 (US$145), which makes it cheaper than eating food.

I assumed before taking this diet that it would require extraordinary willpower to take Optifast for all three meals a day, and thought I would probably have to resort to having at least one small meal a day. In fact, it is so simple that I never ate any food during the whole time I was on it.

Pros: Fast weight loss, no decision making regarding meals, shakes taste OK.
Cons: Missing real food (but it's worth it), a little costly, and the soup is horrid.

I am a 40 year old woman living in Australia, I began using Optifast in Jan 05, I weighed 120 kgs (264 lbs) I replaced all meals with the shake (either chocolate or vanilla) and the weight just fell off. I did absolutely no exercise, and still lost weight, I was loving it. I lost 26 Kilos (about 57 lbs) in 4 months. I found the program very easy as you did not have to decide what foods were good and bad you simply had your shake, no decision making , which I find the hardest bit of dieting. By mid year I was finding the cost a bit of a problem so I stopped the shakes and began just eating healthy food. This was fine for a while but the old habits soon came back, by Christmas I was eating anything an everything. On Jan 1, 2006 I made the decision to return to Optifast (having gained about 7 Kilos (15 lbs) back) but this time I decided that exercise was also going to play a part, Yesterday I joined the Gym and I am determined to lose more weight and get fit and healthy.

Pros: Quick, rewarding, Worth it.
Cons: Fear of going back to old habits.

20 lb loss the first month and 2/wk since and I'm at 30 lbs off now. My high blood pressure was gone in 2 weeks and I feel great. It has been very easy for me. It helped me stop eating and drinking as a habit. I constantly had something in my hand and on its way in. Now I feel good all the time. Nervous about eating and drinking again but my team is so supportive I'm really looking forward to only eating quality foods in moderate quantities. Weight Watchers will probably be a good place to go next. I had started WW before but I managed to drink my points so I realized I really had a "eating and drinking in quantity" problem. I believe I've fixed that. I have 20 lbs to go so we'll see. I'm motivated but I know this is the easy part. Keeping the new habits will be the challenge.

Pros: Lost 50 lbs in three months
Cons: hungry the 1st three days

It was the best program I ever did, I was reffered by my physician to have surgery to help me lose weight fast, instead I met this great Dr. in Beverly Hills who really helped me with the program, it is hard at first but the program i was doing really helped me go through the rough times

Pros: Rapid Weight Loss Delicious Shakes No Thinking/Mesuring/Looking up Calories
Cons: Your a bit hungry No variety of taste

I found the Optifast program to be just what I needed. You really have to have the willpower and drive to to this. YOU EAT NO FOOD! The begining was a bit hard, but it gets better with each passing day. You start loosing weigh almost immediatly, and each week I lost between 2-5 pounds. That kind of results encouraged me to stay on. Ive been on it for 12 weeks now, and have lost 43 pounds. The shakes taste good too, and they have a chicken and a tomato soup.(nice to have a cold or hot option)
Also going to meetings and facing a scale each week helped me stick with it. I'm now exersizing now and hope to continue with the plan for at least another 12 weeks. Ive lost 4 pant sizes and feel great.
I would recomend this to anyone looking to kick start their long term weight loss plans. I myself plan on changing my eating habits perminently, and to never again be in a size 22.

Pros: I think the shakes are yummy! Not hungry, quick to lose lbs!
Cons: A little pricey, but my ins covers most of it, missing real food...

I have been on the modified fast program for 1 week and I am very pleased so far. (9 lbs!) The 1st couple of days were a challenge, but not nearly as bad as I had expected. I think the shakes taste pretty good, especially when mixed with a dash or two of cinnamon. The program really is much easier than I thought. The hardest part is the cravings, but I get over them. I feel great, and my confidence and energy are rising! A tad pricey, but I was spending way more $ on eating meals out & at the grocery store, that's for sure. So, for me it's worth it! I fear weight gain once I'm done, but there is a year long maintenance program afterwards, so hopefully this will help. Good luck!

Pros: Loose or gain weight depending on how you use it.
Cons: Price, Doctor supervision advised.

For some people, Optifast is a great meal supplement. It can be used in reverse to gain weight in a fast and easy way. Body builders know this as well as endurance athletes. It can also be used by people who are unable to chew or swallow whole food. (Under a Doctors supervision)

Some reviewers did not do their homework and mention that it lacks vitamins and minerals. In general, this product has around 1/3 the daily requirement per serving.

The chocolate variety is the best stand alone flavor, but the vanilla mixes well with fresh fruit and makes a great smoothie. Experiment with this and you will find something you can tolerate while either gaining or loosing weight.

Pros: It's fast.
Cons: liquid only. very tiny solid wastes at the toilet. tastes disgusting. missing vitamins and minerals.

Optifast is not for overweight people. Optifast is only for the obese. Astronaughts can't live on this diet, and you can't either. You MUST drink water a lot. Liquid only diet. It is only for the obese to save their lives. The milkshakes taste awful because they're like vitamins and minerals. You may want some vitamins and minerals not part of the Optifast program. Taking a vitamin tablet and drinking water every 4 hours seems the same.