Optifast 800 calorie diet

sunlover75 wrote:

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We are all weak in the fast of food---that is how we got fat in the first place, so don't beat yourself up. Take a deep breath, and realize that it can be done----and make today a great day. There is nothing that is more wrong with you than is wrong with each of us. In fact, many of us have control over the financial, professional, personal, and etc. parts of our lives, but do not have control over food. Face it---if we had control over food, none of us would be on this board, or need this program. My point is don't beat yourself up, or decide that there is something uniquely wrong with you that won't allow you to do this---you can do it, and we can all help. Good Luck!

Dana wrote:

Checking in.....
15th weigh-in..... Down 2lbs ... Down 48.7 total. Ave. 3.22 per week.
Week three of couch to 5k complete! Total running per day about 15 minutes, longest run... 3 minutes.
Increased daily walk to 2.7 miles with dog (thank you Lord for "warm" Chicago winter!)
Got permission from Doc to extend fast to 22 weeks. Trying to boost daily steps (14,457 steps yesterday... My new high!). Need to exercise more to burn same calories as I did 50 lbs ago.
Need to find more time to focus on head work and formulate system for my maintenance plan... Don't want it to sneak up on me before I have a chance to prepare!
Now on to life in general.
Seeing lots of success on this board but also lots of struggles. The one common denominator to many lapses seems to be that folks are opening the door to "exceptions" .
Most, not all, people on optifast have serious food addiction issues. What makes this program work is the "vacation" from food... Like an alcoholic avoiding bars. We are paying lots of money for complete nutrition in supplement form... Add nothing to it but fiber, salt and calorie-free seasonings and ice!!! We need to stick to the program 1000 percent. Do not open the door to cheating... Don't even look at the door! Learn from others' experiences! We see people trying to eat one small snack while watching the Superbowl just to lose control... Dont put yourself in that situation again. Try to consider putting anything else in your mouth the same as throwing away the hundred-plus dollars you spent on food for the week... Because that is essentially what you are doing when you choose to try to make an exception that leads to a binge.
Most importantly, use this vacation to work on the mental issues that cause you to gain the weight. This, by the way, is the only way I am able to justify the expense of this program for myself. If we do not do the head work that will enable us to be successful in maintenance then there is no difference between doing optifast and attempting any radical crash diet.
Give yourselves the opportunity to be successful! Do exactly what our doc says and trust the process.
Best,
Dana

Thomas wrote:

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It's your first day and it is over. Tomorrow, start anew and try and try and be stronger. I'm sure you're not the first to do this and you won't be the last. be strong.

sunlover75 wrote:

<quoted text>
We are all weak in the fast of food---that is how we got fat in the first place, so don't beat yourself up. Take a deep breath, and realize that it can be done----and make today a great day. There is nothing that is more wrong with you than is wrong with each of us. In fact, many of us have control over the financial, professional, personal, and etc. parts of our lives, but do not have control over food. Face it---if we had control over food, none of us would be on this board, or need this program. My point is don't beat yourself up, or decide that there is something uniquely wrong with you that won't allow you to do this---you can do it, and we can all help. Good Luck!

Jessica wrote:

Okay so i like to go back and read previous posts and i saw "ketosis" being mentioned a lot and somebody said we can't be on ketosis due to us eating 800 calories, but I assumed we wouldn't be in ketosis because we are consuming 100 carbs per day... Well, I have ketostix because I tried and failed to do a protein diet a few months ago lol
As i mentioned earlier, i drank skim milk with my coffee everyday in my first week, when i tested using the ketostix, i tested negative for ketones.
I stopped drinking skim milk on wednesday, and as of yesterday I have been experiencing a really bad taste in my mouth, which reminded me of being on ketosis on the protein diet.. so i went and did the ketostix test, and i have a moderate amount of ketones, interesting! I will test again in a few days =]

Dana wrote:

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I felt the same during my first week. I asked my doc about this a few weeks ago. He said that depending on the amount of carbs you were eating before the diet, you might experience a period of ketosis during your first few weeks. This is because your body is adjusting to a much lower, yet healthy, carb intake level. The amount of carbs in optifast isn't intended to induce ketosis, it's totally balanced.
Keep up the good work! It really does get easier and the results are AWESOME!
Dana

Dana wrote:

Checking in.....
15th weigh-in..... Down 2lbs ... Down 48.7 total. Ave. 3.22 per week.
Week three of couch to 5k complete! Total running per day about 15 minutes, longest run... 3 minutes.
Increased daily walk to 2.7 miles with dog (thank you Lord for "warm" Chicago winter!)
Got permission from Doc to extend fast to 22 weeks. Trying to boost daily steps (14,457 steps yesterday... My new high!). Need to exercise more to burn same calories as I did 50 lbs ago.
Need to find more time to focus on head work and formulate system for my maintenance plan... Don't want it to sneak up on me before I have a chance to prepare!
Now on to life in general.
Seeing lots of success on this board but also lots of struggles. The one common denominator to many lapses seems to be that folks are opening the door to "exceptions" .
Most, not all, people on optifast have serious food addiction issues. What makes this program work is the "vacation" from food... Like an alcoholic avoiding bars. We are paying lots of money for complete nutrition in supplement form... Add nothing to it but fiber, salt and calorie-free seasonings and ice!!! We need to stick to the program 1000 percent. Do not open the door to cheating... Don't even look at the door! Learn from others' experiences! We see people trying to eat one small snack while watching the Superbowl just to lose control... Dont put yourself in that situation again. Try to consider putting anything else in your mouth the same as throwing away the hundred-plus dollars you spent on food for the week... Because that is essentially what you are doing when you choose to try to make an exception that leads to a binge.
Most importantly, use this vacation to work on the mental issues that cause you to gain the weight. This, by the way, is the only way I am able to justify the expense of this program for myself. If we do not do the head work that will enable us to be successful in maintenance then there is no difference between doing optifast and attempting any radical crash diet.
Give yourselves the opportunity to be successful! Do exactly what our doc says and trust the process.
Best,
Dana

Conqueror wrote:

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Dana, congrats on your continued success!!! I like the way you discussed our mental renewal concerning food. I'm kind of like you, when I started I threw everything in the circle when starting optifast!!! I said it was all or nothing...I paid my money all up front and didn't use the payment plan they offered....that being said I'm determined not to mess over my money(LOL) I do have some struggles but I thank God that He has given me the strenght to hang in there and not cheat (5 weeks into the program). I'm not going to say I haven't felt like it but I try especially not to put myself in situations that I feel I can't handle. That might sound weak but it's the way I have to handle it:: This is no cake walk but it's a journey! I'm determined to make the trip! Hang Tough everybody and Rock Steady!!

jim bobaway wrote:

hey all been out mowing lawns cleaning car feeling really good weighed in 123.8kg (272.9LBS) want get down to 99kg so still climbing that mountain no it seem more like a hill now!!! and most of all I'm enjoying the walk!!! JIM (still climbing and enjoying the view!!!)

Megan wrote:

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Thank you so much for the encouraging words you're right..Today was a better day and I kept the full fast!

Marye - Inman SC wrote:

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Same as you, but with bread! Much worse, I'm afraid!!
:(
Did you get a 1200 calorie diet to start with, for the week
before you went on full Optifast?? It incorporated 4 shakes and 2 small 300 calorie meals. I'm going to do that today and see how it goes. Hopefully that will control my bingeing....knowing that I can have some food.
My next step is to rejoin officially....which I would really hate,'cause I've been fudging on my weight at the self-weigh-ins.
Oops! LOL!

Dana wrote:

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I am determined too! It's kind of scary though because I am approaching a point in my journey where I have stalled in the past. I have never been thin.... Just varying degrees of fatness. In another ten pounds I will be as small as I can remember being... And that was just for a short period of time.
I think I am more afraid of creeping complacency than I am of the unknown. I don't want to settle... I want to see how good I can feel and how good I can look. I don't want to lose this mojo!
Again, the "auto-pilot" aspect of optifast is going to help with this... And it's another reason I asked my doc to extend me to 22 weeks
Btw, like you, I have definetly made efforts to avoid situations that are unreasonable. I avoided Thanksgiving altogether (week 4) and didn't host company over Christmas. This has gotten easier though and I am going to have my in-laws for two weeks this spring. The journey seems to be different now, still hard but in a different way even though I am 51 lbs down. Sigh....
Thanks for the encouragement, Conqueror, keep up the good work and God bless!
Dana

Jessica wrote:

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Don't let anything stop you until you feel your best =] Your doing amazing so far.