Oh, Shanna, I won't need a sturdy dyke - my hubby will be okay for me! You go ahead, though - and we can even hit the gay bars, if you like!

Chris
PS Yes, I know you meant the other type of dyke. LOL

Rolling on the floor girls- Picture this and read it as a childhood jump rope song

Four fat girls
Gettin on a barge
The next one rolls in----
And the first one rolls out

Venice - here we come - make sure the dykes are sturdy.

Sounds like a plan, Nicole. We'll all go together!
Chris

i wanna come to italy also......just imagine what it would of been like getting into a gondola before the op....we would have sunk it...lol
Shanna, if you order the s/b opti online remember that they are only small boxes...i think they only have 8 shakes in them...whereas the choc and vanilla have 21 in them... but the s/b are yummier...lol

Okay, Shanna - you're on! You start...
Chris

OK girls this is what you have to do-

First - promote this site to one and all- snag some gondoleers wife who goes for a sleeve - and then swap a week on a barge down some Venice waterway for a stay in your lovely abodes. There is a solution to all problems. That way you only have to pay for airfare. Next week - how to get free airfare..............

Oh, you guys do make me laugh!
Firstly, Cinni, I'm going to Venice with you - I've always wanted to go to Italy, too. But let's wait until we're nice and slim, so we get to make the most of all that bum pinching!
Oh yeah - and we have to win lotto too, to get there...no problem - we'll do it while we wait for the weight to shift!
We leave on Friday and stay overnight at a hotel in Sydney, then fly to Cairns on Saturday morning, and come back the next Saturday. Only a week, but believe me it's a well-earned holiday and we're really looking forward to it.
Shanna, you have a wicked sense of humour!
I'm not going to ask the waiter for ice water and a blender - I'm taking my own blender!!! Um, but I don't think I know how to sashay, either.

The opti is just in case I do the wrong thing with food and end up with a sore tummy - and I can make it in our room, right there on the balcony with the ocean views (yes, we do have one of those). Oh, yes, and it is a silver sachet, not a can!

Opti fast comes in discreet (not) silver packets not tins. hehe

Chris when are you going? I would love a holiday but that won't be happening for a while now. :[img]http://ww We are saving to go home to nz but after watching someone float down the Grand Canal in Venice on telly the other day I am scheming to ditch the nz trip and head there. I have always wanted to go to Italy but it seems a shame to go to Europe and only go to one or two places and our budget wouldn't stretch to a European tour. Might have to wait till the kids leave home or the lotto pays out. :)

Hey Miss Bychic - I can just see you now. Sashaying into a snazzy place with an ocean view. The waiter pulls out your chair, then hands you a menu and walks away. You stand up, and pull out a big hulking can of strawberry optifast and call out, "Oh waiter, oh waiter- can you please bring a cup of ice and a blender to the table so I can get ready for my dining experience."




Gotta love that bychic- nothing but the best and most delectable tidbits for her!!

Have fun kiddo.

Hey Oldfart
I still use opti sometimes now. I'm 9 weeks post-op, and if I have a problem with food, I find my tummy objects to eating for a day or two afterwards, so I'll stick to fluids until I start to feel better, and then go on to optifast for a meal or two. That seems to help, for some reason, so I go with it. In fact, I'm even packing some to go with me to Cairns - just in case!
Oh, and Shanna - we can get Opti at the chemist shop (pharmacy), or the online pharmacy. Can't get it at the docs over here, like some people can though.
Chris

Oh Enfusie Honestly the Slimfast tasted icky so I thought I would try the strawberry Optifast that seemed to be a winner but I have to start anyway in 4 days and it is only for 8 days I think- a total of 16 cans since I get to eat a small meal at night. And I guess I can handle 16 cans- if not I will do the egg white thing. But that is sweet of you to think of me. And just now- LOL I finally went to the end of this thread and found out all of you had to buy the Optifast on line. So now I am going to see if I can get a box of Strawberry shakes shipped overnight. What a pain - I am not usually a last minute Johnny.

Big hug for thinking of me though.

We can buy Optifast at the office doctor and it's 45,00 for a box. If i can send you one, but you live far away...
Have a great day!

Hi Chrisbychick and thanks for the tip on the differences for the optislim ..... did you use much of the stuff after the operation or did you just use a prtotien supplament?

Hey, Shanna, don't worry - it's probably the same thing anyway! You know how they have different names for the same products in different places. Doesn't matter what it's called - it's all the same kind of thing.
And oldfart, just be careful which Optislim you buy - I went to the chemist on the weekend to get some Optislim because I knew you could get them by the sachet instead of a whole box full there, but I found out that only the ones that are sold in the box are the same type of VLCD formula as the Optifast. The others, that are sold singly, are Optislim Club, which are a less complete formula. Who knew? That's what the pharmacist told me, anyway!
Chris

So I go to the CVS drugstore because even though my doctor told me to use the Slimfast I want to fit in with everyone else and have Optifast- and guess what - they don't have it. Nor does the supermarket. So tomorrow I am off to the health food store and if I strike out there I will have to use- you guessed it- Slim Fast since I don't have the time or the patience to order it on the internet

Thanks for your reminders applesauce,
i am sure you didn't mean to offend however in computer talk capitals is shouting.
There is even an announcement by Hayley titled 'Please read before posting'

- Capitals: When you write your message, please don't abuse capitals (it means that you shout).

Jodes

Just a reminder, as yummy as all these additives are PLEASE consult you surgeon/patient liaison person BEFORE adding ANYTHING to Optifast.
If you are doing Optifast pre Op most surgeons WILL NOT allow fruit of any kind at that stage. Some surgeons just don't allow it.

Some savoury Suggestions:
~Try a stock cube dissolved in hot water or low carb cuppa soups.
~1 teaspoon of curry powder added to the chicken soup
~To make the chicken soup taste good (and smell good)
1 zucchini
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 red capsicum
...fry in allocated oil
Divide in half as this is enough for 2 days worth of veggies and put one lot in the fridge for tomorrow
Mix up optifast soup Add a splash of dark soy (to hide taste and smell)Add a splash of red wine vinegar (to neutralize the soy taste)Add veggies

~Instead of buying the chicken soup which is quite a bit more expensive that the shakes make up soup. Dinner is then a 3 course meal! The soup, shake and Low Joule Jelly for dessert.
Soup recipe:
2 lge leeks
500g broccoli
1 bunch spring onions
1 clove garlic
1 tspn dried herbs
1 litre vege stock
olive oil
Cut all veges up small, put into pan with olive oil and cook for a few mins, add stock/herbs/garlic/season ing and cook until soft then blitz in blender. I then water it down and bag into portions and freeze. Take out when required, microwave and add tspn olive oil when serving and mix in.

Optifast seems to taste better when mixed with very cold water. It is best mixed with a stab blender or in a shaker container.
Just a reminder, as yummy as all these additives are PLEASE consult you surgeon/patient liaison person BEFORE adding ANYTHING to Optifast.
If you are doing Optifast pre Op most surgeons WILL NOT allow fruit of any kind at that stage. Some surgeons just don't allow it.
Now to make them taste a little more interesting:
~Low Joule jelly crystals, just add them to 15ml of hot water to dissolve them before adding to the shakes
~Half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder,decaf coffee powder, strawberry essence, peppermint essence, coconut essence, orange essence, coconut rum liqueur style essence, low joule caramel and low joule fruit toppings in the vanilla shakes.
~Essences from the cake isle of the supermarket can be considered for either of the flavours of shakes. Peppermint, orange or Strawberry essences in the choc shakes work really well.
~There are a few companies that make sugar free syrups than can be used to flavour Optifast.One is DaVinci Syrups you can google them for an Australian supplier
~Another one is Torani Syrups, again this is the supplier I use:
http://www.passthetoast.com/products/catalogue.php ?catId=6
~If you are permitted fruit then the following options can also be used:
~Add a banana to the vanilla shake.
~Add optifast either dessert or chocolate shake into a blender with 200mls of cold water then add:
~coffee/mocha Mixer : 4 large ice cubes 2 shot of espresso add hazelnut essence.
~Mixed berry trio : scoop of mixed berries two large ice cubes, strawberry essence.
~Cherry Ripe sundae : Four icecubes one hand full of frozen cherries , strawberry essence

Taken from the Optifast Website.
If your surgeon hasn't given you any guidelines there are the allowed foods on the intensive phase.

LOW STARCH AND GREEN VEGETABLES
Radish, cauliflower, alfalfa sprouts, shallots, cucumber, asparagus, silver beet, eggplant, beans, snow peas, garlic, bok choy, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, squash, leeks, brussel sprouts, tomato, mung beans, celery, watercress, mushrooms, cabbage, zucchini, onions, capsicum, carrots
SOUPS
stock cubes, vegetable soups(using allowed vegetables), miso soup, bonox(in moderation)
SAUCES AND CONDIMENTS
lemon juice, soy sauce(in moderation), mustard, vinegar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chilli
sauce
SPICES AND HERBS
Dill, all spice, paprika, fennel, basil, parsley, garlic, celery flakes, oregano, pepper, ginger, chilli, rosemary, lite salt, chives, sage, mint, cinnamon, thyme, mustard seed, cloves, turmeric, nutmeg, coriander, tarragon, cumin, curry powder,
MISCELLANEOUS
Artificial sweeteners, Unsweetened lollies/gum, Diet Jelly, Essence: banana, mint, strawberry
CALORIE FREE FLUIDS (at least 2 litres extra per day)
Water, diet cordial, tea, mineral water, diet soft drink

Jodes I so did not mean to cause offence. People doing optifast see others doing something and tend to asume they can do the same. I have followed the boards now for about 18 months and seen it happen time and time again. I know nobody means to hurt anybody else but the reality is people find they have no surgery and get very angry, they feel cheated. Just to let you know I always use upper case when emphesising a word be it good or bad, it is not some attempt to attack, just do a search on any of my posts and you will see I use it all the time. Again I ment no offence I just know what I have seen happen before time and time again and wanted to stress that what ever anybody does to put those warnings out there when they do anything other than the optifast intensive that the majority of surgeons put their patients onto.

applesauce

Nope, Apple, you are definatley not a meanie. At all!
When I got the lapband in 2004- I was on optifast for 6 weeks before the op. The operation was fine in regards to my liver, and the liver was no problem.
Then I had the band taken out in 2007- and that was no problem either.
Then when I had the sleeve, I did not go onto opti fast- I ate normally, but extra, since I was on a bit of a rebound from having the band out and having freedom of a huge stomach again...

To cut a long story short, they were extremely close to pulling out of the surgery and closing me up without sleeving me, because my liver was so slippery, so fatty and so heavy. In fact the surgeons assistant complained that he indeed had a very sore back after struggling to lift my liver out the way.
All I can say is that I am so very very lucky that my surgeon continued on with the surgery and sleeved me.
A lady that went in for her sleeve came out with just scars because they could not lift her liver out the way, she was told to go onto 4 months of opti fast. How do you think she felt?
Some people dont get asked to go onto opti fast- but thats their surgeons decision, and they will choose that for very good reasons.
Please everyone, the optifast is not a punishment for being overweight, it is there for a reason, and dispite the fact that its not easy, its not nice and its not fun, weigh that up with coming out of surgery only to be told to lose more weight....
A few weeks on optifast is so worth it once you are sleeved and losing weight believe me, I know.
I really do appreciate this discussion, and value everyones posts, but please keep in mind that people coming to the site, having no idea what the surgery intails, may go on there merry way, thinking its ok to not listen to their surgeons. And that is the very very last thing that we want for someone. Do what your surgeon says-even if it seems silly and pointless.
Hayley

applesauce i didn't read anywhere that people wrote do this that or the other.........
I completely agree that people should be talking to their dieticians/surgeons if their not managing their optifast
surely we can discuss our experiences openly without being scolded like children.
Everybody's situation is different and i have successfully had prior surgery adding fruit to my pre-op optifast.
I would like to give everybody a little more credit for their intelligence and not believe they would do something solely based on something
they read online.
Perhaps a gentle reminder to everybody about your fears for them not following their doctors orders would have been suffucient
(without all the capital letters)
jodes

I must be crazy... I loved the optifast stage... And if I had to do it all over again , I would.. Ya know this stage of your life is based on discipline... And i think ya need to be positive bout everything even optifast... I checked everything I ate with my surgeon and dietitian. Yes I had a tiny apple every 2ND day... plus the smallest amount of milk and sugar in my one cup of small cup of coffee each day... If my doc or Nikki said no,well then I would never would have. Make optifast enjoyable... Your scales will love you...And you will love them... And your self for being well disciplined....

Donna

apple - You got me so paranoid that I went back and modded the one post that I could possibly have inferred it was okay, even though that wasn't the intent! :)

And you're not a meanie! :) You're just making sure people are doing what they are supposed to according to their surgeon because everyone has been given different information. :)

Kaili.

guys you are risking NOT gettting surgery by NOT doing as your surgeon has said. Yes I am known as the optifast nazi on the lapband board but after watching now 3 people in the last 8 months NOT get thier lapband or sleeve because their liver did not shrink just do not risk it. If for some reason you can not stick to optifast own up to your surgeon BEFORE the surgery. You still get the same bill if they open you up and are unable to do the surgery. You also risk liver damage which is dangerous stuff people. Mixing milk or fruit in your optifast is out and NOT allowed. Making up your own what I want to eat instead of optifast NOT allowed unless you clear it with your surgeon first. These people who miss out on their surgery are not fairy tails, Dr Amhad was one who closed up a patient with NO surgery another was the Adelaide surgeon to name 2 of them. Now all is fine if YOUR surgeon has said you can suck down cream and nuts until your surgery just do NOT go telling other people hey it is fine if you throw in fruit or change to something else because you do not like optifast unless you plan on paying their huge sugical bill for their not happening surgery. IF you have been told you are allowed to do something other than standard optifast STATE it in your posts, WARN people that they MUST MUST MUST clear anything different with their OWN surgeon BEFORE they go doing what you are doing. Risking your own surgery is your own business but please do not even hint to another person that they not follow their surgeons instructions to the letter.

For anybody who has NOT followed their surgeons instructions if it is more than a couple of strawberries or a few sips of milk in your coffee fess up to your surgeon BEFORE you go in and make sure he doesnt want to delay your surgery. It all depends how fatty your liver was what your size is where you carry your weight. So what one person can get away with is NOT what another person can get away with.

applesauce the meanie

Hi people , The strawberry optifast if made correctly I think is lovely.... I use cold water. pour it in to 300 ml's freezing cold water, beat with a fork, then i used my electric beater (the ones you use to make a cake) on low speed for a while, then put it up to high for a couple of minutes... My whole drink was froth... It was lovely.. I had 3 a day.... My tea was my veges.. I stir fried them with cooking spray... Then I put a bit of oyster or soy sauce on them... lovely... I used the Chinese veges from woolies in their vegie dept... I lost a lot of weight quickly before my op... I had so much energy... I was lucky to only be on it for 12 days thou...


All the best..

Donna

I find the best is to hold your nose and just chuck it back and forget all about the incident completely.

If you need something to chew try the cappucino bars or the berry bars I find them okay, but they do take a while to eat unlike the chocolate ones, where you need to drink a dam dry to eat them, you don't need as much water to get them down.

Shanna - I really struglled with the Optifast at first. It would take me at least 30 minutes to finish one shake or bar. But the longer I've been on it the less unpleasant it is. I can now finish them in about 5 minutes. Just persevere and you'll be fine. :)

i don't know what the dieticians say about this but
i have blended real strawberries into the vanilla shakes and it tastes better than the strawb flavour one
and banana is great blended into the chocolate.
i figure so long as we're not consuming the big quantities then the liver is gonna shrink.
works in my mind, lol
jodes

What I am planning to do is to have egg white omelettes if I can't handle the Optifast. I thought I would saute up some mushrooms- something meaty- I was going to treat myself to portobello, and some broccoli and then pour the egg whites into the saute pan. then I was going to make cauliflower and mash it up with some I can't believe it is butter so it has the consistency of mashed potatoes. I can't see why the egg whites wouldn't work as well as the Optifast- they are straight protein. I am also going to start up my twice a day vitamins and calcium. Anyway- I am starting either tomorrow or Monday- notice how I keep pushing it back.... I have until Thursday if I follow the letter of the law from the doctor but he doesn't know I put on about 8 pounds. And the one thing he warned me about was.....................
DONT PUT ON ANY WEIGHT BEFORE THE SURGERY.

Hi guys,
Yes, dieticians and docs seem to have different opinions to each other and even to what they say to different people, so I'm not surprised to hear of the differences again.
As to whether to count the tea in the fluids or not - I've heard it all ways, too, but decaf tea counting and the rest not counting is what my dietician told me in the hospital.
The decaf tea tastes just the same as other tea to me. It costs more, but I figure it's worth it if it counts.
Chris

Cinni - I had a headache for the first few days, but it went away soon after. I just figured it was my body detoxing.

very very weak tea should count as liquids as the amount of caffine in it is so minimal. all herb teas count like pepermint tea.

applesauce

em - I've been having carrots. The dietician said no carrots but the Optifast packaging says you can. So I argued with the dietician. I'm just making sure I don't go overboard. :) But I'm only doing it because I argued with my dietician and she said yes.

Carrots are also apparently high in starch like potatoes which is why the dietician said not to have them.

So you should probably avoid them over the next few days and fess up to your surgeon.

carrots and peas are high in carbs and claories for that matter. they will stop you going into ketosis which is needed for you to shrink that liver AND to stop you being hungry. Ketosis is what makes you feel like you are full of energy and only suffer head hunger as such. Best to skip the peas and carrot.

applesauce

oh i dont know how your drinking the vanilla ones.....just the thought make me wanna chuck...lol

Chocolate are ok and strawberry were yummy and the coffee ones were ok.

Gee im glad im past the optiyuk stage...lol

oldfart - I've lost 5kg in a week on the Optifast and the doc expected I'd lose 10kg before the surgery which is just over a week away! I was of the understanding that the OptiSlim and Optifast were actually different with the Optislim not having all the same nutrients (or something).

Denise - I've been having Benefibre with the Optiyuck to help out in that department!

2 x vanilla shakes each day with Benefibre and a squirt of vanilla essence and 1 x chocolate bar plus the veges, liquid and some diet jelly.

I can manage another week! :)

I am using optiSlim which is basically the same VLCD that optifast is, I got it online at $29.95 a box of 21 sachets at http://www.pharmacydirect.com.au./ and I dont mind the flavour at all coffee for brekkie and a vanilla for lunch. I manage breakfast and lunch on the shake okaybut I don't make it past around 5PM so I am eating a meal of vegies with a hunk of chicken or fish, still I have lost about a kilo a week which is fine by me, at least it is not going up! My daughter is having chocolate OptiFast but I think the optislim is better but I don't have any chocolate optislim to compare the two of the same flavour.

Hi Kailli,
I lost about 25kg on Optiyuk a couple of years ago. You can have 2 cups of vegies a day with it, but I usually have about 3 and I drink about 3 lt of water because I get blocked up like I've been eating concrete with it.

You can have any vegies except the good ones - Potato, pumpkin, peas, corn, carrots

Hope this helps.

Yeah, I've been having the 2L of liquid as a minimum.

I've even got diet jelly which I've been having as well.

I guess I'll adjust to being hungry! Thanks for the tips though. :)

Apple's right - diet jelly is a great one. Not only does it help fill your tummy up, but it also adds to your fluid intake.
Good luck!
Chris

Try a stock cube in boilking water, low salt ones are best. some diet jelly, nibble a celery stick, and the hated one drink more more water. You can not eat when going to the bathroom every 2 minutes is why I think they tell you that *joke* ehehehe

applesauce

Maybe you could add some Tony Ferguson snacks to your diet (but check with your dietitian first), provided that you don't overdo it. And are you supposed to have vegies/salad with lunch as well, which might help?

I started pre-op diet today but I'm not using Optifast (it is optional for me anyway, thank goodness). I was given a whole box of Kate Morgan shakes and last night I stocked up on Tony Ferguson soups and a few snacks and sweets. So I had Kate Morgan (butterscotch) for breakfast and mushroom soup for lunch, and yes I'm actually hungry and it is only 2pm. So thought I would try a few pieces of TF chocolate from the small chocolate bar and they're not bad. No added suger and low carb low GI. But Each piece has 14cals, so don't have too many. They also have jellies, so maybe they're better ie more filling.

Not sure how I am going to stick on this for the next two weeks.

Well, I hate to tell you Kaili, but you'll always feel a little hungry while on Optifast.
Yes, the first four days are the hardest, but that doesn't mean that it's a breeze afterwards.
Are you having your allowed veggies? I found that was a must.
Keep on going - you're half way there, and then it's over.
Best wishes
Chris

Seeing as there isn't actually much on this page about Optifast, I thought I might post this question here (I hope that's okay Hayley! :) )

I'm on Optifast at the moment and I'm just finishing up my first week on it. I was told that the first four days would be the worse and then after that everything should start to settle down. (I'm even getting used to the flavour!)

However, I'm still finding I'm hungry during the day. Did anyone else have this problem or am I just weird? :P

I'm drinking at least 2L of water etc per day, so I know that isn't the issue.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. :)

You are tired, aren't you? Got your message 3 times! LOL
Go rest!
Chris

Thanks, I will try that. I went back to work today for the 1st time since surgery. I am so very tired I can't be bothered moving. I am on strike tonight. Not cooking. Its get your own night tonight or go hungry.

Kiwi

Thanks, I will try that. I went back to work today for the 1st time since surgery. I am so very tired I can't be bothered moving. I am on strike tonight. Not cooking. Its get your own night tonight or go hungry.

Kiwi