I'm currently on Optifast until my surgery on Nov. 6th in order to shrink my fatty liver before they go in. The problem is, even though I'm only getting 960 calories a day, I haven't lost yesterday, although I did lose the four days before that. Is it possible that my body thinks I'm starving and went into total shut down? I am pretty weak and tired. Has anyone gone on Optifast before surgery and have some advice?

Lady Janey, it's unrealistic to expect a steady, day-by-day loss of weight no matter WHAT regimen you're on. Your body isn't a machine, and it loses weight in fits and starts. I did Optifast years ago and yes, the weight dropped off quickly but not in a totally steady way. You may not have lost today, but by the end of the week you will have lost weight.

Not to worry. Well, you might want to do something about being weak and tired--try to get in more fluids and rest a bit. I'm not a fan of Optifast for this reason, but if your doctor wants you to do it you'll just have to soldier through it.

How long have your been doing Optifast?

Shawn

I've been doing it for 11 days now and have lost a grand total of 5 pounds. I wish someone would explain to me how I could be eating 960 calories a day, working out, and still lose so little. I finally spoke to my doctor who basically said: well, you have a slow metabolism. I was like, duh!

I asked him if he thought that increasing to maybe 1200 calories a day would help me lose weight faster and that maybe I'm in starvation mode and have shut down. He told me that's illogical and the purpose of Optifast is to shrink my liver anyway and it's doing that.

This does not bode well for my post-surgical diet and he told me that I'll probably need about 1000 cal a day to lose after I get the band. I'm very upset needless to say.

You are doing terrific! The willpower alone to do this is incredible. It will be much easier once you are banded! You will have plateaus and times where overnight you lose 2 pounds. It's part of the territory. It does sound like you have a slow metab. 1000 is pretty much in the normal range, post-banding, once your reach restriction.

The first year I took in around 1000-1100 calories, now I am up to 1400-1500 calories. I use fitday.com to figure out my nutrition and calories.

Congrats. on taking this important step.

Shawn

I am finishing up on day 10 of the optifast diet and have lost about 10 pounds. I walk about 1.5 to 2 miles 4-5 times a week. I have noticed on the days I drink more water I lose more. Just washing the system out I suppose.

Just as you can lose inches but not pounds, your fatty liver may be revising itself inside and "slimming down" though you are not noticing the effects externally. When you restrict the calories, the body is going to go looking internally for more sustenance. It is probably accomplishing what your doctor is setting out to do, so I would just continue on. Don't necessarily use your scales as a success indicator.

I have just finished a 21-week program on Optifast, 14 weeks of 800 calorie of shakes and nothing else. I had weeks where I even gained weight or only lost .2 pounds. Just hang in there. You might not be losing water weight but you are losing body fat. Were you told that you need to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day in addition to the shakes. Very important to dropping those pounds.

If you are looking at my weight loss, I forgot to tell you that I lost 18 pounds on my own before starting Optifast.

Drink more water..It does help..you loose weight and then your body will hold..drinking water helps to flush the fat out of the cells..I learned that years ago when I did a DR suppervised weight loss liquid diet..it made sense..so water water water.. eventually it will come off..