Hi everyone. I'm hoping to be banded the end of December. My doctor wants me to to Optifast the 2 weeks prior to surgery. Have any of you done Optifast? Is it tolerable? Thanks for your feedback!!

Hi everyone. I'm hoping to be banded the end of December. My doctor wants me to to Optifast the 2 weeks prior to surgery. Have any of you done Optifast? Is it tolerable? Thanks for your feedback!!

Hi Allheart,

I am on week 4 of Optifast. There are ways to make it tolerable. I'm in Australia and I know the USA has a larger range than we do. I bought the vanilla optishake, the desert and the chocolate fudge bar.

To the vanilla I add flavours. Essences etc are good but the one mix I love is diet orange soda and ice cubes added to the vanilla - sort of has an orange cheescake sort of flavour. Someone suggested diet coke. If you are allowed fruit (I wasn't) you can blend some fruit in with it as well. To the chocolate desert I added mint flavouring and froze it - kind of like a chocolate mint icecream. If you are allowed low cal toppings that go on icecream, you could also mix these in.

Luckily this is my last week and I am due for surgery on December 3. the other thing you can do is make some of your veges into a salsa and use celery sticks and then you can munch on it throughout the day - helps keep hunger away and you don't feel deprived of something to munch on.

Good luck for your 2 weeks - you'll be fine:clap2:

Danna:hungry:

Not sure if your dr will exclude them, but watch out for the sodas, even the diet ones. You will not be able to drink them post-op, at least for a while so its easier to stop them early. I didnt have to do the Optifast, but did a Whey protein diet on my own for over a month pre-op, mainly to get my body used to the new lifestyle. Trust me, it really helped lessen the shock to my system...Dave

Is one type of liquid diet preferable to another? I purchased Umjury in preparation for after the surgery, but I was wondering if I should do Optifast or Medifast before the surgery. My thinking is that these have added Vitamins and minerals. Would a simply liquid Protein be just as good?

~~Amaara

Is one type of liquid diet preferable to another? I purchased Umjury in preparation for after the surgery, but I was wondering if I should do Optifast or Medifast before the surgery. My thinking is that these have added Vitamins and minerals. Would a simply liquid Protein be just as good?

~~Amaara

Hi Amaara,

The pre-op diet is a very low calorie diet usually about 600-800 calories. Most of the Dr's in Australia prefer Optifast as we generally havve 3 meals of Optifast + 2cups veges + low cal soda etc. They tend to prefer Opti because it has the added vitamins and minerals. Not all Drs require you to do the pre-op diet but it is designed to reduce liver size and make the op easier and recovery faster.

Have you got a dietician? If you do, it might be best if you seek their advice. Good luck for your op.

Danna:faint:

Thanks, Danna!

Yes, I have a dietician. She hasn't been terribly concerned with my diet. I have another appointment with her on the 15th of December, but I want to do something in the meantime. The surgeon wants me to lose 15 pounds before my surgery, and I have not done that. I am not yet scheduled for surgery.

~~Amaara

I was on Optifast for two weeks pre-op. I was not allowed anything else ..except loads of yummy Water. Nothing. I thought it was going to be really hard but it really wasn't.

I only used the vanilla shakes as I knew I wouldn't like the chocolate or strawberry. They tasted just fine and I never altered them with other flavours or anything.

One tip I was given is to drink it fast.. fill up faster, stay full longer. Don't sit around and sip it for a long time.

I also lost 18 pounds in those two weeks.

Good luck!

-Libby :peace: