This weekend could be interesting, but I’m feeling positive… I weighed myself this morning and I have dropped 3.8kg so far in the first 3 days and am feeling all the better for it… I know its only 3 days, but I know its working…
As part of the Optifast plan you can manage the diet online using their OasisClub system… It includes both a Weight Diary and a Food and exercise Diary where you have to log everything you eat…
For example this is yesterday’s diary
14 Aug 2009
Breakfast
1 Sachet, Optifast Chocolate Milkshake - 152Cal (636kJ)
AM snack
1 mug (240mL), Tea, black, brewed from leaf or teabags, regular - 3Cal (14kJ)
1 mug (240mL), Tea, black, herbal, all types - 3Cal (14kJ)
Lunch
1 medium (6cm to 8cm dia), Tomato, Raw - 22Cal (94kJ)
6 strip (10cm long), Celery, Raw - 3Cal (12kJ)
1 Bar, Optifast Berry Crunch Bar - 230Cal (964kJ)
PM snack
3 bottle (300mL), Mineral Water, Natural - 0Cal (0kJ)
Dinner
1 Sachet, Optifast Chocolate Milkshake - 152Cal (636kJ)
1 medium (11cm to 16cm long), Zucchini, Cooked, Fat Not Added In Cooking - 16Cal (67kJ)
3 medium, Mushroom, Cooked Or Canned, Fat Not Added In Cooking - 13Cal (53kJ)
5 mL, Oil, Vegetable, Blended - 41Cal (170kJ)
Supper
1 medium, Mushroom, Raw - 3Cal (12kJ)
Exercise
20 Minute Walking 2.5 kph - 52Cal (216kJ)
GRAND TOTAL - 586Cal (2456kJ)
It’s not just a change in your eating habits and food you it, it’s an entire lifestyle change… Normally on weekends I head down to the local shops, pickup the papers and go to Gloria Jeans for a Coffee and Toast… Couldn’t do that today… I went down and picked up the paper and came home to my milkshake and black tea…
Hopefully the rest of the weekend will sail by as I have heaps to do around the house; as well as meet up with a couple of ACS friends this arvo to go do some planning in at work… Let’s see how it goes
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Caramel Slice, Biscuits, Bolognaise Bake and fresh bread rolls
Today was probably the hardest day so far in the preparation stage on Optifast… Everywhere I turned there was temptation. In the McCafe at work they had Caramel Slice, among other usual fare, including coffee… You may say don’t go there, but it’s in the Level 3 Kitchen area where the fridge and water is so it’s impossible to avoid… I avoided the slice and coffee, for a cup of hot water for my tea…
This afternoon we had a demo of equipment at Jones bay, and yes you guessed it, it was catered for… I was good and had my celery, tomato and Optifast bar before I arrived, so I just sat on the Pierre water for the day and gave the biscuits a miss…
Nearing the end of day 3, I thought by now my energy levels would have been starting to fade, but amazingly they haven’t… I’m doing everything normally and am feeling good (able it a little hungry) but that’s’ good right?
I’ve already gone in a belt notch to stop my jeans sliding down… which is a good feeling so far… Plenty more notches to go in though…
When I got home, Scott was tucking into one of my favourites, bolognaise pasta bake… The house smelt wonderful, the smell of real food for the first time in a week… If only I could just have a little bit… It was SOOO tempting, but a little bit turns into a bigger bit and then a whole serve… Soon I’ll be able to have this again, albeit in a smaller portion and not feel guilty about it. Tonight I was content with my sautéed three mushrooms, zucchini and chocolate shake for dinner…
Tonight for the first time I actually felt hungry later in the evening… It could have been so easy to have a bit of the bolognaise or one of the fresh bread rolls, but no – I went for a raw mushroom and an earlyish night
This afternoon we had a demo of equipment at Jones bay, and yes you guessed it, it was catered for… I was good and had my celery, tomato and Optifast bar before I arrived, so I just sat on the Pierre water for the day and gave the biscuits a miss…
Nearing the end of day 3, I thought by now my energy levels would have been starting to fade, but amazingly they haven’t… I’m doing everything normally and am feeling good (able it a little hungry) but that’s’ good right?
I’ve already gone in a belt notch to stop my jeans sliding down… which is a good feeling so far… Plenty more notches to go in though…
When I got home, Scott was tucking into one of my favourites, bolognaise pasta bake… The house smelt wonderful, the smell of real food for the first time in a week… If only I could just have a little bit… It was SOOO tempting, but a little bit turns into a bigger bit and then a whole serve… Soon I’ll be able to have this again, albeit in a smaller portion and not feel guilty about it. Tonight I was content with my sautéed three mushrooms, zucchini and chocolate shake for dinner…
Tonight for the first time I actually felt hungry later in the evening… It could have been so easy to have a bit of the bolognaise or one of the fresh bread rolls, but no – I went for a raw mushroom and an earlyish night
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Optifast Day 2
We’ll its getting harder… Especially when you have to fast for more blood tests that were screwed up a couple of days ago, and then only a bar for breakfast. Walking past the aromas coming from the local breadshop in Eastwood at 8am in the morning is torture…
No coffee and no milk, just black tea is also hard, but this was similar last year in Beijing as they couldn’t make coffee to save themselves, and on the rear occasion I got to Starbucks it was crap too… So a month without coffee shouldn’t be too bad
I munched on celery and tomato for lunch - The tomato was a nice change, before another bar…
As people at work are finding out about the band, I am being filled with encouragement, and reminded of how well Mickey Robins went… I hope as people read this blog, it may also encourage others who are fighting the battle of the bulge that they can take control and do something about it… Its hard, but it would have been harder if I left it any longer…
I’m supposed to be off to an ACS night tonight at Engine, but with it being only day 2, I think the temptation of nibbles and alcohol would be too much, so I’m going to give it a miss
No coffee and no milk, just black tea is also hard, but this was similar last year in Beijing as they couldn’t make coffee to save themselves, and on the rear occasion I got to Starbucks it was crap too… So a month without coffee shouldn’t be too bad
I munched on celery and tomato for lunch - The tomato was a nice change, before another bar…
As people at work are finding out about the band, I am being filled with encouragement, and reminded of how well Mickey Robins went… I hope as people read this blog, it may also encourage others who are fighting the battle of the bulge that they can take control and do something about it… Its hard, but it would have been harder if I left it any longer…
I’m supposed to be off to an ACS night tonight at Engine, but with it being only day 2, I think the temptation of nibbles and alcohol would be too much, so I’m going to give it a miss
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
What’s up doc?
Optifast Day 1… I’m onto the rabbit food and milkshakes for the next month… Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. So far so good, but it’s going to get harder… No carbs, no dairy, no protein… It’s severe, but I’m not going to let it beat me.
The milkshakes aren’t too bad, a little on the bland side, but at least it’s got a chocolate flavour. No Skim Flat Whites either – its black tea or green tea…
I’m eating my lunch while I sit here writing today’s blog which consists of Celery sticks and another milkshake… I’m thinking I'm going to lash out tonight and have a soup with broccoli or cauliflower…
I’m off to my GP tonight to see him. Apart from letting him know about the operation, I need to check on things like my current medications and if I should be taking any supplements with the diet… It’s going to be really interesting to see where my energy levels are at after a few days…
The milkshakes aren’t too bad, a little on the bland side, but at least it’s got a chocolate flavour. No Skim Flat Whites either – its black tea or green tea…
I’m eating my lunch while I sit here writing today’s blog which consists of Celery sticks and another milkshake… I’m thinking I'm going to lash out tonight and have a soup with broccoli or cauliflower…
I’m off to my GP tonight to see him. Apart from letting him know about the operation, I need to check on things like my current medications and if I should be taking any supplements with the diet… It’s going to be really interesting to see where my energy levels are at after a few days…
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The last supper
After a late finish at work tonight and Scott not at home, the last thing I felt like doing was cooking when I got home, so I had one of my favourite take aways – Sesame Pizza… It was nice, and who knows if after the band goes on, I’ll be able to even have the occasional one? So better to have it now…
Monday, August 10, 2009
It's a date...
I confirmed the date this morning, with mixed feelings of intrepidation, as well as excitement… Wednesday 9 September - so just over 4 weeks… and now the preparation begins
Leave form’s – Check
Blood Tests – Check
Ultrasound and X-ray’s – Check
Pre-op consultation – Check
And the hardest of them all, 2 days left of eating “normal” food… Come Wednesday morning I start what will probably be the biggest challenge (and hardest part) of it all – the Optifast Diet…
I’ve started telling people and everyone’s been full of encouragement. Most of who I have told to date have said they know someone who has had it done and how well they are doing, which is really encouraging…
Leave form’s – Check
Blood Tests – Check
Ultrasound and X-ray’s – Check
Pre-op consultation – Check
And the hardest of them all, 2 days left of eating “normal” food… Come Wednesday morning I start what will probably be the biggest challenge (and hardest part) of it all – the Optifast Diet…
I’ve started telling people and everyone’s been full of encouragement. Most of who I have told to date have said they know someone who has had it done and how well they are doing, which is really encouraging…
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Preparing for my first challenge
Today I took my next step in the preparation to get my band… The month long OptiFAST… So once I confirm the date of the procedure tomorrow, I have to start on the Optifast diet for 4 whole weeks out from the surgery date, which means I’ll be starting it sometime this week…
This is going to be the killer part as I’m dropping weight but with nothing to help me… The reason for the Optifast diet is so that my liver can shrink (by 30%) to allow the surgeon to place the band. The liver sits over the area of the stomach where the band is placed so it needs to shrink so it’s easier for the small keyhole surgery tools to lift it while the band is put into place.
I didn’t know much about the Optifast diet until I purchased it today. I thought it was only the shakes, soups, bar or desert (one of these 3 times a day). That would be tantamount to torture, but I can also still have 2 litres of water and 2 cups of salads/green vegies a day, so it’s doable although it’s going to be very hard… Some of the Optifast literature I’ve got now almost makes it interesting. ½ cup cauliflower in the mixed vegetable soup, passionfruit pulp in the chocolate desert and even jelly and chopped strawberries in the strawberry milkshake, but I'm not sure if I can come at the asparagus cuts in the vanilla milkshake…
It’s been interesting over the last couple of days… since I have committed to this in my mind I haven’t been feeling hungry… I’ve been eating my normal weekend and haven’t felt the need to snack… Maybe my brain is starting to prepare itself for this as well after all the information it’s been getting in the last week…
This is going to be the killer part as I’m dropping weight but with nothing to help me… The reason for the Optifast diet is so that my liver can shrink (by 30%) to allow the surgeon to place the band. The liver sits over the area of the stomach where the band is placed so it needs to shrink so it’s easier for the small keyhole surgery tools to lift it while the band is put into place.
I didn’t know much about the Optifast diet until I purchased it today. I thought it was only the shakes, soups, bar or desert (one of these 3 times a day). That would be tantamount to torture, but I can also still have 2 litres of water and 2 cups of salads/green vegies a day, so it’s doable although it’s going to be very hard… Some of the Optifast literature I’ve got now almost makes it interesting. ½ cup cauliflower in the mixed vegetable soup, passionfruit pulp in the chocolate desert and even jelly and chopped strawberries in the strawberry milkshake, but I'm not sure if I can come at the asparagus cuts in the vanilla milkshake…
It’s been interesting over the last couple of days… since I have committed to this in my mind I haven’t been feeling hungry… I’ve been eating my normal weekend and haven’t felt the need to snack… Maybe my brain is starting to prepare itself for this as well after all the information it’s been getting in the last week…
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