Optifast (Liquid diets)
Richard Tjoa
I was wondering if anyone out there has had experiences with Optifast (or
the like) liquid diet plans. More specifically, they say that while
on the plan, you will very likely feel cold, because your body temperature/
metabolism will be slowed down/reduced. A friend of mine was on the plan
a few years ago (five-ish) for just long enough for her to forever be cold.
(she always cold, even if it's not too bad out) Anyone know anything
about it, more specifically, how to correct it? She exercises a lot already,
but it really doesn't help as much as it should, since her metabolism is
so screwed up. I'd like to help her get it back up to speed.
Also, it would seem to me that lowering metabolism rates would be totally
dumb, after all, wouldn't you want to be burning as many calories as you
possibly could, while taking in less? (Dumb? Make that "beyond dumb")
-Richard
"The use of "anyone out there" is merely a rhetorical device. Given the large
size of net-land, there is bound to be a great many people who have tried or
know about this or some other form of liquid-diet."
Richard Ottolini
weight again. What does work are more gradual changes in lifestyle- less
eating and more exercise- that one can sustain for the rest of your life.
Even if it is just a pound loss a month, one eventually reaches their goal.
Wendy S. Reynolds
There is no proof that a liquid protein diet causes your metabolism to
slow. If there is, I'd like citations.
What is her body fat percentage as compared to prior to her using
Optifast? Is it lower? Perhaps too low?
Has she had her blood volume measured?
Beth Mazur
>I originally posted this to misc.consumers...
>
>I was wondering if anyone out there has had experiences with Optifast (or
>the like) liquid diet plans. More specifically, they say that while
>on the plan, you will very likely feel cold, because your body temperature/
>metabolism will be slowed down/reduced.
I'm not sure that's the reason you'll feel cold. But it is a common side
effect. Others include hair loss, sleeplessness, bad breath, frequent
urination, and a propensity towards gall bladder problems (but I still
have mine).
>Also, it would seem to me that lowering metabolism rates would be totally
>dumb, after all, wouldn't you want to be burning as many calories as you
>possibly could, while taking in less? (Dumb? Make that "beyond dumb")
A slightly lowered metabolism (which can be minimized by exercise) may
be seen as a tolerable side effect given the "benefits" of a VLCD. These
include maximal weight loss, minimal hunger, and minimal fussing (no
weighing and measuring).
The simple truth is that the weight loss industry has not figured out a
way to help people maintain weight loss, regardless of the method they
choose to lose weight (the commonly quoted failure rate is 95%, which may
be inflated due to perpetual dieters, but is high nonetheless).
My own opinion is that VLCDs are a relatively safe, fast, and painless way
for *most* people to lose weight. But like other diet plans, they suck
big time in helping people maintain lost weight. Unfortunately, people
pay a big price, both literally ($$) and physiologically for what is
probably a temporary weight loss.
On the other hand, so far I've maintained my weight loss (~100 lbs) with
no major problems associated with the diet.
As far as maintenance goes, I'm hoping to be a statistical aberration :-).
Beth Mazur "...life is more than a vision. The sweetest
ma...@inmet.inmet.com part is acting after making a decision."
...!uunet!inmet!mazur -- The Indigo Girls
Beth Mazur
>In article <1992Oct2.0...@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> tj...@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Richard Tjoa) writes:
>>I originally posted this to misc.consumers...
>>
>>I was wondering if anyone out there has had experiences with Optifast (or
>>the like) liquid diet plans. More specifically, they say that while
>>on the plan, you will very likely feel cold, because your body temperature/
>>metabolism will be slowed down/reduced.
>
>I'm not sure that's the reason you'll feel cold. But it is a common side
>effect. Others include hair loss, sleeplessness, bad breath, frequent
>urination, and a propensity towards gall bladder problems (but I still
>have mine).
Crap...a technical writer and I missed a simple bad pronoun reference :-).
I never had any gall bladder problems on the fast; it's my gall bladder
that I still have...
Steve Dyer
>Has your friend talked to a physician about this "coldness" of hers?
>There is no proof that a liquid protein diet causes your metabolism to
>slow. If there is, I'd like citations.
I don't know about permanent changes, but feeling cold is part of
being on a restricted diet. It must be true, I've felt that way
myself on Optifast! :-)
>What is her body fat percentage as compared to prior to her using
>Optifast? Is it lower? Perhaps too low?
>Has she had her blood volume measured?
Yeah, she should see a doctor and get checked out.
--
Steve Dyer
dy...@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Steve Dyer
>I never had any gall bladder problems on the fast; it's my gall bladder
>that I still have...
I "cheated" on Optifast twice, by eating two _very moderate_ Japanese
and Chinese meals (separated by two weeks) and within 6-8 hours endured
two of the most painful episodes of my life, which, in retrospect were
diagnosed as biliary colic (passing a gallstone), as evidenced by elevated
liver enzymes and local tenderness. The pain was diffuse and couldn't be
easily localized, but it's feels a bit like giving birth somewhere
in the middle of your back. :-) Of course, both happened at night
on weekends, and my HMO wasn't too much help. (I was groaning in pain
on the phone and being told, "Well, you can come in if you really want to.")
Luckily these episodes never recurred (nor did my urge to cheat or, later
on, my romance with Optifast). My doctor at the HMO said it was just as well
to ignore it unless problems kept recurring, because the surgeons would
just as soon get the knives out. Not bad advice in retrospect.
Bob Berger
(or at least significantly reduces) the potential for the gall bladder
problems during the fast.
I did the optifast program myself and lost just under 40lbs. What it did for
me was get me down to a weight where I could feel good about excersizing and
gave me a psycological boost to really move forward with a lifestyle change.
I've since been doing regular aerobic and weight excersize and keeping the
fat in my diet at less than 20% of calories in.
I wish that I had done some minimal weight work while on the diet as you
definately loose muscle as well as fat. Its very critical that some excersize
(like walking) is done every day while on the fast.
I do have to wonder though, if the diet was in the end a negative for slowing
down my metablism even more that it was before....
The real danger of these liquid diets is if you yo-yo on them as you will
replace muscle with fat each time you diet and then regain weight...
--
Bob Berger - SONY Advanced Video Technology Center
685 River Oaks Parkway San Jose, CA 95134 408-944-4964 FAX: 408-954-1027
INTERNET: ber...@sfc.sony.com UUCP: [uunet,mips]!sonyusa!sfcsun!berger