Optifast
January 3, 2009 
Optifast is considered to be the benchmark of liquid diets. Since the mid 1970’s, it’s treated over 1,000,000 obese patients, and has been proven effective in over 80 clinical studies. To participate in Optifast, you must see a participating doctor and have a physical exam - plus get regular monitoring throughout the plan. This is to make sure you are healthy enough for the rapid weight loss that is expected, and that you will be monitored for any risk factors that you may have. You also receive support, counseling, and lifestyle education. You’ll also receive an activity/exercise plan that is tailored just for you.
The diet is an 18 week plan. The first 12 weeks are purely liquid. It’s followed by a 6 week plan that incorporates regular food back in to the daily routine. During the liquid portion of the plan, you’ll have your choise of mixes for shakes and soups, or ready-to-drink cans of meal replacement shakes. The meal replacements are balanced with vitamins and minerals, so you should not have to add any additional supplements to your meal plan.
This diet is effective, but expensive depending on your eating habits prior to the diet. Expect the initial workup to cost around $500-$600, plus the purchase price of meal replacements which amount to around $100 a week. It is expensive, but subtract what you normally spend between meals, snacks, fast food and restaurants and the difference probably isn’t very much.
According to Optifast, you should expect to lose 2-4 pounds per week, and 50% of participants keep ‘enough weight off to improve health long term’.
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The Optifast diet is an indefensible scam and potential killer that the FDA should outlaw. I assert this from first-hand experience.
Years ago I enrolled in the program and spent several months on the plan: 500 calories per day of an albumin-based powder that came in three flavors to be mixed with water. That’s it; nothing more.
At first, like most of the people in my well-heeled group, I was ebullient. I lost 70 pounds in four months and was full of energy. (After the first few days there are no hunger pangs because the body goes into stinky-breath ketosis.)
Then the problems began. Even though I was in excellent health with vital signs being monitored twice monthly (which was supposed to include a full a blood workup), I developed cardiac arrhythmia.
I went immediately to the luxurious, well-appointed Optifast Center where I was placed upon a table and hooked up to an EKG while two of their medical people argued over whether I was having PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) or PACs (the less serious premature atrial contractions). I never did learn which, as without any kind of parting advice—and certainly no apology—I was immediately thrown out of Optifast’s program. I shall not describe that particular cinema-worthy scenario as I am saving it for my book.
Using good common sense for a change I sought out a cardiologist who diagnosed the problem as potassium depletion due to electrolyte malfunction caused by this idiotic starvation (his words) diet. His prescription was a return to a sensible eating plan consisting of actual food, and heavy on the spinach and bananas. After a short time the arrhythmia ceased. And in a matter of months, having blown thousands of dollars on the Optifast program, I had gained back all the weight and more.
I strongly believe that the Optifast diet destroyed my metabolism when I was an otherwise normal, active 36-year-old.
In the passing years I have undertaken every diet on the planet, each time losing a few pounds and then quickly gaining back those plus many additional. As a result, my current weight is well over 300 pounds on my 5-foot 9-inch medium frame. (And I was never obese as a child; nor are any others in my family history, to this degree .)
All causative medical factors including thyroid and adrenal problems have been ruled out. Physically, there is nothing wrong with me other than the usual side effects of morbid obesity: arthritic and non-bending knees (pre-disposed by genetics but greatly worsened by my weight); a hip that is rapidly deteriorating; sleep apnea; and insulin resistance that has not as yet led to full-blown diabetes.
Now I am being pressured to undergo bariatric surgery—and the invasive, irreversible type rather than the less intrusive Lap-Band. I do not want to capitulate to having my digestive organs chopped up and permanently rearranged. But unless I can finally see some lasting results with a reasonable weight-loss program I may have to submit to this ghastly procedure. And for that, I am firmly convinced, I can thank Optifast.
Wow….Reading the previous poster’s story is horrifying, because my mom is on this. She never did do ONLY liquid though, I know she eats some solid food every day, for dinner and I think a little throughout the day. She has lost some weight, but I’m going to tell her about this. Thanks for sharing your story…
I have had a completely different Optifast experience than the other poster. Optifast is finally the “diet” that has worked for me. Going on this program was the best decision I’ve made for myself in a long time. I’ve tried just about every diet out there and Opitfast is finally the one that has worked for me.
I lost 73 pounds in 24 weeks. I was on what is called full meal replacement. I drank three shakes and ate two bars a day. That would equal just a little over 800 calories a day. On days that I workout, I add an extra meal. This diet is not the 500 calories as the other poster stated. The program is called Optifast 800 for a reason. If I got hungry, I could snack on a pickle or celery. I did drink bouillon to keep my sodium levels up.
It sounds like she had a horrible doctor. That’s too bad. The doctor that has supervised my weight loss has been wonderful. Also, his office offers a 20-class course that has classes taught by professionals from different disciplines. One week we will have a psychologist speak while the next could be a registered dietician. These classes help set up the clients for long term weight loss success.
If you are considering the Optifast program, do the research. It is not for everyone. It sounds like there is a difference in care given at Optifast clinics. While I do sympathize with the above poster, Optifast did not cause her to weigh “well over 300 pounds”. I wish it could have helped her like it helped me.
The first poster obviously had or was predisposed to a health issue. Reducing calories should not harm an otherwise healthy person. If she was 300 pounds to begin with, then she already had these issues (probably just didn’t show up).
I’m sorry that you have to go to surgery. I wish optifast or any other healthy eating regime could have helped you. If you really want to avoid surgery, I know you can lose the weight. It may take years but what’s the alternative. You can do it!!!