I'm feeling so completly lost at the moment. I posted on the general diet thread to get some info about the optifast program that my doctor wanted me to try.
Tonight I went to a orientation meeting for the clinic that runs the plan. the plans sounds so awesome, It more than just a shake low calorie plan. it consists of meeting with a doctor every week, meeting wight dieticians and behavior specialist. twice weekly meetings, and also a membership to the Y. You are also required to go once a week and work out with a personal trainer. their average weight loss is 65# in 18 wks (that is absolutley incredable) and they sport a 90% success ratio after 5 yrs.
I was so looking for this program to be what I needed to get me going and loosing weight. but their is one huge problem, you guessed it the price tag. the entire 18 wks this includes everything even food and weekly lab work is 5000$. I'm a stay at home mom with a 1 and 3 yr old, I work on call on weekends and my husband works two jobs as a firefighter and at a bodyshop, there is no way we can afford this!!!

I'm just feeling so lost right now and have no idea where to start to get all this weight off! I have tryed so many things and failed. This just sounded so wonderful!
Any extra encouragment you can send my way would be so appreciated!

What the $5000 gives you is a package. As a stay-at-home mom, you have something that others find precious - time. Spend some of it here on 3FC. Read the success stories, browse through the different forums. There are many, many plans that work - some that are completely free! You CAN come up with your own "package" that works for you. It will take some research and some trial and error - but you really CAN do this on your own.

I will vouch for calorie counting and exercising using DVDs at home - very little money invested. I used my family, friends, and of course 3FC for support and guidance. The info I gleaned here at 3FC helped me lose 89lbs

First a (CUTE baby, BTW).

The Optifast program sure sounds good. But it is expensive. You are worth it, though! It is one way to lose the weight of course, but you know it is not the only way. If there is no way to afford it, then there is no way to afford it. But you can take some of the principles and apply them.

Joining the Y would be less than $5000, right? So you could do that on your own, maybe work with a trainer or get a book like New Rules of Weight Lifting.

Support---you can get that free here! And I would put the nutrition knowledge of this place up against a professional's any day of the week. The collective knowledge and wisdom on here is immense.

There are lots of ways to approach this whole thing. Optifast might be one good way, but there are others and we are here to support you no matter what your journey holds.

Good luck!

I'm sorry your feeling so discouraged right now. It does seem pretty depressing when someone is waving that magical package in your face, that we all long for, and then tell you that you need to win the lottery to pay for it. I had that happen to me and I gave up and thought I couldn't do it with out their magic. Well, I haven't done it yet, but I at least feel I'm on the right track now. I know you will find what is right for you and its not going to cost five grand. Good luck and show them you can do it without their magic package.

$5000!!!! Holy cr*p! I know why they have such a high success rate -- because people blew $5000 on the program, and they sure as heck better not resort to their old ways because they spent a lot of money!

It's like designer sunglasses -- when I buy $10 sunglasses from the drugstore, I break them within a month. Once I bought a pair of $150 sunglasses and they lasted 5 years because I took better care of them. But the secret is... I could have made the $10 sunglasses last that long too, if I had bothered to take care of them.

Lame analogies aside -- please don't spent that much money on a weight loss program. All it takes to lose weight is eating nutritious foods, controlling portion sizes, and exercising. And guess what -- you can do all of that for FREE! All you need to do is educate yourself(coming to 3FC is a great start!), retrain bad habits into good ones, and build a healthy routine that you can stick with every day. And the weight will fall off. Trust me -- just read all of the success stories on this site.

Hi EviesMommy,

Can you sort out in your head what you found so appealing about that plan? Was it the structure? the food? the gym membership?or ???

I agree with the above posters who stated that you can do this your self. I also agree that it can be overwelming. But 3FC is here for you. Every aspect of that plan is covered here by someone who has done that successfully.

Read lots. Ask questions. We'll help you device a plan unique to you ... that works!

Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou to all of you who have encouraged me. I know I just need to pick myself up and work through this. I can do it, Its just going to take more time .
The biggest appeal to me was the fact that I could loose around 65# in 18 wks and there is a 90% success rate! OMG!
One other thing that I did take away from this orientation while they were throwing out facts is - if at 25 you have a BMI which puts you into the obeses catagorie (I think that is anything over 30) and do nothing about it. It takes 12 yrs off your life!!! That is incredable and terrfying, I am 27 and have been overweight since having my daughter at 24. So that is me if I don't do something. That could make the difference of see grandchildren or all kinds of things!
THey also mentioned that it makes it more expensive and sometimes even impossable to to get health ins. that is a huge concern, so far we have been lucky but me husband is self employed, so we have individual ins, that could be huge if I can't get ins!

I HACE JUST PLAIN GOT TO DO SOMETHING!

I just did the math and 65 lbs in 18 wks is 3.6 lbs per week. Does that sound more doable?

Two pounds a week is very doable. I'd be proud of you at that rate.

Curious, how do they define their success rate? I would be very skeptical if their success rate is based on people who have lost weight and kept it off for a year (or more). Weight Loss Surgery doesn't even have a 90% success rate.

Personally, I think there are many things you can do for cheaper that would help you lose weight including seeing a nutritionist, going to a gym, hiring a personal trainer, etc.

Eviesmommy, I have been in the spot that you are at right now. I felt like someone dangled a carrot in front of me and then told me that I couldn't have it. You are so fortunate to be able to stay home with your babies. I agree with Susan B. - what about optifast sounded so appealing? I did the rough math that is about $76 a pound!!!!!OMG - - Nelie is right WLS doesn't even have that kind of success rate.


Use this web site for support and find some ways to incorparate exercise into you everyday routine. I checked out my local cable company and found that they have on demand exercise TV. There was an entire menu of workout that I can start and stop anytime I want and its FREE!

Please don't give up. Use your anger that you have right now to turn yourself around and get started on your own plan. And most important be there for those babies!

Eviesmommy, big to you! Gosh, $5000 is a ton of money...I think that I'd be tempted because it is presented as a whole package, and the statements of big weight losses would be entiicing...but I KNOW you can do it on your own!

Think of the time that you would need to travel to the doctor, weekly meetings, and the Y. Even if it's close to your home, wouldn't it be maybe an hour? a few times a week? And would someone watch your babies during that time? INSTEAD, have that babysitter watch your babies while you work out at home, with DVD's or videos. And make it a priority...YOUR health and sanity are worth it!!

and instead of their shakes/meals, you could have real food, lean baked or broiled meats, lots of veggies, salads, low fat dairy products, small amounts of whole grains..for myself, that sounds much more satisfying than a liquid meal.

Exercising consistantly over a long term will do SO much to reshape your body and boost your metabolism. It does take time...don't be scared, but months, really...but those months are gonna come anyway..why not start soon...and once you start, at least you'll have a feeling of control, "I am doing something!"

I don't want to seem that I'm shoving 'what to do' at you..just suggestions...because I care and as the others say, find your spot here at 3FC, there is a place for everyone! best wishes!!!

Learn to love your Fitday.com progress graphs.
I'm losing at about 3 lbs. week for no money except I got a new pair of walking shoes and batteries for my radio/headset. I keep everything on free Fitday, figured my current caloric needs: 3,000. I aim for 1,200 - 1,400 of whole, healthy foods. So every day I can be 1,800 - 2,000 calorie deficit -- the 2-3 pounds per week. Add to that: I walk dog in am 2 miles. Walk dog in pm 2.5 miles. Walk self in pm 2.5 more miles (no dog, so I go faster). So I'm getting about 7 miles a day, sleeping like a log. Don't have a dog, maybe push kids in stroller. Breaking it up into 3 45-minute slots makes it doable for me. Best thing I found: don't eat a thing 3 hours before bed. Sure, I'm tired and cranky, that's what "House" and bed is for. Good luck.

It seems to me that that plan would devour a lot of your time. All those meetings, would you have to take both kids with you? They are not going to tell you anything that you cannot find online or in books for free. Get the gym membership, a couple of DVDs and off you go. All the time spent by going to the meetings will be better used by exercising, and you will save a lot of money.

Evie's mommy.

I did Optifast. Lost 99 pounds in six months, which included some of my time after the "fast". To be fair, they didn't have the trainer gym membership included, but I exercised about 3 hours a day, mostly aerobic walking. They did have the behavioral meetings, the dietician etc. I did learn a lot of good things...but didn't have much chance to practice. (And by the way, what they told us is that during the fasting period any alcohol is very dangerous, and you need to be careful with a lot of other things as well. We lost a couple of folks from our group because they couldn't live that way for twelve weeks.)

I really challenge the success rate. I know a lot of folks who did Optifast. No one had kept the weight off several years later.

One of the problems is that on 600 calories a day your metabolism really gets screwed up. They have you see a doctor weekly because of the medical risks. When you begin to eat again you really need to stay very lo cal, for a very very long time.

The other thing to know is that everyone in my group and the two other groups I know had lots of discomfort. Most of us had very severe constipation...and I mean painful. A few had horrible diarrhea. There were discussions about which was preferable.

The thing that is so seductive about Optifast is that it feels like a magic pill. You tough it out, lose the weight and then the problem is solved forever.

I'm living proof that it isn't so. A year after losing 99 pounds I had regained 50. Two years later the entire 99 was back, and brought five friends with them.

I'm sure others have different stories...that's mine.