OPTIFAST 800 Ready to Drink Shakes
Chill and enjoy! Available in three great-tasting flavors - French Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry - OPTIFAST 800 Ready to Drink formula is a full meal replacement product.
Nutritional Information
Calories 160
Protein (g) 14
Carbohydrate (g) 20
Fat (g) 3
Sodium (mg) 220
Potassium (mg) 470
Fiber (g) 0
Vitamins & Minerals 10-30% of RDI
Lactose (g) <1
Those of you that are regular readers know that I have been going through dentistry hell the last couple of months. I have been eating soft foods (aka refried beans, cottage cheese, and other oh so appetizing mushy foods) for over a month now. I have been getting more and more anemic too. I know I should be eating more protein shakes but if I have to mix it, it isn't going to happen. Sad but true. I have been having Isopure ready to drink shakes almost everyday but that is about it. I cannot stand many ready to drink shakes. I like the Muscle Milk Lights, Isopure and a handful of others but that is about it. The other thing that I hate is that these ready to drink shakes can be really expensive. Even when they are on sale at GNC and purchased by the case, the Ispure ready to drinks are still around $3 each. I started to notice that there were many nurses in the NICU drinking Optifast ready to drink shakes. I had been on Metifast once before and lost quite a bit of weight (this was prior to weight loss surgery). I did regain it all after 2 years because I basically was hungry all of the time. I was not really exercising so my daily caloric consumption had to be ridiculously low in order to maintain my weight.
I am not saying that I don't expect some regain after my teeth are finally fixed and I go off the shakes but not anything like before because I can't and don't eat anything like I did before surgery. I am unable to get my protein in with my work hours being what they are lately (I had 13 hours of overtime last check for example) and with the soft foods that I am able and willing to eat. I decided that I would go to Alaska Premier Health and give the program a try.
I have to admit that even though I am 2 years post op and have maintained (easily and with the occasional indiscretion) over a 150 pound weight loss. I am still not at my goal. I am 30 pounds away. I am 30 pounds away no matter what I do. I work out 3 times a week for over an hour, still 30 pounds away. I food journal every scrap that passes my lips and still 30 pounds away. I decided I needed to shock my system into letting go of that 30 pounds and at the same time follow a plan that will get in my protein, have a set cost, be easy to follow (I can always get in a ready to drink shake), and will not hurt my already poor abused dental situation.
The initial consultation is free. The doctor is very nice and answers all of your questions and explains the different plans to you in detail. You also have to watch a 10 minute video that is basic common sense. Come to the appointments, follow the plan, exercise, don't be afraid to ask for help, get in all of your fluids, etc. Then if you decide to proceed they will schedule you for the EKG, ua, body fat analysis, and labs. Once your labs are back, you can start the program. That first appointment is expensive. I'm not gonna lie. I even had my labs (fasting lipid panel, CBC with differential, TSH, and CMP) and my urinalysis done at work for a discounted rate and my first appointment came to a total of $480. with insurance and the shakes.
To be fair, I purchased husband a box of Key Lime protein bars and a box of chocolate protein soy snacks in that total too. They sell Bari Source products among other protein bars/shakes/soups/cereals/hot and cold drink mixes/ and treats in addition to Optifast products. Honestly, it is worth visiting their clinic just to check out those products even if you have no interest in any of their programs because they carry so many that are otherwise unavailable in Alaska. You can buy these products (except for the Optifast products of course)without enrolling in any of their programs.
The Optifast products are all $3 each. The ready to drink shakes (Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla)are $3, the soups (chicken and Tomato) are $3, and the powdered shakes are $3. They also offer 3 different Optifast bars (peanut butter, chocolate, and honey nut)also for $3 each. These are not an option for me with my dental nightmare but maybe later I will give these a try. They also sell vitamins and supplements.
They take your blood pressure, do the EKG, and a body fat analysis, a very basic physical exam and talk to you about all of your test results and the plan you have decided to follow. After this appointment you have weekly weigh ins that are free and 2 week follow up appointments with the Doctor where you have your blood pressure taken, go over your progress, any issues you may be having, and have any prescription refills written. Yes, they offer diet pills too but I declined these.
The average weekly cost for the Optifast supplements is $110.00. I know that I was spending way more than that on the shakes and soft foods that I have been buying lately.
You also get a list of free foods, meaning foods that you can have in unlimited qualities so long as they are prepared without oil, or fat. This includes; Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, pickles (not the bread and butter variety), peppers (any kind), cucumber, onions, mushrooms, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, kale, and balsamic vinegar or red wine vinaigrette. I have probably forgotten a few but you get the idea, salad veggies.
You have your 5 to 6 Optifast meals a day and unlimited salads each day. Obviously the salads aren't going to be happening for me unless I steam the heck out of some spinach, which I may actually try. I forgot to ask about I can't Believe it's not butter spray but I did ask if I could continue to have my sugar free caffeine drinks and the Doctor approved those.
I will be tracking my progress here and if you follow me on twitter, you can see my food diary entries from Livestrong.com. Yes, if I cheat, I will post about it. If I can't stand the shakes or am starving, I will post about that too. I believe in truth in advertising and won't recommend a product or plan that I am not doing/ or haven't done personally in the past. Yes, if you go to Alaska Premier Health and sign up and tell them that I (Anna Muhovich)referred you, I will get a $25 dollar discount on my next visit but other than that I am not getting a dime. They don't even know that I am writing this post.
Below is some information from the Alaska Premier Health website.
Welcome to Alaska Premier Health!
We are Alaska's #1 choice for the medical treatment of obesity. Obesity is a disease which is best treated with a multi-dimensional approach. Regardless of the specific diet plan chosen by the patient, all of our patients receive individualized coaching, mentoring and counseling to offer them the best opportunity for long term success. All treatment plans include:
Medically supervised
Detailed nutritional guidance
Specific exercise guidance, tailored to your fitness level
Behavioral and lifestyle counseling
Ongoing modification and fine-tuning of your program to help meet individual goals and desires
Continued support and monitoring once you achieve your goal weight
Alaska Premier Health has been helping Alaskans reach a healthy body-weight for over 15 years. Many of our patients have found us after observing the success of their friends and family. Physicians who are often too busy to devote the needed time to their overweight patients are happy to have Alaska Premier Health as a trusted and dependable referral source.
OPTIFAST® Plan
OPTIFAST® is the most rapid, safe method of weight loss available. Manufactured by the Nestle Medical Division, OPTIFAST® is available to patients who need to lose weight fast under direct medical supervision. Caloric intake is very specific. Like the Quick Start Plan, the OPTIFAST® Plan breaks your total daily calories into 5-6 meals, spaced evenly throughout your day. There are numerous benefits to this approach, since appetite is easier to control and blood sugar remains stable. A lower average calorie count and time saved in meal preparation are just two of the benefits of a plan that uses portion-sized, packaged nutritional foods. Because of this, patients on the OPTIFAST® Plan tend to lose weight faster than those on the Traditional and Quick Start Plans. The benefits of the OPTIFAST® plan are clear:
Very low in calories while providing complete nutrition
Calorie intake is tightly controlled and the pace of weight loss is remarkable--most patients achieve a loss of 10% of their starting weight within 6 weeks
Pre-packaged food choices choices are nutritional equivalents, so the food decisions you must make on this diet will not affect daily calorie intake or the pace of your weight loss
Simple, uncomplicated approach makes your plan manageable—no need for grocery shopping, meal planning, food preparation, cooking or cleaning up after meals
After a period of time on full OPTIFAST® formula, table food will be gradually reintroduced while we work on the eating and activity habits that will produce continued success
Patients choosing this diet are highly motivated, often lead very busy lives which complicate meal planning, and are willing to forego table food for a short period of time in order to jump start their weight loss.
Quick Start Plan
Our Quick Start Plan combines the simplicity of a pre-packaged food program with the flexibility of a traditional diet program. If you find that counting calories is too much trouble and that you struggle with portion control, but still want to eat table foods at least one meal per day, our Quick Start Plan is the program for you. Its snacking style diets break your total daily calories into 5 or 6 snack-sized meals. These meals are spaced evenly throughout your day. The advantage of this approach is that appetite is easier to control and bloodsugar remains stable. By utilizing portion-size packaged nutritional foods, snacking diets achieve a lower average calorie count, and significantly reduce meal planning and preparation time. Because of this, patients on the Quick Start Plan tend to lose weight faster than those on the Traditional Plan.
With Quick Start, our basic Snacking Program, you:
Eat a balance of high protein supplements and low-calorie table food
Save time on food preparation, shopping and meal planning
Will utilize pre-packaged supplements, which are high in protein and preserve existing muscle mass
Can choose from a wide variety of flavors of protein supplements, from oatmeal to soup
Will have a brisk initial weight loss, usually 10% of starting weight within 8-10 weeks
Patients choosing this approach want to see rapid weight loss, and are willing to substantially change their diet to achieve it, but want to retain some regular table food in their initial diet.
Traditional Plan
Our Traditional Plan offers both a High-Protein option and a Calorie-Counting option. Both options emphasize nutrition through table foods and physical activity through daily exercise.
The High-Protein option is a well-balanced diet approach, with special focus on lean proteins, high fiber vegetables, and fruit. You also greatly reduce or eliminate starchy carbohydrates, sweets, and high fat foods. The benefits are:
Realigns food intake pattern to better match your metabolic needs
Saves time by not requiring calorie counting
Allows you to eat the table foods you like, in healthier forms
Patients choosing the High-Protein Traditional Plan want to be on a diet that contains mostly self prepared foods, but are willing to live with food choice restrictions to minimize meal planning and preparation time.
The Calorie-Counting option, the key is flexibility in food choices to allow you to continue enjoying your favorite meals. We encourage creativity in meal planning to reduce calorie intake through research into healthier ways of cooking and preparing food. The benefits are:
Offers the most flexibility of any weight loss diet
Allows you to eat what you want, when you want, so long as you keep an accurate food journal and stop when you reach your calorie limit for the day
Specifies daily calorie count based on individual metabolic rate
Patients choosing this diet approach must commit the time required for meal planning, shopping, researching healthier ways to prepare food, and cooking meals. They are willing and able to exchange their time for more diet flexibility.
Get more information about Alaska Premier Health here! Please tell them I sent you if you go!
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