I'm new to the forum and I'm on my second week of Optifast. I did really well the first week and followed it perfectly and lost 7 pounds. This week, I have cheated several times and I get so frustrated at myself for doing but somehow I can't resist. Usually it's only a few bites here and there but today I had two chicken wings from KFC and a hamburger wrapped in lettuce. I don't normally have an addictive personality but it's almost like I sabotage any progress that I make. I was 219 and weighed in at 211 last week, yesterday I was 209 and today back to 211.

Does anyone else go through this. I just want to get the weight off, once and for all and leave my bad habits behind.

Thanks for letting me vent.
Karen

of course other people do this, dieting isn't easy otherwise this forum would not exist,

i was 250 pounds, went to 210 with persistence and relatively small effort (just avoiding fat and sugar but otherwise eat as much as i feel) and now im back to 240 just cause i let go of my controlled choice over what i eat ...

i had a mini depression crisis and for some days now im back to programme, i think a lot of losing fat effort has to do with emotional stability,

so my 'advice' (altho who am i to give advice?) is to relax a bit and take things because you are doing 'olympics' when you dieting, dont push yourself

I know what you mean. Everyone cheats. I'm jealous you can even do a week of a diet. I can't do one at all. I could never give up pizza. I just spin and lift weights 3 or 4 days a week. I try to eat less crappy food. But it's hard and I cheat a lot.

Welcome to the forums, and gratz on your loss last week!

My two comments to you would be:
#1. Diets dont work(from my personal experience). At least long term they usually don't, and you seem to be having trouble at week2. Long term successful loss takes time. It usually comes off slower but along the way you are creating new habits that contribute to losing additional weight/and keeping weight from coming back.
#2. There will be slip ups, and caving into temptations along the way. However, if you allow yourself a treat now and then, you are less likely to binge and or use 1 slip up as an excuse to blow the entire day or even week.

I consider myself a former yo-yo dieter. I would lose and gain over n over most of my adult life. One of my struggles had been the mindset of having a slip up and usuing that as an excuse to eat whatever/howmuch the rest of the day and saying "ill start again tomorrow", or worse if it was at the end of the week, "I'll start again Sunday". Now is different, I allow my self a low-cal alternative treat a few times a week, or maybe even a "real" treat" on occasion and plan for calories. In addtion, if I feel guilty about eating something, instead I burn off extra calories within 24 hours instead of the "oh well" mentality.

The first real step,(in my opinion) to successful weightloss is a proper mindset. That is to be committed, have a plan and know it won't be easy and not be beat yourself up about any slipups.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the replies. Today is a new day and I will just have to take one meal at a time for now. I also plan to up my excerise today.

Hi Karen, nice to meet you

I had a few bad days recently, but the trick is to not let them defeat you.

Melanie.

Congrats on your weightloss so far! If I may suggest something that works for me? Don't say "no more pizza" or "no more _____", but limit yourself on your portions, like 1 piece of pizza and a nice sized salad with a little bit of light dressing? Like I said, it works for me, if I didn't give myself what I crave (though still trying to stay in my calorie range) I would fail miserably. Good luck to you!

Today was a much better day. I also walked for an hour (that's great for me)

Any movement is a good thing . and hour is GREAT!

Optifast is a liquid diet, isn't it? I don't know how anybody does a liquid diet. I need to chew my food and I want to savor it, not sip it.

I'd be willing to bet that it's not necessarily you but the diet program you've chosen... It's too restrictive and aren't allowing you what yoou enjoy... and you aren't m aking it a lifestyle change.

Optifast may not be the best option...

Do spend some time reading around the forum - and listening to miss Yarm..

I lost only one pound this week but that's 8 for two weeks so I'm happy about that. Optifast isn't as bad as I thought that it would be. I have two shakes, two bars and a soup each day. As long as I have something every three hours like clockwork, I'm not that hungry. I do add one rice cracker with a teaspoon of almond butter and have added a little spinach and broccoli to the soups. I can also have some cucumber and celery (pretty much any no/low cal veggie). Also fresh herbs like basil and cilantro as well as some fresh garlic really liven up the soups. I have only really cheated once this week and that was with a small greek salad. I guess that's not the worse thing that one can cheat with. I do like that the dietician spends time with you and the educational materials are really good. They discuss behavioral modification and getting to the root of why one overeats and breaking the chain of repeated behavior. It's actually nice for awhile not to have to think about food and the meals actually taste fine. It's much better than Slimfast or Nutrisystem. I would get so sick on those products. Anyway, I hope that everyone else is having a great day and is able to stick with their diets.

Take care,
Karen

soo..if you follow the plan perfectly its 800 calories per day? (I looked it up). No wonder you might want to cheat every once in a while!! i'm glad you are adding the extra vegetables and the almond butter, but wow, i'd be starving.

hey i've been having the same problem for a year now.... it's hard for me as well to give up the good foods, i did soemwhat ok this weekend, but i'm also at a plateau after losing my first 10lbs a year ago now it's just tougher and tougher, your not the only one, but eveyrone here gives really good advice and it's true yo really need to be in the mindset for it to happen!!