Conference rocks::weight_control

    On her show yesterday she shared how she lost the weight.
    It was using the Optifast system which is a medically
    supervised diet and available by presciption only.
    
    Oprah said she'll never put the weight back on "for fear of
    tabloids"!! 8^)
    
    Also, on the local (Boston-Channel 5) 6:00 news following the show, 
    it was reported how this (OptiFast) system is not for everyone since 
    it's only about 800 calories per day, however, it's much better than 
    the "liquid protein" diets that were popular about 10 years ago.
    
    I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't go for weeks on end
    without solid food.                                        
    
    Regardless, I think Oprah looks super and hope she can keep the
    weight off.
        

    we have a gentleman in our plant who is doing a medically (hospital)
    supervised liquid diet.  he has been on this diet which sounds very much
    like Opti-fast for about 3.25 months, and he has lost 105 pounds.
     He has about 60 to go, but is doing very well.  I can't say for
    certain if it is Opti-fast, but if anyone is interested, I can call
    this gent to see if he will talk to folks.
    
    Andy

    The hardest part is keeping the # off.!  Really, once your mind
    is made up its pretty easy most of the time to stick to one simple
    thing such as the liquid diet.  I was on a
    protein-sparing-modified-fast for 7.5 months several years ago in
    which I just ate chicken and fish and water...boring but easy. 
    OPTI-FAST has been around for awhile and I haven't heard of anyone
    who has managed to maintain their weight for more than a year or
    so under it, but HOPE my sample is too small to count.
    IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY MAINTAINED THEIR
    WEIGHT LOSS after being on some type of FAST???  Maybe OPRAH !!!!!
    Judy

    
    Our group's secretary lost over 100 pounds on Opti-fast; she finished
    up last year, shortly after the holidays.  She has maintained her
    weight for almost a year now.
    
    I'll mention this topic to her; maybe she'll share some of her thoughts
    on the program.
    
    Beverly
    

    Just a quick disclaimer - the following is somewhat
    stream-of-consciousness writing of what I remember...
    
    I watched Oprah's show earlier this week. I was incredibly impressed
    with the way she handled it. She was extremely open and honest about
    a lot of things she encountered while on her diet, especially the
    different feelings and how they can affect your progress. She said she
    has kept a journal ever since she was a child and she read a couple
    of different excerpts from it. She stressed that you have to want
    to lose the weight for you and that wanting to lose the weight (to
    feel better, to look better, whatever) has to be the most important 
    thing in your life, it has to be your MAIN focus while you are doing
    it. She also stressed that in order to keep the weight off, you
    have to change your eating habits permanently. She did not push
    Opti-fast. She just explained how and why it worked for her. She
    said she came to the realization that she was addicted to food,
    so for her, not eating at all was the best way to break the grip
    that food had on her. She stressed that whatever program provides
    what *you* need is the best one for *you*. She also talked about
    the fact that she had counseling for her mental/emotional self as
    well as the physical part that was on a diet. She talked about her
    boyfriend (for lack of a better word) and how supportive he was
    for her. She interviewed him on the phone during the show. She said
    the person who inspired her the most was her best friend's husband,
    who had also lost alot of weight and who had encouraged her as she
    progressed. He was a guest on the show as well.  
                                                             
    I think what impressed me the most was that she was not preaching.
    She was merely detailing what had worked for her. 
    
    All in all, I thought it was a very inspiring show. I keep realizing
    what a phenomenal woman she really is. 
     
    Well, good luck to all,
    
     -Amy.

    I too watched the show earlier this week and taped it on the VCR
    as well. I was very moved to see a picture of her in the size 10
    Calvins from 1981, then remove her coat and see her in them again.
    Personally I related to everything that Oprah said.
    1) Eating due to stress - and having to find another channel for
    	stress. For her it was running.
    2) Weight being a shield - No being able to handle being thin,	
    	and keeping the weight as somewhat of a barrier or comfort
    	zone
    
    I too was thin for a pair of size 11 Calvins in 1981 immediately
    after I left my husband. The thinness lasted for 6 weeks and I 
    proceeded to gain 50 lbs. Since then I have lost 35 but this last
    15 has been a struggle. I hope to be able to get thru this 'shield'
    and perhaps get into my size 11 Calvins again!!
    				Hopeful, Judy

    My wife and I both watched that episode of OPRAH with earnest. 
    My wife just came off the Optifast program last month and with
    quite a bit of success - she lost 80lbs.  If you are interested
    in Optifast refer to Topic #7 or you can contact St. Joseph's
    Hospital in Nashua, NH and I believe there is another Optifast
    program at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
    
    My only advice is to be really, really, REALLY sure that you are
    ready for OPTIFAST.  It takes a toll on you emotionally, physically
    and financially.  Also, like Oprah said, it really helps if you
    have someone help you along if you do decide to go on the fast.
    
    Gary

    
    	I just came off the same program as Gary's wife. I've lost
    	70 lbs since June 1. I totally agree with Gary - the Optifast
    	program is tough and expensive. It's really for those people
    	whose health (or life) is endangered by their extra weight.
    	
    	I've recently run through my expenses for the program - 
    	medical, optifast, and laboratory - and the tab came out
    	to $42.00 per pound.
    
    	Jim McGlinchey
    

    I just did a quick estimate of our Optifast expenses and I came
    up with $43.75 per pound.  But all in all, it was worth it!  It
    was probably the toughest thing my wife ever did, but the results
    were well worth the price.  Just to be able to go into Zayre's or
    Bradlees or Sear's or any regular department store with my wife
    to shop for clothes for her is now a pleasure.  Sorry, Lane Bryant
    and Lady Pauline, we won't be back!
    
    Losing so much weight, in so little time, was the biggest boost
    anyone dieting could ever experience.  Also, the fast showed my
    wife, Ann, that she can survive without having food around constantly.
    She has tried to explain it to me, and I try to understand, but
    when there is a piece of cake (or any food) in front of her, she
    is compelled to eat it all, right then.  She says she is afraid
    that if she doesn't eat it right away, then, someone may take it
    away and she will be left without any!  Overeating is a sickness,
    and abstaining from food is a very drastic form of therapy.  Ann
    has proven to herself that she can push that cake away and even
    if someone else eats all, there will always be some other "treat"
    for her!  I hope I am explaining this properly, maybe someone else
    feels the same way and can share their feelings.
    
    Ann tells me that she now feels she is in control and is psyched to
    lose the rest on her own.  She is opting for Weight Watchers help,
    because the OPTIFAST maintenance is a bit expensive for what they
    offer.
    
    It takes a special person to come to grips with a weight problem
    and then to enroll in a rigorous program like Optifast is even more
    of an accomplishment!  I tip my hat to anyone who has successfully
    lost a large amount of weight, you are very special indeed!
                                                               
    Gary
    

Gary, and others, I believe you are correct, eating can be an addiction.
This one is very hard to break because unlike some others such as 
cigarettes or alcohol, you MUST eat to live.  So, it sounds like
the program is really good for breaking that grip that food can
have on a person.

Congratulations to all who have overcome their food addiction!

liz

    I think Gary should be commended for his support and understanding!
    Not all spouses make the effort to understand what a person with
    a weight problem goes through.  Gary, Ann is very lucky to have
    someone like you around giving her encouragment without being
    judgmental.  Tell her she's a lucky lady!
    
    Jane

    a friend and I here in Colorado Springs checked into the program
    at the local hospital.
    the cost is approximately $2400. That includes the diet-powder,
    lab tests, and support group meetings.
    
    vivian

GOOD LUCK VIVIAN!
Meredith

    
    
    There are a couple of items that were not mentioned in the previous
    notes regarding the Opti-fast diet and Oprah's weightloss. 
    
    The first item is that Oprah did not loose weight on dieting alone,
    she also exercised.  I had heard that she exercised to a Jane Fonda
    video tape and one of the previouse notes mentioned that she jogs.
    Everyone must remember that EXERCISE is very important to weightloss,
    and maintaining weightloss.  You can only loose X amount of pound
    on a diet without exercising, you will proceed to loose the rest
    of your excess weight with the help of an exercise program.  One
    thing to remember - when you exercise it takes a while for your
    body to start responding to the exercise.  For me it was about 2
    months.  I have been doing aerobics since Sept 1st, and the exercise
    did not affect my diet until about November 1st.  Now I have a more
    steady weightloss and I haven't gained any weight even though I
    have cheated a bit.
    
    Second item is that when you go on the Opti-fast program, you don't
    stay on the liquid diet forever.  Eventually, you start eating "normal"
    meals, or should I say you start re-introducing food back into your
    system in a way similar to the Weight Watcher's food plan.  I have
    never been on Opti-fast, and I only saw bits and pieces from the
    Oprah show, but I read an article in the newspaper explaining the
    diet in more detail.  By re-introducing food into your system (in
    small amounts), you get your system use to food again so that you
    don't gain weight.  IF you don't re-introduce food slowly - you
    will gain weight if you go from total liquid diet to eating 3 square
    meals a day.
    
    I wrote the above, because I don't want people to feel that Opti-fast
    is some sort of "miracle" diet.  Yes, the results are quick, and
    yes it does cost a good penny, but everyone must remember that in
    order to loose weight and maintain it you will have to change your
    eating habits (eating sensibly) for the rest of your life.
    
    Well, that is my .02, any comments?
    
    Debby
    

    RE: Oprah's Exercise
    
    She said on the show that she started out walking a mile a day.
    She kept adding distance and after the 3 months was up to jogging
    6 miles a day.  When she cheated in Hawaii by eating a bacon avacado
    cheese burger, she jogged an extra mile.  Her weight loss was an
    average of about 5 lbs./week.  That kind of result can only be obtained
    by exercising.
    
    D.

    
    Being an Opti-Fast graduate...
    
    Opti-Fast downplays the exercise, recommending only light-to-moderate
    exercise such as walking or swimming. The rationale is that you're
    subjecting your body to enough stress, so it's not a good idea to
    further aggravate your body chemistry with heavy-duty exercise. I managed
    to lose 70 lbs at a rate of 5 per week with only walking and light-duty
    biking. I now keep it up regularly, but it's not a primary requirement.
    
    I saw some people in my Opti-Fast group go into serious exercise,
    but then they burnt out and left the program. I knew I wouldn't
    keep up a heavy exercise program after I left the program , so I
    took on something that would fit into my way of living.
    
    Jim McG.

    Since we're discussing Opti-Fast, I'd like to point out one thing
    that neither Oprah nor the Opti-Fast literature mention. 
    
    This is one D**n hard program to stick to. I started out with a
    group of 13 people. We all started fasting an May 15, 1988.
    With six weeks six people had stopped coming. 
    
    By the time the sixteen week fast was done, only seven people remained.
    Of those seven people, only three had made it the full 16 weeks
    on a total fast. The rest had 'cheated' in one way or another.
    Of the seven who completed the program, only three had hit their
    target weight; the rest had to find some other way of losing the
    rest of the weight, as Opti-Fast can only be used for 16 weeks in
    a full fast.
    
	Oprah was an exception, in that she 'cheated' and yet was able
    to complete the program to hit her goal weight. My experience was
    that those who deviated in any way from the full fast had a hard
    time staying on the full fast, comtinued to cheat, and did not hit
    their goal weight or dropped out of the program.
    
    -- Glinch
    
        
    

    
    
    Read in a magazine, Oprah was seen eating Goat's cheese pizza recently.
    The waiter mentioned how good she looked and is pizza on her diet.
    She said to the waiter "Do you want a tip".
    
    I think this will be a problem, now that she lost all her weight
    is she going to eat anything she wants or anything she's missed
    not eating and gain everything back?
    
    

    Let's give her a break!!!  Thank goodness we all don't have the
    National Enquirer following us around watching everything we eat.
    It appears that people who learn to eat right...watch what they
    eat...have the opportunity to eat anything they want in moderation.
    Successful maintenance is keeping what you eat in moderation, and
    not denying yourself of every food you enjoy.  That piece of goat
    cheese pizza, can be broken out into food exchanges, and if Oprah
    follows that type of plan, then she is controlling what and how
    much food she will eat.  The fact that it is pizza does not mean
    that she will not be successful in mainitaining her weight loss.
    I don't know about most of you, but the minute I tell myself I cannot
    have a certain type of food...I think about it constantly.  Not
    denying yourself your favorites, periodically, and in moderation
    appears to be the most successful way of mainitaining yourself at
    the desired weight.

    Given all the questions and comments of whether or not medically
    supervised liquid diets work, I thought I'd take a moment to 
    re-open an old topic.  I hadn't seen the Oprah in months until last
    Friday.  Boy was that a shocker!!  I know the press as well as 
    Oprah herself are denying that she's gained even a pound but the
    camera and her clothes sure tell a different story.  And, If that's
    the case she should put her Calvin's back on to prove differently.
    Personally, I think it's kind of sad because she worked so hard
    to get the weight off but I guess that only goes to prove why the program
    has such a low success rate and moreover the key is to keep the weight
    off.  I only mention this (not to pick on her but...) because I found 
    her to be such an inspiration when she first lost the weight.  I
    remember checking out the program but it was too expensive for me so
    I decided to keep the show she did on weightloss on tape.  Hopefully
    those such as Joel Jaffee and Susan in this notes file will be able
    to continue their success and be mentor for the rest of us.
    
    

	By eyeballing her, she's put on between 10 and 20lbs from when
    she appeared in jeans on her show.

-mike z

    I saw Oprah yesterday.  She was interviewing stars and getting insights
    into their lifestyles.  Zsa Zsa said to Oprah, "Dahling, you look
    wonderful, don't lose or gain another pound.  You look beautiful just
    the way you are now."  Oprah replied, "I don't know, I think that I
    need to lose some weight.  Especially in the bottom area."  Zsa Zsa
    said no, but I have to agree with Oprah, she *IS* getting heavy again.
            
    
    Did anyone else see her?  

    "No, DAHLING, I didn't see it" but I like your impersonation of Zsa
    Zsa, Dahling!!!   :-)
    
    Virginia

    It is really a shame that Oprah, at this time is putting back all the
    weight she lost, slowly but surely.  If you have watched her in the
    last few months you have noticed the weight gain.  After all the
    struggle she put into the diet was it worth it?  I myself am 20 lbs
    over weight and feel the only way to get rid of it is to eat balanced
    meals and exercize.  It took awhile to get use to exercizing again,
    but you do start to get addicted eventually.  I am feeling a lot better
    in every way.  Inches are coming off!  
    
    I am an Oprah fan all the way and wish her luck with her struggle.
    
    

    Re: .24
    
    >It took awhile to get use to exercizing again, but you do start to get 
    >addicted eventually.
    
    I think of it as human inertia.  People at rest tend to stay at rest;
    people in motion tend to stay in motion....  I find that I can maintain
    okay just by watching what I eat, but I lose weight only if I exercise.