So, I'd like to continue with my compilation of "reflections" about my Optifast journey to date:
6. My mindset of "doing this for my health" versus "doing this for the skinny jeans" has carried me through. Fortunately, for this entire nine month period, I have never reached that low point where I wanted to just ditch the whole program and go back to eating like I did. Sure, I've seen many, many people drop out -- one day you notice they have stopped coming to the clinic, and you start really looking around and suddenly realize you and one other person are the only ones there who started the program with a large group close to the same time. Everyone else is gone. I have often wondered if maybe I'm the crazy one because I keep trudging along on an essentially liquid diet. But then I stop myself. And I remember one simple thing: Melissa, you were obese.
Obesity is a killer. It's that simple folks. And I'm not talking just physically (though that's the main reason) but emotionally as well. My health was in jeopardy. And I hated myself. That about sums it up. So I didn't start on this journey thinking about how much fun it would be skipping around the aisles in the normal size section of the department store. Now, don't get the impression I don't like shopping for and wearing nice clothes. Oh, I do, I do. But visions of wearing a clingy silk dress didn't get me through the tough times. Having a healthy cholesterol level and blood pressure, and a body size in the "healthy" Body Mass Index did. Without question. This mindset is going to carry me all the way to the finish line and well beyond it. I'm 46 years old and I want to live a happy, healthy life. A long life, with my loving husband. Optifast is getting me to the starting point and then it's all up to me. This I know, and I'm going to work my hardest to make it happen.
7. Flavor those products and they really don't taste that bad! Maybe it's because I'm a gourmet cook, or maybe it's because I'm curious how I can improve the taste of a basic thing. Whatever the reason, I have found that my shakes and soups actually taste pretty good if I do some simple 'doctoring' with things readily available at the grocery store or specialty market. We are allowed to add flavorings, spices, and herbs (fresh or bottled) as long as they are sugar-free and sodium-free. And there are many options available to us! For the shakes, there's Splenda (or equivalent no-calorie sweetener), flavored extracts, and sugar-free syrups (Torani and DaVinci). If you're using the Optifast 70 shakes, Splenda (or equivalent) is an absolute necessity and flavor from there. If you are having Optifast 800 shakes, I swear by the Optifast 800 Vanilla powder mixed with different flavored extracts. (No Splenda necessary for me.) Maple + butter extracts (1/2 tsp. each) with a vanilla packet is fabulous. So is 1/2 tsp. almond extract with a vanilla packet.
On the soups, I go to gourmet spice shops and buy assorted Indian spices and curries, and spice powders like horseradish, jalapeno and habenero. I use fresh herbs, chopped finely. I use cayenne, sometimes a drop of hot sauce. You can create so many different-flavored soups if you buy both the chicken and tomato. I have my soup each night for dinner, and I honestly look forward to it every day. I have been able to be creative, and this cuts out the monotony of things. And that has kept me compliant!
8. Don't forget that you lose inches as well as pounds! It is so easy to get wrapped up with that number on the scale, and get frustrated and convinced Optifast is not "working" because you are not shedding pounds quickly enough. God knows I've fallen into that trap. But when I stopped a minute, and took a look at my clothes, I suddenly realized something. They were loose! I woke up one day a few weeks into the program and my pants had to be belted or they would fall off. (Actually, I came very close to having a pair of shorts fall completely off at Target last summer.) It's been my experience that the scale may barely move, but I dropped in size relatively quickly. Progress! It feels wonderful and then the compliments start coming. I gained even more confidence, more commitment to my journey. Those inches shed count! Don't forget that.
9. Who would have thought the Optifast "de-tox" would make you feel so good? I was so surprised to find how good I felt physically about a week or two into the program. It felt as if my body had almost completely "de-toxed" (for lack of a better word) all that chemical crap that was floating around. My energy level was (and is) very high; my mood is improved; I just feel healthier. That alone is enough to keep me going day by day. I like it -- no, I love it! I realize all I really want is "clean" food in my system. Minimal fat and carbs, nothing processed, everything fresh and healthy. I know in my case I realize that I want to take good care of my body now, and make sure everything going into it is good for me. Everything has changed. Now yes, I do see some rare meals in the future that will be rich, but I want those special occasion only. I don't need them anymore. I don't want them anymore. Fast food? Forget it! I don't want that crap anywhere near me. How wonderful is that? Thanks Optifast!
10. This program has changed my life. I saved this reflection for the last, because it's the most important. How do I sum up the the difference between the woman I am now, compared to the one who started this journey nine months ago? Well, for starters, I treasure my body. Next, I feel so much better about who I am. Okay, I'll admit it. I like myself! I wouldn't say I love myself (that's a work in progress), but I definitely have made great strides in the self-esteem area. That was a goal of mine when I started -- to like, to respect myself again. I have found, without a doubt, that having a healthy body has boosted my self-respect to levels I have not seen in a long, long time. I had descended so low in this area. Obesity does that to you. The emotional impacts are terrible. My view of myself has improved so very much. And I'm very happy about that. So is my husband. This is a benefit of the Optifast program that you might not hear about when you first sign up. What tends to be emphasized are the more clinical, more physical aspects of weight loss, not the emotional benefits that go along with it. But they are quite important as well. I'm thrilled to see success in both areas of my life. Today I'm stronger physically, but I'm also stronger emotionally. It's a holistic change. And that's pretty important.
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I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention how thrilled, how happy I am that there are people out there who are following my struggles and triumphs on this program by reading my blog. It's not just here for me -- I hope to help educate and assist anyone considering the Optifast program, anyone enrolled in the Optifast program, those who have completed the Optifast program, and even those who are just plain interested in knowing more about weight loss in general. I am writing for you and me. Frankly, I don't know how long I will write -- I'm going to just continue along, taking it day by day. I love writing. It makes me feel so much better. So expect the entries to keep on coming. You haven't heard the last from me by a long shot!
Blessings all and good luck in your own life journey!
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