My Obesity Journey And Optifast

Foreword

Me and My Old Self

Just a bit about me: I’m Marcus, 33 (soon to be 34) years old, 189 cm tall, currently weighing 128 kg (BMI 35.8). I do strength training four times a week for 45-60 minutes, hike once a month, and take daily walks. But it wasn’t always this way…

My „Heavy“ Life Before 2020 Summarized:

• Highest weight 192 kg (BMI 53.7)

• Sitting around all day

• No exercise

• Large bowls of cereal for breakfast

• Eating late at night

• No regular meal or sleep times

• Eating and drinking whatever I wanted

• Eating huge portions

• Almost always drinking to blackout at parties

• Walking down the street made me sweat

You don’t need to be a doctor to see that this was far from a healthy lifestyle. However, this doesn’t mean there weren’t opportunities for improvement. Often, it only becomes clear that changes were necessary when it’s already too late. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here!

A Turning Point

I can’t pinpoint exactly what triggered my decision to change. It could have been the increasing insults about my size on public transport, the inability to walk anywhere without sweating, the constant worry that chairs might break under me, the difficulties during sexual activities, or the increasing physical limitations. What I do know is that everything started to change when I moved in with my brother.

Every Beginning Is Difficult

Moving in with my brother at 30 opened many new possibilities for me. The new environment felt like a fresh start, and I found the courage to try going to the gym with friends and my brother. What could go wrong?

It didn’t take long to realize that it was beneficial in ways I hadn’t known before. Of course, it was extremely difficult to even drag my 192 kg body to the gym, but I persevered.

My new lifestyle involved going to the gym three times a week. Naturally, I also started watching my diet, and thanks to our fitness app, the new target was 3200 calories per day. That may sound like a lot to some, and it’s hard to believe I used to eat that much, but it helped me lose 20 kg in two years.

Things were progressing, and I didn’t focus much on what I was eating as long as the calories were right. Since I enjoy cooking, we tried many new recipes, and I had already switched to drinking water as my main beverage.

However, eventually, I couldn’t lose more weight with such a high-calorie intake, and my weight stagnated at around 174 kg, which was frustrating because I wanted more. My ambition was ignited and no longer satisfied.

Optifast and the St. Georg Leipzig Obesity Program

My doctor had long advised me to seek help, but I believed I could continue managing on my own as I had in previous years. In early 2023, however, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and started experiencing more physical issues, despite my now four-times-weekly strength training and past successes. The program itself lasts a year, with six months of weekly group meetings at the facility, then monthly meetings, which sounded quite manageable to me.

So, I finally gave in and reached out to the St. Georg obesity program. After a short conversation, I was invited for some tests, including a psychological evaluation, to see if I was suitable for the program.

Fortunately, I was, and I officially started the program on March 13, 2023. Two weeks prior, I had a hospital stay for a health check-up, X-rays, ECG, etc. Of course, the weekend before starting, I had one last „feast“ – an all-you-can-eat with friends.

The program began with what’s called the Formula Phase, an intensive diet using a powder called Optifast. I had never heard of it before, though I knew Nestlé products. For the next 112 days, I had four sachets a day, one every four hours, each containing exactly 212 calories, totaling 848 calories per day. Not much for an adult, but just enough to function. I continued to exercise, though at a reduced intensity, and started daily walks, which were initially challenging due to my weight.

Optifast offered various soups, shakes, and creams, and I quickly realized I couldn’t stomach the soups, so I stuck to shakes and creams. Despite many birthdays and parties, I stayed strict with my liquid diet and lost about 35 kg during this time, which was a huge success for me.

Next came the Transition Phase, where we gradually reintroduced solid food. We still consumed Optifast but could replace one sachet with real food.

From then on, every meal needed to include 50% vegetables, and thanks to the gradual approach and the „reset“ from Optifast, I had little to no issues. We were given various recipes to try, adjusted for our current caloric needs. In the next 98 days, I lost another 9 kg, which made me very happy.

Finally, there was the Stabilization Phase, where we focused on solidifying what we had learned and maintaining our weight. Meetings were reduced to once a month, which felt appropriate after weekly sessions. I transitioned to three meals a day, cautiously increasing from 1200 to 1500-1800 calories while ramping up my strength training again. I also discovered a love for hiking, which I now do at least once a month.

I successfully mastered this phase, reaching my current 128 kg, which I have maintained well. However, my journey doesn’t end here, as obesity is a lifelong condition. Unfortunately, I realized far too late how much my weight was affecting my life and shortening my lifespan, but better late than never!

My Personal Tips and Tricks for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off:

• 2-3 liters of water/tea/coffee (unsweetened) per day

• 7-8 hours of sleep (very important!)

• Meal prepping, dividing meals into containers for the week. Perfect for portion control and preventing overeating

• At least your own weight in grams of protein per day (e.g., 128g for 128kg)

• Regular meal times, 3-4 meals a day

• No snacking between meals

• 50% vegetables with every meal

• No eating after 8 PM

• Avoid carbohydrates in the evening

• At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity weekly

• Eat fewer or as many calories as your basal metabolic rate

I’m not perfect; I still enjoy sweet or salty snacks occasionally. My motto is: You can eat anything, just in moderation. I want to emphasize that I am not an expert. I simply follow the advice of the obesity program and have found the above tips effective for me. It might help others to try some of these suggestions!

Conclusion Time? Yes, Conclusion Time!

Of course, my journey continues. My current goal is to reach 120 kg, and perhaps even aim for 110 kg while becoming more active. I might update this blog again, but I can’t promise anything! In conclusion, I want to thank everyone who has supported me on my journey.

Thanks to the competent team at the clinic, who have greatly helped me over the year, thanks to my fellow program participants, who gave me a sense of belonging and stood by me, thanks to my friends and family who didn’t tempt me to eat when I couldn’t or didn’t want to, huge thanks to an exceptional person from Australia who showed me that even I can be desired, no matter what flaws I have or how I look, and a special thanks to my brother, who opened many doors for me. Without him, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today.

Yours,

Marcus