As part of CONCI’S lecture series, patients who lost weight on the OPTIFAST program and are now maintaining that loss are invited to speak to patients currently on the program. The speaker is asked to discuss the eating habits and lifestyle changes he or she has made in order to maintain the lower weight. Current patients find it helpful to hear from those who have “walked the walk and talked the talk.” No one can relate better to current patients than someone who has been on the OPTIFAST program previously and is now in the maintenance phase. A recent speaker was Justin E. who lost 107 [...]

THE FOOD ALTAR DEFINITION:  The room or place at work where birthday cakes, unhealthy snacks, leftovers from work meetings, and other donated food wind up. Virtually every workplace has a food altar that presents workers with a never-ending buffet of temptation. This common area accounts for the majority of unconscious, unplanned, and unhealthy eating decisions made during the working day. The caloric intake of food originating from the food altar can be staggering. Food altars in the workplace will always present a challenge. Here are some strategies for dealing with them: Educate yourself about calories in the types of food [...]

The practice of mindfulness is to be fully present and aware of the moment you are experiencing. Mindful eating involves concentrating on the process of eating and enjoying the sensations of food, such that we become aware of our body’s hunger and satiety cues. Mindful eating guides us to eat with joy while nourishing our bodies with energy. Instead of worrying about factors such as weight, we can learn to trust our bodies to tell us when and what to eat in order to feel our best. Research shows that mindful eating helps with weight management and the development of [...]

  In 2014, Pam and Steve met at CONCI while they were both losing weight on the OPTIFAST program.  After Pam lost 150 pounds and Steve lost 190, they were no longer going to the clinic on a weekly basis.  They lost track of each other. It wasn’t until 2017 that their paths crossed again. It was then that CONCI dietitian Jody Riley reintroduced them, suggesting they contact each other for maintenance support. They quickly became friends because of what they had in common.  Both achieved weight loss in the same way, and both understood the challenge of keeping the [...]

INTERMITTENT FASTING: A NEW ALTERNATIVE MEANS TO WEIGHT LOSS Intermittent fasting involves a short period of not eating followed by a period of eating freely (but smartly). The 3 forms of this type of fasting are as follows: *5:2 diet – Two days per week of limiting intake to 500 calories (These calories should include 50 grams of protein). Remaining five days of eating without calorie restriction Alternate day fasting – Alternate between a 500-calorie fast day and a day of eating without calorie restriction. 500 calories are eaten every other day and should include 50 grams of protein. 16:8 [...]