As part of your weight loss journey Dr Baxter and our highly trained team of dietitians will recommend that you go on a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) in preparation for your surgery. In addition, many patients are recommended to continue to use the shakes in the days/weeks after surgery during the liquid stage.
Here at Dr Baxter’s Rooms we recommend Formulite and Optifast as our VLCD. Recently the Monash University’s Centre of Obesity Research and Education conducted a clinical trial comparing the performance of Formulite vs Optifast. The products compared weight loss, compliance, taste satisfaction, side effects and surgical access amongst patients on the bariatric pre-op diet.
The findings are as follows:
Formulite achieved higher urinary ketones and these were positively correlated with total body weight loss1
(this is seen as an indication of good adherence to the very low-calorie regime)
1Urinary ketones measured at 2 weeks were used as an objective measure of adherence to the very low-calorie regime. Urinary ketones indicated lipolysis and ketosis, induced by dietary adherence to VLED and low caloric intake. Higher average urinary ketone concentrations were found in those on Formulite compared to Optifast. Furthermore, there was positive correlation between urinary ketosis and total body weight loss in both groups, strengthening its correlation with compliance.
Formulite resulted in less bothersome gastrointestinal side effects such as flatulence2
(this was attributed to the higher fibre intake with Formulite)
2Fibre intake had been associated with improved gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in two recent meta-analyses.
Emotional eating was increased in Optifast more so than Formulite3
(Formulite has 70% more protein, which is related to patients feeling satiated)
3Emotional eating related to satiety can affect compliance to a VLED and ultimately overall weight loss.
Formulite is a more tolerable, more viable alternative preoperative VLED to Optifast4,5
(Formulite has more protein, less carbs, less sugar and includes pre & probiotics compared to Optifast)
4The only criteria where Formulite didn’t out perform Optifast was in satisfaction levels related to taste, however Formulite’s new product formulations have now addressed this issue.
5Formulite is a new VLED that aims to retain the benefit of traditional VLED, whilst reducing unwanted GI side effects. Like previous VLED, it induces ketosis, thereby decreasing hunger and producing rapid weight loss. However, there are several differences in the formulation. Compared to traditional VLED such as Optifast, Formulite has a higher protein content, with lower amounts of carbohydrate and sugar. Furthermore, it contains increased fibre, digestive enzymes and probiotics. These changes seek to reduce unwanted side effects, making the VLED more acceptable and, therefore, improving compliance.
While these are the preferred VLCD shakes we will leave it on your capable hands as to which one you prefer.
To view an extract of the published article please click here.