Hi Guys, I was wondering if anyon had tried slimfast shakes? Im planning on spending a few weeks having one for breakfast, one at lunch with a healthy dnner and fruit snacks through the day. The reason I want to try this is because calorie counting seems to be failing me at the moment, I end up binging a lot and I need to learn that food is fuel, not a hobby, I have a bit of an 'all or nothing' mentality!
Anyone had any success with SlimFast? What kind of weight loss should I expect to see?
My husband and I tried another brand but the same principle. They tasted good and worked for about a week but then I started missing the actual "act" of eating. Sitting down and chewing my food, the process. In the end we threw in the towel on the shakes and opted for healthier actual meals.
Just not the same when you are sitting at the table together...drinking a shake....
I tried Slim Fast a long, LONG time ago. I got so bored drinking it from a glass after a week I eventually started eating it like soup....in a bowl...with a spoon. And sometimes I'd crush ice into it to give it some substance. After 2 weeks I started gagging on it. Did I lose weight? Yup. Did I keep it off? Nope.
The attraction to weight loss gimmicks (yes, gimmicks) like this is that it is easy. Meaning, you don't have to put any thought into what you are going to have for breakfast and lunch. You will eventually tire of this routine and you'll be left not knowing much about nutrition and other valuable insights into how your body responds to regular food.
I used to do Slim Fast for breakfast when I was in high-school, but I didn't do the whole program (I had a regular lunch and no snacks). It helped me maintain my weight at the time but not lose any weight. It may be a good way to jumpstart you and help you get in a losing weight mindset, but it isn't going to carry you over the long haul. I would say that if you want to try it, do the Slim Fast program for 2-4 weeks (in other words, do it for two weeks, and if it seems to be working, keep doing it, but I wouldn't do it for more than four) do get you off your plateau and then wean yourself off it - start just doing it for one or the other, breakfast or lunch, and go back to eating a healthy meal for the other meal.
If nothing else, it might help you mentally if it works. I don't think you should get used to it because (1) I don't think it will last forever. At some point you will just be maintaining whatever weight at which it stops working and (2) It's probably not the healthiest, and (3) you will probably get bored with it eventually and want to go back to real food. But if it helps you lose some more weight, it might be a boost mentally to help you get back to calorie counting or some other weight loss method.
I Did it for 3 weeks as a quick fix and found it really easy to do and with the 2 100cal snacks found i was always full. I wouldnt reccomend it for long term weightloss as shanIam said you do lose weight but can put it straight back on if you go back to normal foods.
I lost 7lbs in 3 weeks for my Holiday but put it back on in about 2 months of coming back so didnt put it on as quick as i lost it and wasnt watching what i was eating really either so cant really say if it would come back on if you kept your diet healthy.
I do not like the shakes but the bars are wonderful! I eat them for Lunch and eat the snack bars when I NEED something sweet. They are not expensive if you load up when they are on sale! It has worked for me incorporating them into my daily routine and I would be quite happy to eat them forever - Yum!
I did them multiple times over the last 10 years and they never got me any results. The last time I got them was less then a year ago. I started having some serious stomach issues and stopped drinking them for a couple days. The next time I went to the store they had a sign up for a recall on them because of some bacteria problem, I went home and threw the rest away.
They have a lot of carbs and a lot of not real stuff in them. Someone asked about slimfast a while back and I suggested they make their own meal replacement shakes. You could buy a good protein powder and mix it with frozen fruit of your choice. Much tastier, much healthier, MUCH more filling, and I believe cheaper in the long run.
I used to have one for breakfast, I'd drink it in the car on the way to work and it would stay with me for about 3 hours. I need something more substantial for lunch and dinner.
Slimfast is much better than it was years ago and they do have tasty treats and snack bars.
I don't really know anyone who maintained weight lost with slim fast though.
If calorie counting isn't working have you ever considered an exchange plan?
I started drinking SlimFast in High School when I got braces. It was an easy way of "eating" without hurting my teeth. I lost 10 pounds in a month and then stopped because my teeth didn't hurt anymore. I didn't gain it back.
I did the SlimFast program (they have online menu planning) again as a jump start to lose college weight in my early 20's... If you follow the eating program online with shakes and healthy snacks it's not that bad. I lost maybe 4 pounds in 2 weeks but then found that I could sub the shakes for Special K and Progresso light soups or lean pockets, etc... I lost more weight that way, but I kept eating the snack bars. The muffin ones are heaven. Eventually I just learned how to eat healthful foods and turned to SBD which helped me lose 30 pounds in 3 months.
So, the take away message from my experience is this... It's just another crash diet. You could get the same results replacing your meals with Special K, cabbage soup, protien shakes, heck... even a protien bar. If you're looking to get a jump start and snap yourself out of this plateau, then sure, go for it. It just might give you the boost you're looking for and that will give you new confidence in your healthy eating journey. Beware of the carbs though, they do make a lower carb option and it has less calories too.
Slimfast sounds like a recipe for increased bingeing to me. I'm a keen cook as well and I'd go insane having to live on those drinks. If you're prone to bingeing, I'd guessing that you'd still binge if you switched diet type. Working out why you binge and working on that side of things is probably more useful. Have you asked in the Chicks in Control forum?
I don't binge myself, so I can't speak from experience there. I got overweight through inattentive grazing mostly. I'm eating a more limited diet mostly in that I only snack minimally now, rather than just grabbing food whenever I fancy it (head hunger). I'm sticking to a fairly firm routine: porridge for breakfast most of the time, soup and/or salad for lunch, a usual meal with my partner for dinner. There's a lot less thinking about food required with this, especially when I cook food in batches and freeze it, which I do with soup in particular. I'm finding it much easier to shift my focus from the kitchen to something else that way. Is that any help?
They have a lot of carbs and a lot of not real stuff in them. Someone asked about slimfast a while back and I suggested they make their own meal replacement shakes. You could buy a good protein powder and mix it with frozen fruit of your choice. Much tastier, much healthier, MUCH more filling, and I believe cheaper in the long run.
I wanted to second this. Protein powder supplements are not all just proteins and are not just for people doing strength training or bodybuilding. The one I use has a total of 200 calories (compared to 220 in slimfast) including:
24g of protein blend (10 in slimfast)
5g of fiber (equal to slimfast)
5g of healthy fats (3 in slimfast)
only 2g of sugar (34g! of sugar in slimfast)
I think the main difference in these meal replacements is the benefits protein holds for many people in keeping hunger and cravings away vs. sugar which tends to produce further cravings. Being able to satisfy hunger in a similar way I would if I was actually eating a balanced meal has made the process easier for me (I wish I had discovered it sooner). This also works great for people who sometimes want to eat more to avoid metabolism dips but who don't have the appetite to get all of their calories in solid food.
So for anybody who would like the convenience of a meal replacement shake (it's difficult to choose 5 healthy meals everyday when busy or on the go) but who didn't experience satisfaction with SlimFast, consider giving the protein supplements (outside of Whey) a try. The one I use is chocolate flavor and tastes great, which is an added bonus for me because I don't typically indulge in sweets too much anymore. You will likely have to use amazon or go to a local specialty store like the Vitamin Shoppe to find quality ones, however.
Has anyone ever tried SlimFast?
for every 5 pounds GONE!
