[chelle567]

Hello! I am new and just starting on slim fast. I was wondering if anyone has had any success with it and if so what kind of a plan do you follow. Thanks!!

[JennasMom]

My sister uses the slim fast thing... she has one for breakfast and one for lunch and then dinner, and snacks in between.

She started it after she had her baby... I would assume she was about 200 lbs then, and now she is like 150. She quit last year sometime but just started again since she wants to lose 15 more. It works really well for her.

I tried it and I just can't handle the shakes. I am not a shake kind of person though. I can't get a full feeling from drinking something, and then I want to eat even more.

[StarPrincess]

Here's my personal issue with things that come in a pill, shake or bar form: even if you do lose weight using them, what happens when you stop? In my opinion, these are not maintainable options and therefore, not worth the time or expense. You're much better off learning to establish healthy eating and exercise habits.

[tolose85]

Hi there. I think it's OK to use them as a temporary jump start BUT as star said, its not a permanent thing.. Meaning once you lose the weight do you plan to keep drinking those shakes for the rest of your life? It is your best bet to find a nutrition program that will work for you both during and after your weightloss.

[barb64]

Hi- I started using Slimfast back at the end of Feb 2004. Have lost 36 pounds since then. I don't call what I'm doing a diet, but a change in lifestyle. I work long, crazy hours and was eating junk- it showed in every way. I am still working long, crazy hours and the Slimfast is a small, but important part of what I do. You don't just have the bars or shakes, but pair them up with fruit, yogurt, salad, etc- foods that are needed by your body. You also eat a healthy snack three times a day. In addition, I use their website to log all my food. This tells me where I'm at with calories and totals your nutrition for the day. Sometimes I find maybe I didn't have quite enough fiber- so I'll eat a bowl of Cheerios and milk, instead of a fat free pudding. This plan is one that I feel I can easily follow to my goal weight. At that point, I can choose to maintain using Slimfast- or not. I know for sure that I will continue to log my food either at their site or somewhere else (it is free at Slimfast).The important thing is the change in how you think about food- looking at it as something you enjoy- but appreciate it too for the good things it does for your body. I hope this helps!

[lyndaann]

I started out using slimfast but soon found that I was happier just eatting healthy and working out 5 times a week. I still use the web site to log my weight and keep track of my food. I treat myself to their snack bar when I feel like I want a treat. I found that I could eat more and lose more when I counted calories. I have lost 135 lbs in 14 months.
I think you need to find what works for you and just stick with it.

[skittles05]

I lost 75 pounds on Slim Fast and have kept it off a year so yes, Slim Fast DOES work...just stick to the plan.
I drank a shake for breakfast, meal bar for lunch, and some sort of lean meat and salad for dinner.
Now I'm on Atkins to finish the job...good luck!

[Leenie]

I tried slim fast a few times, but after a few days of being on it I would get very bad stomach pains.

[nelie]

When I started my "healthy eating" regimen, I was doing my own low carb so I was using the Slim Fast LC shakes. They were ok but the regular slimfast shakes are full of sugar and the LC shakes are full of fat and both have a lot of additives in them. I decided that I didn't want to put that stuff in my body. You are probably best in eating real foods and/or making your own shakes.

[aphil]

I have different, mixed opinions on products like SlimFast...

I think that it is fine to use a meal replacement bar or shake on days when you are in a hurry and can't eat a real meal. I am a dancer and imports vendor-and there are days where I attend a dance workshop all day long-say 3 hours in the morning of dancing-then I have to stay and vend (hip scarves, veils, etc.) during the "breaks" and then right back to 2-3 more hours of dancing in the afternoon. I have to pack a meal bar, bottled water, and some easy to pack produce like baby carrots or an apple in my bag-because if I don't-then I don't eat. It is that simple.

I don't think that you should really use meal replacements for 2 meals a day-every single day-on a plan.

On the positive side-Slim-Fast has recently changed over their shakes and bars to a new formulation with less sugar. That was a long time coming. I actually test marketed these new products for them a couple months ago. Also-as far as learning to eat "healthfully" again after losing your desired weight-SF does have this information on their website...but you have to read it. I think that is the catch with ANY plan-not just Slim Fast. I know many people who have gained all their weight back after stopping Slim Fast, Atkins, calorie counting, or whatever they were doing-because they simply went back to eating the same way that made them fat in the first place. They whole reason that SF works is because you are reducing calories-plain and simple. The same thing would happen if you were eating 220 calories for breakfast and lunch, fruit for snacks, and the lean meat/salad dinner. It is the calories that count, and the calories that make SF work.

Slim Fast can work-any plan can work if you stick with it-but most people complain of not getting full or satisfied from shakes. (Maybe the meal bars, soups, etc. that they offer would be better for these people.)

Personally-I rarely use SF for meal replacements. I use a meal replacement for about 3 meals per week (instead of 14!) but when I do-I choose other options such as EAS, Myoplex, or a Clif Bar or Bakers Breakfast Cookie.

I would recommend to SF users that you switch over to the newer less sugar formula (Optima) just because it is less sugar-which is better for everyone.

Good Luck,
Aphil