Hi! I'm new to the boards & this is my first post. I have been doing different diets on & off over the years but never seem to get down even close to where I want to be. I am currently 350 pounds (I am 5' 5" & 36 years old) I have lost 50 pounds between June & now, mostly by doing the ww core diet. I have decided that starting today, I am going to drink just 3 or 4 slim fast shakes a day for one month & see how that goes. I want quick weight loss & I am desparate at this point & the next step is gastric bypass surgery. Has anyone ever done this? and if so, how did it go? I look forward to being a part of the group & hearing your responses & advice. Thanks!
~ Heidi
Peachygurl

Ok well just a few thoughts on this.

1. I think that this will quickly drop a small amount of weight before putting your body into starvation mode.

2. Even at 4 shakes a day you are going to be battling hunger all day long.

3. You didn't get that size over night and your not going to lose it over night.


Trust me I know how badly you want to lose weight and quickly but this just doesn't sound like a healthy approach.

I tried doing the slimfast thing about 2 years ago. BAD PLAN. The shakes are SOOOOO unsatisfying, that by dinner time all I wanted to do was eat and eat and eat to try to counter the intense hunger I built up. If you have lost 50 pounds since June, you are losing weight pretty quickly already, and should be mighty pleased with yourself! You don't want to lose much faster, as slower weight loss is more likely to stay off. It's good you are on WW, keep it up and you will learn habits that will stick with you for life!

I agree, if you have lost 50 pounds doing WW Core, then that's really great! Weigiht loss surgery is extremely dangerous, life threatening, and should always be a last resort when everything else fails. You aren't in that position, since WW Core is working so well for you. I know it's frustrating being overweight, and we all want to lose fast, but there are a lot of potential health problems with quick weight loss. Weight loss surgery has even more complications related to it.

By going to the extreme, with just a few slimfast shakes each day, you are risking other types of problems. Your metabolism will slow down because your body thinks you are starving, so you'll burn fewer calories and hurt your progress in the long run, plus you'll have problems maintaining later. You may experience hair loss, dry skin, constipation, fatigue, gallstones, heart irregularities, etc. Is it worth it? Plus the extreme deprivation may set you up for a binge later.

If you are interested in WLS, please check out our own WLS forum http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=78 for personal stories and advice

Good luck, and congratulations on your first 50 pounds lost!! Time goes a lot faster than any of us would probably like so please be patient and follow a balanced and healthy weight loss plan, and you'll reach your goal before you know it. It just takes determination and planning, a little patience, and we'll provide all the support you need

This is bizarre, because I had this exact same conversation with someone at work today...funny how that happens sometimes! She told me that each SlimFast shake is about 180 calories. If you drink 4 a day, you're only taking in 720 calories total. This is EXTREMELY low. Any diet lower than 800 calories a day needs to be approved and closely monitored by your doctor.

So obviously, I agree with everyone else that has said this is not a healthy way to lose the weight. In fact, like ambabs says:
And not only that, but at 720 calories a day, you risk confusing your body by making it think there is no more food available (the infamous "starvation/famine mode"). At that point, your body will do what it has been designed to do to protect itself: hoard energy in the form of body fat. It will then become much HARDER for you to lose weight and your metabolism will slow to a crawl -- plus you will be very hungry, have low energy, etc.

I know how frustrating it is to want the weight gone NOW and have it take so long...but all that time serves a purpose -- you will be learning a new way of eating for life. That takes lots of PRACTICE, and all those months you spend working to lose weight will have the added (LIFE-long) benefit of getting you accustomed to new habits.

If you choose to do SlimFast, I would recommend you stick with their plan (which as I recall includes at least one meal and probably several snacks).

What kind of exercise do you do?

You can do this, Peachygurl, you REALLY CAN! And you can do it in a healthy way that allows you to learn a whole new way of eating so the weight stays off forever (which is the REAL goal, right?)

Heidi -- Congrats on your weight loss so far! That's fantastic!
I agree with what everyone here has said!!

Overall, 3fc is a great site and you'll find lots of support and phenomenally great information for healthy weight loss.

If you want to talk to other people who started out at or above 300 pounds, come visit us at 300+ and Ready to Lose Again:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=124

You are not alone!

Just on a side note, slimfast is not a good plan for a liquid diet. My mother did the Optifast (I think it's called), the one that Oprah did. It was great for helping her lose the weight but as soon as she started eating solid food again she gained it all back, and I know that was a miserable time for her. But at least Optifast is specially made to serve as all your nutrients. I'd say if you binge on anything, binge on exercise. I have a friend who lost a lot of weight by working out a LOT (maybe even overdoing it) and she teases she is an exercise-bolemic. I think anything though that is unhealthy will not lead to maintenance, and any diet that is healthier than another will be better for you as long as you can lose weight. 50 lbs in four months is really good, and you just have to stick with it. Maybe start focusing on your mental attitude and treating yourself in ways that don't involve diet or food. Anything that can shake up your routine will surely help you feel better and realize your amazing progress.

Hi,
I read your post peachygurl. I also agree with the others in their desire to help you to lose in a healthy way. I never tried SlimFast but when I reached 283 1/4 pounds, I joined Weight Watchers. I took it slow. I was afraid I would get diabetes like my brother, I was tested for it but the results came back as Low Blood Sugar which can develop into diabetes. I changed my way of eating. A lot of small meals or healthy snacks, not meals like meat, potatoes and bread, like you would think of as a meal or like I used to think, but alot of healthy snacks, like fruit, I have alot of sugarfree and fatfree, I just eat when I am hungry. It has been a slow road for me, but I kept on, with the thought of diabetes in the back of my mind and maybe losing a leg or going blind. I could not buckle the seatbelt of my mothers car, it was not long enough, she had to go to a junkyard to attach another to the one I had, that is another thing that got me on the road to lose weight. I wore size 4X pants, and now I wear size 14. Yes, it has been a long road but I was tested again for diabetes, I am normal now, not Low Blood Sugar anymore. So I have decided I will stay with my new found way of eating, this has changed my life and my health. Oh I have certain other health issues, but they are not as bad as they were. Please dont try to rush it tooo much, we want you to have success for life!!!

weight loss takes time, patience and commitment, if it were easy we wouldn't need places like 3FC to get through the bad days, the lazy days and the fat days. 50 pounds is a fantastic loss, you must already be feeling the effects of that. take that feeling and roll with it. up your work outs, take a class or join a gym if you haven't. try to find something to get you moitvated to continue on like you are. quick fixes never work for long. like everyone has said, you didn't gain it overnight, you sure can't lose it over night. good luck. hope to see you around more.

Patience my dear....50 pounds is quite an accomplishment....keep up the good work!!! Welcome to 3FC!!! I'll just say ditto to the posts above....surgery is for people who can't lose the weight on their own. You already know what you need to do. You can do it. We are here for ya!!

I can understand how you feel. When I was 315 pounds I was so attached to food and the lifestyle of really being obsessed with it. I'd figure that I could starve myself for awhile and that because I was larger that I wouldn't do my body and and damage, but that isnt true, I'd just gain and lose. Never any real progress. It just seems that the quick fixes are just that.Plus, exercise was really hard for me to do. Joining a gym would never have worked for me. I was too embarrassed. I did start doing some Richard Simmons tapes, even only 10 mins at a time or I'd walk around the block and eventually worked out harder and added more time. You have to take it one step at a time when you have a lot to lose. I still have/need to practice that. I still have a lot to lose. It sounds like you are doing fantastic WW and just keep going with that. You are making lots of progress!! Just think...by this time NEXT year imagine how much you'll have accomplished. Hang in there!!!

I did try drinking only a few cans of Slimfast a day, but it only lasted a week or two, and then I was so hungry I ate everything I could get my hands on for like a week straight and gained it all back. I have also tried the hollywood diet, and had the same results. I think we have all considered doing something like what you are thinking at some point in time, but as good as it sounds, it will not work. As not fun as it sounds, eating healthy and excercising are the only was to do it. Just think about how much you have already lost. That is amazing. I know it seems like you will never get to your goal, but try not to think about that. Just take it one day at a time. If you eat good one day and get some excercise, then focus on the next day.