Slim Fast 3 2 1

crazycranberry

Am kinda trying the Slim Fast plan but not loving the Slim Fast meal replacement bars. Does it work if you just use the shakes as part of a calorie controlled diet?
I've never calorie counted before so not sure if there are any golden rules I should know? Anyone have any tips?
Also a little confused about the amount of calories I should be having per day. Can you carry calories over to another day if you haven't eaten your allowance?
:happy:

Abells

I don't find too much that slimfast works and leaves you constantly feeling hungry. There are plenty of things to eat to keep your calories low and if you need to snack eat some simple veggies like celery with hummus (many low cal options) you can snack all day on celery.

The amount you should eat depends one what you want to lose and your height and current weight -- add to the calculator. You should not carry over calories. Never works that way -- you will just starve your body and then if in a couple days you save up and eat a lot you will be adding more lbs.

andreacord

I just use the bars as a meal replacement if I'm in a hurry, so I'm the wrong one to ask. I think the idea is 3 100 calorie snacks, 2 bars or shakes a day, and a healthy 500 cal dinner.

justleeanne

I eat/drink them all the time, I am not following the plan but I am calorie counting and exercising. Some days I have 2 with snavks and a meal, some days I have 1 and sometimes none. They keep me full fine and yeah there are other options for a 200cal meal but they are convenient sometimes if you lead a busy lifestyle and it's a good way to get started until you learn more. My other half eats them as snacks too because they are fortified.

wheelieblade

I drink the shakes and have started adding protein powder in.

amandae79

just an F.Y.I. the second ingredient in slim fast shakes is SUGAR!

123456654321

In my opinion things like this are a rip off. Everyone I've known that tried stays hungry and bored. Before you buy into Slim Fast I'd try things the good old fashioned way first. Portion control and healthy eating. Good luck!

Lending

The way it breaks down is it's really a 1200 Calorie diet. 1 shake powder mix is 110 cals with water, with a half cup of skim milk it's 200 cals. You have that for breakfast and lunch, dinner would consist of 500 cals. The snack are on between those 3 meals and the snack bars are 100 cals (the meal bars take the place of the shakes). So it's like this:

Breakfast: Shake 200
Morning snack: slimfast snack bar or fruit 100 (2 hours after breakfast)
Lunch: Shake 200 (2 hours after morning snack)
Afternoon snack: slimfast snack bar or fruit 100 (2 hours after lunch)
Dinner: 500 cal dinner consisting of protein (no red meat), carb, and vegetables (2 hours after midday snack)
Evening snack: snack bar or fruit 100 cals (2 hours after dinner)

Added up is 1200 cals. Now incorporate exercise everyday and that's 1.5 to 2 pounds a week. This is the diet I'm on. It's working. I also drink 64oz or 8 cups of water a day. (4 water bottles) I've been on it since early April and I've lost 10 pounds.

Personally I don't buy their products except for the shake mix. The rest I eat with fruit and what not. In fact... You could replace the shakes. Look at the label of a Slimfast 321 powder mix can. It's very close to that of hot chocolate mix only diff' is it [slimfast] has nutrients added that one would get with a regular meal (it's meal replacement). Go to your local Walgreens or CVS and buy men's multivitamin like Centrium. It has even higher percentage of those same nutrients. Split the pill in half and take the half with the chocolate drink and viola! You have your bootleg slimfast shake.

I've done that just to hold me until I could get back to buying the shake mix. One can only lasts you a week @ 14 servings a can. It can get a lil' pricey. Anyway, it's working for me and I'll be where I hope to soon.

maillekelly

I'm thinking of trying slim fast, anyone who has done it/done it, add me as a friend! I want to lose 20lb by 1st september, I'm thinking something as simple as slim fast could help me?

Qarol

I tried slim fast and was not happy. The foods are not satisfying. And I felt it didn't really teach me to eat better.

katrina1122

i agree with Qarol. It's not teaching proper food proportions so the minute you stop you back to your bad eating habits.

crazycranberry

Thanks to everyone that posted a reply. Its all interesting reading. I am sure that the slim fast is a good way for the quickness but I already know how to eat healthy and so now unsure if I should just try to keep calories to 1200 per day and excersise 3 times a week. I do the excersise bit anyway so its just being 'good' with the food and not tucking into naughty choc & pizza too often. I'll try it for a week or so and see if I lose any weight.

justleeanne

For me, I was eating so unhealthily and when I first decided I wanted to make a change I went for slim fast, it was the best thing I ever did, because it was so like, this is the portion, this is the shake, I couldn't lie to myself and eat more etc

it is usually on offer at one supermarket or another and if you compare it with the price of buying meals sometimes then it is not really that expensive.

After I had done it for a couple of weeks I found myfitnesspal and I was able to log calories of things I ate and therefore I have now graduated onto eating more healthily, having other stuff for dinner at times instead of a shake and I am learning more each day about food and what is good and what is not.

I think people slate slim fast too easily, if you go to the slim fast website there are people there who have had MAJOR success and do not spend every day feeling hungry. If you follow the general principle then you WILL lose weight. After all, as Lending has shown further up, it basically is just sticking to a 1200 calorie diet each day which is all I am doing now that I have joined MFP.

The problem is that a lot of people when they "diet" can't cope with being hungry, or just not having the same access to the things they usually eat, people totally restrict themselves of having anything and we all know someone or have ourselves lost weight in the past and put it back on again, it happens!! I think that is more down to the individual rather than the diet they are on.

I have lost 2 and a half stone now so I feel like I want to defend it because it really has helped me so much!

stephierue

Agree. It's about habits. Conquer that & you win!

stanvoodoo

MFP will set up your profile for you with the recommended calories per day based on the info you provide.

Regarding Slim Fast, this is high in everything you don't want and low in protein which is what you need.

If you want to do shakes and bars you want ones with protein, 25gr or more for a shake and 17gr or more for a bar.

Shakes: Pure Protein, Premier Protein, Muscle Milk Light - Bars: Pure Protein.

I do 2 shakes most day and between 1/2 and a full bar each day plus small lunch and dinner. Try to reach 80-100 grams of protein per day plus fiber and 64oz of water. Not to mention exercise which is about 5-6 days per week.

Best of Luck!

craftylatvian

I tried slim fast and was not happy. The foods are not satisfying. And I felt it didn't really teach me to eat better.

I totally agree. Too much sugar and everything is processed with Slim fast and the same goes with most frozen diet meals.
I started out doing the 3-2-1 but was hungry all the time. Now I eat 2x as much as what the 3-2-1 plan allows and am rarely hungry. My diary is open if you want to look.
If you want a bar as a snack to tide you over, Larabars are wonderful. No preservatives at all.

jennmoore3

Well, I use the french vanilla shakes, and I am so stuffed after I drink one. Seriously, no joke. I put it into the freezer for like 10-15 minutes so it is super cold. I also like the almond chocolate bar. I use that as my chocolate fix at night. I only use slim fast for my breakfasts cuz I can drink it on my way to work. When I started I was so out of control, it was unreal. You can look at my diary if you want to. I have lost 11.5 in the past 40 days. Not too shabby. I also keep some slim fast at work so if I don't have time for lunch or if I forget my lunch... it's there. I work in the surgery department so lunch sometimes is a 2-3 minute break on the way to another case. For me it is more about the calories more than anything else. I was going into the 4000-5000 calorie range so keeping my goal under these calories is working for me. I sometimes go over in sugar, but oh well.

Lending

I think people slate slim fast too easily, if you go to the slim fast website there are people there who have had MAJOR success and do not spend every day feeling hungry. If you follow the general principle then you WILL lose weight. After all, as Lending has shown further up, it basically is just sticking to a 1200 calorie diet each day which is all I am doing now that I have joined MFP.

The problem is that a lot of people when they "diet" can't cope with being hungry, or just not having the same access to the things they usually eat, people totally restrict themselves of having anything and we all know someone or have ourselves lost weight in the past and put it back on again, it happens!! I think that is more down to the individual rather than the diet they are on.

I have lost 2 and a half stone now so I feel like I want to defend it because it really has helped me so much!

I had the same sentiment. It does really work. Just gotta be consistent; also, after a few weeks (in my case 2) I no longer was "hungry" while doing it. Stick-to-itiveness goes a long way with any diet.

To the thread starter, I'm sure you will find your method just like everyone else has. One that suits you and your are confidant in. I had gone through 3 different fad/crash diet, trying each in particular several times, but I was so hungry it couldn't last. With the SlimFast 3 2 1 approach I'm very much pleased.

ace175

I did the 3-2-1 plan last July for about the the whole month....lost about 20-22 pounds.....plus I was working out...it had great results then but i highly DON'T recommend it....I got very sick, then started losing hair. I was only eating about 800 cals./day because of working out and that the plan doesn't allow eating back exercise calories. So my body went into shock. I ended up gaining all the weight back, plus more. You definitely can't live off of the 3 2 1 plan for the rest of your life, it's a diet, not a lifestyle change, unlike using this website.... some people use the meal bars or shakes on their own, which is fine, but I really don't suggest doing the plan exactly, like I did.

Good luck

DarkSwan

I don't follow the Slim Fast plan, but I keep the shakes on hand for two reasons. A. I have to have something on my stomach when I excercise, too much maakes me sick and not enough makes me feel dizzy/faint. The shakes are the perfect middle ground, and they are very convinient when your groggy so early in the morning. B. Its nice to have something I can grab and take with me if I know I am going somewhere that there will be either food I shouldn't eat or possibly no food at all (I get VERY cranky when I am hungry).

So for me they are useful. Eventually I want to switch to a protien shake but that won't be till I get a functioning kitchen. XD

crazycranberry

Wow..............those shakes are very sugary sweet huh! I have however lost 1lb in 2 days (great start!) and hope that I don't lose too much too quickly as I am not naive and I know its better to lose weight slowly. It was only my intention to kick start the weight loss and only had a plan to be on Slim Fast for 2 weeks.

But............Thanks to everyone that has shared their thoughts on this thread. Its useful to read about other people's experiences.