Protein Shake / Meal Replacement Programs - Help!

Sorry if this is a topic that seems to be constantly be repeated.. but my roommate & I are weighing our options between the various Protein Shake / Meal Replacement programs...

Such as:
Herbalife
Body by Vi
Advocare
Beachbody Shakeology
Nutrilite

Amongst others..

Has anyone tried these and programs and has success, or failure with them? There are pros & cons to each of them...

Any help or feedback is appreciated - Thanks!!

Replies

  • mrslaw85
    mrslaw85 Posts: 34 Member
    I like the Body by Vi as it is the only one that I can stand the taste and it helps even out my blood glucose levels. I am using it as a supplement not as a meal replacement. I know several people who are and have had great success!
  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
    My fav protein shake/meal replacement is a mix of the protein powder I have, skim milk and a scoop of the no name meal replacement powder. I only do it if I am in a hurry because I couldn't live off them all the time. I mix the meal replacement powder with the protein on days I know I won't get enough protein from real foods.

    You can make your own much cheaper than the ones you mentioned that would probably taste much better!
  • Finding_Fit_Me
    Finding_Fit_Me Posts: 21 Member
    My friend Meagan uses (and sells) BodybyVi and swears by it. I've seen her before and after, and she does look amazing. But it's not for me.. my system is weird. I use the Total Lean supplemental from GNC. My brother (who lost 70 lbs and joined the Marine Corps by using it) swears by them. I have lost 10 lbs so far (I've only been on it for two weeks) by replacing two meals a day with Total Lean. I use the Rich Chocolate flavor, but I've tasted the Vanilla Bean and Swiss Chocolate and they're all amazing in taste. I use water rather than milk, because the milk is too much fat/calories..and I've never been a milk person (it makes me gag). It gives me the energy I need to do my 1hr+ work outs, and it keeps me full for a long time.

    Hope you find one that's right for you!
  • Horseyrider
    Horseyrider Posts: 22
    I would imagine that the success with these is fleeting. Yes you can lose weight initially. But sooner or later you will either have to learn how to eat sensibly, or you'll gain back everything you've lost with these things. And therein lies the rub-- whether we do it now or we do it later, we still have to learn how to eat sensibly.

    Why not just do that from the beginning? These products are highly processed, full of things that aren't in your kitchen and your grandmother wouldn't even recognize, and to me qualify as faux foods, in the same group as Twinkies and Kool Aid. While our bodies are quite resilient and adaptive, why not give your body what it was evolved to thrive on-- high quality clean veggies, fruits, meats, and grains?

    There are things in real foods that are tremendous health givers that we have only recently discovered, and so many more that haven't been discovered yet. Just the other day I heard that the hulls of popcorn have more than 100 times the antioxidants of fruits. Five years ago, no one knew that. What discoveries about real food lie just around the corner?

    Just because your body can digest these products doesn't make them food. I've never heard of anyone staying on them for the rest of their lives, and I've never heard of anyone maintaining successful weight loss over a term of years after using them to lose weight. Probably someone else here has; but doesn't that tend to make that the exception rather than the rule? If it really worked, why their stock would be through the roof, there'd be runs on the stores, and everyone would be thin.

    In real food is ancient wisdom and natural evolution. Learn to eat real food, and eat well. You can't beat the contents of the garden with the contents of a test tube.

    Like Michael Pollan says, "Eat real food; mostly plants, not too much."
  • joankpoirier
    joankpoirier Posts: 281 Member
    I like shakeology because it's all natural. and has a Vegan drink
    Sorry if this is a topic that seems to be constantly be repeated.. but my roommate & I are weighing our options between the various Protein Shake / Meal Replacement programs...

    Such as:
    Herbalife
    Body by Vi
    Advocare
    Beachbody Shakeology
    Nutrilite

    Amongst others..

    Has anyone tried these and programs and has success, or failure with them? There are pros & cons to each of them...

    Any help or feedback is appreciated - Thanks!!
  • riadastfu
    riadastfu Posts: 69
    Do you guys actually feel full after drinking these?

    Personally, I find solid food keeps my hunger in check as it takes longer to digest. I *DO* supplement my diet with shakes to meet protein goals though, but I don't rely solely on them for meals.