Slim Fast 2 Meal Day Diet/ Juice Fast

So I understand how nutrition is important, what you put in/work out...etc. I'm severely overweight, needing to lose about 100 or so pounds. I've felt myself becoming increasingly lazy about my nutrition, and entering a sort of weight-loss rut.

When I was in high school, I lost a lot of weight by doing the Slim Fast 2 meals a day thing for the entire summer. I danced, worked out, and managed to keep the weight off. I'm thinking about doing this again. Once my body is used to two meals, I plan on doing a vegan juice fast for as long as I'm able.

Juice fasting is excellent for rebooting your body of vital nutrients as well as cleansing it from all the nasty stuff we put in it.
I highly recommend watching Fat Sick & Nearly Dead on Netflix. This is what woke me up to my weight problem. I hold it well, so I never really considered it. Even if you're thin, I recommend a juice fast.

Have you done it? What are your opinions of it? Slim Fast? Juice Fast?

Replies

  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    unless you don't mind being hungry, they are both retarded.

    why not just eat lower carb, higher protein? its so much healthier.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Have you done it? What are your opinions of it? Slim Fast? Juice Fast?

    My opinion is that the documentary you watched was very entertaining but not necessarily a good source of information.
    "Juicing" may work but it works because you are creating a very large calorie deficit. You could create a calorie deficit while eating whole foods, and that approach is likely to be more sustainable in the long-term.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    So I understand how nutrition is important, what you put in/work out...etc. I'm severely overweight, needing to lose about 100 or so pounds. I've felt myself becoming increasingly lazy about my nutrition, and entering a sort of weight-loss rut.

    When I was in high school, I lost a lot of weight by doing the Slim Fast 2 meals a day thing for the entire summer. I danced, worked out, and managed to keep the weight off. I'm thinking about doing this again. Once my body is used to two meals, I plan on doing a vegan juice fast for as long as I'm able.

    Juice fasting is excellent for rebooting your body of vital nutrients as well as cleansing it from all the nasty stuff we put in it.
    I highly recommend watching Fat Sick & Nearly Dead on Netflix. This is what woke me up to my weight problem. I hold it well, so I never really considered it. Even if you're thin, I recommend a juice fast.

    Have you done it? What are your opinions of it? Slim Fast? Juice Fast?

    Horrible idea IMO. First if you remember in the movie they stress how it has to be monitored by your/a doctor. Second if you do want to go this way and some how manage to keep the weight off. You should save for a tummy tuck also cause your going to have LOTS AND LOTS of lose skin.

    I don't see how juice fasting reboots our system as our bodies need protein for proper muscle repair and there is pretty much no real source of protein in the juice fast. That is just a line from the movie ....You want to cleanse your system/reboot have some salad with lots of veggies for a week you will be cleansed and you get to eat. Also have some lemon juice with water helps clean out your liver if you want.

    When they talk about "cleaning all the toxins" they are referring to using only Organic products and if you read up on Organics there are still tons of chemicals that are allowed to be used in Organic farming.... My friend has a few chicken coops, he has one that is certified organic ... because it has a doggy door that allows the chickens to go outside .... but they never ever do... but legally he can call them certified organic.... and sell them as Organic

    Forget all the silly gimmicks and quick fixs, the only thing that's going to work in a health way is clean eating and lots of effort in the gym.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    I think slim fast is a crock, to be honest. It is very expensive and you could be using that money to buy whole foods rather than weight loss in a can. Sorry, if this sounds harsh. I would try eating better and get a bit more activity. You don't need to eat less, just better.
  • chezileigh
    chezileigh Posts: 255
    Is it not better and more sustainable to just eat well (albeit at a calorie deficit) and do more exercise?

    Perhaps the lack of sustainability was why after losing all that weight in high school, you're now looking to lose weight again? Not knocking you because I'm in the same boat in terms of having lost weight in the past that I slowly but surely put some of it back on, and here I am. Sustainable lifestyle choices are the key to being healthy in the long run surely?
  • pmad37
    pmad37 Posts: 105 Member
    Personally, if I don't eat real foods, I get really b***chy and feel like crap

    A much better idea is to visit farmers markets/neighbors' gardens and eat all the fresh veggies that are available. Throw in some chicken and you have a great stirfry for very little cost.
  • I am doing the slim fast 321 chocolate royal powder mixed with 2% milk for breakfast. Then for lunch I eat a salad or a turket sandwich sometimes with a little chips. Then I eat a normal dinner. I cut out sodas though and drinking tea and water. I have lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks.
  • ShreddedTweet
    ShreddedTweet Posts: 1,326 Member
    This is just a really bad idea and honestly you'll be doing yourself a disservice if you do this. Why not just do it the healthy way, there is no good substitute for proper healthy food! And with 100lbs to lose it's a marathon and not a sprint - if you try to rush that by doing something pretty unhealthy and unsustainable you'll have a lot of loose skin and that's almost worse than being heavy.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    I applaud you for making this start to get to a healthy weight but please do it in a healthy way. Obviously the slim fast worked for a while but it hasn't lasted. That is because it is unsustainable.

    Eat healthy, get plenty of excercise and read all the forums to find good info on how to proceed. The weight will come off if you persevere and treat your body to good healthy food.

    I don't have anything against doing the odd juice fast but again I would not think it was sustainable in the long run. Teaching your self to eat the healthy way will give you much better long term results.

    Good luck to you :flowerforyou:
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,493 Member
    I seriously believe that that type of dieting GOT me fat! Don't do it! There are so many people on this site have lost over 100 pounds through sensible eating. You can do it, too. Train yourself to eat a sensible diet of healthy foods while making exercise part of your life and you won't need to do some crazy fast in another few years when you'll need to lose 125 or 150.

    Good luck!:flowerforyou:
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    I think slim fast is a crock, to be honest. It is very expensive and you could be using that money to buy whole foods rather than weight loss in a can. Sorry, if this sounds harsh. I would try eating better and get a bit more activity. You don't need to eat less, just better.

    I totally agree with this. For the calories in a can of slim fast I can eat a chicken breast, a side of green beans and a small salad. Now which is more well rounded and will keep you full longer? Id rather have the meal then a can full of sugar.
  • For someone requiring such a large amount of weight to be lost, I would highly recommend being evaluated by your Primary Care Physician first. There are several, dietician monitored programs available through your local clinic. I would suggest attempting something close to an Ideal Protein program. Your diet is regularly monitored to ensure that you are losing weight the best way possible. It is a step by step program that is simple to follow. My uncle has had amazing success with it as he has lost over 150 lbs to date and is still going strong. He is on the sustaining stage as he has met his goal. If you are serious about your life style change as a whole, I would definitely give it a look. http://www.idealprotein.com/
  • Chanels_mom
    Chanels_mom Posts: 45 Member
    I watched that documentary on netflix and was totally inspired. I even went out to Walmart and bought a juicer. I bought all of the foods that I saw them use on the documentary and nearly starved myself to death (it seemed). I lost a total of 40lbs drinking only juice and water for about 3 months and guess what, gained 23lbs of it back! Which is why I'm here to just eat healthy and exercise. However, I'm not posting to discourage you, to each their own. Best of luck to you :)
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    I know where you are coming from and can see what you are saying. I also lost a lot of weight doing the slim fast plan however if you go to the slim fast website it is two shakes/meal bars a day, 3-4 healthy snacks in between and a sensible dinner. When I had graduated high school this worked for me as well and I took about 30-pounds off and then took additional weight off using various other methods. I haven't put all the weight back on but need to revisit my weight loss strategies. The Slim Fast would not fit into my lifestyle now but I still do the shake in the morning as it is easy and fast and doesn't leave me nauseous feeling (I have a bad stomach and eating food in the a.m. can make me sick). However, I am trying to find an organic/healthier protein shake for the mornings but since I am allergic to flax seed it is not the easiest thing to find. If you are going to do the Slim Fast plan I am not going to knock it - but please be sure to educate yourself by going to their website and seeing what the entire plan is about and how to implement it. You may also want to consult with your doctor - it seems as I age what worked when I was younger doesn't necessarily work now or doesn't feel right/good. I also know from my own personal experience when I was heavier I always added an extra snack or two of raw veggies or fruits so I wouldn't be starving and binging.

    As far as the juice diet goes I believe that there are many other ways to cleanse your system like eating fruits and veggies in their whole forms while eating lots of green raw veggies and some lean protein and very low carbs.

    Whatever you decide - Good Luck:flowerforyou: Feel free to friend me if you would like...
  • I did the slim fast diet and am currently getting back on it because I let my weight go it worked great for me.:smile:
  • redredy9
    redredy9 Posts: 706 Member
    I too saw the dvd was inspired and bought a juicer. I did the 15 day reboot. with 5 days of eating just fruits and vegetables (on the OK list), followed by 5 days of just juicing, followed by another 5 days of fruit and veg.

    the first 5 days was fine. the juicing was incredibly time consuming and labor intensive. I dont have a dish washer and to make enough juice per day I had to do about 3 batches of juice. Washing all the parts of the juicer and scrubbing out the strainer each time. My fingers were permanently pruned up and sore for all the washing. I had to go grocery shopping several times to get enough vegetables and spent more than I anticipated.

    the last 5 days were really hard.

    I did lose some weight (maybe 5 pounds) but I have not touched my juicer once since the 15 day challenge. I think it may have turned me off juice forever.

    I can not imagine summoning the will to do it again. I am seriously impressed by the person that did it for 3 months! I just barely lasted the 15 days!
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    So I understand how nutrition is important, what you put in/work out...etc. I'm severely overweight, needing to lose about 100 or so pounds. I've felt myself becoming increasingly lazy about my nutrition, and entering a sort of weight-loss rut.

    When I was in high school, I lost a lot of weight by doing the Slim Fast 2 meals a day thing for the entire summer. I danced, worked out, and managed to keep the weight off. I'm thinking about doing this again. Once my body is used to two meals, I plan on doing a vegan juice fast for as long as I'm able.

    Juice fasting is excellent for rebooting your body of vital nutrients as well as cleansing it from all the nasty stuff we put in it.
    I highly recommend watching Fat Sick & Nearly Dead on Netflix. This is what woke me up to my weight problem. I hold it well, so I never really considered it. Even if you're thin, I recommend a juice fast.

    Have you done it? What are your opinions of it? Slim Fast? Juice Fast?
    Which documentary will you need to watch to change being lazy about your nutrition?

    I don't know where you are in your weight loss progress, but you sound like you are looking for the next fad diet.

    The thing with the Juice Diet (or any other quick loss diet) is that it's not sustainable. You know that already, because you're smart. But you also acknowledge that you are not happy because you are in a weight-loss rut. Guess what happens with a weight loss program that isn't sustainable? A rut. It's unavoidable.

    More important (and perhaps crucial for you) is the fact that adopting an unsustainable quick weight loss approach just feeds our laziness about nutrition. From what you have described, a juice fast is simply putting off your decision to commit to consistent, healthy nutrition.

    Make no mistake: you will lose weight on a juice fast.

    But after that, you will still have to figure out a way to life your life in a reasonably healthy, sustainable manner. This is the basis of the "don't call it a diet" thesis. Semantic inconsistencies aside (a diet is simply what comprises the food we eat), you have a much greater chance at success with behaviors that you can do for the rest of your life. I know it's hard to ignore the allure of dropping 20+ pounds in a matter of days.

    Are you OK with losing 1-2 pounds per week (or less)? What if that was over a year? You could safely lose your 100 pounds, not lose much muscle mass, and do it by adopting nutrition and exercise behaviors you could continue for the rest of your life.
  • swood0114
    swood0114 Posts: 43
    I sometimes substitute a fruit smoothie (just some ice, water, frozen unsweetened fruit, and maybe some protein powder or a superfood green supplement,) for a meal every now and then. You get some of the same cleansing benefits without sacrificing real food. With a steady regimen of exercise every day, doing pure juice or liquid fasts wouldn't provide me with enough energy.

    I also watched that documentary some time ago and tried to do it... I lasted less than one day. By dinner time I was dizzy, lightheaded, and incredibly nauseous. I've since learned that fasting is not a good idea for people with very low blood pressure like myself because it puts a lot of stress on your adrenal gland. So it depends on the person, and you have to listen to your body.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
    If you /really/ want to do this fast, write out a dietary plan for when you finish (or better yet, see a nutritionist). This is a DIET, not something that you're going to maintain for a long period of time. You need to consider what happens when the diet ends and you resume regular eating. What will you eat every day?

    It's like starting all over again since you haven't learned anything by being on that type of diet. You'll need to go through the whole process of discovering what you should/should not eat, food content, etc. It's a big waste of time, in my opinion..
  • I did the juice fast for 7 days. I lost 16 pounds and have since put it back on. It wasn't incredibly difficult, but it was unpleasant. If you combine that with slim fast I think you will set yourself up for failure. Slim fast has a tremendous amount of sugar in each can.

    I think anyone considering a juice fast should consult with a dietician first.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    Which documentary will you need to watch to change being lazy about your nutrition?

    I don't know where you are in your weight loss progress, but you sound like you are looking for the next fad diet.

    The thing with the Juice Diet (or any other quick loss diet) is that it's not sustainable. You know that already, because you're smart. But you also acknowledge that you are not happy because you are in a weight-loss rut. Guess what happens with a weight loss program that isn't sustainable? A rut. It's unavoidable.

    More important (and perhaps crucial for you) is the fact that adopting an unsustainable quick weight loss approach just feeds our laziness about nutrition. From what you have described, a juice fast is simply putting off your decision to commit to consistent, healthy nutrition.
    I absolutely agree with all of this.

    While a medically monitored very low calorie diet can be used in extreme circumstances (ie being so overweight it's threatening your life) for the vast majority of people they are a very bad idea.

    Plus, slim fast is packed full of sugar - and empty calories like sugar are not only nutritionally crap, but they make you feel hungry a few hours after eating them.

    Do what's easy or do what you know you should be doing, your call.
  • about 3 years ago I drink slimfast for 2 meals and tons of water plus fruits/veggies as snacks plus one sensible meal in evening plus was walking 4 miles everyday ( 7days a week) for one solid month , some days hiked for 1-2hrs then after lost about 15-20 pounds then joined gym and lost about another 5 pounds.

    after joined gym worked out 3 days a week at gym then walked 4 miles a day 2-3 days a week and hiked on 6th day then rested one day.

    It was SOLID dedication to not miss a day of walking or working out.

    I felt lots better and looked a lot better
  • mommyweighless
    mommyweighless Posts: 192 Member
    I am currently doing the Slim Fat 3-2-1 plan and I truly enjoy it. I have learned portion control a well as losing weight. The idea of ths plan is not to lose weight quickly but healthily. People assume it is a fad diet with a quick fix. Personally it had helped me gain insight on how to slim/measure portions and the value of good quality food. People will say it is bad because three is a lot of sugar in it but I never go over my daily allowance of sugar. They also say it is not sustainable. I have no problem seeing this as a new life for myself. I could do it forever. But that is not necessarily true for all. I am good with two shakes a day where as others prefer food. I stay full for 4 hours or longer on each shake and eat tons of veggies. I also walk for 1 hour a day or do 1 hour of Zumba. I have steadily lost 1 to 2 pound a week and have plenty of energy as well as not being hungry. A for the juicing thing..I have never tried nor do I plan on it. It seems very extreme and dangerous. Hope this helped!
  • gayle80
    gayle80 Posts: 71 Member
    If you want to find out more about juice fasting there's a good book on it by Jason Vale which gives you more info about how to go about it without starving yourself, and how to reintroduce foods without overloading your metabolism so you gain all the weight back. I think it's called 7lbs in 7 days.