The Hate Against ViSalus

I have been on MFP for about 2 years now and have always put a lot of stock in to what people on these message boards have to say. I lost about 40 pounds my first time around with MFP just by working out and eating healthy - except that I started out on Jenny Craig for the first month. I lost 12 pounds and that then motivated me to do it on my own (because Jenny is EXPENSIVE, and also because I realized that their 1200 calorie restrictive diet did NOT take in to account my exercise level or eating back my exercise cals).

I recently had a baby and am ready to get the 30 POUNDS I gained off a bit more quickly than I have been, I find that I'm stuck in a rut of eating what I want, when I want, and having a really hard time avoiding junk food. I know my mind and my body, and I know that I need that boost in the beginning to start losing weight and THEN I can transition in to healthier whole food. This is where ViSalus comes in.

I've heard a lot of hype about these shakes - all of the people I have met who drink them LOVE them and use them for meal replacement. I know a lot more than the average joe about BMR, the Harris Benedict Equation, starvation mode and the kind of calories required to maintain normal bodily function, much less to lose weight. All of this, I learned on MFP and through Google searches and being my own best advocate. I am aware that the shakes are only 90 calories on their own, and if I were to replace 2 meals a day with only 90 calories I'd be killing myself - forget starvation mode!

I am a nursing mother and have figured out that in order to lose weight while still maintaining my milk supply, I NEED to get at least 1700 calories a day. This is where ViSalus shake recipes come in. I'll be using the recipes to bulk up the caloric value of those shakes and then eating sensible meals/snacks in between - all while recording my caloric intake here on MFP.

Anyway, my point is that I have done my research and have considered my caloric intake for my own body, and the hate I've seen from other people regarding ViSalus irritates me. Please do not assume that people on ViSalus are lazy, haven't done their research, or don't understand that it's not enough calories. As I said, I know that I need a jump start product to get my motivation up or I lose it FAST. I've done the weight loss thing before (with Jenny Craig and then preparing my own whole foods) and it was a great learning experience!

I hate to come back to MFP seeming like I have a tude - I really don't! I just want to put it out there that while it's okay to educate people on their options, it's not cool to knock their choices by calling it "expensive pee". I actually read that comment somewhere on a thread...such a rude thing to say.

Just my two cents. Glad to be back!!!