I do the Slim Fast Diet! Lay it on me!

Matilda_Swan
Matilda_Swan Posts: 3,342 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all! I want your thoughts on slim fast diets! I know I will probably get bombarded with negativity here but it has been working. In a week and a half I am down almost seven lbs. I dont expect giant losses like this every week, but I have a lot of weight to loose so it is to be expected. I know it wont last forever but the reason I decided to break down and try it is becuase I don't work a traditional job. I work in prison and my days are either fast and unpredictable or long and boring....mostly fast and unpredictable. I don't get a traditional lunch break. Out meal breaks are on the fly a munch while your moving and always working even while eating. This proves difficult to eat salads or microwave a lean cuisine. I find that I throw the milk and powder in my blender bottle into my lunch bag with a couple grab and go snacks and that it works for me. I can move around the facility and tuck the bottle into my jacket or trouser pocket and have a quick easy meal!

I know this wont and cant last forever. Maybe it can, it is just so easy to do for me at work. Plus i have lost weight. I know it has more to do with a decrease in calories and portion control rather than maybe the specific dynamics of slim fast.

Has anyone else tried slim fast? Any success???

Replies

  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    Sounds like an interesting job... My husband worked in a mental hospital for 17 years.

    Never tried Slim-Fast, don't really care to. But given the circumstances of your job, a shake instead of "real food" might be a decent option. I'm assuming you're eating actual food--meat, fruit, vegetables--at home, not processed stuff and fast food.
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
    Tried it years ago and yeah it was ok, but it was purely the shakes and it just got repetative and it wasn't really a long term diet as you need more than what they can give you and the amount of artificial things in there isn't the best. However if it works for you, who am I to knock it. At the end of the day we're all here to lose weight and we all have different ways of doing it.

    Keep the faith
  • mallorycutting
    mallorycutting Posts: 18
    I have done it in the past. Now I keep some of the powder on hand for quick meals when needed.

    Personally, I wouldn't do it full time and follow the actual diet they have. First, it can get costly to follow their diet with the products and second it doesn't teach much. It is also full of sugar for the shakes.

    It is good for a temporary thing but personally I would rather take the few minutes each day to prepare real food. A lot of people experience weight gain when they stop the shakes because they haven't really learned anything about healthy eating.
  • Unknown
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  • GBOGH_5
    GBOGH_5 Posts: 174 Member
    I'd say it's a heck of a lot better than throwing a snickers in your pocket. At least you are getting vitamins and nutrients out of it!
  • 1holegrouper
    1holegrouper Posts: 323 Member
    As long as you are close in line for a liver transplant- go for it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It didn't work for me except when I was taking a stimulant with it to curb my appetite.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    what do you think will happen to that lost weight when you go back to normal food? that's the problem with those fad diets it really doesn't teach you portion size, nutrition, etc. i would not rely on the slim fast diet only to help you loose weight. if you must make sure you're getting good nutritious food during your other meals.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    As long as you are close in line for a liver transplant- go for it.

    What? They don't add booze or opiates to it! :laugh:
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member

    I know this wont and cant last forever. Maybe it can, it is just so easy to do for me at work. Plus i have lost weight. I know it has more to do with a decrease in calories and portion control rather than maybe the specific dynamics of slim fast.

    you already have your answer. diet =/= lifestyle change.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    If its better than what you were doing great... Good beats poor eating habits... Eventually we all learn what is better still for us and hopefully one day I'll get to the point that I know what is best for me and you will too.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Hi all! I want your thoughts on slim fast diets! I know I will probably get bombarded with negativity here but it has been working. In a week and a half I am down almost seven lbs. I dont expect giant losses like this every week, but I have a lot of weight to loose so it is to be expected. I know it wont last forever but the reason I decided to break down and try it is becuase I don't work a traditional job. I work in prison and my days are either fast and unpredictable or long and boring....mostly fast and unpredictable. I don't get a traditional lunch break. Out meal breaks are on the fly a munch while your moving and always working even while eating. This proves difficult to eat salads or microwave a lean cuisine. I find that I throw the milk and powder in my blender bottle into my lunch bag with a couple grab and go snacks and that it works for me. I can move around the facility and tuck the bottle into my jacket or trouser pocket and have a quick easy meal!

    I know this wont and cant last forever. Maybe it can, it is just so easy to do for me at work. Plus i have lost weight. I know it has more to do with a decrease in calories and portion control rather than maybe the specific dynamics of slim fast.

    Has anyone else tried slim fast? Any success???

    I did it sometime around 1999 when I was much younger and only about 5 pounds overweight (actually, just about the size I am now. Imagine that). I lost 12 pounds in a month doing Slimfast shakes twice a day and a regular dinner...and I worked out like a fiend. I used the pre-made shakes to take to work with me and thought they tasted very metallic, so that was no fun (the products may taste better now, I've not tried them since then!)

    Anyway...it was not sustainable for me and I gained weight back. I wouldn't recommend it. If you want to use meal replacement shakes because of your job situation, maybe try a better-quality protein powder or pre-made shakes with more protein/less sugar?

    You might also carry baggies of cut up veggies and/or nuts with you...things that don't have to be refrigerated and can be eaten on the fly :)

    Good luck--sounds like a tough job!
  • musenchild
    musenchild Posts: 182 Member
    Why not make your own smoothie out of real food at home and take it to work in an insulated thermos to keep it cold? You could do this and mix it up with nutritious soups (hot in the thermos) on some days and you would be eating better with more fiber to keep you full longer, it would be cheaper, taste better, and you could have more variety. That seems more likely to be something you would stick with.
  • tracymat
    tracymat Posts: 296 Member
    Protein powder has less calories, less carbs and WAY more protein. I am alot more satisfied with a protein shake than when I did Slim Fast.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    my mom tried it among her billions of diet attempts
  • KatKisses
    KatKisses Posts: 296 Member
    what ever works for YOU!
  • lenniebus
    lenniebus Posts: 321 Member
    I kind of agree that if you want a shake, there may be better ways to make one than slim fast. I'm not a drink a meal kind of person, but I have watched shows where they put together some pretty amazing looking concoctions.
  • kuzurichan
    kuzurichan Posts: 134
    I use protein shakes as snacks and as an occasional meal replacement (for maximum one meal a day), and I'm down 28 lbs in 4 months. I mostly use them because I have a lot of trouble getting in a sufficient amount of calories every day, so it's great to be able to just grab a shake with some milk, and get 200 calories from that.

    It works - but I suggest eating real food too. :)
  • bonjour24
    bonjour24 Posts: 1,119 Member
    Why not make your own smoothie out of real food at home and take it to work in an insulated thermos to keep it cold? You could do this and mix it up with nutritious soups (hot in the thermos) on some days and you would be eating better with more fiber to keep you full longer, it would be cheaper, taste better, and you could have more variety. That seems more likely to be something you would stick with.
    this! i was going to suggest this.
    a thermos may be difficult to walk around with in a prison, but i make up my own smoothies and take them to work. you can put heaps of stuff in them.
    to be fair i've never seen the point of paying lots of money for something that you can make nutritionally superior yourself. it just takes a bit of prep.
    my other thought is what about making your own muesli bars and things like that, that you can carry around with you. make them nutritious and calorie dense with good nutrients.
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Protein powder has less calories, less carbs and WAY more protein. I am alot more satisfied with a protein shake than when I did Slim Fast.

    This is a great idea. Slim Fast has 18g of sugar in it. Almost as much as a candy bar!
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
    back in the late 90's I was about 40 pounds overweight but not wearing it very well at all, I did slim fast for about 3 months and then randomly replaced those shakes with meals for two more months until I was back at a normal BMI. I kept it off for about 5 years before I let bad habits take over again. Since the first of the year I started doing a similar thing , only with a high protein zero carb shake and high protein bars and my ticker pretty much tells you how it's working.
  • Unknown
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  • live2dream
    live2dream Posts: 614 Member
    Hi all! I want your thoughts on slim fast diets! I know I will probably get bombarded with negativity here but it has been working. In a week and a half I am down almost seven lbs. I dont expect giant losses like this every week, but I have a lot of weight to loose so it is to be expected. I know it wont last forever but the reason I decided to break down and try it is becuase I don't work a traditional job. I work in prison and my days are either fast and unpredictable or long and boring....mostly fast and unpredictable. I don't get a traditional lunch break. Out meal breaks are on the fly a munch while your moving and always working even while eating. This proves difficult to eat salads or microwave a lean cuisine. I find that I throw the milk and powder in my blender bottle into my lunch bag with a couple grab and go snacks and that it works for me. I can move around the facility and tuck the bottle into my jacket or trouser pocket and have a quick easy meal!

    I know this wont and cant last forever. Maybe it can, it is just so easy to do for me at work. Plus i have lost weight. I know it has more to do with a decrease in calories and portion control rather than maybe the specific dynamics of slim fast.

    Has anyone else tried slim fast? Any success???

    I did it sometime around 1999 when I was much younger and only about 5 pounds overweight (actually, just about the size I am now. Imagine that). I lost 12 pounds in a month doing Slimfast shakes twice a day and a regular dinner...and I worked out like a fiend. I used the pre-made shakes to take to work with me and thought they tasted very metallic, so that was no fun (the products may taste better now, I've not tried them since then!)

    Anyway...it was not sustainable for me and I gained weight back. I wouldn't recommend it. If you want to use meal replacement shakes because of your job situation, maybe try a better-quality protein powder or pre-made shakes with more protein/less sugar?

    You might also carry baggies of cut up veggies and/or nuts with you...things that don't have to be refrigerated and can be eaten on the fly :)

    Good luck--sounds like a tough job!

    Sounds just like my experience with it many years ago. I lost weight, but I was working out like mad and my metabolism was a lot better back then. Now I just look at the ingredient list and shake my head. WAYYYYY too many chemicals and artificial crap in it. I'm sad that I turned my mother-in-law onto Slimfast, because she's totally addicted to it still. :/
  • nypr
    nypr Posts: 5
    I have been using slim fast just for lunch since April or May. Like you, the slim fast works for me because it's easy. I also know I'm getting nutrients I might not get with my other regular, but low calorie meals/snacks. I use the ready made shakes. This way I go on with my life without stressing over food details. I'm 62 and have been able to lose 38 pounds so far. Sounds like you work hard and the slim fast works for you. As long as you are also eating healthy when at home I'd say "Go for it"! :smile:
  • aahd
    aahd Posts: 20
    Hi there,

    Could you list some of the snacks you were eating following SlimFast diet?
  • maghenwarren
    maghenwarren Posts: 28 Member
    I've been doing the slim-fast diet for only three days now. So far I like it. I started it because I wanted some guild lines. I follow their format, not really using their products. The only thing I noticed is that I'm going over my protein and sugars everyday. I do the three snacks, two shakes, and one meal.

    My normal day goes
    breakfast: shake
    snacks: two of them during my college classes
    after school lunch: shake
    dinner: anything I have, usually at work so I eat whatever we have that night there (nursing home)
    snack: one after working out
  • maghenwarren
    maghenwarren Posts: 28 Member
    Hi there,

    Could you list some of the snacks you were eating following SlimFast diet?

    I use 100 calorie packs, yogurts, rice cakes, popcorn, pretty much anything under 100 calories

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