Herbalife

I feel like herbalife is more like a cult. everyone i know that's on it looked like they we're brainwashed or something.. "Join herbalife and your life will be full of joy and wonder!". All they talk about is herbalife as if it's a religion. :S I'd rather stick with normal food and controlling the input. Well that's just my opinion tho! for the product i suppose it did work for some people, but go for another normal option

Its not just herbalife, its all of them. Advocare, Herbalife Body by Vi, Shakeology etc. What is wrong with learning how to eat healthy? As a society, we have lost our minds. We have to have a "tool" to get something done. And before I get lynched, I was the same way for years.

Don't waste your time or money. I have done all the shakes, potions, lotions, and snake oil and guess what? I gained it all back over time. You know what worked? Counting my calories and moving my butt.

Herbalife is crap. And honestly, you want a meal replacement? Go to GNC and get their stuff. It at least doesn't taste like dogcrap like Vi, Advocare, or Herbalife.

Herbalife is crap. And honestly, you want a meal replacement? Go to GNC and get their stuff. It at least doesn't taste like dogcrap like Vi, Advocare, or Herbalife.

I don't think you should lump all of the companies in together. I happen to love the Advocare Meal Replacement Shakes. I've tried Shakeology, Advocare and Body by Vi. All are pretty good tasting. Also, if you don't mind drinking toxins with your shakes go ahead drink GNC.

Herbalife is just like other meal replacements. I know because I use it. I am not exactly consistant due to life and schedules but it does help. Like other posters say it cost a lot of money (another reason I havent been able to be fully consistant). If cost is a factor, real food (as in fresh fruit and veggies and grains and meat) might be a better option.

So here are pros of Herbalife:

1) They are fast and easy. If you dont have a lot of time, you can throw water and the mix in a shaker bottle and go. This is great for people who never eat breakfast and would like to start.

2) They are easily customizable. You can mix different flavors, add milk or milk replacements instead of water, or fruit. Despite popular opinion adding healthy items do not remove their ability to help you loss weight, it does however add more calories - so keep that in mind.

3) They help you stay within your calorie limits. Say to loss 2 pounds a week MPF sets you at 1650 calories a day. If you are starting at portion control finding meals that are within this limit can be hard - especially if you were used to eating 3000 calories a day or more. Exchanging one or two with the shake (do NOT exchange all three major meals) will help you keep your calorie level in check.

4) They have many other products that can work in conjunction to make it easier. Such as snacks, different protein powders, and suppliment pills. But - you dont have to use these "extras" for it to help stay within calorie limits.

Cons of Herbalife:

1) it is really expensive. <--- that is unless you eat out all the time and plan to replace eating out with Herbalife. If that is the case you might actually save money. If you are someone who doesnt care about the cost as long as it works then the cost doesnt really matter anyway. Think about $200 for a good package for a month, this would include shake replacement, suppliment pills, tea, and aloe. If you want fancier items, or additional items it will be more. You will also pay for shipping and handling, because of the way it is sold, so if you only can afford to buy one item at a time it will cost more money then it would in bulk.

2) You will go to the bathroom more often. The suppliments are designed to help remove water weight while giving nutrients to your body. Since you are entering more liquids into your body - your body has to get rid of more. Also they want you to drink the water (8 glasses) on top of the tea and the shakes. If you use it as directed by the Herbalife distributors and the packaging. That is a ton of liquid. Think 64 ounces of water + 24 ounces of tea + 16 ounces for the shakes = 104 ounces of liquid (not including anything else you want to drink. Keep in mind that herbalife only counts water as water and does not count anything as water if you add anything to it, as a general rule. The tea also has caffine which also creates the need to use the bathroom more often. (you can get tea without caffine if needed, it is called NRG but keep in mind caffine is used in this case to boost your metabolism)

3) There is pressure for customers to become distributors. This can be uncomfortable at times, but you dont have to be a distributor to buy the product. (I know because I use the product and am NOT a distributor and do not have a desire to be one)

4) This product does not teach you portion control, this is a downside because if you choose to no longer purchase the product, you have no fundamentals to fall back on. This is why people gain the weight back after using the product with great success. Keep in mind that they also hope you will never stop using the product. They hope that once you get to your goal weight you will use at least 1 shake a day to stay at that weight. You dont have to keep using the product - ever - so keep that in mind. MFP and serving size suggestions, as well as additional reading materials found through other sources will help you build your fundamental knowledge should you discontinue use. At all times this is recommended by me, as I am sure that other MPF and doctors will tell you as such.

Additional notes:

1) This is a personal choice. As with anything there will be people who strongly agree, people who kinda agree, people who dont care, people who kinda disagree, and people who strongly disagree. Dont let other peoples opinion affect you, make sure you are doing what you want, and know why you are doing it. You dont have to explain yourself, but knowing yourself and your goals, and the reasons behind them will help you from being swayed because someone is against you, or pushing you into something you dont want.

2) Dont think that because you have these shakes that you don't need to eat food. You really do need to eat food, and not just for dinner. The product distributors (if they are worth your time) will tell you that it is recommended to eat snacks in between shakes and meals. This is because you really shouldn't eat at 1200 calories unless you really are that inactive and are really that small! This is imperative! Keep logging all food on here, stay away from junk, and eat food! They are called suppliments for a reason! If MFP has you at 1800 calories to lose 2 pounds a week, try to eat at about 1800 calories - even with the shakes. You can do less, but are hurting yourself if you are eating at 1200.

3) If you are trying to keep your sugars really low then this product is probably not for you. They add fructose to everything to make it sweet enough to taste good. As shakes and meal replacements for weight loss it has one of the highest sugar contents on the planet. They will argue that the sugar is good for you because it is fructose (sugar could in fruit). The body breaks it down differently but sugar is still sugar. So if that is a concern, that is something to think about.

4) Work out! It doesnt replace the need to work out. And working out will help your results a ton


Overall I would suggest the product - despite its high cost, and its high sugars, as well as its other issues. I just feel like people should really know what they are getting into before they use it. It isnt a maricle - you could probably mimick it with something cheaper yet less convient, or with something like the Body Builder Shakes. But I like it, and like the people I have found that use it, as well as the club closest to me that sells it. Check it out, see for yourself. They sell trial packs of it on Amazon - that way you arent stuck with a lot of something you dont like if you find you dont like it

Note: this is for the OP, for the rest of you - I know I know - "to long didnt read" lol

Folks don't really endorse using herbalife or any of the other meal replacement shake programs around here, so you will probably get more of the similar comments that you see in this thread and other threads about it.

From a person that does not sell the products, I've lost a majority of weight so far from drinking the shakes, having healthy snacks (fruit, veggies, etc.) and having a healthy meal. Believe me, it's not any type of cult, and I know I will be just fine after I decide to stop using the products. Don't let anyone tell you that you will pack on the pounds if you stop taking the shakes. The only way that will happen is if go back to the old bad habits. I use it because it's working for me. I say you do what's best for you in the long run.

Also, I do zumba rush at home and a little weight lifting...I want to get more serious about weight lifting though for sure. Some of the results I've been seeing in these threads are amazing.

you did not lose weight from the shakes...the shakes caused a calorie deficit, which caused you to lose weight. You could of accomplished the same by just reducing calories to 500 below maintenance, per day.

Agreed.

Meal replacements are not something you can sustain for the rest of your life.

I know someone who lost a significant amt of weight with an HMR program at the health facility where she works. It is managed by REAL Dr.'s, nutritionists, fitness professionals, and nurses. It is not a gimmick and is closely managed with meetings, counseling, etc. She went the shake way for awhile, but here we are about 2 1/2 yrs later, and she's back to square one. Gained alot back. She did learn good eating habits, she's constantly chomping on vegetables at work (crunch, crunch, crunch), and walks or bikes for her exercise, but doesn't work out any other way. No weights, no other aerobics accept walking and biking on a nice flat bike trail. She has stated many times she has issues with anxiety and she is always complaining about this ache or pain, and seems to use food to cope with the anxiety. So I guess what I'm saying is what others here have said. Learn to use food for the purpose in which is intended, to sustain our health, keep us alive. the meal replacements may initially help to lose weight, but the minute people start eating real food again, the pounds return. And get up and move!!

Asking for people's opinions on a forum such as this is always a baaaad idea....

My 2 cents worth:

I've been on about half a dozen meal replacement diets and yep I lost a lot of weight to start with, but they don't teach you to eat better or to improve your relationship with food so as a result when I finished them the weight piled back on plus some. I look at it this way, if the 'diet' I'm starting can't be sustained for the rest of my life (when I finish losing the weight and start into maintenance) then it's not worth doing.

Are you planning on sticking to 1-2 shakes a day for the rest of your life for maintenance? I know I couldn't do it. I'm currently sticking to cal goals every day, exercising most days (starting 3 days of heavy lifting, 1 day of boxing, and walk/light jog 1-2 days). I still eat the things I want to eat (I had chocolate, chocolate mousse and a cheese and bacon roll today!) but make sure I don't go over my cals for the day. I might lose it slower, but in the long run I still want to enjoy food and not feel deprived, which is why I never stuck to anything before (can I say I've been a yo-yo dieter for at least 10-12 years).

Anyway that's my opinion

+1,000,000

This is the truth, right here folks. You need to learn to eat--what and how much. MFP teaches this if you stick to it. Meal replacements, whether Herbalife, Medifast, etc. only sell you their products. When you go back to eating "normal" food, you have learned nothing about what to eat or how much to eat.

With that attitude a person wouldn't want to give their kids supplemental vitamins because heaven forbid if they didn't keep taking them they wouldn't know how to eat healthy. My wife takes prescribed prenatal vitamin supplements. Would you think it was better that she not take supplements because she might not know how to eat properly some day?

I don't understand what is so difficult in learning the ingredients to the shakes. But there must be some big problem because people are complaining that if there is a time that people do not have the shakes then someday they wouldn't know what to eat. Here is a hint: it is listed on the side of the box of shakes where it says "list of ingredients".

I often times have a meal replacement shake because I am too busy and I need something quick. I know what is in the shake. If I have time, I can make the shake myself. But I buy some meal replacement shakes because they are convenient. They spare me visits to fast food outlets. So the ingredient list on the shakes have taught me; and I have learned how to eat healthy without the shakes. Whereas I would not know how to eat healthy if I had maintained an entirely closed mind like some people. Still, I choose not to make shakes for myself, and rather spend my time doing the things I enjoy. I spend my money on paying other people to make my shakes for me, so that I have more time for my family. That is kind of the entire purpose of money, to allow specialization, so that we don't all have to do everything for ourselves.