Those against Advocare?

Here's the issue:

The product will very likely cause you to create a calorie deficit by replacing a meal (or 2) with shakes, which will cause weight loss.

So the answer is, the product will work if it causes the user to eat less calories than they burn.

But "does it work?" isn't the right question.

ANY method that creates a calorie deficit will work. Can you sustain it? Can you create a calorie deficit WITHOUT advocare and get the same or similar results? Is it economical? Is it remotely enjoyable or would it be better to just eat foods you enjoy and create a deficit that way?

How many private messages or replies will you get from people who sell advocare, and can you trust that information since you're getting it from someone who financially gains from this?

These, among others, are some questions I'd ask.

I'm not familiar with the program, but I just looked up the product and I'm seeing "Meal Replacement Shakes" so I'm guessing that this is like Slim Fast or Special K or a variety of other programs where you drink these things twice a day instead of eating and then eating something light for dinner. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So like Sidesteal was saying, whether this "works" is something of a loaded question. According to the Advocare site, each shake contains a whopping 220 calories. So you replace breakfast and lunch for a grand total of 440 calories. How much less do you think that is than the average person's intake for those two meals? Off the top of my head, a bagel with anything on it or one burger off the McDonalds dollar menu will be greater than that amount. Even people who eat a very healthy diet consume more calories than that before dinner most of the time.

So will it work? Yeah, probably. But so would limiting yourself to the same caloric intake with any other food.

The problem with these plans is sustainability. You can lose weight, sure. You can have great success dropping pounds. But you don't learn anything about why you dropped it or how to keep it off. If you go from fast food to low-cal shakes, then you'll probably go back to fast food when you're done. Nothing has taught you healthy habits; it's come off almost without you being involved. Cue the yo-yo dieting and the diet companies selling you another round and laughing all the way to the bank.

I did the 24 day challenge and actually became a distributor a couple years ago. I did lose weight and was happy with the results. However, I wasn't tracking calories at the time and knew nothing about MFP. What I have learned since then is that all the shakes really did was help create a calorie deficit. There were too many variables to say the 24 day challenge was the only reason I started losing weight.

Bottom line: I think it's too expensive. You can get the same results by using common sense with your food choices and tracking those meals on here. If you like the idea of having a meal replacement shake, it's cheaper to get some whey protein powder and come up with a recipe that you enjoy.

I have a very good friend who sells Advocare and has had wondeful success. My husband has tried the 21 day challenge twice. The products are great I believe, he loves the replacement shakes for breakfast and spark energy drinks for afternoons. But, it is all very expensive even with our friend's discount. One reason I started using MFP was to try and lose weight without spending any extra money. My husband lost weight in the beginning but if you don't keep eating the fish & veggies diet than the weight comes back on.
I think they probably have great products if you want to spend the money or for perhaps a big jumpstart on losing weight. But eventually it comes back to watching what you eat.

I have to say, I'm totally in love with spark....it's replaced my morning coffee!

Hi! Im actually starting the 24 day challenge today and I agree with everyone! It was way to expensive but I have friends who have done the cleanse to jump start their weight loss and it with good eating habits they kept the weight off without continuing to buy the product! check out my blog to see the change. if any lol.

Advocare recommends that you eat 5-6 times a day...smaller portions. For those that are misusing the shakes it's not Advocare's fault....they are supposed to be used when you are on the go and don't have time to eat like most people. For me, it's better to grab that than an oversized McDonalds double pounder hamburger that's greasy and probably 1000 calories. Lol! Advocare has done nothing but teach people to eat healthy. They want you to eat good healthy wholesome foods like fruits, nuts, vegatables, whole grains, fish, turkey, chicken, etc. I have lost 17 pounds on the challenge and I feel better than I did when I was 20 years old. I haven't gained one pound back because I chose to make eating healthy a lifestyle. I must be doing something right...my doctor told me to keep doing what I'm doing...it's working. When I hear stories from my clients of how Advocare has helped them...it amazes me. I'm overwhelmed when they cry and thank me for introducing the product to them. I have one client (Mrs. Johnson) that is not a diabetic anymore because of Advocare. Her doctor claimed it had to be Advocare because nothing else worked. I will continue to sell Advocare products as long as they allow us to sell...it has made a big difference in mine and my clients life. It may be a little pricey but its just like going to the GNC store and getting discounts. You can get a 20-40% discount through Advocare as well...for life.

I was reading a lot on this board and couldn't help but notice how misinformed people are about the 24 day challenge... People seem to focus on the "meal replacement" part of it... That is actually not even close to the main part of the challenge in fact it is OPTIONAL!

I have done 1 24 day challenge and I have got to learn about advocare a bit. I am still new to it but when I was taking it my sponsor actually told me I did not even need the meal replacement shakes if I just would eat well (which I did) and I lost 12 pounds in the first 10 day part (the cleanse)

If you research the products and look for the intended purpose you find the 24 day challenge is about 2 steps a 10 day cleanse and a 14 day renewal (then mns strips) The purpose of the 24 day challenge is not calorie replacement or losing a bunch of weight, its about becoming a much healthier person and retraining your eating habits.

I have always been pretty fortunate with my weight despite some of the worst eating habits anyone could have, but my weight has always stayed around the same. Never thought I was overweight, but I always felt like crap. Taking the advocare products not only slimmed me down but I feel amazing. After that 10 day cleanse eating a lot of the foods I used to love just didn't feel good anymore, still tasted good but not the same. Its hard to explain but it is like your body lets you know it doesn't want to go back to eating junk lol

So that is what the 24 day challenge is about and Advocare too, its about getting healthy. It provides a means for you to be healthy and happy which is more than worth the price (even if it is a little expensive)

When I took the challenge I only used a meal replacement every other morning, and ate plenty of lean meats, salads, and nuts. I drank spark constantly and used the catalyst (which is enzymes that prevent you from losing muscle so you remove only fat)...

Being new to advocare I was curious on an unbiased view but I felt it necessary to inform those that the challenge is NOT about the meal replacement shakes