Does Herbalife work??

dcranson21
dcranson21 Posts: 5
edited October 29 in Food and Nutrition
So some people I know are trying out Herbalife and are loosing weight but aren't exercise...
I'm thinking its because they are quite large and are cutting calories and not eating the food they usually are??

I'm wanting to try it myself but is it just another corporate company making money off something I can easily make at home at a smaller price??

Any stories, advice or information would be a huge help. Thank you :)
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Replies

  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Herbalife only works by creating a calorie deficit. There are no magical weight loss ingredients. You can achieve the same results by eating less food (even if you don't exercise).
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    Hi:

    I have not used Herbalife. This question comes quite often.
    If you click on the "Search" option of the menu> Home>Recent Post> My Topics> Settings> Search and type Herbalife you will find many existing postings.

    I copy here the most recent
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/990899-herbalife-shakes?hl=Herbalife#posts-15156738

    Good luck in your journey
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
    Hi:

    I have not used Herbalife. This question comes quite often.
    If you click on the "Search" option of the menu> Home>Recent Post> My Topics> Settings> Search and type Herbalife you will find many existing postings.

    I copy here the most recent
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/990899-herbalife-shakes?hl=Herbalife#posts-15156738

    Good luck in your journey

    This.
    And short answer, no.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    It will lighten your bank account.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    I tried their shakes before, I even bought 2 flavors. Biggest scam ever. Not that high protein and lots of sugar and it left me HUNGRY.
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
    It works in that if you follow the program, you will likely lose weight because it creates a calorie deficit. It is not, however, a miracle or magic. You can achieve the same (or better) results by eating sensibly and exercising. Eating well and exercising is a sustainable lifestyle and one that has many health benefits (apart from even having a healthy body). Using Herbalife will likely not lead to the same results.

    I did Herbalife several years ago, lost weight, and then put it all back on when I stopped (plus more). It is not a sustainable way to live, IMO. It does not teach you anything about portion control or healthy eating habits. It is also expensive.
  • lorrm
    lorrm Posts: 9 Member
    My gym has started selling Herbalife - I almost cried when I saw it.
    What happened to teaching people about nutritional values and portion control. Then I woke up & realised the gym is there to make money and benefits from people stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting.

    If there was a magic weight loss pill obesity would be a thing of the past!
  • bella_vista
    bella_vista Posts: 6 Member
    Ha! That is SOO funny, because it SOO true! Thanks for your witty insight. After a life time of trying this and that, I am a huge advocate for all natural, whole food eating. Balance is the only way to go, and there are no quick fixes for self control.
  • Kidostud
    Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
    It definitely didn't work for me. It cost me a lot of money, but no results at all!! And I was still hungry and didn't have any energy.
  • dcranson21
    dcranson21 Posts: 5
    Its so expensive!
    I keep telling them you can buy a gym membership for a few months or even a treadmill by the time you buy most of their products.

    Au natural is always best! ;)
  • marcobatista3956
    marcobatista3956 Posts: 1
    My personal opinion, No type of diet works if you do not have willpower,
    I started going to a store herbalife, and you know why? I could never end up with a diet that beginning and I believe it is worth spending money with herbalife, I prefer to think I'm not paying for products but paying for the encouragement, support and control of the people you work in stores herbalife

    One important thing about the diet, we have to learn how and what types of food to eat and how much.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I wish I knew how to do gifs. I'd be banging my head on my keyboard.

    Are we still in the dark ages or what?
  • Jaine86
    Jaine86 Posts: 36
    It's expensive, you need to have the other tablets with it not the shake alone. I paid $300 for a QuickStart pack 4 years ago lost 2kg in 3 days but due to guarana in it I hardly slept. Works though!
  • kiracasniaga
    kiracasniaga Posts: 1
    Yes it does. I have been on Hebalife for 2 months and I have lost weight and have gained leaned muscle. My body has completely transformed but its like any other diet. Consistency and dedication. No its not expensive either. I pay 100$ for the shake 2 times a day, vitamins, cellulose, tea, and cell activator. Comes out to less than 2$ per meal including the tea and the rest.
  • urbancoko
    urbancoko Posts: 2
    I'm using herbalife (a month now). I've added all the weight I lost. This is despite a dedicated nutritionist, spin class and weight training. It has worked for some people (per the nutritionist) but he's baffled by why I'm gaining despite my hormones being just fine. It is expensive - I spend more on herbalife than I usually do on regular meals. I'm giving it a try until my current supply runs out then going back to eating regular, healthy meals.
  • Rocky_ZG
    Rocky_ZG Posts: 70 Member
    It works only if you:
    - follow diet plan and balance your other meals
    - exercise (or at least walk more)

    I look HL only as practical solution for replacement meals, so that I don't have to worry about preparing breakfast/dinner and think about meal balance.
  • DavePFJ
    DavePFJ Posts: 212 Member
    It works in terms of losing weight, but so do other approaches to weight loss. It's just giving you some meal replacement options with all of the macros/micros you need. It's better to educate yourself on how to lose weight without a program - this way you won't become dependent upon some program or product.

    I have to admit, their sales reps are really into it. It seems really fake and cheesy to me...but you can't argue with the money they're making.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    You can't make it at home, you can try other meal shakes or make smoothies but I can tell you right now from personal experience when I was making smoothies with the same calorie count as herbalife shakes twice a day I wasn't losing any weight like I am now with herbalife.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Its so expensive!
    I keep telling them you can buy a gym membership for a few months or even a treadmill by the time you buy most of their products.

    Au natural is always best! ;)

    You can't outrun a poor diet.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    You can't make it at home, you can try other meal shakes or make smoothies but I can tell you right now from personal experience when I was making smoothies with the same calorie count as herbalife shakes twice a day I wasn't losing any weight like I am now with herbalife.

    Then you're doing something else that limits your calories now more than when you were making shakes at home. Likely you were underestimating calories in the homemade shakes, or eat more some other way.

    Weight loss happens when you eat at a calorie deficit. Doesn't matter where the calories come from. Herbalife is not so magical that it defies the laws of physics and makes calories disappear into the ether from your fat stores.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    You can't make it at home, you can try other meal shakes or make smoothies but I can tell you right now from personal experience when I was making smoothies with the same calorie count as herbalife shakes twice a day I wasn't losing any weight like I am now with herbalife.

    Then you're doing something else that limits your calories now more than when you were making shakes at home. Likely you were underestimating calories in the homemade shakes, or eat more some other way.

    Weight loss happens when you eat at a calorie deficit. Doesn't matter where the calories come from. Herbalife is not so magical that it defies the laws of physics and makes calories disappear into the ether from your fat stores.

    I didn't realize you were in my kitchen with me...I thought I kept the doors locked. Apparently not.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    You can't make it at home, you can try other meal shakes or make smoothies but I can tell you right now from personal experience when I was making smoothies with the same calorie count as herbalife shakes twice a day I wasn't losing any weight like I am now with herbalife.

    Then you're doing something else that limits your calories now more than when you were making shakes at home. Likely you were underestimating calories in the homemade shakes, or eat more some other way.

    Weight loss happens when you eat at a calorie deficit. Doesn't matter where the calories come from. Herbalife is not so magical that it defies the laws of physics and makes calories disappear into the ether from your fat stores.

    I didn't realize you were in my kitchen with me...I thought I kept the doors locked. Apparently not.
    It's just basic deductive reasoning. It isn't scientifically possible be eating the same amount of calories in 2 different foods and gain weight with one and lose weight with the other, so something else must be at work, and the only something else possible per the laws of physics is that you weren't eating the same number of calories.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    You can't make it at home, you can try other meal shakes or make smoothies but I can tell you right now from personal experience when I was making smoothies with the same calorie count as herbalife shakes twice a day I wasn't losing any weight like I am now with herbalife.

    Then you're doing something else that limits your calories now more than when you were making shakes at home. Likely you were underestimating calories in the homemade shakes, or eat more some other way.

    Weight loss happens when you eat at a calorie deficit. Doesn't matter where the calories come from. Herbalife is not so magical that it defies the laws of physics and makes calories disappear into the ether from your fat stores.

    I didn't realize you were in my kitchen with me...I thought I kept the doors locked. Apparently not.
    It's just basic deductive reasoning. It isn't scientifically possible be eating the same amount of calories in 2 different foods and gain weight with one and lose weight with the other, so something else must be at work, and the only something else possible per the laws of physics is that you weren't eating the same number of calories.

    I used to be a believer of that "a calorie is just a calorie" junk too. Turns out eating alot of fruit was pretty high in carbs and sugar so my macros are completely different now at the same caloric intake than they were then which was higher in carbs, lower in protein and fat. :) but we are all here finding what works for us. If you are happy eating 1600 calories of cookies and losing weight that's great and more power to you if thats what works for you. But I have a feeling that most people here aren't eating 1600 calories of cookies and sodas and losing weight.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    I used to be a believer of that "a calorie is just a calorie" junk too.

    It is not junk, it is thermodynamics. Your body cannot magically create a unit of energy out of nothing, nor can it make it disappear out of nothing.
    Turns out eating alot of fruit was pretty high in carbs and sugar so my macros are completely different now at the same caloric intake than they were then which was higher in carbs, lower in protein and fat. :)

    I'm sure that's true, but your macros aren't responsible for weight loss, but for body composition. A calorie deficit is responsible for weight loss.
    but we are all here finding what works for us.

    Calorie deficits work for everyone. This is not an opinion.
    If you are happy eating 1600 calories of cookies and losing weight that's great and more power to you if thats what works for you. But I have a feeling that most people here aren't eating 1600 calories of cookies and sodas and losing weight.
    I literally have dozens of people on my friendslist who eat fast food and candy every day and have lost tons of weight. Because weight loss is about creating a calorie deficit.

    You can do this with Herbalife. But its calories are not magic and 300 calories is 300 calories no matter where it comes from.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I'm not saying it's magic hun. I'm just yelling you what worked and didn't work for me. For some reason you are obsessed with trying to tell me otherwise. Your problem not mine. Why can't we just be happy someone found something that's works for them and move on rather than petty arguing or the whole "my way is the only way" or "clearly your stupid because I was in your kitchen with you and watched you prepare your food" posts and move on?
  • Kayden1986
    Kayden1986 Posts: 189 Member
    the shakes are soy, inulin and a multi mineral and vitamin complex.... the supplements you can get cheaper in other shops, and with higher dosages for less money if you wanted.
  • cmstirp
    cmstirp Posts: 51 Member
    Please don't anyone ever listen to the nutrition advice of an herbalife 'wellness coach'. If you like the shakes that's fine, but taking their nutrition advice is like taking physical therapy advice from someone who sells ace bandages. They are not qualified to do nutritional counseling.

    And I would look up the ingredients and nutrition facts of the shakes before deciding whether or not to buy them.
  • judilockwood
    judilockwood Posts: 134 Member
    Didn't do Herbalife but did Cambridge diet and lost 14 lbs in the first month of my diet- worked for me, didn't feel hungry and left me motivated to carry on dieting using restricted calories. 44 lbs lighter now I've been maintaining for nearly 3 months eating sensibly and exercising to stay within my chosen weight range and keeping my BMI a healthy 23.5ish. I think that these diets do work, they re-educated my diet in that I learnt not to give in to craving food, learning coping strategies to deal with this.Everyone to themselves really - find out what works for you and go for it. I wouldn't hesitate to resort to this again should I ever need to ( hopefully not!), you are monitored while you are on the VLCD and seems to me to be a safe way to bump start to diet or lose weight. x
  • jackielou867
    jackielou867 Posts: 422 Member
    Don't do it. just educate yourself to eat healthy and do some exercise.
    Whatever you do to lose weight you need to be able to continue, to keep it off. 90% of people who lose weight on meal replacements put it back on and then some. Including me, several times.
    I am currently the lightest I have ever been in my adult life, I am maintaining, and I did it all by eating well and exercising.
    My friend sells Herbalife. She received all her "training" over Skype. To be honest I think I actually know more about nutrition than she does. Her hubby lost a few kilos using the programme, quite quickly too, but after 3 months he put it all back on.
  • CallMeRuPaul
    CallMeRuPaul Posts: 151 Member
    my cousin sells herbalife, but I personally don't use it. you can achieve better results by eating nutritious meals and exercising. it's another money generating scheme for someone else. don't do it.
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