Those against Advocare?

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Replies

  • lamps1303
    lamps1303 Posts: 432 Member
    I know a fair few people that distribute Advocare products. I haven't, nor will I ever, purchase any of their products. I'm sure there are loads of success stories, because I do not doubt that it works, but as many have said - it's a quick fix and completely unsustainable in the long term. No one is likely to continue on this plan for the rest of their lives. If someone wants to lose weight for a wedding or a holiday or something, and doesn't care about re-gaining any lost weight after the event, then great - each to their own. But this plan is based on extreme calorie deficit and does not take into account long term health or BMR (I assume). In my opinion, you don't need to spend extortionate amounts of money to create calorie deficit - you can do it all on your own.
  • AndI_morton
    AndI_morton Posts: 1
    My husband and I have been taking Advocare for over a year and we LOVE IT! I feel so much better when I take it. The Spark is one of my favorite products. It gives me mental alertness and where the mind goes the body will follow. This is a lifestyle change and the Advocare helps support my health. It's NOT just weight loss. I've lost 23 lbs and have kept it off. We moved and forgot to order product, after a few days we both noticed we felt sluggish and slow. Started back on it and we feel great. We plan to take it as long as they make it!!!
  • MsCoolmug
    MsCoolmug Posts: 1 Member
    I know this is an old thread but I must add my two cents. Advocare is NOT about starving yourself. I actually realized I was not eating enough with advocare. It taught me how important it is to eat all of your workout calories, but in eating "clean". The diet plan focuses on carbs, proteins and veggies. I just completed my 24 Day Challenge and I did not eat an apple for dinner and two shakes. I ate food...lots of nutritious, delisious, REAL FOOD. A good 2,000 calories worth a day. So before you start spreading about how an apple day is the diet plan...please do research. Thanks.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    I have to agree with Megan it is NOT a meal replacement shake program. In fact, you don't need to do the shakes at all. I suggest you actually know what the programis before giving your two cents.

    I've tried Advocare and love the probiotics. As far as everything else, you can lose the weight without the Advocare extras. Follow the eating plan of the 24 day challenge and you will lose weight. If you track calories it was definitely a calorie deficit. May e your husband could try eating that way for 2 weeks and see if 1. He can stick with it and 2. To show him he can get the results on his own.
    ETA: well crap this thread is months old.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    I know this is an old thread but I must add my two cents. Advocare is NOT about starving yourself. I actually realized I was not eating enough with advocare. It taught me how important it is to eat all of your workout calories, but in eating "clean". The diet plan focuses on carbs, proteins and veggies. I just completed my 24 Day Challenge and I did not eat an apple for dinner and two shakes. I ate food...lots of nutritious, delisious, REAL FOOD. A good 2,000 calories worth a day. So before you start spreading about how an apple day is the diet plan...please do research. Thanks.




    Why do you need anything else except............ "lots of nutritious, delisious, REAL FOOD" ?
  • CindiRickard
    CindiRickard Posts: 2
    I started the 24 day challenge April, 2013. I lost 17 pounds. I have done the cleanse every 3 months since then. I have realized since I started that it is totally up to me how much weight I loose. Advocare gives me the vitamins I need regardless of the weight loss. I have found, to be successful, you have to follow the meal plan. I was not eating enough before I tried it and when I started doing everything they said I should, the pounds came off. I am not in any way a distributor nor do I make a cent off the product, I just use it. I would, however like to find a cheaper way to accomplish the specific vitamin intake it gives me. I used to take diet pills but I've found the energy I was getting from them was extremely addictive. I like the clean feeling I have from taking vitamins I am getting through Advocare. As I said, I just wish it was a little cheaper!
    With that said........ I think it is a wonderful product!! You can not lose the weight though unless you follow the guidelines. It Will work if you do it right, if you don't do it right.....you may not achieve the weight loss but at least you'll be healthier!
  • CindiRickard
    CindiRickard Posts: 2
    Advocare is not a 'quick fix'. It taught me to change the way I eat and to eat more but of only the right things. If your friends are talking about it, maybe you should look into it. If done right, it can work. It made me look at what I was eating, and made me change my habits. Obviously the way way to lose weight is to make a change in your life. You have to be healthy and exercise, that is SO important, but the vitamins also play a huge part as well! I do not look at it as a quick fix at all but as a life changer. I am not a distributor or anyone that makes a profit from it, I'm only a user, and since I've been using it, my Dr took me off my blood pressure meds and my cholesterol was down enough in 6 months that I didn't even have to take anything at all! Maybe it is that it just gave me focus, I'm not sue, but I am healthier now than I've been in years and I a also feel a lot better,
  • GuinnieRN
    GuinnieRN Posts: 1
    Putting my 2 cents in as well. I honestly believe Advocare is a "scam"--high priced supplements that may work. The people that push them are super annoying. I had someone try to get me to sell it before I even tried it? With me selling it under him, he would profit from what I sold and got bonuses for everyone he signed under him.

    My advice:

    Do a 5 day juice cleanse. Nothing but fruits and veggies through a juicer 80% veggies and 20% fruits. I did this for 5 days and had 4-6 juices a day(NO SOLIDS) and lost 6.5 lbs in 5 days. It really kickstarted my healthy eating habits and I have managed to keep the weight off after the cleanse. I have not had pop in 3 weeks and I was a huge pop drinker. I drink a gallon of water a day now. If I do splurge and eat anything that has zero nutritional value I feel sick. Juicing was the best thing I ever did for myself. Healthy skin, nails, ENERGY! So with the help of juicing I am now a healthy eater! When I came off of the juice cleanse, I still continue to drink a green juice because I love the way it makes me feel. As an added bonus, I have shooed away the Advocare people, who were VERY ANNOYING and always tried to push products on me.

    Advocare is overpriced and you can get alternatives elswhere:
    -For the cleanse--do a juice cleanse (about $40 bucks for 5 days) just fresh fruits and veggies at your local supermarket or farmers market :)
    -Fish oil supplements at your local drug store
    -Probiotics at your local drug store
    -Metamucil (substituted for the fiber drink)
    -Senna for the stool softener
    -Energy (fresh juice)

    No sense on paying so much money when all of the tools you need are at your fingertips.
  • shania2699
    shania2699 Posts: 3
    I tried the 24 Day Challenge and loved it! My Husband and friends saw the weight coming off and decided to try it too. I'm down 30 lbs, Grandma down 50 lbs, My Husband down 25 lbs, co-workers down 10-25 lbs. It helps train you how to eat healthy and the vitamins/supplements help fill the gaps in the nutrition that may not be included in your diet. It's working great for us!
  • tjonesrice
    tjonesrice Posts: 1
    I'm not against advocare, but it is against me. i did a cleanse and saw great results. then i started the 24 day challenge and continued to do well. After about 3 months of taking the MNSC pills/spark (that i dearly loved...made me feel great) i started breaking out into an allergic reaction type symptom. it got increasingly worse so i finally went to the dermatologist. she had me quit everything i was taking, including the spark. After 21 days of steroids and 1 month of a topical steroid lotion, my rash is finally gone. She took a biopsy and the results were vague. Then i google'd advocare side effects. Now i have concluded that i was having a reaction to the high doses of Niacin that are in the MNS-C pills and also in the spark. Now i cant take any of it and have found that if i eat right, take a probiotic and fish oil supplement (from my local health food store) it is a lot cheaper and i don't have the HORRIBLE rash that i experienced, plus i have not spent NEAR as much money as i was.

    Good luck to all of you on your lifestyle changes:)

    Peace, Tiffany
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    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.
    This post exactly.

    I just dont see the point in spending the $$ on a product such as this when you can "simply" eat less and actually save money, and learn a lifestyle you can sustain.

    I get it, some use it as a motivational tool that gets them fired up to change their lifestyle. A new pair of running shoes always gets my heart pumping in the same manner.

    The point of it is.......advocare and those other products are not needed, and in the end will cost you alot of money and you run the risk of gaining it all back, and more, because you didnt learn the healthy lifestyle that got you there.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    The marketing accounts plaguing this site are enough all by themselves to keep me from ever trying any of the products. It isn't even subtle. And it's extremely irritating.
  • agrigar
    agrigar Posts: 4
    I just started the 24 day challenge. I am by no means in a calorie deficiet. I'm eating a ton of food, I feel much better and I have energy. I know people who have kept their weight off several years. Hubby is actually doing this challenge with me. He has never done a diet in his life. I like the fact that they have products for weight loss as well as weight gain. Many profesional athletes are promoting it too. I decided to give it a try and signed up. Figured I have tried all kind of other diets which were not successful so I had nothing to lose. I did get the advice from my Dr. who said he thought it was a great product. Also, with the discount I get, I can get the advocare cheaper than I can products at GNC or the vitamin shop.
  • jameysewell
    jameysewell Posts: 1
    Like an idiot, I Started the 24 day challenge 1 week before Milwaukee's Summer Fest. I made the decision to do this with my best friend who is highly overweight, without thinking about future events. We still went to Summer Fest 2 days in a row (Concert tickets were non-refundable). So, we were actually able to pass up all that greasy delicious food. It was hard, but somehow I believe it was easier on the 24 day challenge. My friend lost 7 lbs in the first 5 days. I lost 4 lbs in the same period.
    We both plateaued at that loss

    To be fair, I am already TOO skinny at 197. Thankfully, I am not conscious of my weight. However, very conscious of how proportionate I am. My goal Weight is between 205 and 220. The problem is that I have a very small torso, and a big gut... which makes me look pregnant with twins. I was personally looking for a proper gain in weight (After losing the stomach). My eating habits were TERRIBLE! Culver's and Starbucks EVERYDAY! So you can imagine how much depression I suffered from.

    After TOTALLY giving up on Starbucks and Culver's and all junk in between, I can honestly say I feel GREAT. Not a day of depression. I wound up losing weight, but wasn't happy with that because it wasn't noticeable in my problem area. I am
    very strong and near the top end of my Cross-Fit Classes. So exercise is certainly not the problem.

    I am not unhappy with trying the 24 day challenge because it was extremely helpful in getting me to eat right and stay eating right. I mean, really, who the hell starts a regiment days before the worlds largest music festival? Me lol

    It was certainly worth it... hover the side effects are AWEFUL!
    I think I lost all my friends due to the obnoxious gas problems. It's SOOOOOO bad! As you breath, you can feel the stench linger on the back of your throat.

    In conclusion, yes it helped me eat right and it made me feel the BEST I have ever felt... Or was that just the food change? Even though it is WAY too expensive, I will continue to try the Advocare products, but, lightly tread. I feel GREAT minus the gas...
  • AnonymousPP
    AnonymousPP Posts: 1
    The vitamins and supplements in the 24 day challenge made me sick to my stomach. My stomach isn't overly sensitive, but I just couldn't do it. The person I bought it from said they hadn't ever heard of that happening. Guess advocare "isn't for everyone" afterall.

    And yes, I am sure it was the supplements because as soon as I stopped taking them, I felt better! I'll just stick to eating healthy and working out!
  • mwesterhouse
    mwesterhouse Posts: 1
    Advocare - We have friends that did advocare and had very good results, but I don't think it matters whether it is Isogenix, Advocare, or just a change to a healthy diet and exercise.. whatever sparks the drive to motivate you to stick with your plan to reach your goals is ultimately a good choice in my opinion.

    Is it a scam or all marketing if it actually works, a lot of people have good results with Advocare? I'm not defending these companies they do come off like it is a too good to be true product... but are we all suckers if it is working?

    I've been over eating for years, lowering your calorie intake is not necessarily bad,.. meal replacement shakes/drinks are not bad things doesn't need to be Isogenix it can be a cliff bar or whatever..
    I lost weight when I took control of my diet on myfitnesspal but I trailed off the plan. I've been trying to do Isogenix for 7 weeks now and I've lost enough weight to jump start the motivation to exercise more.. Myfitnesspal was great in the beginning, Isogenix is working now, and I've added exercising.. this combo has given me the confidence to continue to try to reach my goal... hopefully I can say that in 3-4 weeks.

    It was a coin flip between Advocare and Isogenix, I like the Spark product but I wanted to try Iso.. I honestly did not want to do Advocare or Isogenix at all but my wife did, and I'm glad we started because we both just followed the plan and kept an open mind, now we feel pretty good compared to where we were months ago. It definitely doesn't need to be these products and they do look douchey, sound fake and I feel like a douche talking up one of them but I went in with an open mind and a goal, I said I would try it for a month I've continued and its been fine.. it is a little expensive but really it's not so bad I don't eat fast food or go with the default pizza man, and I don't starve. Following the plan and making healthy choices is still the goal.

    Eating right and healthy is expensive too, organic fruits, meats and veggies are expensive.. I think this gets blown out of proportion about the costs, but again who am I to say everyone is different and entitled to their opinion, I just hope the people that knock it have tried it. I was knocking it too a lot before we started or even decided which 'cleanse' we were going to do now fortunately I'm in month two with no regrets.

    Iso is not so calorie deficit but it really depends on your BMI, you're at anywhere from 1300-1500 calories daily which if the shake doesn't satisfy you add some healthy snacks beyond the ones you should be eating throughout the day... I don't know about Advocare.

    Do what it takes (safely) to keep you motivated to reach your goals and sustain a healthy lifestyle.. ask your local health provider for their opinion first (obviously).
  • Serephyna
    Serephyna Posts: 1
    I use the product. I only do one replacement shake a day if at all. I use it when I am in a rush and can't get something better in me. I still take in close to my 1700 calories I am supposed to before exercise. I still think the 220 calories meal replacement is better then the 450 calorie sausage egg mcmuffin. If I get anywhere near 1000 calories per day I actually gain.

    Even when I was clean eating I am sure I was missing some vitamins and nutrients that are in the supplements.

    And I used to do Slimfast-lost absolutely nothing. 22 g of sugar vs 12 in advocare 10 g protein vs 24 in advocare.

    Advocare supports healthy eating. My friend did a weight loss clinic. She couldn't eat a lot of food. NO fruit? really. The cleanse of the clinic took her out for 3 days. And only being able to drink distilled water?

    And lets be real. Many of the natural nutrients in food isn't what it was years ago. Hydroponic and green house grown food hardly has flavor and if they don't add nutrients to the water there aren't the same as naturally from the soil.

    My main thing find out what works for you. Every body reacts to things differently and has different needs. For me this works. For a friend being under 1000 calories and one maybe 2 meals a day works for her.
  • Girlygurl24
    Girlygurl24 Posts: 1
    I agree!! When I ordered the 24 day challenge I had no idea it meant I would be swallowing what felt like 24 pills a day!!!

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