Slim Fast - Anyone tried it?

I'm about halfway through my second week of the Slim Fast diet. I'm trying to stick with it as much as they suggest by having the shakes for breakfast and lunch, but not bothering with their branded 3x100 calorie snacks. I'm having more delicious/fun 100 calorie snacks so that I don't feel deprived (fruit, veggies, portion controlled chip bags, etc.). The weight is coming off, for sure, so far. But it's still new to me.

Has anyone else tried this diet? How long did you stick with it? And, how successful was it/did you keep losing at a steady pace? I'm afraid I'm going to plateau somehow (even though I know at a low calorie diet - about 1200/day - there's really no reason I should)!

I am only looking to lose around the area of 20 lbs, and plan to stick with this for a full 8 weeks (until a family vacation in June). Thanks!

Replies

  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,493 Member
    I tried it once. The shakes never filled me up, so I found myself hitting a fast food place. Then I had a highly caloric fast food meal plus a highly caloric shake for the drink. :disappointed:
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    Any way of eating that puts you in a calorie deficit will work. However, if it is not sustainable you will gain again. Tried it and failed as it did not teach me portion control. I now weigh everything I eat, stay in a calorie deficit and lose weight.
  • mnfarmgal
    mnfarmgal Posts: 35 Member
    I do use the slim fast shakes as a breakfast sometimes.. but would never be a happy person eating them for two meals a day. I also doctor them up.. adding in a banana and PB2 and 1/2 a cup of ice in the blender. I only use the chocolate flavor.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    As already mentioned if it puts you in a deficit you will lose weight.

    I have tried it and found drinking my food is just not for me. Some people find it works for them. If you like it it can be a useful tool, but keep in mind you have to have an exit strategy. If you continue your weight loss using slimfast make sure you plan out how to transition back to eating again (assuming you dont plan to do slimfast forever) so you don't regain and end up yoyoing.
  • EmPersson
    EmPersson Posts: 768 Member
    I should have also mentioned that I have a kitchen scale and am weighing/measuring everything that I'm eating that isn't slim fast branded stuff, just to make sure that I'm doing the right thing, and logging all here in MFP. I did the straight up portion control once, but didn't lose nearly as fast as I am now on this diet (didn't have as much to lose back then, too). I do plan to keep my future portions in control going forward. My general diet before wasn't very out of whack - I just drank a lot of alcohol, and then snacked with it in the evenings. I'm breaking myself of that habit now, so I think my exit strategy should be pretty solid.
  • dollarbill181
    dollarbill181 Posts: 67 Member
    I tried that but found myself hungry again within an hour. Couldn't sustain it for longer than a week.
    I did drop 4 pounds though w/ Slim Fast Shakes in a week. (Gained it back immediately)
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,646 Member
    I cannot drink my food and not be hungry right after.
  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
    I drink shakes mon-friday for all of my meals. I like living like this. It's simple. I don't do slim fast though, I don't like the macros. If you're interested in going the shake route I recommend checking out things like "soylent" or "joylent" or any other competitor you find on the blendrunner website.
  • MrsSeager
    MrsSeager Posts: 82 Member
    I have a meal replacement shake at least once a day. It's convenient for me, I have one for breakfast along with coffee, then a piece of fruit or something an hour or so later. It was tough to get used to at first, but I'm totally adjusted now and love the convenience of them.
  • gill22772
    gill22772 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi im on day 3 of slim fast had one at 9 this morning, and hungry already hoping this is just because im starting a diet, and my body is getting used to not eating what i was before
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,767 Member
    EmPersson wrote: »
    I am only looking to lose around the area of 20 lbs, and plan to stick with this for a full 8 weeks (until a family vacation in June). Thanks!

    ...whereupon your body will be so starving for actual food that you will overeat like crazy and gain the weight back.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,469 Member
    I tried slim fast drinks diet twice. Both times I lasted a couple of days and ended up overeating the next day and gaining back on more than I lost. I was starving the whole time I was on slim fast. So I won't be trying that again, not a positive experience.
  • ferd_ttp5
    ferd_ttp5 Posts: 246 Member
    Shakes doesn't help for weight loss calorie deficit do.
  • NancyCaz61
    NancyCaz61 Posts: 136 Member
    I drink the shake that has 20 grams of protein for breakfast every now and then when I just don't feel like eating. I put it in the freezer at work for a bit, I like it super cold (yes I have forgotten about it once or twice ;) haha). I don't think I could do 2 meals a day for any period of time though.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    sounds expensive (and unnecessary) to keep up the rest of your life!
  • amandatapar
    amandatapar Posts: 246 Member
    Not slimfast but I drink a Premier Protein chocolate protein shake ( premade), a banana, and either 2 tablespoond of peanut butter or 1 oz of almonds/walnuts. I would still be super hungry from just a slimfast shake.the ones I drink have 30g of protein and hardly any sugar either.