Slim Fast/Equate Weightloss Shakes
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Ady092
Posts: 2 Member
Has replacing 1-2 meals helped anyone lose weight? & have a normal dinner with family?
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Replies
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Think long term here. Are you going to drink shakes the rest of your life? If not, then this is a TEMPORARY fix. If you're overweight of need to lose weight, you need to learn how to count calories and learn how to EAT FOOD in portion and moderation. Liquid diets have the HIGHEST weight regain stats.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This would be temporary just starting out.2
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Wouldn't it be just BETTER to learn the basics of how to eat correctly? I'm not talking about perfect eating. Just learning how to eat less than you are now.This would be temporary just starting out.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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A year ago I used Slimfast and Atkins shakes for 1-2 meals a day for about a month until I figured out what I wanted to eat. I had some medical problems, needed to lose weight, and improve my overall health. I lost about 10 pounds that month. Once I worked out my diet, I changed to eating oatmeal, large salads, lentil soup, more fruit and vegetables, etc.
The downfall with shakes is people gain the weight back because they have not learned how to eat a regular diet within a healthy calorie limit. I didn't gain anything back once I changed to regular food because I was monitoring what I did. I think shakes are okay while you get your bearings, or for travel.3 -
I do that every now and then when I feel I am starting to eat too much. It help me get turned around and back on track. A lot of people do it to get started.1
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Yes. Because if the reliance is on a shake as a meal and they aren't TAUGHT (never seen a company that sells it really teach how to replace the actual shake that may be 200 calories) how to eat the same amount equal to that calorie count, weight regain is pretty much automatic. Most people will eat 3 or more times the calories in food that they consumed in a shake. From there, it's just math.Ready2Getcut wrote: »
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
1 -
I tried Slim Fast in the early '90's, and I was miserable and hungry all the time. I lost weight for that big event in my life, but afterwards I rebounded right back up.
The diet that works the best for me is:
Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with blueberries and walnuts
Lunch: Meat and veggies
Dinner: Meat and veggies
Snack: Fruit
I'm rarely hungry on a reduced calorie diet when I eat like this. Being rarely hungry has become my #1 goal, because that's how I'll be able to keep losing long-term, and that's how I'm going to be able to maintain for the rest of my life. I discovered that carbs make me hungry (too many, that is) so I limit carbs to about 75 - 80 grams per day.
Everyone is different, of course, and your perfect diet will be different from mine. But my 2 cents says SlimFast is torture and ineffective at improving habits or mind-set.3 -
Yes. Because if the reliance is on a shake as a meal and they aren't TAUGHT (never seen a company that sells it really teach how to replace the actual shake that may be 200 calories) how to eat the same amount equal to that calorie count, weight regain is pretty much automatic. Most people will eat 3 or more times the calories in food that they consumed in a shake. From there, it's just math.Ready2Getcut wrote: »
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
All you have to do is read labels, weigh and measure food, and look up the food in the MFP database to find the calories. There's no complicated teaching needed to make the transition from using a shake to eating regular food. I did it and went on to lose another 30 pounds, which I've maintained for a year now.
Shakes are just a tool. Of course, it isn't good to rely on them forever. But they can be beneficial short term. So can homemade protein shakes, intermittent fasting, and other tools.
The main thing is to be vigilent about logging calories plus look for foods that keep you from being hungry and that you enjoy eating and can stick with longterm.
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CynthiasChoice wrote: »I tried Slim Fast in the early '90's, and I was miserable and hungry all the time. I lost weight for that big event in my life, but afterwards I rebounded right back up.
The diet that works the best for me is:
Breakfast: Plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with blueberries and walnuts
Lunch: Meat and veggies
Dinner: Meat and veggies
Snack: Fruit
I'm rarely hungry on a reduced calorie diet when I eat like this. Being rarely hungry has become my #1 goal, because that's how I'll be able to keep losing long-term, and that's how I'm going to be able to maintain for the rest of my life. I discovered that carbs make me hungry (too many, that is) so I limit carbs to about 75 - 80 grams per day.
Everyone is different, of course, and your perfect diet will be different from mine. But my 2 cents says SlimFast is torture and ineffective at improving habits or mind-set.
That all sounds very familiar- shots of carbs like bread, muffins, oatmeal or anything sweet/processed in the morning really sets me up for blind cravings of untold amounts of food throughout the day. I've been like that since I was very young.
Those Slimfast shakes seem like they are some kind of highly processed food, designed to taste sweet and go down like ice cream. My guess is that they would have a similar effect upon someone with said body type- but might work for other people who tolerate carbs well.3 -
Yes. I usually will have a protein shake as a snack or in conjunction with breakfast (one egg, slice of turkey bacon). The key for me has been reducing portion sizes along with juicing. This has increased my total daily fruit/veggie servings and it is very filling and satisfying thus reducing cravings.1
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I do like them occasionally, they are easy, quick and good when my stomach isn't feeling very steady. I've gone through phases where I drank them regularly, but didn't really lose weigjt with them. But they are convenient when I'm in a hurry.0
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I've tried the Equate shakes... I think they're yummy. I do shakes when I'm not feeling too hungry, or if I'm feeling nauseous (Due to my medicatiom
) but if you're HUNGRY, definitely eat REAL food and just do portions ♡ 1 -
Agree. However, you won't read that from sellers of Slimfast, etc. The rule is usually "eat a sensible meal". But a sensible meal can be 1000 calories because calories WEREN'T considered.
Yes. Because if the reliance is on a shake as a meal and they aren't TAUGHT (never seen a company that sells it really teach how to replace the actual shake that may be 200 calories) how to eat the same amount equal to that calorie count, weight regain is pretty much automatic. Most people will eat 3 or more times the calories in food that they consumed in a shake. From there, it's just math.Ready2Getcut wrote: »
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
All you have to do is read labels, weigh and measure food, and look up the food in the MFP database to find the calories. There's no complicated teaching needed to make the transition from using a shake to eating regular food. I did it and went on to lose another 30 pounds, which I've maintained for a year now.
Shakes are just a tool. Of course, it isn't good to rely on them forever. But they can be beneficial short term. So can homemade protein shakes, intermittent fasting, and other tools.
The main thing is to be vigilent about logging calories plus look for foods that keep you from being hungry and that you enjoy eating and can stick with longterm.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I use it rarely for a midday snack or to replace breakfast and it helps because it does keep me full until my next meal. But it's not something I do regularly so I can't say if it has or has not assisted me in losing weight. But I can say it can be a great alternative sometimes
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Are you sure? My impression is that people who take the shake routesuzannesimmons3 wrote: »
Yes. Because if the reliance is on a shake as a meal and they aren't TAUGHT (never seen a company that sells it really teach how to replace the actual shake that may be 200 calories) how to eat the same amount equal to that calorie count, weight regain is pretty much automatic. Most people will eat 3 or more times the calories in food that they consumed in a shake. From there, it's just math.Ready2Getcut wrote: »
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
All you have to do is read labels, weigh and measure food, and look up the food in the MFP database to find the calories. There's no complicated teaching needed to make the transition from using a shake to eating regular food. I did it and went on to lose another 30 pounds, which I've maintained for a year now.
Shakes are just a tool. Of course, it isn't good to rely on them forever. But they can be beneficial short term. So can homemade protein shakes, intermittent fasting, and other tools.
The main thing is to be vigilent about logging calories plus look for foods that keep you from being hungry and that you enjoy eating and can stick with longterm.
Most people.on a shake diet do it BECAUSE they don't want to scan weigh measure.
see shake diets as something they HAVE TO DO in order to lose weight, or
as a magical way to lose faster, or
that it will curb hunger (maybe even without hunger being a problem in the first place),
that it's more nutritious and cheaper than food,
that cooking and eating food is somehow too much work and time consuming or takes a PHD in nutrition and cooking, or
that eating and enjoying food is not allowed because getting overweight means that they've been bad, or
allowing real, yummy food will lead them to overeat or
toting and drinking shakes is making a statement, to themselves and others, that they are "doing something".
There can be many reasons. I'm curious about each person's reasons. This is just my impression. All my assumptions may be wrong.0 -
If you suddenly gained your excess weight but are able to maintain your weight easily and naturally then I can see how a short term fix might work if you can adhere to it long enough to lose the amount of weight you need to.
If your weight gain was gradual and your "normal" is a slowly increasing weight then a short term fix is just going to be the first yo in a yo-yo.
If you can stick to a shake, which often has a poor nutritional profile (read the label carefully), then you could also plan two small, enjoyable and nutritional meals to eat daily.
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I can't eat in the morning. It makes me feel sick. So I have a chocolate slim fast shake to tide me over until my first break at work. It's light enough and fills me up. I wouldn't use it to replace lunch or dinner, though. I fill the rest of my day up with real food.3
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