Slimfast, anyone else doing it?

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I agree, stay away from the fad dieting. Just clean healthy eating, measure everything, log everything, and through in a little walking and you will be well on your way to a change to a healthy lifestyle. Diets are not sustainable, healthy eating is sustainable. Get your calories and macros in and it will take you a long way.

I used to be 320lbs, I tried all the fad diets and always failed. It was only when I started tracking what I ate, ate health food in health portions, and began walking was I able to lose anything. I am currently 200 lbs, and have lost 120 lbs in 18-24 months (lost track lol), and continue to eat health food in health portions. I do allow some indulgences here and there.

This site will also be a great support network for you as well.

Best of luck

For better or for worse....whatever method you use to lose the weight you (in general) need to keep up once you've lost the weight. When I was 19 I would lose weight with shakes and other liquid replacements...and then would gain it all back when I stopped. Now at 29 I work as an ER nurse and often don't get a chance to pee let alone eat during a shift...and when I'm home with two little kids I forget meals a lot and overeat later. So....now shakes are a normal part of my day because a lot of days its the only way I'm getting the meal. That is sustainable to ME, thus it would make sense if I used a shake (in general, theres a lot of crap in specific slim fast shakes) to lose weight.

If shakes are your thing I recommend something a little less....processed? You could make a really tasty, nutritious and cost-effective shake with some things like whey powder, almond milk, fruit and veg, greek yogurt, etc. If I remember correctly the slim fast diet is a very low calorie (2 shakes about 250cals each with a 500 cal dinner- so about 1000cals a day?) diet that isn't very sustainable. You could make a good shake as a meal replacement on the go a great part of a sustainable diet if that is something that YOU can maintain.

kr31lly615 wrote: »

I am! Doing slim fast is kind of like a test for me. I need to control my eating habits. I am an emotional eater and it's really hard for me to seem to get a grip on it.

Chocolate shakes replacing actual food are a poor test (sorry). I understand the frustration but this won't change habits.

Being an emotional eater you need to come to grips with the "why".....check your local library for a book called The Beck Diet Solution. The book focuses on the psychology of eating habits.

teagrobert320 wrote: »

i was told once when yr running a cal deficit u have to get used to feeling hungary and make friends with that feeling lol

I never feel hungry on a deficit. I eat the items that satisfy me.

OP, why not start with the "clean eating" now? And even if you want a soda or a cupcake, just work it into your calories.

TeaBea wrote: »

teagrobert320 wrote: »

i was told once when yr running a cal deficit u have to get used to feeling hungary and make friends with that feeling lol

Not really.............

There is proper nutrition that helps you stay full longer. There is also an appropriate calorie deficit.

Is it a complete and utter disaster that we feel hunger now & then? No, of course not. But picking an appropriate weight loss goal, and finding the combination of foods that are filling go a long way to mitigate hunger. Slim Fast is poor nutrition. The glass of milk, an apple and a multi vitamin comment from @sijomial was correct. OP can do so much better nutrition wise.

I also find there is a big difference between actual hunger and my brain saying "You're hungry you need to eat something now"...it's a lot of work for me to figure out true hunger vs wanting to eat. If that makes sense. For me, a shake wouldn't be worth it because if I don't chew my food I have a much harder time sorting out real hunger from brain hunger and it makes me insane.

If you really want a shake, though, try a scoop of chocolate whey protein in 8 oz almond milk: about 160 calories, ~25 grams protein, very low carbs/fat. And it makes a great cafe mocha!

Learning to eat properly will be a much better "test" for you.

MFP makes it easy by telling you what goals you should have for various nutrients. When I pay attention, and follow MFP faithfully - I lose weight and I am satisfied ESPECIALLY if I meet my protein and fat goals! (And fiber). However, the "emotional" part of it is the hard part to overcome. No food plan or shakes will overcome that.

YOU have to face that dragon head on yourself. When you are tempted to "eat" because you feel stressed/sad/lonely/angry - you have to tell yourself - food will not solve this. Are there other methods you can use to deal with that emotional turmoil? Deep breathing, meditating, a hobby, distracting yourself with a glass of water, going for a walk (or pacing a room or marching in place if you can't go outside for whatever reason).

How are you sleeping? For many people, getting sufficient sleep is helpful to overcoming emotional (and health) issues.

Sometimes I give in when I "want to" eat something I don't need or will put me over budget. I can adjust my calories the next day for it by exercising more, eating less the next day, etc. But I try to talk myself off that ledge too. Asking myself if the calories are worth it, telling myself to drink a glass of water instead, choosing a low cal snack like sliced apples or some veggies....

A lot of our food habits are that - HABITS - it's easy to fall back into old habits and HARD to break them with new ones. Slim Fast shakes are only a band aid - you need to re-train your brain to have a healthy relationship with food. I'm trying to do that now - one more time - lol. I had done well before but then I fell off the wagon and did NOT even TRY to get back on until I lost so much time and gained so many pounds. Ugh. It's not the food - it's ME.