Slim Fast?

DaBaroness
DaBaroness Posts: 12
edited December 17 in Food and Nutrition
Hey Ladies and Gents!
I'm starting today with the slim fast diet plan! Any of you folks tried this before? How did it go? Did it work or flop? I would love to hear your stories!:happy:
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Replies

  • caitlinsmom07
    caitlinsmom07 Posts: 37 Member
    I was on it once a long time ago and I loved the shakes and snacks at first but I got sick of it after a couple of weeks. I needed food with substance and warmth. Any low cal plan can work for you if you stick with it. Good Luck!
  • i tried it for about an hour but was hungry as all get out so i pair the left over stuff with healthy snacks ! and figured out if u do what it said u would be nowhere near calorie count!
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Are you planning on it being a kick start to a healthy eating lifestyle change while you get your house in order? Or a do this for the rest of my life kind of addition? I think Slim fast is fine to get off the fast food and junk but not as a long term part of your weight loss plan. I have had many friends over the last 20 years go the slim fast route for quick weight loss, only problem is it came right back. When they realized they needed to stop "dieting" and just change the way they ate, the weight came off and stayed gone. It's up to you how you want to get this done.
  • wurgin
    wurgin Posts: 241 Member
    in my opinion slim fast is junk. there are some good quality shakes out there... i use cinch its made by a vitamin company called shaklee but there are others.
  • CookieCrumble
    CookieCrumble Posts: 221 Member
    I've tried it. The shakes were horrible and the bars, soups, etc. all full of preservatives.

    I wouldn't do it again. If I wanted to go on something like that, I'd make my own smoothies for breakfast and lunch, using a little protein powder and just have the sensible dinner in the evening.

    Putting crap into your body can take more forms than the more obvious (and delicious:blushing: ) junk food.
  • akiramezu
    akiramezu Posts: 278
    I just read up on it.

    One 500 calorie meal

    three 100 calorie snack bars

    two 200 calorie shakes

    Calorie Total: 1200

    This is just ridiculous, replacing all your meals with shakes and bars. You will get no nutrition.
    Stick to lean meats/vegetables/fruits
  • Aerohead21
    Aerohead21 Posts: 333 Member
    I did it for 10 months many years ago and it worked, but I was hungry, irritable, and after all the weight was lost and I went into maintenance, I struggled to keep it off because I hadn't really learned what good food and right sized portions looked like. Then, a couple of years after plus some gain, my father passed away. In addition to not having learned portion control and making healthy food choices, I never learned how to manage stress and tragedy so I went back to old ways and gained all my weight back. Besides which, it's more expensive to buy the Slim Fast products than it is to buy good food and it gets old eating granola bars or drinking a shake twice a day. Really, really old, and fast.

    This time around I am taking the time to educate myself about nutrition, weight loss, exercise, and managing stress. I have lost an equal amount of weight in the timeframe and I feel a lot better overall than I did using Slim Fast.

    I won't say don't use it. It does work. It just wasn't for me. So if you try it and you find you don't like it, try something different. Don't give up over Slim Fast. I didn't but I will say I wouldn't recommend it or do it again.
  • maddiedog22
    maddiedog22 Posts: 116
    I couldn't do it. I need food to feel full not a very small glass of chocolate milk. And in that case I prefer ovaltine or breakfast essentials sugar free.
  • Ive been on it for 2 weeks down 9lbs prob would be more but I did have a few slip ups, but it hasnt been to bad but u do need to portion ur food well and eat really healthy, good luck and chocolate shake mix is the best
  • sarabeth120
    sarabeth120 Posts: 172 Member
    I think it's pretty good. I went on it a few years ago; lost about 30 pounds in a couple of months with it. I didn't follow the plan exactly... I didn't drink two shakes a day (only drank one for breakfast), I always ate a low calorie, well balanced meal for lunch and dinner. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend following the plan exactly... like someone else said, you won't get all your nutrients that way, but I see no problem with drinking a shake a day and having one of the meal/snack bars every once in awhile.

    While I was doing it, I was also exercising regularly and watching what I ate as well. So, I would definitely suggest that you do that while you're on it. I stopped exercising and watching what I ate after awhile (got too busy) and I did start to slowly gain the weight back (that's kind of what I'm doing on here now...) To this day I still drink the shakes, mostly because it's easier than preparing something in the mornings. The shakes usually keep me full for a few hours, but since I'm on my feet and busy.. I don't really notice that I'm hungry until it's lunch or dinner anyway.

    I will warn you that the plan won't work if you don't exercise regularly and watch what you eat... so, make sure you continue to exercise and eat well and the weight will stay off. :)
  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
    It has quite a lot of vitamins and minerals so I have a glass off it as a top up or as a quick breakfast. Has quite a bit of sugar though. I don't have much sugar from other sources so don't mind that.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Tried it years ago. Lost about 12 pounds in a month but gained it back later on...Too much sugar in the shakes, the pre-mixed ones tasted metallic, and I was starving all the time because I was trying to work out alot...

    There are much better quality "meal replacement" and "supplement" protein shakes that have less sugar and more protein. Also keep in mind that "replacement shakes and bars" are a quick fix--why not try eating 3 healthy meals per day and maybe just use a shake as a snack?

    Just my two cents. Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    Back in the early 2000's I went on the shake diet from Slim Fast. You basically had to drink two cans of their shake product a day (one for breakfast, one for lunch) and then dinner was a sensible meal. I basically drank either the chocolate or the strawberry because the vanilla made me sick, it was so artificial. I was on it maybe 3 months, maybe a bit longer than that and I ended up getting sick off of them. I couldn't stomach the taste anymore and my body was rejecting it pretty quickly. After I had to vomit one whole can back up (and they were tall cans) in the school's cafeteria, I stopped drinking them.

    As for results, I didn't have a scale (I was 13 and basically knew nothing about checking progress, thank the lord my mother was on Weight Watchers and cooked healthy) so I can't say in exact numbers but I did lose enough to loosen the belt on my uniform pants, but keep in mind I was in school so I was up and down stairs all day with a heavy backpack and a 30lb saxophone case, so I had activity. The shakes did keep me full as they were designed to, but I was also drinking tall cans of the stuff so there was also quantity. But really overall I can't suggest a routine like that. If I have the same thing every day, eventually my body will turn on it. If not, then chances are I'll get so sick of it, I will do everything to avoid ingesting it and doing so feels like torture.

    I know now, almost a decade later, they have more plans and more variety but I still wouldn't do it. I'd rather try the old fashioned way than drinking/eating something day in day out and having real food be the supplement to it.
  • JmeJinxx
    JmeJinxx Posts: 210 Member
    Most slimfast products have too much sugar, and not enough protein/fiber to keep you as full as they claim.
    I do like the chocolate royale shakes and will sometimes drink one before classes to keep me from getting hungry.
    Ultimately, you can find higher quality, better nutrition items for around the same price as slimfast.. Most protein powders cost less 50 cents to $1 per scoop, it might be worthwhile to try one out.
  • R_is_for_Rachel
    R_is_for_Rachel Posts: 381 Member
    i have been put off doing it as i dont think it would be filling and i need 100% attention at work also my Mum tried it a few years back and it made her fart loads!
  • Adlib421
    Adlib421 Posts: 3
    Slim Fast works for me since I can stick to it, but in the long run, I don't think it's a permanent solution. I now consider it a good "jump start" in getting used to eating a set amount of calories all the time. Some trial and error is needed to find out what flavors and bars taste good to you. I started with Slim Fast and then slowly worked my way into finding other healthy alternatives for meals. It does work!
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    i have been put off doing it as i dont think it would be filling and i need 100% attention at work also my Mum tried it a few years back and it made her fart loads!

    I almost forgot about the gas. I had the same problem which was embarrassing considering I was at school all day. Going outside after lunch was usually the only way I could relieve that and run off without it being where someone would have to walk through it behind me. As if teenage years weren't awkward enough.
  • janf15
    janf15 Posts: 242 Member
    If you had a Jaguar (vehicle) - would you drive it on Kerosne?

    My suggestion - read the label - and think again.
  • beccci91
    beccci91 Posts: 213 Member
    My cousin has been doing is for months and she hasn't lost anything.
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
    I tried it several years ago because I love milkshake so figured it would be a good way for me to diet. Honestly, they made me feel sick and bloated. I think the only thing it had going for it is that its easy. I only had to think about 1 meal a day rather than 3, and it was easy to take to work for lunch.

    You can only try it and see if you like it but personally, I'd never touch the stuff again. I've had more success just eating healthier and taking a bit of time to plan my meals

    Good luck with whatever you choose :smile:

    ETA: I did manage to lose a bit of weight with it but I gained it all back when I couldn't stick to it. This could have just been my lack of motivation at the time though.
  • eriemer
    eriemer Posts: 197
    I still drink the mix with milk every once in a while for breakfast. Slimfast is, to me, the best tasting nutritional suppliment on the market. I have done the Slimfast diet plan in the past. You can work it into your life and I find you don't have to purchase their snacks if you don't want. Also as far as diet plans go it is one of the cheapest. Where else are you going to get less then $1 meal. I purchase the powder (chocolate royal) and mix it with milk, so it's actually less then 50 cents per meal. One can of powder lasts a week and is typically less then $7, you have to shop around. They also have a website. The meal bars&snacks are good too and the premixed drinks are okay, but the more products you purchase the more you spend. I've had good success with it in the past. It isn't a diet I'd stay on the rest of my life. That goes for any other diets that are out there too that I've tried like medifast, cambridge, jennycraig, nutrasystem, subway, special K. If you have to keep purchasing the product, to me I get sick of it and eventually quit.
  • lorraine311
    lorraine311 Posts: 127 Member
    I dislike slim fast. Also high in sugar
  • jak2315
    jak2315 Posts: 47 Member
    I lost 3 1/2 pounds my first week on slimfast, with a total of 17 pounds lost. I still drink a shake every morning to keep on track. It's very healthy and pretty tasty! Good luck!!!
  • DonnaRe2012
    DonnaRe2012 Posts: 298 Member
    To high in sugar and chemicals for me. :smile:
  • Seahawk27
    Seahawk27 Posts: 72
    Lots of sugar, and not too many flavors. I'm drinking some Body By Vi shakes right now, they're really good and have nutrients, and then I also eat lean proteins, fruits and veggies. I did try Slim Fast but I was ALWAYS hungry!
  • joy31021
    joy31021 Posts: 216
    Ditto . Artificial crap.
  • THICKandFIT
    THICKandFIT Posts: 63 Member
    In college I worked for a diabetes research study in which participants in the study were encouraged to lose weight. One method researchers used to promote weight loss was to use products like Slimfast as a meal replacement. This means that participants were not going on the full Slimfast diet but were instead replacing one meal a day with a shake or bar. It was basically a way to help the participants lower their calorie intake but still eat "normal" foods thus ensuring they receive proper nutrients and didn't feel too deprived.

    It was clear from the work I analyzed that those who used meal replacements saw more success than those who did not. This obviously doesn't mean that you can't lose weight without Slimfast (you could easily just change one meal a day to a different 200 calorie replacement and eat healthy the rest of the day) instead it suggest that using Slimfast, as a meal replacement, can assist someone in their weight loss journey.
  • sphinxdust
    sphinxdust Posts: 59 Member
    I prefer carrots and nuts with V8 juice as a meal for dieting.
  • AVinmill
    AVinmill Posts: 88 Member
    To high in sugar and chemicals for me. :smile:

    Agreed. I try and get as many of my nutrients as I can from unprocessed foods. It's not a diet so much as learning how to eat healthy and properly while keeping a reasonable diversity in foods. It's a never ending learning process. Apparently the whole slim fast thing works to lose weight but once you go back to eating regular food I wonder if your weight rebounds? Without learning how to eat properly I'm assuming in the end it does more harm than good. Just my 0.02.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    I did Slim Fast for about 2-3 months about 8 years ago and lost about 20lbs.

    But it didn't teach me anything about why I was overeating and as soon as I came off the diet I promptly put the weight back on and then even more. The same with Atkins and every other named "Diet" I've ever followed temporarily.

    I think a plan like Slim Fast is great if you need to lose a good few lbs in a relatively short time span perhaps for a special occasion like a wedding, e.g. to fit comfortably into a nice outfit and look good on the day.

    But for a long-term solution it's just not sustainable. Learning to eat well, regulating portion sizes and developing an exercise programme that fits into your life and which you enjoy and could foresee doing now and in the future is the only way to lose weight and keep it off.

    Good luck!
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