Does Slim Fast Really Work?

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  • zombie_meg
    zombie_meg Posts: 149 Member
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    I have used slim fast before with no side effects. It was effective in my weight loss in 2007. I dropped 20lbs or so in 3 months. However, I was 19 and was really only concerned about losing the weight. I started doing slim fast again because it's easy. I realized though, that slim fast has a lot of sugar! One scoop of the chocolate mix with 8oz of skim milk has 18g of sugar. No thank you! Because I like the idea of meal replacement shakes, I'm going to start making my own.

    Good luck to you!
  • hopes_fury
    hopes_fury Posts: 13 Member
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    my experience was not well at all with slim fast.... I just stopped using it after a week because my tummy hurt and i really hated the taste! as to weather or not it works well i can't say i wasn't using it long, i could have a better light meal with the same amount of calories so i just started cooking my breakfast and lunch
  • alexngbr
    alexngbr Posts: 21 Member
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    I have used slim fast for breakfast for a while with none of the side effects others have mentioned. They work for me as easy to prepare - I am sooo rubbish in he mornings! Also I like the taste and they do actually keep me full until lunch unless I have a big morning workout. So if you find them helpful for you then go ahead and use them, after all we're all different and have to work out our own way of doing this that works for us. Good luck!
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    I often use it as a part of my lunch because it's easy - it's got a great deal of protein (helpful as I'm a vegetarian) and the carbs/cals aren't outrageous.

    I don't use the powder, so I'm not sure about the sugar in it, but for the canned shakes, this is pretty high... they do have a Low Carb Shake that's more expensive but better overall nutrition.

    Also.. haven't had stomach problems associated with it, so that's probably an individual thing (and could have something to do with sugar or lactose sensitivities).

    It's a supplement for me, though. I definitely do NOT suggest an all-shake diet.
  • kanolet
    kanolet Posts: 5
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    As some others have said, I drink it in the morning as a quick "grab and go" breakfast that keeps me full for about 2.5 hours and helps me get all my vitamins and minerals. I didn't like the waste and extra processing of the cans, so we switched long ago to the powder and skim milk.

    I needed to drop some weight quickly one time, and followed the Slim Fast plan. It worked because it was pretty low calorie. It's not something I could keep up very long, but the three weeks was ok. If you need an easy, structured "jump start," it's not such a bad thing. You'd get the same thing by doing low calorie frozen meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Easy and low calorie.
  • yorkies2
    yorkies2 Posts: 52
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    My husband has been on them for 3 weeks and he has lost 15 pounds, so for him they are working, I just worry about him drinking them because he does not eat anything all day along with them, just dinner when he gets home, I have one once in awhile just because i LOVE them but I even have to eat something with the shake.
  • charleslarcombe
    charleslarcombe Posts: 1
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    I started the Slim Fast diet nearly 6 weeks ago - since starting the diet along with 4x hourly sessions of cardio per week I have lost 16lb.

    I have found that; in order to counteract the bloating/gas, drinking at least 2 cups of green tea keeps these side effects at bay. I also have started taking PHD Diet Whey following my cardio workout.

    I can highly reccomend pushing through the initial symptoms as the results have been laid bare for me. However; I do see the argument that it is not a long term solution and an education in healthy eating and portion control is paramount.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    I used it when I was in 12th grade. I wanted to lose weight before my prom.

    It worked. I lost 20lbs. I missed food, and when I stopped, I gained weight. 30lbs over 2 years. I'm just getting to those 30lbs that I gained 10 years ago. It's coming off the right way!
  • ingeh
    ingeh Posts: 513 Member
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    they dont really fill me up. i have some for if i cant be bothered to cook but iv not had one fow weeks
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    They'll work if you eat less calories than you burn. But you could do that and substitute Cheetos as a meal instead of a Slimfast Shake. Though you probably wouldn't feel all that great.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    As soon as you stop taking the Slim fast shakes and bars you will gain weight and it will mess up your metabolism.

    Not if she's tracking her cals...

    It contains a lot of sugar and trans fat this will cause metabolism to slow down. Also when you start eating solids again you will gain weight. I wouldn't drink it but that's my opinion.

    Eating solids has nothing to do with weight gain. It would only cause her to gain weight if she started taking in more calories than her TDEE. Also, sugar doesn't slow your metabolism.
  • mayamagallanes
    mayamagallanes Posts: 85 Member
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    I bought some cans too! But then I noticed they have aspertame and that turned me off. Well I chose to try them and it seemed as if they made my chest tight... by my heart and they have a very bad "chemical" taste.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
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    any thing that helps you cut calories should work as long as your not going rediculously low. I did something like the 'slim fast diet' years ago and i certainly lost weight. a LOT of it was muscle tho.

    I'd say the biggest problem with an approach like slim fast is that it does nothing to teach you how to control your eating... and probably no one wants to live life just drinking shakes and eating one meal. So its really not sustainable.

    might want to look into Medifast, i almost never hear about slim fast anymore, i think the medifast might be a little more healthy.
  • Amazon_Who
    Amazon_Who Posts: 1,092 Member
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    They are a tool, your results will vary depending on how you use them.

    My 19yo son doesn't like to eat breakfast so he drinks one so that he can make it through his classes until he has time for lunch.
  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
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    I tried it back in 2006 - the 1st time I gained weight - for about 6-9 months. I gained weight - I know I didn't lose any for sure. Once I learned/ started learning about nutrition, I realized Slim Fast was crap - both nutritionally & as a weight loss aid. I changed my eating habits & lost 17lbs in about 4 months just by doing that. I also rarely ever get sick anymore once I started eating better.

    But yeah, Slim Fast = crap.
  • SibylDiane
    SibylDiane Posts: 177 Member
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    I used to work for the parent company that owns slim-fast. Occasionally a batch would go wrong at the factory and of course not be something we could sell (in the usual way). Instead of pouring it down some giant drain, though, a bad batch of slim-fast would be loaded into tanker trucks and delivered to hog farms, which paid for it so they could use it to fatten their hogs up.
    I had never tried slim-fast before I learned that, but it made me cross it off my mental list of things to try!
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    Maybe you should read this article that cites some interesting research: http://www.livestrong.com/article/265215-dangers-of-slim-fast/
  • fstephanie4
    fstephanie4 Posts: 196 Member
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    Every time I had a milkshake I'd throw up :sick: I think that is counter-productive lol!

    So for me it didn't work!

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