Body by Vi

NOT posting this to start an argument, just wanted to share an article I read today regarding Body by Vi. You hear all the good things about it, but rarely do you hear the truth - it really is just another fad diet, no matter HOW you market it...

http://www.davidmodderman.com/blog/index.php/weight-loss/body-by-vi-is-it-all-hype/

I actually started reading this until I got to this part.......

"“I’m not hungry for 4-5 hours or all day.” Again anything that curves someones appetite to a point where they are not eating for long periods of time I have an issue with. Not eating for long periods of time will:

1) Drop blood sugar which will prevent your body from using fat for energy,

2) Will cause your body to revert to using muscle for energy which will slow down your metabolism

3) This muscle loss in turn will cause your body to store more fat in the long term. "

Anyone who believes any of these is going to happen after not eating for 4-5 hours should not be a trainer or be telling others what to do as a professional in the field........Now don't get me wrong.....I am not a fan of Body By Vi either............I think it's more like a cult than a healthy eating option.....That said this article should be taken with a grain of salt.

I wasn't completely convinced by the article (he didn't come across as very bright) but I tend to agree with some of his comments - "weight loss shakes" aren't designed for weight loss, they are designed for profit.
I'm cynical enough to think that of course those companies want people to drop weight quickly, stop the product, put weight on, start back with the product... the never ending cycle is very good for fattening the wallets of the manufacturers.

Bingo! Well said!

To be honest I am getting sick of people on my facebook and leaving me messages wanting me to join this.. When I post things that I can't afford anything after all pay checks they ask me if I want to join.. God some respect.. (sorry venting) but it is getting very old from people wanting me to join this..

^^THIS^^ Tired of people trying to get me to do this. Sheesh!!

No it is not magical, it helps some who once felt they couldn't do it....everyone finds their own thing to jump start their road to a healthier lifestyle and for me it was Body by Vi.....why down talk something that has help hundreds of people...I have not only regain my energy and my life but I have made some supportive friends that only wants to see me succeed! I love the shakes and incorporating them with making healthier choices and using sites such as MFP.com has CHANGED MY LIFE!!! It could have been anything else that could have done it, but for me it was Body By VI!!!!

I dont know why people down grade the product. I think if it works for this person then congrats on finding your way to getting to the goal you need to get to, If it doesnt then ok I hope you find something else,

I think to say this is a scam and a quick fix is kinda being rude to people who are only here for the same thing as everyone else. to get the support and encouragment to get to a healthy life style.

I do have a question. if this works for people and it helps and teaches them that they have to keep there calories down and is kind of a stepping stone to a healthier lifestyle... why is it so bad and everyone "craps" on it.. when getting gastric bypass surgery is a stepping stone as well.
I mean you get your stomach smaller to make you fuller faster... but if you dont follow the plan you will strecth it out and not lose there too...

I guess what I am trying to say.. is to **** on someone for using this for there "tool" for losing weight... it is not cool to me.. who are you to choose what others use for there tools????

I think if we all showed respect for the paths others take then it would be nice.

and that includes the promotors trying to drill it down peoples throat, If they say no.. leave it... if they want it they will find someone within an arms reach selling it ( since it seems everyone is.)

I guess i am just wishing people could show respect and stop calling people stupid for using it... or saying that they wont sucessed when they stop using the shakes or whatever else. Lets all just encourage and help each other rather then beat down and make people who are honestly trying to better themselves feel bad about how they are doing it.

yours in respect.. i wish each person the best in there lifestyle choices

Don't forget the fact magic 'health' shakes don't exist.

I dont know why people down grade the product. I think if it works for this person then congrats on finding your way to getting to the goal you need to get to, If it doesnt then ok I hope you find something else,

I think to say this is a scam and a quick fix is kinda being rude to people who are only here for the same thing as everyone else. to get the support and encouragment to get to a healthy life style.

I do have a question. if this works for people and it helps and teaches them that they have to keep there calories down and is kind of a stepping stone to a healthier lifestyle... why is it so bad and everyone "craps" on it.. when getting gastric bypass surgery is a stepping stone as well.
I mean you get your stomach smaller to make you fuller faster... but if you dont follow the plan you will strecth it out and not lose there too...

I guess what I am trying to say.. is to **** on someone for using this for there "tool" for losing weight... it is not cool to me.. who are you to choose what others use for there tools????

I think if we all showed respect for the paths others take then it would be nice.

and that includes the promotors trying to drill it down peoples throat, If they say no.. leave it... if they want it they will find someone within an arms reach selling it ( since it seems everyone is.)

I guess i am just wishing people could show respect and stop calling people stupid for using it... or saying that they wont sucessed when they stop using the shakes or whatever else. Lets all just encourage and help each other rather then beat down and make people who are honestly trying to better themselves feel bad about how they are doing it.

yours in respect.. i wish each person the best in there lifestyle choices

You'll notice the common themes in the responses are the following

1. Yes it is most definitely a pyramid scheme ( Multi-Level Marketing Scheme )
2. The product itself has been proven to not be very healthy for you
3. The company hides the nutritional information from the general public so that it doesn't get scrutinized
4. The person advocating it the most on this thread is herself a promoter and advertises the product and her business in her profile which is against the terms of use for this site
5. This is a health and wellness site , using it to promote a product that has known adverse effects to health.

i understand and respect your comments...
but.. i have a few responses.. and before i do so and you all jump down my throat saying i am promoting it etc etc.. i am not and there fore to each there own...
1. most business of sales are a type of pyramid sceme... i am a sales person.. i make money for my boss but also make money ( commission) when i make a sale. and the sales manager of my group she gets a commission etc etc.. it is a basic of business. i think what is causing fear is the "home based business " there are many things out there that are home based business (pyramid schemes) such as partylite candle, avon, mary kay etc etc. I have chosen to not sell those just as i choose to not sell body by vi.
2. I have yet to see a FDA report or anything that is scientificaly backed saying it is bad for you. I have seen many personal opions of the product. I have seen drs nurses trainers nutrionalist etc.. who have put there two cents in about it. some love it .. some hate it.. it is a personal view i believe that each takes.
3. I googled and in under 10 seconds had all the ingredients and nutrional information about the product. i dont see that as hidding it.
4. I can not make any comment about the person talking about it here becuase i do not know her nor what her actions are. I can say... that if you are not interested in using it DONT. no one is forcing you to and no one is making you. Like i said before.. it might not be your "thing" but it is others..
5. I think saying it has well know adverse effects is a bit of an over the top term. I again googled looking for the adverse effects you speck of. I have went pages and pages into the search and still not found what effects that are well known.


I think that maybe your personal opion is that it is crap. That is your right to feel that way. And if you have facts to show me of people saying it is bad.. or a conclusive study that shows thatevery person who has used it has ended up with a thrid head or something then to say it is proven is going above and beyond what is liable for you to say.

I again go back and say.. if you do not like the product .. i respect that.. and the promoters and sales people should as well and leave you alone. But if someone does like the product i think putting forth un substainated information as fact is not fair.

and to the young lady who said it was a "magic health shake" i never called it a magic shake of any kind. what i have stated and will again..... some people need assistance to get to the right weight. They have spent years not doing it right and having a helping hand to get there is what they are using this for....

i just really wish that people who slam things cause it scares them.. or they heard.. would remember to have respect becuase you dont know the truth until you live it...

thanks

And I quote from the terms of use " Not Allowed : (l) post or transmit any unsolicited advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail", "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation or any non-resume information such as opinions or notices, commercial or otherwise "

And if we extend that to Body by VI which you will admit yourself is a Multi-Level Marketing scheme, "Other terms for MLM include pyramid selling, network marketing, and referral marketing. "

I especially like this section in Wikipedia which describes an MLM and it describes BBV to a tee

" emphasis on recruitment of lower-tiered salespeople over actual sales, encouraging if not requiring salespeople to purchase and use the company's products, potential exploitation of personal relationships which are used as new sales and recruiting targets, complex and sometimes exaggerated compensation schemes, and cult-like techniques which some groups use to enhance their members' enthusiasm and devotion "

ok that goes for the part where the person was on here and on her page promoting it and pushing it.. but at the same token.. that would say i am not allowed to say i like to use gnc whey.. or costco or whatever one i may or may not use.. because that is promoting said product.. and i may work for them...

and I understand why you feel it is a scam.. but some people are using it.. and it works for them.. and i am guessing people are making money on it.. or more and more people wouldnt start selling it.

i have been offered to sell it.. but with the amount of people selling it.. i look at it more as a market oversaturation... there is only going to be so many people that can be selling it before it gets out of control.

anyways.. that clears up the marketting and sales portion while completely ignoring my health facts which are of more an concern of mine. is you and like minded people calling it crap and saying it is proven to be bad for people yet you have no facts other than some opions and views of people who either dont like any type of protein suplements or are making money off of alternatives.


even the blog the person wrote in the orginal post of this forum. do we know that he is not selling mova vie or whatever the other shake thing is....


interesting how we as people take what is written in a blog and assume because it is well written it is fact....

It's a pyramid scheme. Remember that big pyramid scheme from the '90s that nobody made any money off of, and the feds shut down a few times? Amway? Yeah. They're illegal. The government goes after anybody who makes money off it. Is that something you want to succeed in? I could rob a bank if coming by money illegally was acceptable to me. It isn't, so pyramid schemes and bank robberies are equally out.

As for the BMW, that's only if you make a certain quota. If you fail to meet the quota just once, you get stuck with the payments. The quota makes Visalus more profit than the BMW payments are.

Another thing that is interesting.... Google them. You'll find some bad reviews, but they all only start out bad, and end up trying to sell you the product. Visalus has spent a ton of money burying their bad press. Do you want to trust a company that does that? Apple Computer got caught using child labor to assemble their tablets and handhelds (e.g. iPhone). Did they spend a ton of money to bury the story? No, they acknowledged it and promised to do better. It didn't hurt their stock prices (much). Visalus, on the other hand, decided they would lose more money if the truth was widely known, than they spent to bury the bad press.

Food for thought.

P.S.: Visalus works, same way MFP does. It's basic diet science. It's also overpriced, illegal, and will strain your friendships. You can apply basic diet science without breaking the law or the bank.

Okay I just have to say Amway is still going strong and I'm a proud rep. I don't remember them being shut down at all. They did go through a name change though.

Now MLM businesses have gotten bad reps because of people who sell products. Not because of the company. I'm one who agrees that spamming is wrong and it is aggravating, but blame the people who sell the product, not the company. It would be like thinking Fed-Ex is a bad company because packages were damaged by an employee.

Finally pyramid schemes are illegal! MLM business are not.

Def of a pyramid scheme is as follows:
Head-hunting fees are paid, i.e. money is earned just for the act of recruiting.
There are minimum purchase requirements to get in or continue.
There are no sales of legitimate products or services to those outside the organization.

Now unfortunately I can't control what people do and I apologize for them. I may contact someone once. It's wrong to contact people multiple times and most companies have rules that apply to facebook for just that reason. Hope everyone has a great night and keep on working on your goals. If you need motivation add me (I will not try to sell you anything).

I was almost ready to applaud you for your answer until I saw that you market your "company" in your own profile violating the terms of use of this site..... Swing and a miss. This is site is meant to help people support health and fitness not sell their wares like Amway.

The reason I like this site is because MOST people on here are encouraging a healthy lifestyle (eating healthy, exercising). I'm pretty sure that you can lose weight on any restricted calorie plan (shakes, prepackaged food, etc.) but the one thing I have not learned in my previous quest of losing weight? How to eat in the real world and still maintain a healthy weight. It means changing bad habits, learning new ones in their place, and keeping at it even when you reach goal weight. I guess the "miracle" plans for quick loss are the reason why obesity is out of control in this country. You can do anthing for a few weeks, even months. It's the ability to do it forever that keeps us healthy. I'll keep my money and go for a life change this time.

It's a pyramid scheme. Remember that big pyramid scheme from the '90s that nobody made any money off of, and the feds shut down a few times? Amway? Yeah. They're illegal. The government goes after anybody who makes money off it. Is that something you want to succeed in? I could rob a bank if coming by money illegally was acceptable to me. It isn't, so pyramid schemes and bank robberies are equally out.

As for the BMW, that's only if you make a certain quota. If you fail to meet the quota just once, you get stuck with the payments. The quota makes Visalus more profit than the BMW payments are.

Another thing that is interesting.... Google them. You'll find some bad reviews, but they all only start out bad, and end up trying to sell you the product. Visalus has spent a ton of money burying their bad press. Do you want to trust a company that does that? Apple Computer got caught using child labor to assemble their tablets and handhelds (e.g. iPhone). Did they spend a ton of money to bury the story? No, they acknowledged it and promised to do better. It didn't hurt their stock prices (much). Visalus, on the other hand, decided they would lose more money if the truth was widely known, than they spent to bury the bad press.

Food for thought.

P.S.: Visalus works, same way MFP does. It's basic diet science. It's also overpriced, illegal, and will strain your friendships. You can apply basic diet science without breaking the law or the bank.

Okay I just have to say Amway is still going strong and I'm a proud rep. I don't remember them being shut down at all. They did go through a name change though.

Now MLM businesses have gotten bad reps because of people who sell products. Not because of the company. I'm one who agrees that spamming is wrong and it is aggravating, but blame the people who sell the product, not the company. It would be like thinking Fed-Ex is a bad company because packages were damaged by an employee.

Finally pyramid schemes are illegal! MLM business are not.

Def of a pyramid scheme is as follows:
Head-hunting fees are paid, i.e. money is earned just for the act of recruiting.
There are minimum purchase requirements to get in or continue.
There are no sales of legitimate products or services to those outside the organization.

Now unfortunately I can't control what people do and I apologize for them. I may contact someone once. It's wrong to contact people multiple times and most companies have rules that apply to facebook for just that reason. Hope everyone has a great night and keep on working on your goals. If you need motivation add me (I will not try to sell you anything).

I was almost ready to applaud you for your answer until I saw that you market your "company" in your own profile violating the terms of use of this site..... Swing and a miss. This is site is meant to help people support health and fitness not sell their wares like Amway.

Well now it's off so what I say I mean.

I've never even heard of this until this post and I'm from Troy, Michigan (where its suppose to be based out of).

It's a pyramid scheme. Remember that big pyramid scheme from the '90s that nobody made any money off of, and the feds shut down a few times? Amway? Yeah. They're illegal. The government goes after anybody who makes money off it. Is that something you want to succeed in? I could rob a bank if coming by money illegally was acceptable to me. It isn't, so pyramid schemes and bank robberies are equally out.

As for the BMW, that's only if you make a certain quota. If you fail to meet the quota just once, you get stuck with the payments. The quota makes Visalus more profit than the BMW payments are.

Another thing that is interesting.... Google them. You'll find some bad reviews, but they all only start out bad, and end up trying to sell you the product. Visalus has spent a ton of money burying their bad press. Do you want to trust a company that does that? Apple Computer got caught using child labor to assemble their tablets and handhelds (e.g. iPhone). Did they spend a ton of money to bury the story? No, they acknowledged it and promised to do better. It didn't hurt their stock prices (much). Visalus, on the other hand, decided they would lose more money if the truth was widely known, than they spent to bury the bad press.

Food for thought.

P.S.: Visalus works, same way MFP does. It's basic diet science. It's also overpriced, illegal, and will strain your friendships. You can apply basic diet science without breaking the law or the bank.

Okay I just have to say Amway is still going strong and I'm a proud rep. I don't remember them being shut down at all. They did go through a name change though.

Now MLM businesses have gotten bad reps because of people who sell products. Not because of the company. I'm one who agrees that spamming is wrong and it is aggravating, but blame the people who sell the product, not the company. It would be like thinking Fed-Ex is a bad company because packages were damaged by an employee.

Finally pyramid schemes are illegal! MLM business are not.

Def of a pyramid scheme is as follows:
Head-hunting fees are paid, i.e. money is earned just for the act of recruiting.
There are minimum purchase requirements to get in or continue.
There are no sales of legitimate products or services to those outside the organization.

Now unfortunately I can't control what people do and I apologize for them. I may contact someone once. It's wrong to contact people multiple times and most companies have rules that apply to facebook for just that reason. Hope everyone has a great night and keep on working on your goals. If you need motivation add me (I will not try to sell you anything).

I was almost ready to applaud you for your answer until I saw that you market your "company" in your own profile violating the terms of use of this site..... Swing and a miss. This is site is meant to help people support health and fitness not sell their wares like Amway.

You are right,.. this site is support people with health and fitness... and getting to be the weights they want.. and yet you sit and insult and critize people using your views as facts of the nutrition of products you dont like because of MLM factor..


why dont you push the fact that you dont want to be sold things rather than telling people they are wrong to do what they feel works for them...

encouragment would be more fitting for this site rather than negitive view pushing.. dont you agree...


NOTE: you and i agree this is not the place to 'sell' the product.. but we disagree on the fact that because you dont like how it is sold you feel it is crap....

I agree. Not only are these shakes unnecessary, but liquid calories are not as filling as whole foods and when you are dieting you definitely want to keep hunger low.

I respectfully disagree... i have after years and years of trying to work this diet thing out.. find that when i drink these shakes i am full for the time i should be.. i feel healthier and i feel better about my calorie intake. I get the nutrients i want from breakfast and lunch and dont feel sluggish and or bloated.

I think i will just point out this. I went to my dr in Jan before i begin this path. I was tired, i was depressed, i was at the point where i either got better or i got out, plan and simple. My dr told me that I needed to lose weight. That i needed to start to work on me. I looked into these shakes ( and mona vie and shakeology and weight watchers and low cal vs eat more weight less and jenny craig and dr beirnstein etc etc every diffrent way) i tried to do the whole make my meals and everything, but i just didnt have the time after i did mom duties... now i wake up get them ready and as they are brushing there teeth i make my shake. and bamm done. I have been doing them since Jan, i went to see my dr this past weekend. I walked in and he was so surprised. the nurse weighed me and then hugged me and said i was doing amazing. My dr tested me... all of my tests came back with me improving vastly. my blood pressure my cholestrol, my border line diabetes etc etc.. everything was better.. and my body fat has gone down over 11%.... most important.... i feel better about me.. i would rather go to the gym and run than sit and do nothing. i would rather go and play hockey with my son ( i am canadian afterall) than sit and watch the game... i am living now.. 6 months ago.. i was barely existing...


i would think that being that with the fact that my dr has said.. yes this will work for you..and it has that people would say hey you know what good on you.. not say over and over again that there way of thought is fact.. and maybe consider that other people do find long term success....

i guess what i am trying to say..i respect everyones path and journey.. it would be kinda nice if others could as well

Body by Vi is a real thing? Some lady left a Body by Vi card with her number on it on my car, and I harassed her for weeks Cat-Facts style:

It's been 5 minutes and I'm STILL laughing. Freaking awesome. :drinker:

This person did not really do this, I have see this same exact posting multiple times on many websites in the last year.