Did Slim-Fast Work?

Slim-Fast shakes have a really high sugar content. If you want something drinkable that will keep you from being hungry, try Spiru-tein (available at co-ops) mixed with milk. (Use a blender, though, even though they claim it mixes without one). Protein will keep you from being hungry much better than sugar will!

Slimfast kept me feeling "full" so I didn't snack, but it's not going to make you shed pounds. I drank one for breakfast and one as my drink for lunch (I'd have a salad or a sandwich, whatever time allowed) and that kept the snack cravings down; but it's not going to make you drop weight without an exercise routine. I stopped buying it because to me it was a waste of money. I went to a nutritionist and started a program similar to Weight Watchers and that's going MUCH better for me. (15 pounds and counting!) :) Good luck! I hope you find a system that works for you!

I tried it twice. I didn't loose any weight and I was hungry all the time (I actually gained weight the second time). I gave up on diet aids. I started walking and stopped drinking soda and SLOWLY I have been loosing weight. I figure it is better than nothing. Good Luck!

I agree with most of the other posters. I have tried Slim Fast and found it to be "interesting," not especially flavorful (although those peanut butter bars are yummy), and definitely not filling. I currently am on Weight Watchers and the plan is SO much better than it has ever been. It is a positive life change, eating more healthfully and exercising routinely! This I CAN do for the rest of my life! After only 14# I feel SO much better! Of course I still have a bunch to lose. They have a plan for nursing mothers and pregnant women, too.

I haven't tried but my understanding is 95% gain there weight back in one year and in two years 97% do. The only real way to lose weight in get into shape is to change your lifestyle. If you want to discuss options further, send me a message. I can get you some DVDs to help explain what does work.

I actually used the Slim Fast diet to help me get into a healthier eating routine. I was hungry the first couple of weeks, but that was because my body was adjusting to the smaller portions of food. I didn't necessarily follow strictly with the shakes and everything, but it got me to get used to smaller portions, watching calories, and having healthier snacks. Over the past year, I have lost about 30-35 pounds and kept it off. I have not used a shake for over 6 months and have maintained my weight. Diets only work if you use them as they are intended, as a way of helping you develop better lifestyle habits. Hope this helps!

Hi B. -

It looks like you've gotten quite a bit of advice, but I'd like to offer my two cents' worth anyway. I can't speak to Slimfast (tried it once a long time ago, but only for a short time, since I was always hungry), but about a month ago I started the Flat Belly Diet, a book written by the editor of Prevention magazine. I like to refer to it as a healthy eating plan rather than a diet, because it's all about eating food that is good for you and tastes delicious. I feel amazing! I've only lost about 6-7 pounds, but I'm a lot thinner, feel better about myself, and I feel healthier. You can pick the book up at Sam's Club for $14, or I'm sure Amazon has it too. Good luck with whatever you try!

I agree with Melissa. Diets do not work. Lifestyle changes do. I'd work on tracking the calories you eat every day and once you figured how much you are eating right now, you can determine if you are eating too much or too little. If you go either way you are going to gain weight. Reason for the weight gain on too little is because your body will slow the metabolism down because it doesn't know when it's going to be fed regularly with enough food to carry out the necessary functions. There is a tool on google which you can use to track your food and you can enter your height and weight and how active you are. If you are trying to lose weight, I would set it to sedentary so you know how much food you can eat that day so your body can carry out normal functions. Then I would use the exercise counter on Google's site so you can see how many calories you burn when you exercise.

Your goal? You want a 500 calorie deficit every day. This means you want to burn 500 more calories than you took in. Studies have found that the people who are most successful at losing weight are people who reduce calorie intake and increase activity. The reason for this is because it's much easier to reduce calories by 100 to 200 calories every day then 500, and it's easier to get into an exercise routine if one is burning 150 to 200 calories or more everyday than someone who is trying to burn 500 more calories than what they eat.

It's about gradual changes. Do not overwhelm yourself. If you drink soda all the time, switch to diet, and replace one soft drink with a glass of water until you are only having one diet soda a day. Just that change alone will give you an almost 500 calorie defict every day! With exercise, start with a walk around the block every day and increase the distance every 3 days until you find yourself walking a mile every day. Then once you met that goal, increase the intensity of the walk or maybe alternate, one day you walk a mile and the next day you bike 1 mile. As you get comfortable biking a mile, move it up to 3 miles.
You'll get there without feeling deprived and having to give up your occassional cookie or favorite food! Good luck!

Angie

I've tried slimfast, but have to tell you, I am a HUGE eater, so I was hungry all the time. That four hour stuff...I don't think so. My husband tried it though and he thought it kept him full. I think the key is to have enough to occupy you during the day so you're not eating all the time...a cookie here, a sandwhich there... He is VERY busy at work and surely able to distract himself enough, but I work a job that is very relaxed and low key, so my mind was always focused on food. Anyway, I am rambling...I think the best way to go is weight watchers...it's a lifestyle change and something you can do everyday. Good luck! Don't ever get too h*** o* yourself...every lost pound is a success!

Well, I started the slim fast plan January 3rd along with an exercise plan and I have lost 19 pounds and 9.5 inches so far. I have a shake between 8 and 9 am. Then if I am hungry before lunch, I have a 100 calorie snack. (there are so many to choose from). I will have a shake for lunch unless it is one of my days off, in which case my husband and I go out to lunch (and I don't just eat salad...but I do start every "real food" meal with a salad.) If I am hungry in the afternoon, I have a 100 calorie snack or a yogurt. And then I eat dinner like I normally would, but I start with a salad. I used to be a notorious Mountain Dew drinker, but I have replaced those with Lipton diet green tea. I have also cut candy bars out of my diet except for an occasional slim fast snack bar (the peanut butter crunch is like a butterfinger and only 120 calories). I work out at curves 3 times a week and ride my eliptical for 20-30 min 2 times per week. I know that it does boil down to I am cutting calories and exercising, but the slim fast plan is easy for me to follow being a mother of 2 working full time (12 hour rotating shifts to boot). Also be sure to drink plenty of water with your meals and in between. Your body can tell you that you are hungry at times when you really only need water (has to do with us getting a lot of water from the food we eat). I wish you luck in whatever you try, but dispite other women's comments it has worked for me now and in the past before I got married and had children. Good luck! :)

It fills you up for 4 hours, it just kicks the hungry cravings it does not make you lose weight just fills you up so you don't feel the urge to snack... I usually use it once a day for breakfast and sometimes lunch when I eat only a salad. It has helped me lose a little weight and also fill me up at lunch when I eat a health less filling meal. I do like that it is easy to grab and go, I can be really busy and drinking slim fast is better then having no meal at all!

If you are breastfeeding I would not start it till you are done breastfeeding, slim fast does not have enough calories for the both of you.

If you really want it to work I have found that I need to have a 20 min work out everyday to actaully burn the fat.

B.,

My mom stuck me on that diet when I was a kid. The shakes and bars were not filling at all. I ended up eating more than I normally did and gained more weight.

As an adult, I did the "Dr. Phil Weight Loss Solution" with good results. I also enjoyed the book "Sugar Busters" which helped my cholesterol tremendously. It's not a "go on this diet and lose weight, then get off" kind of a thing because they don't ever work. You might lose weight until you stop the diet, but then your body will revert back to where you were. These are lifestyle changes in eating and exercising habits that you can maintain for the rest of your life - hence you get results that last the rest of your life.

Good luck,
S.

Not sure if you are BF -- that may vary this suggestion.

I started an atkins diet at the end of October and I am down 47 lbs. My goal was 60 lbs originally...the baby weight plus 20 lbs, but I think I'm going to keep going.

Now before you say --- "that is not healthy" --- hear me out. I have ALWAYS been over weight. Even as an extremely active athlete in high school my weight still fell into a high category. In college after I gained weight I followed Weight Watchers and did lose 45 lbs. The difference for me with atkins is that if I'm hungry I eat. And because you eat more protein you will actually be less hungry. So if this is an issue for you I'd suggest a low carb plan.

One little thing though...if you do decide to try low carb, actually read up on it first. Many people have bits and pieces of the plan, but not a good over view and that is partially what leads to failure.

I will NEVER do another diet again. I feel great, my Dr. says I'm healthy and the weight is coming off -- with out excersis.

Good luck.