Slim Fast Diet: A Review

July 5, 2009 Filed Under: Weight Loss

Maybe you have a few pounds to lose, and you’re looking for a healthy weight loss program that’s easy to follow. You might have heard that the Slim Fast program fits both those criteria. Here’s an overview of the program that should help you decide if it’s the right plan for you.

The original Slim Fast diet was pretty basic. You replaced two meals a day with a special shake that you made up by adding the Slim Fast powder to some low-fat milk. It came in three flavors: strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. You would have one of these shakes at breakfast and another at lunch, and then have a “sensible” dinner of about 600 calories.

Today, there are several more products in the Slim Fast line-up. You can get pre-mixed canned shakes, snack bars in a variety of flavors, and soup mixes. You are allowed these products about three times a day. And a recommendation was added that you drink eight glasses of water every day.

That’s the Slim Fast diet in a nutshell. Now let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros: First and foremost, you can lose a lot of weight on the Slim Fast program if you combine it with exercise. The plan is easy to follow. You can take the shakes with you to work, to the gym, on the road, and just about anywhere else. There’s no calorie counting or public weigh-ins.

Cons: It’s hard to feel full after drinking your Slim Fast shake, and you might be longing for some real food at mealtimes. This makes it pretty difficult to stick with this diet for too long. There isn’t an abundance of fruits and vegetables on the plan, so you won’t be getting your fiber requirements and you’ll miss out on some important nutrients (although the shakes contain vitamins and minerals).

It’s certainly possible to lose weight on this plan, but given the disadvantages, it might be easier to use the Slim Fast products for snacks instead of meals, and enjoy healthy foods at mealtimes. The shakes are tasty, but you won’t experience the enjoyment you get from eating actual food.

As a final comment, regaining the lost pounds is not unusual for people who follow the Slim Fast plan. One woman lost 60 pounds in a year on the Slim Fast program, combined with moderate exercise. The next year, she gained it all back. The key to weight maintenance is to change your eating habits for the better. If you’ve been relying on the shakes for your meals, and then you stop taking them, you’ll be back to your old unhealthy habits in no time.

Recommendation: Since it’s so difficult to stay with this program for the long haul, the Slim Fast diet is best suited to people who only need to lose a few pounds. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you could use this plan to quick start some weight loss, then switch to healthy eating plan to help you continue to take off a pound or two a week.

With all the diet plans you see advertised every day, it’s difficult to pick just the right one. When you’re considering the various diets, keep in mind that some quick-loss diets will work in the short run, but are not necessarily sustainable or as healthy as changing your eating habits for the better.

weight loss isn’t painless; you need time and dedication to follow a plan long enough to realize some effects. Get the best weight loss information by visiting Weight Loss Advice.