Over more than 25 years, Slim-Fast has built a strong case for using meal replacements to lose weight. Multiple studies (some funded by Slim-Fast) show that sipping the company’s shakes or nibbling on its nutrition bars can safely peel away pounds and keep them off. And to keep up with carb-phobic dieters, the company has introduced an Optima line-products for a new plan by the same name- that contains 55 percent less sugar than its original products. These lower-carb replacement drinks boast increased levels of protein and fiber, as well a whopping half-day’s supply of calcium.
Rich Chocolate Brownie bars or a Banana Cream shake sound indulgent, but don’t expect them to taste the same as offerings from a French bakery or the corner ice-cream parlor. They’re not bad-just nothing to write home about. In fact, some nutritionists aren’t keen about candy-like bars and sugary shakes standing in for meals. What’s more, relying on these products doesn’t teach dieters how to make healthful food choices on their own. Overall, Slim-Fast is a good system that works for many people, particularly because of the convenience. It’s just not the tastiest way to shed pounds.
Basic principles:
The plan boils down to a time-tested strategy: Move more and eat less. Dieters eat one balanced meal a day and use Slim-Fast products-shakes, bars, soups, frozen pasta entrées-to replace two other meals. For snacks, you can choose conventional food or 130-calorie Slim-Fast snack bars (lighter than the meal-replacement bars, which pack 220 calories each). To get moving, you walk, jog, or do yard work for at least 30 minutes a day.
How the diet works:
This is a low-cal diet-obviously, meal replacements contain fewer calories than the average foods most folks eat. First, you purchase Slim-Fast products at the supermarket and use them for two meals a day and snacks. Then you eat one regular meal (600 to 700 calories) for breakfast, lunch, or dinner-your choice. An Easy Options Plan, outlined on product labels, provides more details. For further guidance, the company’s Web site offers tips on everything from training for a 5K race to gaining the emotional support of family and friends.
What you can eat:
Slim-Fast shakes. Slim-Fast meal bars. Slim-Fast microwavable soups. Slim-Fast pasta entrées. And one meal a day that includes lean meat, starch, vegetables, and fruit. (Low-carb dieters can skip the starch and eat more veggies.) Between meals, you can choose from snack bars or healthful alternatives such as fruit, veggies, fat-free yogurt, nuts, pretzels, and air-popped popcorn. Fruit is the top choice for dessert, but you can occasionally substitute sugar-free puddings or sorbets.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Yes. Slim-Fast is one of the few diet companies to back up its products with the gold standard in diet research: controlled clinical trials. The latest findings, presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity in October 2003, show that people who used Slim-Fast on and off for 10 years to maintain their weight were on average 33 pounds lighter than a similar group who went without the meal replacements.
Is the diet healthy?
Yes. As long as you eat a balanced meal and snack on fruits, veggies, and other nutritious choices, the plan is sound. The Slim-Fast Web site urges dieters to consume at least 1,200 calories a day and lose no more than 2 pounds a week.
What do the experts say?
“I’m a very big advocate of meal replacements like Slim-Fast for weight control,” says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago. Jackson has clients who’ve lost weight successfully with the plan, and she thinks meal-replacement products in general are a good way to learn about realistic portion sizes.
But Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University, has mixed feelings. She says meal-replacement shakes and bars “may be fortified with vitamins and minerals, but just like a vitamin supplement, they’re not going to provide you with everything you need.” While Rosenbloom admits that Slim-Fast can help people lose weight, she prefers to see dieters work to keep the pounds off using whole foods.
Who should consider the diet?
Anyone who needs a lot of structure and prefers that someone else fix the meals. Folks who love to cook and enjoy fresh foods, though, may be turned off by the convenience-style products.
Bottom line:
Like other low-calorie, nutrient-dense eating plans, meal-replacement diets like Slim-Fast do have a good track record of helping people shed weight and keep it off. Keep in mind, though, that bars and shakes don’t provide all the benefits of real food-so use caution when thinking long-term.
Lead writer: Maureen Callahan, M.S., R.D.
Comments (19)
I think that it is great to get an honest critique of a change in diet that is not only reasonably priced but also free to join.
my name is mr dan bahadur thapa.n my nick name is danu thapa. im from nepal in kathmandu city.know im 21 years old n hight 5.8 feet(171) cm. so my body is slim so that my net waight is 56 kg. n i want to my body is little fat so that i pleasure to you. waht can i do it time ? then im going to joking and running in the mornning everday. i had to exersice 3 hour/day. i hope i gave positive answer as soon as ..
thanks
I have a wedding in 2 weeks(im a bridesmaid)n i waz wondering,if i jog 4 15-30 mins per day n eat all bran flakes in the morning,seafood salads 4 lunch n rice 4 dinner,(4 2 weeks) will i loose quite a bit of weight???
Please hurry.Thnx…..
MAN THIS DOOES NOT WORK. I USED TO WEIGH 184 NOW I WEIGH 263
MAN THIS IS NOT WORTH IT.
DONT TRY IT.
Slim Fast DOES work! Why? Portion control. I used to eat too much food at meals, then wondered why the weight would not come off. Last October, I began the Slim Fast plan, weighing 125 lbs. (I’m 5′2″). Now, a year later, I reached my goal of 112 lbs. Losing the weight slowly enabled me to keep the weight off, rather than gain it back like many people who drop pounds quickly. I still have a Slim Fast Bar (chocolate cookie dough–it’s delicious) for lunch because it’s convenient and healthy. If you set your mind to it and believe you can lose the weight, this plan WILL help you.
to lil mama, the diet does work. And, there is no way you could gain that much weight from the diet. Seems to be, that you need to eat less. There is no way you did the diet right. Have a good day.
I have strickly stuck to the slim fast paln and lost 30lbs or more in 3 months I went from 170lbs to 130lbs. Walking every day for 30 minutes and drinking lots of water and positive thoughts.
The slim fast diet has really helped me lose weight and keep it off. The meal replacement bars are great and really do keep you full longer and their snack bars are just as good. My body has adjusted to the change and now i never get the urge to reach for bad high calorie/fat foods. I really recommend this diet because it will work for you if you have the determination and willingness to stick to it.
Slim fast has worked for me in the past. I have recently decided to try slim fast again to lose the 50lbs. of weight that I left behind on my last experience. I have noticed that my hunger level is way up in the mornings until midday, so… would it be wise to drink a shake at night for dinner and eat a healthy breakfast and then a shake at lunch?
I just recntly started on slimfast I’m at 215. A I hope this work
I just started slim fast last week. I am only skipping lunch and drinking a slim fast. I eat a small bowl or cereal for breakfast and not overeating at supper. It’s great. This is my first diet.
I’m going to try this. I need to lose 10 pounds in one month. I hope this will work for me. Thanks for the feedbacks everybody :)
any good diet plan the slim fat plan recommends a healthy diet along with a healthy exercise plan.
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This diet really does work. You don’t have to stick to all slim-fast products either. If you sign up online you can create your own meal plan. I really like that it shows you your daily nutrition (vitamins, fiber, protein and what not). You can even add your own foods and I frequently run to the computer with box in hand to add something new. It keeps me eating the right portions too. The online fitness plan shows you how many calories you burn doing everyday things and more. There are also recipes, forums and much more. I usually replace 1 meal a day. My current favorite replacement is a slim-fast chocolate shake blended with strawberries or raspberries, but I add 4 more ounces of fat free milk and 2 teaspoons of benefiber. Yummy and filling.
I have wanted to try the Slim-Fast diet for a while. I’m not entirely overweight, but I feel that I could stand to lose a few pounds, especially when it comes to my midsection and thighs. I think I’ll try this.
I’ve been doing Slim Fast for 2 weeks and it’s been really great! I like the taste of the shakes and snack bars. I’m eating fruit and yogurt for breakfast then a shake for lunch, a snack bar, then either a salad or a shake for dinner. I will also have a sugar free fudge bar or popcorn after dinner. I’m down 11 lbs so far! It’s been really easy! Good luck to everyone else who’s doing this!
Breakfast cereal lovely but cannot buy it in my area of Maidstone kent any more Tesco stopped selling it others do not stock it Help please as to where I can buy it regards Joan
breakfast cereal lovely but not stocked any more in my area of Maidstone kent can any one help please as to where I can buy it regards Joan
this really works.
I wasnt “huge” to begin with but I was tired of the extra gut. I started out 242 and Im down to 226 in two months of drinking the Optima shakes and cutting back on snacking; and eating smaller, healthier portions.