When you follow the Slim Fast diet, you replace two meals a day with a mixture of skim milk and powder. Sounds simple? But how do you know if this diet is right for you? Let’s find out.
Originally Slim Fast had only three varieties of shakes: strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. It was based on two simple principles:
- you had to substitute these shakes for breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner;
- you needed to add 600 calories to the one actual meal you would eat that day.
Over time the Slim Fast product line has grown significantly. It now includes instant shakes, soups and snack bars. You can consume these products up to three times a day. There’s also a new requirement – you have to drink eight glasses of water a day.
Now that you know the basics, let’s talk about the pros and cons of Slim Fast diet. Here are the obvious pros:
- the diet is very easy to follow;
- you can take the shakes with you and drink them anywhere;
- no need to attend any meetings or count calories;
- when combined with proper exercise, this diet results in significant weight loss.
So far, so good? Let’s take a look at the cons:
- It’s difficult to start because you feel the need to eat real food;
- lack of fruits and vegetables results in lack of vital nutrients and vitamins;
- the diet may be hard to maintain;
- those who achieve their goal often gain back all the weight they just lost.
To illustrate the last point, one Slim Fast dieter lost 60 pounds in one year. She followed the diet in combination with an exercise program three times a week. The results, however, didn’t last long – she gained back all the weight the following year.
The Slim Fast diet, unlike conventional diets, does not seem to provide maintenance afterwards. It’s fine, of course, to drink a shake now and then. Just keep in mind that nothing replaces the need to have conventional foods.
You may want to take advantage of weight loss derived from this diet and try to use it as a snack alternative. It’s important to note that while the products are quite good in taste, they lack the texture found in real food. This makes the products less enjoyable to eat.
The Slim Fast diet is more suited to those who are not obese. It also works well when you need to lose large amount of weight. Most experts agree that it’s better to lose two pounds per week on a more conventional food diet.
There are so many weight loss diets available today. You can easily get lost trying to pick one. Following the right diet for you, however, is as essential as losing the pounds. The Slim Fast diet, just as many other diet fads, may work in the short run. None of them are nearly as healthy as the more popular real food diet plans.
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