SlimFast Review
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By CANDICE GREY ConsumersCompare.org Update: Jul 24, 2024 |
Do Dieters Lose Weight on the SlimFast Diet?
Dieters who stick to the SlimFast regimen will lose weight.* This will be largely due to the fact that the daily calorie intake is only 1,200. While the program is recommended for those who have to lose 20 or more pounds, it is only the strict dieter who will lose weight with SlimFast in the long run. This is easier for some, but those who prefer to have a larger portion of food with each meal might have trouble sticking to the diet without cheating in excess.
Some users have experienced side effects associated with SlimFast diet, and might include some serious and long term side effects like:
- Stomach problems
- Muscle loss
- Constipation
- Headaches
- Loose stools
- Gas and bloating
Does the SlimFast Diet Conform to Accepted Dietary Guidelines?
The SlimFast Diet is a surprisingly well balanced diet. Using the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a benchmark, SlimFast conforms in areas such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, but these are just general guidelines that are met. What concerns me when looking at the label is the ingredient list. One of the Amazon customers, Mary, has left a one star review warning others: “Look at the ingredients before you buy these. They are horrible chemistry sets of toxic ingredients.” Mary of Troy
A few ingredients to mention that you should avoid at all costs and are used in SlimFast products are:
- Carrageenan – mostly used to thicken and emulsify products, and in some studies is linked to cancer.
- Trans fats from hydrogenated oil – no wonder MayoClinic calls it cholesterol “double whammy”
- Refined sweetener (maltodextrin) and two artificial sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame) which have also been linked to cancer
Other ingredients of concern are additives like calcium caseinate, cellulose gel, mono and diglycerides, potassium phosphate, soybean lecithin, cellulose gum, carrageenan, isolated soy protein, artificial flavor, potassium carrageenan, and sodium citrate.
One of the least complicated ways to get your weight and health in order is to avoid products that contain more than five ingredients. The most natural, cleanest foods are the ones your body will process without putting pressure on your system and will gladly release stubborn fat.
back to menu ↑Is the SlimFast Diet Easy to Follow?
SlimFast is a diet that is convenient, but it isn’t the easiest one to follow. While the snack bars and shakes are plentiful as far as variety goes, they can easily become mundane. Dieters who attempt to stay on the Slim-Fast Diet on a long-term basis may therefore have some trouble staying true to the diet.
Like any other diet, when you become bored with the routine, you are more likely to cheat. When too much cheating occurs, then much of the achieved weight loss can be reversed and in some cases more can even be gained.*
How Much Does the SlimFast Diet Cost?
The cost of the SlimFast Diet all depends on which of the offered meals you purchase and how much of each meal you purchase. Many stores now carry individual shakes as well as meal and snack bars.
This is again convenient, but can also be costly. For the most part, those wishing to partake in the SlimFast Diet are better off buying their shakes and meal and snack bars in bulk, as a 24-pack of shakes runs around $35 and a 24-pack of certain snack bars can be as little as $17.
back to menu ↑Does the SlimFast Diet Allow for Restrictions and Preferences?
Using the SlimFast Diet for those who want to go gluten free, low to no salt, Kosher, Halal, vegan, or vegetarian is not something that can easily be done. The shakes and the meal and snack bars are their only choices and there is no changing the ingredients. Therefore many restrictive dieters may simply be out of luck when it comes to the SlimFast Diet.
back to menu ↑What is the Role of Exercise with the SlimFast Diet?
The SlimFast Diet highly recommends those who are on the diet to be very active. Their recommendation is to work out at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week. While the commitment of physical activity expected is great, they do say that the exercise doesn’t need to be extremely strenuous. SlimFast also helps those who want to get started with their exercise regime by providing helpful tips on their website.
All in all, customers do lose weight using Slim Fast shakes and some are happy to continue using it once they have achieved their weight loss goals in order to keep the calorie intake low and avoid gaining the weight back.
In my experience there are so many great products on the market today for meal replacement, and in comparison, SlimFast lacks a lot. I always recommend that in order to lose weight, keep it off, and improve health, people should choose a healthy and balanced real food diet rather than jump into an “easier” but processed way of life.*
