NHS shakes meal replacement programme

[HurrahforHollywood]

Has anyone been referred for the NHS shakes and meal replacement programme? My doctor has referred me but I am on the verge of ordering wegovy pills

Why not try the shakes while you wait for the pills?

Are they any different from slim fast etc?

i asked for this but thankfully my very practical adviser talked me into WLI instead. He did say he’d never known anyone finish the program. Sorry to be negative and good luck .

My husband is doing it at the moment. Currently end of week 10. He lost 15% of his body weight in 9 weeks, so at target, now down to just over 100kg. He says it’s tough, he hasn’t eaten anything but the sachets, and his diabetes readings are significantly reduced. He’s off his DM2 and BP meds. He’s been able to keep up with the gym 3-4x/week. The weekly coaching has been helpful. I would give it a try, much safer than having the injections.

He’s already taking about having some toast in 8 days!

Good luck! 💐

That's really encouraging!

Who was your advisor?

I can have the pills now if I pay for them. The shakes will take two or three months apparently to arrive.

I did it 5 years ago and lost 4 stone. Unfortunately I then put it all back on.

2 years ago started mounjaro and have lost 5 stone and remained on mounjaro so have not put anything back on.

the shakes work but it’s very tough. I did it during the pandemic which I think made it easier because there were no social things to go to do much less temptation.

The shakes shout take more than 2-3 days to arrive. That’s very odd

A friend of mine did the shakes and it was tough! He did amazingly well and lost a lot of weight and has come off so much medication. But, as you would expect, it is difficult because it is not only just the shakes, but very limited calories.

My GPs surgery have a clinical pharmacist who is their diabetic advisor.
Good luck which ever route you choose.

I would expect this to happen: weight gain as soon as you stop the shakes. Return to old eating habits.

WTF is the NHS suggesting meal replacement instead of healthy eating? Shakes are unsustainable. Giving a meal plan with lots of steamed veg, salad, naturally low fat protein like chicken breast, tuna, eggs, cottage cheese with complex carbs, with healthy snacks like crudites or fruit - that can't be more difficult than shakes, and it encourages a sustainable lifestyle change.

OP could you try a calorie controlled diet instead: 1200 cals, zero processed sugar or carbs. Focus on foods listed above. Do gentle but regular exercise.
With or without the WLI. I just can't imagine many - if any - people have succeeded long term from the shakes.

is the shakes idea nationwide? Do all Drs do it? i did try Slimfast before and ended up in casualty with crippling stomach pains not sure why they just put it down as colic type pains. how many shakes a day? are they vegan?

I absolutely agree @Tonissister but have you never seen the response on here when that’s suggested?

The shakes program is proven to get t2 into remission which is why it’s advised. The diet you recommended works too but you’d have to follow the diet for life. 12 weeks of 800 calorie through shakes effectively gets rid of the diabetes. Obviously you still have the diagnosis but afterwards you transition to a normal diet, it’s proven to work for dealing with the diabetes fast

That's what I did to lose two stones years ago. I don't eat processed food and don't eat sugar. I've eliminated carbs to some extent but need to be much more radical. I have always eaten brown rice anyway and sourdough bread. I've cut the bread to a minimum and stopped eating porridge. I lost ten pounds due to illness a year ago and my blood sugar dropped quite a lot.

I walk about four miles three or four times a week and swam three times a week through the winter. It's just not enough.

No idea. The doctor suggested it but I know very little other than that they are 800 calls a day. So Fast 800 in shake form.