5.5 stone to lose. DIY shake-only diet!

[Started17June2025]

I've decided to start a thread as a bit of a progress/accountability record. I've had some past success with SW, calorie counting, IF but obviously nothing that worked long term as here I am 😂

My problem is my all or nothing mentality. I have a pretty significant sugar addiction, zero off switch when eating and at the moment I find eating just some food really, really difficult, more than ever before. Plus, I'm now pre-diabetic. Back up to pretty much my heaviest weight now and I've 5.5 stone to lose.

So, I'm not going to eat food at all. I need to take my problem out of the equation completely for a while. I'm going to follow a liquid only shake diet for up to 12 weeks. I'll see how I go as to duration but hopefully it will help me get my cravings and blood sugars more under control before I try eating food again regularly, in healthier portions.

After spending hours (days!) researching meal replacement shakes and trying a couple of starter packs, none of which i liked, I've decided to go the DIY route.

I've used Chat GPT to create a DIY shake plan which is 3 x shakes a day and apparently nutritionally complete, with the support of a decent multivitamin and omega 3 supplement. I went through several iterations because I need it to be simple, with simple ingredients to chuck in my nutribullet, to stick to. I know it's unlikely that the shakes will be perfect but I'm satisfied they'll be 'good enough' for 2 or 3 months and the lesser of two evils between DIY shakes and being obese!

So...day 1: Tuesday 17th June 25
Height: 5ft 5in
Weight now: 15 stone, 10 lbs
Target: 10 stone, 3 lbs - so 5.5 stone to lose

Anyone else doing shakes/liquid only diet?

The mouth feel of food is what is OPs downfall, that is what she is trying to avoid.

You have to work to your strengths when trying to make a massive change like this, obesity is a serious disease which is difficult to manage and you have to do what works for you, not some mythical fancy pancy strategy that could, might, maybe work over many years.

Am not anti AI. It can be useful. It's exciting. It's also unreliable. Inherently, deep down unreliable. Fine if you're asking it for a recipe to use up past their best tomatoes, but dear God don't rely on it for nutrionally complete food for months. Just don't.

@Koazy not necessarily - I’m not and I tried them - losing at exactly the same pace in my case , with no side effects. depends on other factors of why you put weight on in the first place and if you have got good self control and the right mind set without them etc -it’s a really individual thing - I always said mine was insulin aswas pre diabetic , clearly wasn’t , more like lack of consistency over long enough periods and not weighing myself and wine if I’m honest

Sure, but to lose the weight in the first place often takes a radical approach. Not every person 'piles the weight back on' after losing weight (Jesus I hate that expression, the disdain is palpable) and that study that said 95% of diets fail has been thoroughly debunked. I wouldn't do what OP is doing but if it helps her lose weight initially and then continue with a healthier approach then fine.

I don't think suggesting eating a couple of protein-heavy meals a day could be described as a "mythical fancy pancy strategy"!

It's a pretty basic weight loss strategy and I've eaten this way since the beginning of the year. It's transformed my body and keeps my blood sugar levels stable.

But I appreciate it's not for everyone.

@StartedWithAKiss do you mind if I ask what went wrong in your case?

@Started17June2025 I wish you the best of luck with it. I kind of know what you mean in the sense that food is annoying. (if that's what you mean) but there's no way I could manage on shakes so I'm really just curious to know how you get on.

I was really referring to vague ideas people put forward, which wasnt in your post, about 'lifestyle change' which negates the reality which is that you have to eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight, and then calorie balance to maintain, no way round that and if your 'lifestyle change' allows you to do that, great, not a problem, but most are pretty small changes which wont allow for the person to feel motivation, hence they give up quickly and the weight just stays there.

The reality for the OP is that she struggles to control volume, the solution for that for her is to not have 'food' in that form, it means she is less likely to consume volume. So she needs to work to that if that is her solution.

You can also have protein heavy meals that are shakes or soups. I make my own soups and use chicken or fish etc.

@FortyElephants yep I agree although not the way I would do it - to be fair the 4 people I know who did shakes only for months all gained it back - however in all fairness I have no idea what their habits were post the shakes diet - maybe they went on a total binge

I think the issue with these diets are just the lack of sustainability. Until you resolve the issues that have led you to become obese in the first place then even if you do lose a significant amount of weight, then how will you navigate life after that? What’s your long-term plan? What will your nutrition look like after this 12 weeks? How will you navigate special occasions, holidays?

These shake and vlcds work for stuff like preparing for gastric band surgery, but I am very doubtful that people who do them with no other changes then manage to have a healthy relationship with food for the rest of their life.

I have lost what you have to lose with the help of WLIs, but using them allowed me to totally overhaul my diet and relationship with food, so when I came off the jabs nothing changed. I have continued to eat and behave the same as on them (and lost half a stone more) because I’d spent the whole weight loss ‘journey’ already living like that. I’m not sure how well I would have done if I’d not eaten normal food and not changed my understanding of food as fuel/nourishment and been able to practice that for months before achieving goal weight.

It always, always comes down to what happens when the calorie deficit part is over. Maintenance is the hardest bit, and disordered relationships with food can take a lot of work to overcome.

I really do wish you luck though, losing this weight and revamping my relationship with food has been life-changing for me and my health and I hope the same for you!

I would say that a significant part of my weight gain is being out of touch with my body. And doing a shakes only diet disconnected me even further. I had the shakes on a routine, I was never hungry and it made consuming them a matter of fuelling myself - which is what I craved. Just to switch off from food altogether! Except it's a temporary state to be in and it really worsened the problem once I came off. It seemed like a fix but it was pretty catastrophic in ways I didn't anticipate.

The diet itself was isolating and embarrassing. I couldn’t go out and eat socially, people noticed at work, I couldn't drink any alcohol at all so I sat through my sister's hen do with a shake and nothing else - I really regret that now! I don't drink now anyway so it wasn't about being sober, it was just so joyless not to be able to join in with any food - eating together is a social, ritual, celebratory thing.

Coming off the shakes, I had nothing useful to take forwards for maintenance. No nice new recipes, no helpful habits - of course I'd done every diet imaginable before then so it wasn't like I was uninformed. But the damage it did to my metabolism swiftly became evident. Nothing that had ever worked before would work after that diet. Nothing did work for years and years, until I went on Mounjaro last summer.

The difference on MJ is striking. It's the first time in my life I have actually been able to listen to my body, respect my hunger and satiety cues - and I know the drug has changed those of course but it feels more like MJ has reset them to a 'normal' setting! - I eat good, healthy, nourishing food and never feel ashamed or embarrassed and I exercise for muscle and strength rather than the frantic cardio I did before. Living off shakes for three months really hammered my self esteem. I hated that I 'needed' them and then they really fucked things up going forwards and then I hated myself more. Like a PP said, it's one of the few things in my life I would completely undo if I could go back.

I used to regard food as the enemy, and shakes worsened that perception. I don't think about food like that at all anymore. MJ has made me love eating and it's made eating a healthy and sustaining thing to do - it's a self care activity now, as in giving myself a good meal that I enjoy and enables my body to work properly. Shakes for me were self flagellation and self hatred. Entirely the opposite experience!

@StartedWithAKiss
The most striking thing about what you've said, for me, is that you were never hungry. I wish that was the case for me. I occasionally have a protein shake for breakfast if I can't face food and if it's quick.

I have a Nutri bullet so I can make my own and I put seeds on my cereal and stuff.

But cooking and food prep irritates me generally. This is both ways, so whether I'm eating healthily or not - I just don't find it interesting. Wish I did.

The mouth feel of food is what is OPs downfall, that is what she is trying to avoid
Thanks @soupyspoon, totally agree with what you've said, you seem to understand where I'm coming from.

I'm currently drinking my final shake of day 1. Far too late but we had one of the dc's sports presentations tonight so I've been out for hours.

So today...
Shake 1 was the Berry shake - very nice. Shake 2 was the apple and kale - bloody awful 😖. I like Kale well enough (when fried in butter or covered in gravy 😂) - but half an apple is not enough to cover the taste of 50g of raw and blended Kale. It was so bitter. A pinch my nose and chug it down job.
Shake 3 - chocolate. It's LOVELY. There's a decent dollop of peanut butter in it and it tastes like a chocolate peanut butter milkshake 🙌

I know it's only day 1 but so far I feel fine. I've had a few feelings of hunger and/or wanting to eat something at various times today and I've downed a pint of water straight away which largely worked 🤞🤞

The good microbes in your gut that are important for lots of major functions in your body, including metabolic health, feed on prebiotics so you really need fruit, veg, fibre from real food to keep your body healthy. Switching real food entirely for shakes means you are probably consuming lots of emulsifiers, binders and artificial sweeteners that will absolutely wreck your health - you could end up damaging your metabolism, getting inflammation in your gut and joints, disrupting your hormone balance. Look at all the extra ingredients!

@RandomWordsThrownTogether but OP is making her own

@Started17June2025 yeah I learned not to try an apple and kale thing either 😂

I did a shake only diet for 12 weeks i lost 3 stone and have kept it off. I now have a shake for breakfast and lunch and a main meal for tea. I like the shakes as its so convenient around work. Good luck

Forgot to add drink lots of water i was drinking 3/4 litres a day

I didn’t see she made her own; however, whey protein usually has emulsifiers, binders etc… it is very hard to find one without those things. When you blend food it changes the composition and how our bodies treat that food too - when you eat a banana digestive enzymes break down the food gradually and utilise it in various ways but when you eat a blended banana the digestive juices don’t kick into gear and it doesn’t go to all the right places. Look up the difference between eating an orange versus freshly squeezed orange juice - your body needs to break it down itself to get all the benefits. You loose the prebiotic benefits from the food if it travels through the system without being broken down.

@Started17June2025Yeah, I can’t stand kale either - try spinach instead!

Hi! We have very similar stats. I am also 5’5. I started in January at 15 st 8lbs and I am trying to get to 10st by August. I am currently 11st 5lbs. Progress is slowing but I’m trying to push through and stay motivated. I think I need to stop weighing myself so often as the fluctuations can be discouraging. Good luck!

Wow that's great progress! You must feel amazing 👏

Day 2 completed yesterday. I had the banana oat shake which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then the spinach and tomato which was fine...I didn't love it but it was ok. Then the chocolate again which is my favourite so far.

All of the shakes leave a bit of a claggy, thick feeling afterwards on your tongue - and you need to down some water to cleanse your palate. I'm assuming that's the protein powder or flaxseed, neither of which I've used before. Actually, peanut butter probably won't help either. But it's not a dealbreaker 🤷‍♀️

10.30am on day 3 now (not yet had my first shake today). I still feel more or less OK. A bit of a headache which seems expected. And I'm definitely thirstier than usual so i'm being careful to stay well-hydrated. But surprisingly, I'm not particularly hungry and not tired or low in energy or anything. My mood is also OK...haven't murdered anyone yet 😄

I really realised yesterday how badly out of control my eating had got. The number of times through the day I thought 'ohh I'll just grab...' before remembering I can't. It was SO often. And before, I would have just gotten that cereal. A bag of crisps. Two apples. A yoghurt. A cereal bar. Banana and peanut butter on toast. Just back and forth to the kitchen (I WFH), snacks dripped in all through the day, mindless eating when I wasn't even particularly hungry. When that urge is happening now, I down a glass of water.

So far, I actually feel a bit enpowered right now rather than deprived. It feels good to not be eating crap. I feel a kind of relief. And I'm hopeful that the X weeks of shakes only might at the very least break my snack habit 🤞

a slight carb / sugar withdrawal might account for the headache.

maybe try the parts of the two you didn’t like so much that you did enjoy together? E.g. spinach and apple.

hope it continues working for you!

I’ve had to be on shakes for the past two weeks because I’m having surgery. They make me crave food far more than usual. I’ve only lost 3lbs. 5’ 6” and gone from 12 stone to 11 stone 11. Depressing.

I asked chatgbt if your shakes are a healthy way to loose weight and got this response. Are you monitoring your blood sugar response? I would look into getting a cheap cgm for a couple of weeks as for sustainable weightloss you need stable blood sugars and pureed food is likely to lead to greater spikes due to the loss of fibre and tge food matrix.

ChatGPT said:
It sounds like you're putting a lot of effort into creating a balanced DIY shake plan for weight loss, and I think you're on the right track in terms of simplifying things and taking control of your nutrition while addressing your sugar cravings.

Nutritional Considerations:
Your shakes look to be a solid start. They contain protein, healthy fats, fiber, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, there are a few nutrients that could potentially be lacking or limited on a shake-only diet.
Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamin D: Unless you're using a fortified milk or supplementing, Vitamin D could be a potential gap, especially since it helps with calcium absorption and immune function.
Iron: While you have some iron from the flaxseed, spinach, and oats, you might need additional sources, especially as non-heme iron (plant-based) is less efficiently absorbed than heme iron from animal sources.
Calcium: If you're using semi-skimmed milk, you'll get some calcium, but it could still fall short of the recommended daily intake. You may need to pay attention to this if you plan on doing this for an extended period.
Magnesium: While flaxseeds and oats provide some magnesium, the amount might be a little on the low side.
Fiber:
Your shakes contain oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, and leafy greens, which are great sources of fiber. Just make sure you're hitting the daily fiber target (25–38 grams), as your shake plan might fall a little short, especially if you don't use fiber supplements. Fiber is important for digestion and controlling hunger.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
You're covering this with the omega-3 supplement, but make sure you're also including flaxseeds and chia seeds, which contain ALA (a plant-based form of omega-3s).
Sugar:
The shakes are relatively low in sugar, especially since you're steering clear of sweeteners, but the banana, berries, and apple will still contribute natural sugars. For a pre-diabetic condition, it’s good that you’re avoiding added sugar, but just keep an eye on blood sugar levels, as whole fruit can still cause a spike in some people.
Protein:
The protein content seems solid (from the whey protein), but I’d make sure to vary your protein sources if you stick with this long-term, perhaps considering a plant-based protein or adding some Greek yogurt to diversify amino acid profiles.

Long-Term Sustainability & Health Risks:
While shakes can be an effective way to cut calories and control portions, doing a shake-only diet for a prolonged period (e.g., 12 weeks) could lead to some challenges:
Muscle Mass Loss: Without solid food, you're likely to lose both fat and muscle. Protein is key to preserving muscle mass, but you might still lose some over time.
Potential Nutrient Deficiencies: As mentioned, while the shakes seem nutrient-dense, you might eventually miss out on some micronutrients that aren’t fully covered by your ingredients or supplements.
Mental Health: Restricting yourself to liquid meals for weeks might take a mental toll, especially if you love food or find it hard to stick to liquid-only. It could also trigger cravings or lead to an unhealthy relationship with food long-term.

A Balanced Approach:
Meal Replacement: If you want to do a shake-based diet but ensure balance, consider having one or two shakes a day, and include healthy, nutrient-dense meals in between. This can help prevent deficiencies and give you a mental break from liquid-only meals.
Monitoring: Given your pre-diabetic status, it’s crucial to monitor your blood sugar and overall health during this period. Work with a healthcare provider or nutritionist to ensure you're on track with nutrient intake and blood sugar control.

@Dreamingohorses I have one of those M&S Bol chocolate protein shakes for lunch every other day - delicious and100% nutritionally complete with zillions of added vitamins. I’m eating 2 regular cal controlled meals on top of that so getting plenty of fibre as well - I’m ok with shakes as an add on ‘alternative’ but personally would get very very bored quite quickly as I like cooking