Has anyone switched to meal replacement shakes for weight loss?

[Miraclemuma03]

So after months, well actually 2yrs on and off, of tediously counting my calories and not losing a thing and in fact still gaining weight somehow. I have decided to start shakes, I no longer have to weigh my food, search for my food to log and find healthy alternatives to everything and still stress out when I get on the scales and still havnt lost anything. It hasnt been a full week on the shakes and I finally have lost some weight. 1.5kg. Is there anyone else who is struggling with weight loss and turned to shakes? My weight gain started when I hit perimenopaus and it became out of control and to this point I have gained 30kg, starting at 60kg. 1200 calories a day still isnt working or getting the weight off and i have become frustrated, unhappy, stressed with all the work involved. So have decided to do the intense weight loss program that optifast offers with their shakes and things. I have also added in more excises and even a brisk walk around our local lake.

I didn't do shakes exclusively, but I did a total meal replacement plan, which included the option to do 4 shakes a day or mix it up with bars, porridge, soup and packet meals which is what I chose.

Last year, from March-August I lost 30kg.

Gained about 6kg back between September - April this year, due to a planned break, diet fatigue etc (I've been losing weight for 20+ years!) and back on the meal replacement plan for the past 10 days.

I lost 2 stone in 2 months on the New You Plan. Then I continued using the meal replacements (which are nice, lots of variety) but added in vegetables and fruit. After 5 months, I had lost 4 stone in total, gone from size 18/20 to size 12/14, which at 5ft 10, suits me better than any smaller. Now I don’t count calories or use meal replacements but I consciously eat healthy foods, limit alcohol consumption and exercise daily. My weight is stable and I am content with how I feel.

I'm almost 45, been prediabetic in past and insulin resistant since a young adult, always had that bloated belly. For me to lose weight I have to reduce the carbs and then weight loss is easy. At 5ft 3" in an office job, though i work long hours and get in 5-8k steps a day and drive 2-3hrs a day, I have had to drop to 1000 cals to lose as my maintenance is around 1490 since I was 10st. At my heaviest I was 13st and my tdee to maintain was 1700. Have you checked yours on www.tdeecalculator.net? Also drinking water helps in the fat burning process and limits water retention and increasing protein helps limit muscle loss and keeps me fuller for longer. I do have a protein shake for breakfast which I make myself every morning from Myprotein. I have done huel meal replacements in the past but always found myself hungry due to the carb cravings from prediabetes.

I posted a while back asking about Herbalife and got totally slated on here! But I’ve lost 5kg in six weeks so that’s given me the motivation to carry on.

What is herbal life. Thats great news about the loss.

I've lost 8 pounds this month on New You Plan. 2 more months to go!

Herbalife is two shakes per day plus a proper meal, with two snacks as well. They’re club based all over the country. It’s expensive, but then I googled the New You plan and it’s prob cheaper than that. I saw it through friends posting their weight losses on Facebook nutrition club pages.

That’s fab. Sounds a good plan.

I too have been doing Herbalife and have seen it slated on here. However it is working for me as part of my whole life overplan I’m trying to do which involves more exercise, less snacking and less carbs. I was struggling to lose anything just calorie counting.

I went in eyes open, I am fully aware of what it is but it is working for me. Once I am down to a weight I want to be I will reevaluate again what I will do to maintain.

So had lost 2kg and then the day I got my period, I put that 2 kg back on over night. Its 3 steps forward and 6 steps back. So now have to wait for my period to finish and hopefully its drops back off. I have no idea what is happening to my body and perimenopaus is destroying me. I feel like im a crazy person.

The frustrating this is that I have friends in various places doing it, but can’t get the credit for recommending them because it’s not the same club.
Have you lost much so far?

@Miraclemuma03I’m sure it will be back off soon

I’ve used them on and off through my adult life when I wanted to lose weight. I lost two and a half stone in 6 weeks the first time with Cambridge diet but now buy the nhs approved version from Amazon - £29 for a weeks worth. Three drinks a day and plenty of water - I lose a pound a day most days - I go below my goal weight to allow for the glycogen/water to re balance. I tend to use it after a holiday or Christmas to keep on top of that weight gain. It’s fast and effective - the first three days are difficult but after that I find I’m not bothered about eating. No calculations or thinking about it. I read that 97% of dieters put weight back on however you lose it so I prefer to lose a few pounds here and there to tackling 2.5 stone again!

@NCTDN6kg and I’m looking to lose another 9kg and I feel better than I have in a long time. It makes me eat regularly throughout the day and I have probably doubled my usual water intake.

Meal replacement shakes can work for short-term weight loss because they make calorie control simpler, so the initial loss you’re seeing isn’t unusual.
The key is whether you can sustain it long term and transition back to normal balanced meals without regaining the weight. Perimenopause can also make weight loss harder, so it may be worth checking in with a GP too.

@davidleochecking in to a gp with regard to what? It’s near impossible to get an appt at the gp so I’d need to have a very clear idea of what I’m asking for just to get past e consult. I am absolutely peri menopause age and my periods have been very patchy over the last year.

i appreciate what you are saying about keeping the weight off I know that will be the hard bit. But so far my sweet tooth is definitely diminishing and with a regulated eating pattern my appetite levels have returned to more of a normal level. I think it was evening snacking and increased hunger in the last couple of years (again perimenopause) that caused me to gain weight.

Oh this is an interesting thread. I have slowly been losing weight over the last 12 months and am down a stone & a half. I would love to shift another 10lb but it is a bit tedious counting calories all the time.
I did a shake plan about 3 years ago and it was good….isogenix I think it was. I might consider doing something like Herbalife for a month

It’s the only way I’ve ever successfully lost weight, to be honest.

Which is?

Meal replacement shakes!

That’s normal. Women can vary by 1.5-2.3kg during their cycle. Humans can fluctuate by up to 3.5kg daily for other reasons too

@Possiblyfamous
Which are the shakes from Amazon please?

Don’t bother with expensive MLM plans, just replace a couple of meals a day with supermarket, high protein shakes.
My mum did this successfully and it didn’t cost a lot ( and your not lining someone else’s pocket).

Yes, and they're addicting.

@FennelGingerJasmineOrMintit’s funny you should suggest that. I had a protein shake yesterday after a run & thought I might just do the same.