Unless you live in a cave, you have probably heard about the new shinny weight loss product called “Slim Fast”. The concept behind Slim Fast is not ground breaking. Specifically, it is a meal replacement product.
With Slim Fast diet, you are required to take the Slim Fast shake to replace breakfast and lunch, and few snacks in between the meals. It appears to be a convenient choice that takes away the guesswork.
Before we go on: let’s get something straight: I am not a big fan of meal replacements. Too many products in this category are nothing more than fillers with artificial flavoring and coloring. As well, these products are poor substitute for whole food, and lack important nutrients like antioxidant. Regardless, meal replacement foods are good substitute for healthy diet, only if you choose quality products.
Firstly, let’s examine the label of Slim Fast Shake. One serving contains 17g of sugar. The high sugar content immediately raised a red flag. The problem with sugar is that it breaks down quickly and absorbs into blood stream, thus resulting in sharp raise in glucose level. Overtime, the spike can result in insulin resistance, which is associated with following health complication: obesity, cardiovascular complication and type II diabetes. That’s right: sugar can sabotage all your weight loss efforts!
You will lose weight with Slim Fast, but wait!
It’s true that Slim Fast diet can help you to shed off the extra pounds because the plan is very low in calories. Keep in mind that very low calorie diet can result in weight loss, though the effect is temporary. Most people gain back all the weight once they assume normal diet.
Here’s why: when you consume too little calories, your body will adjust itself so that it can survive with the super restrictive diet. The trouble is, your body is now in “starvation mode” and it stores fat to reserve the energy! During this stage, you may also experience the following side effects: fatigue, mood swing, and cravings. What’s more, your metabolism rate is going to suffer!
If you examine the Slim Fast Diet carefully, you will notice that it’s very restrictive. The substitute doesn’t give you the emotional and physical satisfaction. You are very likely to starve in between the meals. Also, the diet plan is hard to sustain in the long run.
Final verdict: obviously, Slim Fast Diet is not the answer to a lean, slimmer body. It’s easy to buy into the hype because a lot of people speak highly of the products. Note that results from testimonials are mostly anecdotal, and are made based on placebo effects.
As cliché as it sounds, the best way to lose weight is to eat sensible diet and incorporate regular exercise regime into your schedule.
Meal replacement: buyer’s guide
If you insist you need meal replacement product, look for one that fit the following criteria:
#1. Each serving should contains 200-400 calories, with about 25% coming from protein
#2. Contain at least 5g of fiber.
#3. Contain rich source of vitamins and minerals.
