SlimFast diet shakes don’t work! This is why you will gain all the weight back

Introduced in 1977, Slim-Fast was the leading meal replacement for decades. And why not? Who wouldn’t want to drink a sugary shake that actively replaces a meal and gives you energy, all while losing weight. The Slim-Fast plan is to use a shake twice a day to replace breakfast and lunch and to have a healthy dinner of around 600 calories. They also have smoothies, bars and other snacks that also act as meal replacements.

Meal Replacements are big bucks

Slim-Fast used to be the go-to brand for dieters looking for meal replacements. In the 1980’s they experienced a wide array of success after spending a significant amount of their profits on advertising, recruiting Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda as a spokesman. By 1999 Slim-Fast was selling 611 million of its products worldwide and was growing by 20 percent a year.

Buyout

By 2000 Slim-Fast had attracted the attention of giant Unilever, and they were bought for 2.3 billion dollars. Until this time North America made up 90 percent of their total sales but Unilever helped Slim-Fast expand into twelve global markets in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Artificial sweeteners

Unfortunately, Slim-Fast is loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners, like maltodextrin, dextrose, and aspartame. Maltodextrin comes from genetically modified corn that contains toxic chemicals that can cause harm to your organs (liver, kidneys, bladder, lymphatic system). It’s added to give a fatty texture to food and to sweeten it. Dextrose comes from anything starchy and is used for its sweetness in foods. Consuming too much of this additive may cause hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia and will cause blood sugar to rise very quickly in people with diabetes.

Aspartame

Made from aspartic acid and phenylalanine, aspartame is one of the world’s most popular artificial sweetener’s, so no wonder it’s also found in Slim-Fast. Aspartame has been suspected of being linked to cancer, seizures, headaches, depression, weight gain, lupus, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.

Carrageenan

Another ingredient found in Slim-Fast is Carrageenan, it is an additive derived from seaweed. It is used to thicken foods and acts as a texturizer or emulsifier; it’s also used to de-ice airplanes. It is known to cause inflammation in the stomach and intestinal tract.

Ingredients

A complete list of Slim-Fast ingredients includes, fat free milk, water, sugar, milk protein concentrate, gum arabic, canola oil, cellulose gel, mono and diglycerides, potassium phosphate, hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithin, cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavours, sodium bicarbonate, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, sodium citrate, and citric acid.

The rebound effect

While you’re replacing your meals with Slim-Fast and eating a healthy dinner, you will lose weight, but the results don’t last. When you start consuming your daily calories in this fashion, your body realizes the difference and goes into starvation mode. In this situation, your metabolism slows down to hold onto valuable calories. The goal of weight loss should be the opposite, to boost your metabolism and create muscle. You might lose a few pounds a week on the Slim Fast diet but because it’s not sustainable, eventually you will go back to eating regular meals, and that’s when you gain all the weight back due to a sluggish metabolism.

Do it yourself

Instead of going to the store for your next meal replacement shake, why not try making your own at home. You might find it’s far tastier to pick your own ingredients, and you won’t be getting any artificial sweeteners or additives. You shouldn’t drink this to truly replace a full meal; instead use it as a snack to hold you over until dinnertime and help prevent you from overeating at your main meals.

Tropical shake

Take ten slices of mango and ten chunks of pineapple, add 6 ounces of yogurt or vanilla yogurt with one spoon of ground flaxseed. Add all the ingredients and blend for 1 minute. The result is a high fiber high protein shake that is less than 400 calories.

Sweet Spinach – Pear shake

You’ll need 6 ounces of Greek yogurt, 2 cups of packed spinach, one ripe pear, 15 green grapes, 5-7 small chunks of avocado, and one glass of cold water. Take the Greek yogurt and packed spinach in the blender, add pear (without skin), green grapes avocado chunks and cold water, blend well. You’re left with a shake that is only 316 calories and has 21 grams of protein.

Chocolate and Coconut Milk Shake

Take 1 can of low-fat coconut milk, 2 scoops of raw rice protein chocolate flavor, 1 spoon vanilla extract, and 12 ice cubes. Blend well and enjoy.

Sources

Funding Universe. Slim-Fast Foods Company History http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/slim-fast-foods-company-history/ Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Bloomberg. Unilever’s Slim-Fast Goes From Juggernaut to Afterthought http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-01-14/unilever-s-slim-fast-goes-from-juggernaut-to-afterthought Published: January 15, 2013. Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Get better wellness. Slim-fast and ensure – loaded with chemicals and sweeteners http://getbetterwellness.com/?p=4637 Published: January 1, 2015. Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Nutrition Secrets. The Potentially Disastrous Effects of a Liquid Diet http://www.nutritionsecrets.com/potentially-disastrous-effects-liquid-diet/ Published: July 28, 2015. Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Livestrong. Possible Side Effects of Dextrose http://www.livestrong.com/article/259589-dextrose-side-effects/ Published: August 29, 2013. Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Health line. The Truth about Aspartame Side Effects http://www.healthline.com/health/aspartame-side-effects#Overview1 Published: December 8, 2015. Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Dr. Weil. Is Carrageenan safe? http://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/food-safety/is-carrageenan-safe/ Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Home remedy hacks. 15 simple homemade weight loss shakes http://www.homeremedyhacks.com/15-simple-homemade-weight-loss-shakes/ Published: February 20, 2015. Accessed: November 24, 2016.

Youtube. Fast Diet Weight Loss Smoothie: Lose 20 lbs in 20 Days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daYxai9kKyk Published: June 13, 2013. Accessed: November 24, 2016.