My Slim Fast Review | Does Slim Fast Work?

I was kind of thrown off this morning--we switched the clocks back due to Daylight Savings Time yesterday night and we had a bit of an adjustment with my 1 year old son today, therefore throwing off my morning. As a result, I didn't really eat until lunchtime (and what I ate wasn't very conducive to weight loss!).

9:30 a.m.: Light Yogurt (110 calories)
12:00 p.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (200 calories)
12:30 p.m.: Cinnamon Twists from Taco Bell (160 calories)
3:00 p.m.: String Cheese (60 calories)
5:00 p.m.: 1 piece manicotti, 2 garlic rolls, 2 meatballs (estimated 950 calories)
TOTAL: 1480 calories

Ok, so I totally went overboard at dinner, but this was likely because I didn't eat enough calories earlier in the day. I had my first Slim Fast at noon, whereas by that time I should've been drinking my second Slim Fast. Have you ever heard people say that people are more successful losing weight when they eat breakfast? This is totally true--if you satisfy your body early on in the day, it won't freak out (for lack of a better word) at night. Tomorrow, since it's a workday, I'll have an easier time eating when I should.

Note: I totally had an energy crash at about 3:00 p.m. today! I wasn't sure if it was the Slim Fast that did it, but after thinking about it, I've had a *really* hard time sleeping this weekend and my schedule has totally been thrown off. I did perk up some after dinner, but quickly went back to feeling sluggish; we'll see tomorrow if that feeling passes.

Slim Fast

Bonus: 3 Pack
Multiple flavors

Amazon is where I ultimately decided to buy my Slim Fast--it seems to be the cheapest place to buy it. It's available in four flavors: Chocolate Royale (my favorite), Milk Chocolate, Strawberry Supreme and French Vanilla

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Today wasn't bad eating-wise. Mondays are usually pretty rough for me, and today was no exception. The good news is I'm so busy on Mondays that I have no time to eat. The bad news is I have no time to eat. I can't win either way, basically.

8:30 a.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (200 cal.)
11:00 a.m.: 1 c. Grapes (110 cal.--more than I thought)
12:30 p.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (200 cal.)
12:45 p.m.: Fun-Size Milk Duds (40 cal.)
3:30 p.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
5:30 p.m.: Small Movie Theater Popcorn, drizzle butter (400 cal., estimated--didn't eat it all)
9:00 p.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
TOTAL: 1170 calories

No energy crash today! I wasn't ready to run a marathon, however, I didn't get the sluggish feeling that I had yesterday.

QUESTION: AM I HUNGRY ON SLIM-FAST?
ANSWER: Surprisingly not.

I was pretty shocked that one shake can keep me satisfied for as long as it does. Note that i don't say "full," because that is not what I feel. I feel satisfied--neither here nor there, hungry nor full, just 'fine." Which is OK for me. After 3 1/2 to 4 hours I do start to feel hungry, so I don't think I could go much longer than that without eating.

Stayed on-plan today, although I must admit that right now I'd *really* love a small bowl of ice cream! I'm not necessarily hungry, but I just feel like munching on something. I could probably make it work, based on my calories below. My dinner calories were inflated since I picked off most of the pepperoni. But, I'm going to try to hold out: when we make bargains with ourselves the weight loss always stagnates!

8:30 a.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (200 cal.)
11:00 a.m.: Slim Fast Crunch Bar (100 cal.)
12:00p.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (200 cal.)
2:30 p.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
7:00 p.m.: 2 Slices DiGiornio Pepperoni Pizza (525 cal. -- estimated high since most of the meat was picked off)
9:00 p.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
TOTAL: 1245 calories

I'm going to try Slim Fast with soy milk tomorrow--skim milk has 90 calories for 1 cup, whereas soy milk (light) only have 60. I could definitely use 60 total calories back in my day for a little after-dinner snack. Plus, soy milk is a little thicker so I'm thinking the Slim Fast might taste more like a shake (that would make my Slim Fast review even better!).

I like soy milk--I know many people are afraid to try it--but especially when it's mixed with something chocolate-y, it'll taste just like normal, albeit creamier, milk. I'll report back tomorrow how it goes.

I tried Slim Fast with soy milk today; let me tell you, it's FABULOUS! I started drinking soy milk while I was nursing my son, as he is sensitive to dairy. The taste, when plain, does taste different from the skim milk I was accustomed to. It's creamier. I've always liked it, but some people are put off by it when they see it, as it has a slightly yellow/beige tint to it. If I told you that you were drinking Slim Fast 3 2 1 with 2% milk however, you would totally believe me, because that's what Slim Fast with soy milk tastes like. Ok, to make this a well-rounded Slim Fast review, let's get into what I ate today.

8:30 a.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (170 cal.--woohoo, saved 30 calories since I used light soy milk)
10:40 a.m.: Slim Fast Crunch Bar (100 cal.)
12:30p.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (170 cal.)
3:30 p.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
6:30 p.m.: 1 bowl Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal with soy milk (190 calories)
8:30 p.m.: 1 mini Blizzard from Dairy Queen, peanut butter cup (390 calories)
9:00 p.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal. Didn't want to eat this, but had to take it with medication)
TOTAL: 1130 calories

I was a little hungry today on Slim Fast; mainly this occurred between breakfast and my first snack. I got busy at work after while, though, and didn't really notice it. I should drink more water through the day as that would probably help.

One thing I don't like about the Slim Fast container that I have, is that the scoop is oddly almost too big to get a good scoop. I have the 12.83 oz. canisters, and it just gets difficult to get a full scoop with the amount of space this container has. It's definitely doable, it's just a a little irritating to me. I might figure out how many scoops it takes from my son's formula canister to equal a scoop of Slim Fast, and then use that scooper. We'll see.

8:15 a.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (170 cal.)
9:30 a.m.: Light string cheese (60 cal.)
12:30p.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (170 cal.)
1:30 p.m.: Packet oatmeal (160 cal.)
3:30 p.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
7:00 p.m.: 1 hamburger with bacon and cheese bits--no bun (500 calories, guesstimate)
9:00 p.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
TOTAL: 1280 calories

I definitely stayed fuller today; I was worried when I was adding up to get to my total calories that I'd be somewhere in the 1400 range, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. The oatmeal, hamburger and string cheese all gave me some extra protein today which helped me stay full.

Since I didn't lose any weight yesterday, I was eager to see what I weighed this morning. YES! I lost another .2 pounds. I'm really not worried if there are days that I don't lose, or even if there are days that I go up. Changes in the weather, in salt intake, in ANYTHING can really throw a wrench into things. You have to look at it as a whole, really, and not daily. But, for the sake of this Slim Fast Review and to determine if Slim Fast really works, I'll continue with my daily weigh-ins.

8:00 a.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (170 cal.)
9:30 a.m.: Red Grapes (110 cal.)
12:00p.m.: Slim Fast 3 2 1 Chocolate Royale Shake (170 cal.)
1:30 p.m.: Packet oatmeal (160 cal.) + Slim Fast Crunch Bar (100 cal.)
4:00 p.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
7:00 p.m.: Chicken Calupa Casserole (500 calories, guesstimate)
8:30 p.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
TOTAL: 1260 calories

Today I walked around the block after work since it was a nice night. The total trek was just under a mile, so nothing to brag about, but it was good to get moving.

So here's where this Slim Fast review becomes a little less like a Slim Fast review: it's hard to stay on-plan on the weekends (at least for me). My family and I usually go out to lunch, and we're always sure to eat as a family on the weekends. My plan is to not go crazy, but not to be strictly on Slim Fast. Plus, I have a baby shower to go to, and I'll be darned if I'm not eating some of that cake.

8:30 a.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
9:30 a.m.: Light String Cheese (60 cal.)
1:00p.m.: 1 Turkey Sandwich (290 cal.), A few mini-quiches (300 cal.), 1 hot dog thingy (50 cal.), cake and ice cream (300 cal.)
6:30 p.m.: Chicken Chalupa Casserole leftovers (500 cal., guesstimate)
8:00 p.m.: Mini Blizzard from Dairy Queen, peanut butter cup (390 cal.)
TOTAL: 2000 calories

Ha, I was laughing as I was adding this all up, and I actually expected it to be above 2,000 calories. For my height (5'4"), 2,000 calories isn't exactly great for weight-loss, but I wouldn't categorize it as horrible. Especially since I walked around the block three (yes, three!) times today; this was just over 2 miles. Walking doesn't burn a ton of calories, but every bit helps. In case you didn't notice, I didn't have any Slim Fast today.

Today was a really busy day and I didn't have much time for real food--I know many of you won't want to eat cereal for meals, but it really works for me. It's quick and offers quite a bit of variety, so I can't complain.

9:30 a.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
9:30 a.m.: Light String Cheese (60 cal.)
1:00p.m.: Raisin Bran + 3/4 c. Soy Milk (190 cal.)
3:30 p.m.: Slim Fast Chocolate Royale Shake with Soy Milk (170 cal.)
5:00 p.m.: Raisin Bran + 3/4 c. Soy Milk (190 cal.)
6:00 p.m.: 1 bag Kettle Corn (280 cal.)
TOTAL: 1000 calories

I had a hefty day in terms of eating yesterday, but today I had far too few calories! I probably should have nixed one of my Slim Fast meals and had something more substantial. However, i should note that I was NOT hungry, likely due to all the running around I did.

No weight loss for today--darn it. But, I can't expect to lose every day.

8:30 a.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
9:45 a.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
1:00p.m.: Salad at work (700 cal. - guesstimate)
3:30 p.m.: Slim Fast Crunch Bar (100 cal.)
7:00 p.m.: 2 hard-shell Tacos (500 cal.)
TOTAL: 1520 calories

Today was just OK. I was kind of mad at myself that I've been off-course from the Slim Fast plan for the past few days. My calories as a whole have been OK, but I'm determined to stay on plan for the rest of this week (I hope!).

Yay! Big loss today from yesterday--but, usually when your body does this it's readjusting. Since it takes 3,500 calories burned to slash one pound, there's no way I did that yesterday alone. So, maybe I was retaining water the past few days and my weight was elevated, OR, today was kind of a fluke. We'll see tomorrow.

8:00 a.m.: Light Yogurt (110 cal.)
9:35 a.m.: Apple (110 cal.)
1:00p.m.: Slim Fast with Soy Milk (170 cal. - guesstimate)
1:30 p.m.: Fun Size M&Ms (105 cal.)
2:00 p.m.: Birthday Cake (800 cal.)
6:30 p.m.: 2 slices Cheese Pizza (500 cal.)
TOTAL: 1795 calories

Yikes. Ok, so not completely horrible, but not where I wanted to be. Today was a coworker's birthday and we had an awesome cookies and cream cake. You'll notice i have my calories (guesstimated) at 800--that's because I had two pieces. Yes, TWO! I'm the kind of person that once I assume I've blown it for the day, I totally go off-course; this is why I had pizza. 500 calories for dinner isn't too bad, though.

At this point, I'm pretty sure you can tell that I eat the SAME THING (more of less) every day. I won't bore you with the details of my calories intake anymore! I'll also be posting at the end of each week, now, rather than each day. I'm excited that Slim Fast is working and it's been relatively painless!

I'll also work on getting another picture up. Hopefully what you see in the numbers will be reflected in my figure.

So, you may have noticed that I haven't ahem, posted in awhile. This is "busy time" at my job, and that combined with the holidays (i..e family in town, day care closed, lots and lots of cookies making the house smell delicious) means I've been slacking at my posting. For that, dear readers, I'm sorry. I have good news and bad news.

The good news?
I'm still down about 2 pounds from where I started. If you notice in the pic (taken today...argh! I was upset that I couldn't find the picture that I last took in November, but I guess the more updated one is more important, anyways), I really do think that although I am up ever so slightly from where I left off, the curvature in my lower back is more exaggerated. Which means the area around my belly is getting smaller.

So, I think I look a bit better than I did before. What do you think--do you see a difference?

The bad news?
Um, well obviously that I haven't lost more weight.

So, now what?
I got more of my Slim Fast from Amazon, so I'm back ON! Throughout my "hiatus," I still drank one shake a day approximately five days per week, usually for breakfast. Now, I'll go back to two shakes/day to get back on track.

Curious what I ate today?

8:00 a.m.: 2% Fage Strawberry Greek Yogurt--this stuff is fantastic! (120 cal.)
9:00 a.m.: Slim Fast with Soy Milk (170 cal. - guesstimate)
12:30 p.m.: 1 light String Cheese + Slim Fast with Soy Milk (230 cal.)
2:30 p.m.: 1 piece of "something"--chocolate, peanuts and marshmallows (approx. 200 cal.?)
5:00 p.m.: Large Salad with 3 oz. Chicken, Light Greek Dressing, and sprinkling of cheese (approx. 300 cal.)
8:30 p.m.: 1 Banana Baby (130 cal.)
TOTAL: 1150 calories

A bit less than I would like to be at (don't want my body to go into starvation mode, but overall, I'm pleased. Have you ever heard of Banana Babies? They are so good--milk or dark chocolate dipped bananas! I get them at my local grocery store.

Today I did alot of running around--you might think I was getting ready for some big party since it's New Year's Eve, but noooope. Rest assured, I will likely be in bed by 10 p.m., much like usual. Because I ate alot of little things throughout the day and at odd times (I had the munchies, to boot), I wasn't able to keep track very well, so I won't try to write down what I ate today here. My family and I ended up staying out longer in the afternoon than we originally planned, so I didn't have Slim Fast for lunch today, only for breakfast.

I did alot of walking today, too...a few times around the block with the kiddo as well as a lot of walking when we visited "downtown" today. I would like to add more physical activity to my daily routine to complement my Slim Fast. I recently wrote an article on Kettlebell DVDs, and am considering purchasing Absolute Beginners: Kettlebell 3 in 1 With Amy Bento. We'll see.

I absolutely hate being on a "diet" on the weekends--I don't want to place blame (because really, it's me that puts food into my mouth), but since my husband isn't on a diet and eats whatever he wants, it makes for a not-fun weekend. We usually go out on the weekends, typically for lunch. I know I don't *have* to drink Slim Fast for lunch every single day--I could instead make smart choices--and it makes it exceedingly difficult when we are sitting at Moe's and I'm staring at my husband's plate of nachos. Ah, I digress. I'm looking forward to getting back to work this week. so that my eating can be a bit more controlled. I figure that being on Slim Fast could help me lose 1.5 - 2 lbs. per week if I put my mind to it.

Let's see how the numbers stack up today:

7:00 a.m.: Slim Fast (170 cal.)
8:00 a.m.: Apple with 1 tbsp. Peanut Butter (200 cal. - guesstimate)
12:30 p.m.: Slim Fast + some of my husband's nachos :) (400 cal. - guesstimate)
3:30 p.m.: 1 light string cheese (60 cal.) + 1 Auntie Anne's Original Pretzel (340 cal.--darn the mall!)
5:30 p.m.: Cereal + Milk (190 cal.)
7:00 p.m.: Ice Cream (250 cal.)
TOTAL: 1610 calories

So it's been a week and I've lost one pound. You might be thinking, "one measly pound??" but I'm OK with it. Mainly because, I've discovered something: I HATE being on a diet on the weekends. It's semi-easy for me to eat well throughout the week, but the second the weekend comes around, any Slim Fast plans I may have had go out the window. For me, it's just too difficult to drink them (no matter how delicious they are!) while my husband eats "real" food. I suppose I could eat a sensible lunch and then do a shake for dinner, but for some reason, that's hard for me.

I'd say on any given weekend, I have one splurge meal...when I say "splurge," I go all out. This past weekend we did pizza and breadsticks. Yum. The next day I didn't eat horrible, but I didn't drink any Slim Fast. So, for basically one pound lost with being off-diet on the weekend, I'm OK with it. :)

I know I could lose more if I tried harder, but I'm happy with the slow and steady approach. I think I'm more apt to stick with Slim Fast longer-term (i.e. reach my goals) if I don't beat myself up over it.

Tomorrow I plan to actually try a workout DVD before going to work (gulp). As long as my son sleeps through the night tonight, I'll do it at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow. He's been teething BAD and crying every now and again in the middle of the night and waking me up. I know, excuses right?

Goodbye 140s...HELLO 130s. Ok, I'm at the very top of this, but still, it's good to see a "3" as the middle number on the scale finally. It's also good to know that even though I don't follow the Slim Fast plan exactly, I can still achieve good results.

Right now, I've been drinking it in the mornings on the way to work, but for lunch, I've been opting for a salad rather than the shake (most days...some days I'll do the shake). My salad is usually pretty basic: romaine lettuce, chicken (I like the Short Cuts Chicken [by Perdue, I think] since it's already cooked and chopped. I get them at my local wholesale club, so they aren't much more at all than buying regular chicken breasts) and a light dressing. I'm too lazy to chop up vegetables, but occasionally I'll throw in some red onion, or even some peanuts.

I like that Slim Fast helps to keep me fuller throughout the day, even on days which I don't drink the shake for lunch. Slim Fast works for me in two ways: it revs me up in the morning for breakfast and it teaches me portion control. Losing weight is all about calories in vs. calories out, right? If a shake is about 200 calories, then I know that if I forgo a shake for lunch I need to stay around 200 calories. Now, I can eyeball a salad and know what's around that range. Because my portions have been more in control, I've been able to eat less when I do indulge in a big meal. Tonight my husband and I went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. I couldn't finish my dinner because my body wasn't used to consuming that much anymore. Score one for Slim Fast! I will admit that I most certainly indulged in some cheese fries tonight.

One reader wrote me and told me that I wasn't losing weight very quickly. This is true...and false. I'm losing about one pound per week, and as I've mentioned in previous entries, this is a-ok by me. Better to do it slow and keep it off than crash diet and gain it all back. Also, I don't have a *ton* of weight to lose. Those who have, for example, 100 pounds to lose will lose a lot more at first than someone with 10 or 20 pounds to lose. There are other programs out there where you may be able to lose more quickly, however, I like that Slim Fast is sustainable (and cheap!).

Oh, and for those of you wondering, I DID in fact get up and work out that day I said I would. But, I've only done it twice total. It's just SOOO hard to get out of bed. But the DVD that I got is Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It's fantastic and only take up 20 minutes of my time! I really need to do it more as exercise is always the key to great results. Bonus: it's less than $8!

Yes! I'm officially down one jean size! I've only lost a few pounds in the past few weeks on the Slim Fast plan (remember, I'm following it loosely), but I'm excited to report I'm down one size in jeans.

I'm curious to know what you all think of my picture--it almost looks like there is no change, however, I am wearing the smaller pair of jeans than in the other pictures! I think my rear looks smaller, too.

In fact, that's the part I wish you guys could see the most. I had a baby about a year ago, and I find my stomach is the last place where I lose weight--it ALWAYS comes off first in my upper thigh/rear end area. Unfortunately, those don't make for pretty pictures, and it's hard to see with jeans. But if you compare my latest pictures with the one from before I started Slim Fast, I think you will see a difference!

I'm still loving Slim Fast since it gives me a ton of energy to start the day!

Alright, when I first snapped this update's pic and looked at it by itself, I was kind of disappointed. Sure, I knew I wasn't 100% keeping up with Slim-Fast; I had to travel for work and when you're eating with business partners it's hard to whip out a canned meal! Bottom line, I was prepared for a bit of disappointment even though I had lost a bit more weight.

But, when I actually compared the images side by side, I was excited! The changes are subtle (no one on the street would notice), but I see some definite changes in my body. You can see there is a *bit* more room in my jeans in the tummy area. Also, my belly was somewhat more "up and down" in the last pic, whereas in this one is curves in ever-so-slightly. Yea!

I've been keeping up with the 30 Day Shred, too. Nothing hard-core (I haven't the time), but maybe twice per week. So that's a total of working out for about 40 minutes per week. The 30 Day Shred is a program in which you are supposed to do for--you guessed it--30 days. But, it has been building a bit of muscle for me, which I think is definitely helping.

I've been trying to make smart choices with food, but it doesn't always happen. I do find when I drink Slim Fast in the morning, it sets me on the right track for the rest of the day. I'm more apt to make a smart lunch choice if I've had one of my shakes...mostly because I don't want to "waste" what I already set out to do for the day.

Let me know what you thinking of my progress when comparing the pictures--do you see a difference?