The Slim-Fast Diet

If you need to lose some weight quickly and you enjoy milk shakes, the Slim-Fast diet may be just right for you. Since 1977, Slim-Fast has been available as a meal substitute, helping dieters reduce their caloric intake without giving up nutrition.

In addition to their original milk shakes, the Slim-Fast people have a line of snack bars and a wealth of recipes for healthy meals. You also get a very supportive and easy to use web site for tracking your progress and finding answers to common questions.

The basic Slim-Fast diet is straight forward. You have a Slim-Fast shake or "meal bar" in place of breakfast and lunch. You also get to augment these meal replacements with nuts and fruit. For dinner you are allowed a balance meal with about 500 calories. Your daily intake is about 1,200 calories, right on target with the government guidelines. All in all, it's a pretty easy plan.

The Slim-Fast people say that you should be able to 1 or 2 pounds a week. This is a reasonable goal and well within the government's recommendations for safe dieting.  Most people can stick with the plan for 2 months or so, giving you a total weight loss of 15-20 pounds. It is quick and easy, but rarely do people stay with the Slim-Fast products long term.

The Slim-Fast shakes and meal bars are designed with good nutrition in mind. They contain the right amount of protein, carbs, fat, sodium and fiber, per the FDA minimum daily requirements. If you have a sensible dinner, your nutrition should be just fine without a multivitamin.

This is a good diet for people who don't want to count calories or worry about points or preparing a lot of exotic meals in advance. If you like the taste of the shakes and bars, life is pretty good! You are responsible for cooking one meal a day, but that's not asking too much, is it? Using the Slim-Fast products will be more expensive than cooking low-calorie meals in their place, but much more likely to work for your busy schedule.

Have you tried Slim-Fast? Are you ready to join celebrity endorsers Tommy Lasorda, Shari Belafonte and Kathie Lee Gifford? Click on the Comment button and give us your best take!