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Slim Fast Diet: Is it for You?

By: Kim Archer If you'd like to lose a few pounds, and you've been considering following the Slim Fast program, read on to find out if this diet is right for you.

The original Slim Fast diet was pretty basic. You replaced two meals a day with a special shake that you made up by adding the Slim Fast powder to some low-fat milk. It came in three flavors: strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. You would have one of these shakes at breakfast and another at lunch, and then have a "sensible" dinner of about 600 calories.

Since then, Slim Fast has introduced many new products to its line-up. There are ready-made shakes in cans, snack bars and soup mixes, which you can have a few times per day. In addition, it is now required that you drink eight glasses of water on a daily basis.

Those are the basics of the Slim Fast program. Now let's take a look at the pros and cons of this diet.

Pros: Perhaps most importantly, you can lose quite a bit of weight on the Slim Fast diet if you combine it with an exercise program. It's not difficult at all to follow the program. The shakes are quite portable and you can take them with you anywhere. You won't have to pack a lunch for work. You don't have to count your calories or go to meetings.

Cons: The Slim Fast shakes don't fill you up, and you might find yourself craving some actual food at mealtimes. For this reason, it's hard to stick with this diet. Vegetables and fruits aren't plentiful on this plan, so you'll be missing fiber and some important nutrients (although the shakes contain vitamins and minerals).

It's certainly possible to lose weight on this plan, but given the disadvantages, it might be easier to use the Slim Fast products for snacks instead of meals, and enjoy healthy foods at mealtimes. The shakes are tasty, but you won't experience the enjoyment you get from eating actual food.

As a final note, it's not uncommon for dieters on this plan to put back on all the weight they lost, plus some more. One woman followed the Slim Fast program and exercised moderately for a year. She lost 60 pounds. And then she gained it all back the next year. The problem is, if you haven't changed your eating habits, and then you stop using the shakes, you're likely to go back to eating your unhealthy favorites.

Recommendation: Because it's not easy to stay with this diet for the long term, the Slim Fast plan is most suited to people who only have a few pounds to lose. Someone who wanted to lose a considerable number of pounds could start with this diet to shed some weight quickly, and then switch to a healthy food plan and continue to lose a pound or two a week.

Every time you turn around, there's a new diet book on the market. It can be hard to choose the one that's best for you. While you're checking out the latest weight loss miracle, remember that long-term weight loss requires a change in your eating habits that you can live with for life.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Kim Archer writes about women's wellness, and is publisher of The Internet Spa, where you'll find the information you need to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

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