Shakeology vs Medifast vs Isagenix

[OnePrincessMom]

i am in the early stages of researching a weight loss program. I need to lose about 60 pounds that I gained during an illness and I've not had to lose this much before. Any experience with any of these programs? I would be combining with an exercise/fitness component too. Thanks!

 

[Tigerlulu]

I've use isagenix and advocare.
I love the isagenix vanilla shakes and have kept that up.
Advocare was great too. I've kept up their spark since finishing.

Both programs are successful because despite taking the healthy supplements (pills for advocare, extra juices for isagenix) you are eating right.

 

[wenrob]

There's nothing special about shakes for weight loss. They're just helping to create a calorie deficit. You can do that on your own with real food. If you feel it would be easier to do with shakes there's many, many better quality alternatives out there for a fraction of the cost.

 

[wilkeliza]

I tried shakeology and it made me so sick. I do have mild lactose intolerance but this was not the same thing. Also the system only works if you follow it with the diet and exercise. Just drinking shakes won't work. Almsot everyone I know who has done it has gained back the weight once they stop the diet and exercise.

 

[Alpineslide]

Almost everyone I know who has done it has gained back the weight once they stop the diet and exercise.

Short term diets don't make long term changes. Lifestyle changes make long term changes.

 

[IRLdisneyprincess]

I've lost nearly forty pounds since early March. I have a long way to go still, but I have a breakfast smoothie recipe that has really helped me and it's pretty adaptable! I'll share it with you.

The base is just a banana, half cup of greek yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt works fine too) and a handful of spinach leaves. From there I normally add:

1/3 cup of fruit (blueberries, mango, pineapples etc)
Either almond/soy milk or water (I normally just add a splash or two to blend)
Peanut butter or almond butter
Chia or flax seeds are also optional!

Banana can be switched with an avocado, or you could add carrot or whatever you like! Normally I just go with the yogurt, spinach, banana, the fruit and the splash of milk. But the recipe is adaptable. I have found that it's actually really filling and helps curb my cravings. You can have it by itself or if you need a higher caloric intake (this depends upon your weight) you can add some egg white muffins, a bowl of oatmeal, etc. There are tons of healthy breakfast recipes online. And I might mention that if the cost of fresh fruit is a bit daunting, no worries: frozen fruit is cheaper, pre-cut, and does the exact same thing.

I can't speak for how well powdered shakes work. If I'm starving and need my hunger satisfied, I have tried bottled Muscle Milk and it's actually pretty good and filling! But I honestly wouldn't recommend those on a daily basis. In the long run, I might suggest that if you want to go the shake/smoothie route, that you just make your own, that way you have control over the amount of fruits and veggies that go into it. The fresh ingredients will be better for you than anything powdered, but that's just my opinion!

Good luck and just know that 60lbs is totally doable. Unfortunately, weight loss/getting healthy isn't a one-size fits all; you have to learn what works best for your body and just go from there. I started my journey back in January, but didn't see any serious change until March. It's not that I wasn't cutting back, I just had to experiment and find the best method that worked for me. Don't let lack of immediate results discourage you! You got this.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

My friend is a Beach body Coach (Shakeology) and swears by it, however, she has been working out and drinking those shakes for years now and still looks roughly the same (read: it's not working for her). She (tries) to incorporate the shakes with those colored plastic containers, but really, to me, it looks like WAY too much food and calorie intake to do much good. When I diet, I will eat some oatmeal OR a couple hard boiled eggs OR a piece of toasted multi grain bread and a banana in the morning and call it breakfast. She eats bacon, AND no carb muffins AND eggs AND a shake with all kinds of added stuff in it, then coffee with splenda, etc.....then lunch is a crazy amount of food, and she often seems to let it all go at dinner judging from her facebook posts....it just seems like way too much food to be able to lose any weight.

She gave me a trial bag of the shake mix, and it was really disgusting, to be honest. It was so frothy thst I had to drink though half a glass of bubbly froth before getting to the shake, and to make it palatable, you're supposed to add in peanut butter (ick), or fruit or spinich, or whatever you want to cover up the taste of the mix.

Well, for $120 a bag and the hassle of making the shake, not to mention how it's touted to be "superfood" in and of itself, I don't see how spending a ton of extra money and preptime in ingrediets for the shake make sense!

I've never gone wrong by simply watching my calorie intake (my fitness pal food tracker app is my go to), exercising, cutting down on all sugar except what's naturally in whole foods, and upping my water consumption. It's not fancy and it doesn't make me lose 10 lbs a week, but it's a slow and steady weight loss that works as long as I keep it up.

 

[Nayan]

Slow and steady is the key to successful weight loss and keeping it off. It's going on five years since I've lost 150 pounds. Total lifestyle change, but I found it really important to not deprive myself, but instead have a small amount of whatever it is I want because as soon as I told myself I couldn't have 'that' the more I wanted it and usually ended up eating the whole thing. Take your time, eat more REAL foods (fresh veggies and fruit), LESS packaged foods, lay off the sugary drinks (no diet drinks, they ADD weight) and get some exercise. You'll see results.

 

[anniemae]

Slow and steady is the key to successful weight loss and keeping it off. It's going on five years since I've lost 150 pounds. Total lifestyle change, but I found it really important to not deprive myself, but instead have a small amount of whatever it is I want because as soon as I told myself I couldn't have 'that' the more I wanted it and usually ended up eating the whole thing. Take your time, eat more REAL foods (fresh veggies and fruit), LESS packaged foods, lay off the sugary drinks (no diet drinks, they ADD weight) and get some exercise. You'll see results.

This. Eat clean, real food.

 

[FrenchGirl]

I use this... https://www.gardenoflife.com/content/product/why-choose-raw-organic-meal/ It's made with several fruits and vegetables as well as protein, healthy fats and probiotics. Best shake I've tasted too. I don't drink it so much for weight loss but as a vitamin supplement.

 

[Klayfish]

There's nothing special about shakes for weight loss. They're just helping to create a calorie deficit. You can do that on your own with real food. If you feel it would be easier to do with shakes there's many, many better quality alternatives out there for a fraction of the cost.

Short term diets don't make long term changes. Lifestyle changes make long term changes.

Yes and yes to both of these. Ditch the shake stuff, just a way to get you to spend more money. Be smart about your nutrition, use real food and make the lifestyle changes you need to make.

I use shakes, but they are protein shakes to supplement the nutrition I eat with real food. I shoot for 250-300g of protein daily, and with some digestive issues I have I can't eat that much protein with real food, so I supplement it with a shake. But shakes as meal replacement are not a good way to go.

 

[RangerPooh]

My friend is a Beach body Coach (Shakeology) and swears by it, however, she has been working out and drinking those shakes for years now and still looks roughly the same (read: it's not working for her). She (tries) to incorporate the shakes with those colored plastic containers, but really, to me, it looks like WAY too much food and calorie intake to do much good. When I diet, I will eat some oatmeal OR a couple hard boiled eggs OR a piece of toasted multi grain bread and a banana in the morning and call it breakfast. She eats bacon, AND no carb muffins AND eggs AND a shake with all kinds of added stuff in it, then coffee with splenda, etc.....then lunch is a crazy amount of food, and she often seems to let it all go at dinner judging from her facebook posts....it just seems like way too much food to be able to lose any weight.

She gave me a trial bag of the shake mix, and it was really disgusting, to be honest. It was so frothy thst I had to drink though half a glass of bubbly froth before getting to the shake, and to make it palatable, you're supposed to add in peanut butter (ick), or fruit or spinich, or whatever you want to cover up the taste of the mix.

Well, for $120 a bag and the hassle of making the shake, not to mention how it's touted to be "superfood" in and of itself, I don't see how spending a ton of extra money and preptime in ingrediets for the shake make sense!

I've never gone wrong by simply watching my calorie intake (my fitness pal food tracker app is my go to), exercising, cutting down on all sugar except what's naturally in whole foods, and upping my water consumption. It's not fancy and it doesn't make me lose 10 lbs a week, but it's a slow and steady weight loss that works as long as I keep it up.

Two of my friends from college are Beach Body "coaches" and swear by the shakes and workouts. They have been following the plan of shakes, food, and workouts for years and honestly I don't see a difference in how they look. Possibly heavier than before. But if the workout is making them physically stronger than a big thumbs up! But the shakes, doubtful.

For the price that you spend on BB products I'd join Weight Watchers. At least then you learn to eat healthy through portion control and have the option of attending meetings for group support and accountability (that's how I viewed it anyways).

 

[Klayfish]

One other thing I would add is don't get fixated with the number on the scale. What's more important is body fat % and overall health. Muscle is far heavier per sq inch than fat. If you were to start a weight lifting routine, the number on the scale may not drop as much as you'd want, but you'll be far, far healthier. That's the case for both DW and myself. The number on the scale is higher for us than you may guess...not a ton, but a little. But we have very little body fat and a good amount of muscle, especially her.

In fact, I'd very much recommend making weights a key component of your lifestyle change. People (not talking about extreme athletes, just "normal" people) who do nothing but cardio wind up looking skinny, but in fact still have pretty high body fat. Don't worry, if you lift weights, you won't get "ripped" muscles unless you eat to support that.

One other great thing about lifting weights is that muscle burns calories, a lot of them. So it's quite beneficial to add muscle.

 

[nkereina]

I lost 60 lbs in 7 months last year prior to my wedding. I followed the Ideal Protein protocol, which is similar in nature to Atkins or South Beach with high protein/low carb intake. They have clinics throughout the U.S. you can go to if you need discipline, but otherwise there is a ton of information on their protocol online to follow yourself. It's the only diet program that has truly worked for me and I'd recommend it to anyone, particularly those who have difficulty with exercise for whatever reason. It was easy and the results were fast, which was important for me to stick with it.

My friend does Shakeology and she loves it. Combining that with a 1200 calorie diet and some exercise, she has lost about 15 lbs in the last few months so far. I can't speak to it myself, but I have tried the shakes and found they taste good!

 

[wilkeliza]

I lost 60 lbs in 7 months last year prior to my wedding. I followed the Ideal Protein protocol, which is similar in nature to Atkins or South Beach with high protein/low carb intake. They have clinics throughout the U.S. you can go to if you need discipline, but otherwise there is a ton of information on their protocol online to follow yourself. It's the only diet program that has truly worked for me and I'd recommend it to anyone, particularly those who have difficulty with exercise for whatever reason. It was easy and the results were fast, which was important for me to stick with it.

My friend does Shakeology and she loves it. Combining that with a 1200 calorie diet and some exercise, she has lost about 15 lbs in the last few months so far. I can't speak to it myself, but I have tried the shakes and found they taste good!

A 1200 calorie died and some exercise is what is getting her to lose the weight not the Shakeology. 1200 calories is legit the minimum a woman should be taking in each day with 0 exercise. Under the supervision of a doctor a super low calorie diet of 1000 is possible but not usually used and is for very specific things.

 

[YoYoAurora]

I use the Isagenix shakes to boost my protein intake. I tried the program and loved it but was not able to keep to the regimen with my family's schedule. There is a local support group for Isagenix in my area and I still participate in it when I can. Feel free to PM me with questions. I am not a representative.

For now, I'm buying more whole foods (fresh vegetables and fruit, lean meats and seafood, whole grains or organic flours with no additives) and preparing our meals and snacks as opposed to buying pre-packaged foods or eating out. With that change, I've lost 15 pounds in the past 2 months without feeling deprived of foods I love. It is more work but it's paying off.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

I'll always remember when Oprah lost all the weight on a shake diet- idk was it Medifast years ago. It all came back.

Fad diets don't work - think can you live by drinking shakes for the rest of your life however many times a day? Will it fit into your work schedule? What about trips? Same goes for prepackaged meals - Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem

The weight didn't come on overnight and won't go come off fast- if it does when you eat normal again it'll comeback fast.

I'm a Weight Watcher and have lost and kept off by learning to eat in moderation, knowing what a portion is opens your eyes to how much you have been eating. It works for my lifestyle. Think key to any weight loss is slow changes that you can live with. It's a lifestyle change to eating right.

 

[wilkeliza]

I'll always remember when Oprah lost all the weight on a shake diet- idk was it Medifast years ago. It all came back.

Fad diets don't work - think can you live by drinking shakes for the rest of your life however many times a day? Will it fit into your work schedule? What about trips? Same goes for prepackaged meals - Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem

The weight didn't come on overnight and won't go come off fast- if it does when you eat normal again it'll comeback fast.

I'm a Weight Watcher and have lost and kept off by learning to eat in moderation, knowing what a portion is opens your eyes to how much you have been eating. It works for my lifestyle. Think key to any weight loss is slow changes that you can live with. It's a lifestyle change to eating right.

I will say with Jenny Craig there is a point where they move you off the program and to real food. Once you reach your goal weight that is the next goal. Most people quite though before they get to the wean off phase of the program and then it becomes more like WW. I do have several friends who successfully completely Jenny Craig and are no longer on the packaged food that have kept their weight off.

 

[wenrob]

I lost 60 lbs in 7 months last year prior to my wedding. I followed the Ideal Protein protocol, which is similar in nature to Atkins or South Beach with high protein/low carb intake. They have clinics throughout the U.S. you can go to if you need discipline, but otherwise there is a ton of information on their protocol online to follow yourself. It's the only diet program that has truly worked for me and I'd recommend it to anyone, particularly those who have difficulty with exercise for whatever reason. It was easy and the results were fast, which was important for me to stick with it.

My friend does Shakeology and she loves it. Combining that with a 1200 calorie diet and some exercise, she has lost about 15 lbs in the last few months so far. I can't speak to it myself, but I have tried the shakes and found they taste good!

So I did some googling and it seems they're pretty hush, hush on what the actual calorie counts are for Ideal Protein Protocol but with a quick skim of what was available it appears to be...restricting calories. Any "diet program" no matter how they spin it gets results because you are eating less. That's scientific fact and it applies to everyone. The diet industry would have us believe otherwise but it's because they want our hard earned money.

A 1200 calorie died and some exercise is what is getting her to lose the weight not the Shakeology. 1200 calories is legit the minimum a woman should be taking in each day with 0 exercise. Under the supervision of a doctor a super low calorie diet of 1000 is possible but not usually used and is for very specific things.

Yep, yep.

I'll always remember when Oprah lost all the weight on a shake diet- idk was it Medifast years ago. It all came back.

Fad diets don't work - think can you live by drinking shakes for the rest of your life however many times a day? Will it fit into your work schedule? What about trips? Same goes for prepackaged meals - Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem

The weight didn't come on overnight and won't go come off fast- if it does when you eat normal again it'll comeback fast.

I'm a Weight Watcher and have lost and kept off by learning to eat in moderation, knowing what a portion is opens your eyes to how much you have been eating. It works for my lifestyle. Think key to any weight loss is slow changes that you can live with. It's a lifestyle change to eating right.

More yep, to this.

 

[nkereina]

A 1200 calorie died and some exercise is what is getting her to lose the weight not the Shakeology. 1200 calories is legit the minimum a woman should be taking in each day with 0 exercise. Under the supervision of a doctor a super low calorie diet of 1000 is possible but not usually used and is for very specific things.

Right, I didn't say otherwise. She's doing a 1200 calorie diet with Shakeology as part of it is what I meant.

So I did some googling and it seems they're pretty hush, hush on what the actual calorie counts are for Ideal Protein Protocol but with a quick skim of what was available it appears to be...restricting calories. Any "diet program" no matter how they spin it gets results because you are eating less. That's scientific fact and it applies to everyone. The diet industry would have us believe otherwise but it's because they want our hard earned money.

They don't count calories specifically, but by nature of what you eat on the program, it is low calorie. But the weight is lost because it's a ketogenic program. The focus is on net carbs, so with the limited carb/sugar count you are taking in, your body goes into a state of ketosis where you burn stored fat as opposed to carbs for energy. This is why the weight comes off rapidly. The low calorie part works in tandem with ketosis.