Eating food versus shakes.

[SuzyK]

Hi All

Having a discussion with some friends over the weekend and we have pretty much all been on various diets at different times. One thing we started to talk about is does it matter if we lose weight by being on shakes or eating food, and how well have we then kept the weight off.
I am doing food at the moment with Go Lower but I was just wondering how you guys have done and what works best for you. I am sure you can imagine the debate 8 girls were having in the pub on Friday and I told them I would post on here, because I told them what a great site I had discovered and see what the general opinion was? So come on all, please help to settle an argument and help me out.

Many thanks

Suzy

 

[shrinkingannie]

I could not do shakes - its too antisocial for me. But I would love the results it gets!

 

[KD]

Umm. Interesting question. I think much depends. How the dieter perceives the shakes, how much education goes along with the programme..and after.

But, I'm trying to think of a diet which only includes shakes for the whole 'journey' and can't think of any, though I'm sure there must be.

As for maintaining Whether you have more of a chance keeping it off if you've lost your excess weight on shakes alone (hypothetically as I don't know any), or whether you've lost on food, even that is possibly a little more complex that it appears.

Since maintenance has very little to do with the diet you lost the weight on (IMO), then my view is that it should make very little difference at all.

You would think that someone on 'real' food would do better than those just surviving on shakes, but there really are few diets out there where you learn to eating a balanced diet suitable for long term maintenance rather than a diet that is 'tweaked' to help weight loss along (ie, products that have been reduced in fat but with more additives, very low fat foods with very limited healthy fat additions, low carb etc.)

But as I say, few diets, if any rely totally on shakes alone for the whole duration, so I doubt much evidence is out there to support one way or another. I know that the main 'shake' diets in the UK include food as some stage; Cambridge can be done with food all along, and both LL and LT have 'real' food towards the end to get you back for portion control and healthy eating.

Slimfast has food too, though obviously a different type of 'shake' diet.

Very interesting question though

 

[SuzyK]

Hi.
Thanks for the replies so far. Shrinkingannie, I have to agree, I am a foodie so shakes don't do it for me.
KD thank you for your reply, I think you have given me even more food for thought, excuse the pun. I am not going for anything scientific just general opinion. I know most shake diets include maybe one meal but we were just trying to decide which works best long term.
I am on Go Lower and this is definitely working for me as I get to eat (and not have to cook) and although the meals are designed around putting my body into ketosis at least it is real food rather than a chalky tasting shake, as you can see I am not a fan of shakes.
I guess I just want people to confirm I am right that once you come off shakes and go onto real food it is still a challenge to keep the weight off.
I have probably opened a can of worms now and others will say "but we kept if off after a shake diet," but that is exactly what we were discussing and if I am proved wrong I will hold my hands up to the girls and admit it! First though I have to be proved wrong.
I am really looking forward to seeing where this goes and reading all your replies.

Best regards

 

[KD]

I have probably opened a can of worms now and others will say "but we kept if off after a shake diet,"

I kept it off after a 'shake' diet

4 and half years now

 

[natasha1974]

i just couldnt do it i did slim fast for a while and now cant even smell a shake without gagging but thats just me lol

 

[icemoose]

4 years now since I reduced my weight by 12 stone on a shake diet.

Saying that maintenance in my opinion has nothing to do with how you lost the weight, I haven't dieted in 4 years and that is why I am still slim.

It was when I changed from using a diet as a lifestyle choice to just a tool that I found success.

It was also dealing with why I was really overeating that unlocked the doors to stopping dieting for good.

 

[Porgeous]

Hey there

Another one who did the shake diet and kept the weight off, coming up for 2 years now. I agree with Mike and KD that I don't think how you lose the weight is the key to maintaining the secret lies in changing the way you think about food and your relationship with it.

Cheers
G

 

[SuzyK]

Hi All
Thanks for the replies. I guess I knew this would happen KD, that can of worms has been opened.
Icemoose I see you lost some of yours with Lighter Life, is that not similar to Go Lower that you have foods, although I think you also have shakes with that one don't you? That was what put me of going for it, well that and what I was told about the cost!
Porgeous thanks for your comment as well, my relationship with food is probably my biggest problem, I love to eat all the wrong stuff, in fact not even eat, it is the snacking I am having to deal with, chocolate and crisps are my downfall.
Well done all of you though on keeping the weight of.
Natasha, I am with you when it comes to shakes.
Now come on guys lets get this discussion really going. I want to try to win my argument! Not that I am competitive or anything, (much).
I see some similar threads have come up at the bottom of the page so I am going to have a nose at them and see if they are for or against my theory.
All the best to you all and please keep those replies coming.
Regards

 

[KD]

Hi All
Thanks for the replies. I guess I knew this would happen KD, that can of worms has been opened.

Nah. Just a discussion

Icemoose I see you lost some of yours with Lighter Life, is that not similar to Go Lower that you have foods, although I think you also have shakes with that one don't you?

Nah. Both LL and cambridge include food at some point. Cambridge more so. In fact you can do the whole of Cambridge with food, and many people do.

That was what put me of going for it, well that and what I was told about the cost!

Can't speak for LL, but Cambridge's lower plans works out about the same as a healthy basket of food. Of course, many people report to save money on it because of the few nibbles, takeaways and alcoholic drink that they aren't buying when on the diet. Last I heard it was cheaper that Go Lower, but I might be wrong.

Now come on guys lets get this discussion really going. I want to try to win my argument! Not that I am competitive or anything, (much).

LOL. You might have just met your match

 

[IrishMum]

Any 'diet' that restricts what you eat (or drink) so drastically that you lose a lot of weight quickly, will always run the risk of the dieter re-gaining the weight if the original 'problem' with food hasn't been addressed. For some people it's ignorance (not knowing what food is good for them), for some it's overeating or lack of portion control (whether through boredom/emotions/stress etc.), for some it may actually be medical issues that aren't discovered until a strict diet is tried.
Whatever the reason- unless this is addressed and resolved, keeping the weight off will always be a struggle- no matter how the weight was lost. Just my opinion though....

 

[MissPiggyFi]

I did lipotrim and then the cambridge diet a couple of years ago. I lost a lot of weight but unfortunately I'm now heavier than I've ever been.

My personal experience is that neither of these diets helped me address food and my issues with it. I used them as a quick fix.

 

[SuzyK]

Wow, thanks for the replies KD, you are very informative, why didn't I know about people like you before I started doing all my diets...... you would have probably saved me a fortune. I must admit I am finding Go Lower quite reasonable but then I am only eating their stuff and hardly anything else so hubby says the shopping bill is down. I have met my match have I???? Honest I was only joking, I am a pathetic wimp when it comes down to it, well hubby may not agree because I always get my own way with him but that is because he loves me!!!
Hey Porgeous when I just went down through the posts I really looked at the photo of you, talk about a new person, you look totally different, well done you for maintaining.
Hi Irishmum, thank you for you opinion, that is exactly why I posted this thread, just to get different ideas from people, and find out what others thought, and try to win my "discussion" as well. You comments are actually very useful to me personally beacuse I lose and then gain more but that is beacuse what I like is not good for me so I am really trying this time to be sensible and think about what I can not eat alot of in the future, like a lot of the snacks I used to eat, thinking oh well, tomorrow I will be better and I never was.
Hi KookyWooky, although I can't do shakes I agree with you my biggest problem is what to do with the food, especially as I "can't cook, won't cook" and I am also a VERY fussy eater. It always got a bit much to keeping asking the OH to try to cook something different for me when he can and will eat whatever is put in front of him and stays slim. That is why finally for me I am finding something that works as I only need to open the packet, put the food in the microwave, wait for it to cool down and eat!
Hi MissPiggyFi, I totally know where you are coming from,I always ended up putting more weight on than when I had started, that is why I am sticking to a food diet now but without any of the hassle as it is all prepared.
Well guys thank you so much for your replies. I am hopefully meeting the girls again over the weekend so any more comments will certainly give us something to talk about. I will have to ask them what else we can discuss on here as I have found this thread really interesting reading.
Best regards and keep posting your replies.

 

[SuzyK]

Morning All,
I ended up meeting up with some of the girls last night and we discussed this thread. We couldn't agree on anything conclusive so any more replies would be great to see which way it will actually go.
Best regards

 

[Porgeous]

I'm not entirely sure what it is you are trying to conclusively agree on, surely what diet someone chooses to follow is personal choice as to what suits you and your lifestyle. The basic fact is that all diets will work if you follow them and maintenance is possible if you change the way you eat so there is little room for debate.

 

[slendablenda]

Hi Suzy

I don't think there should be an argument. Different things work for different people at different times in their lives. So in my opinion there is no right or wrong.
However - A lot of people have opinions against VLCDs, but they actually know little about them and base their opinons
on negative press.
I only know what worked for me. I didn't eat for 10 months. I lost 12 stone and my life has been transformed and I am healthy.
RESULT.
If I had done WW or SW etc it would have taken me so much longer and I think I would have lost motivation.
Horses for courses.
Good luck to you and your friends xx

 

[SuzyK]

Hi
Great to see this discussion is still going.
Slendablenda, it is not actually an argument, it all started last week when I was out with a group of girlfriends and we started to discuss different diets. They all know I am doing Go Lower and I was trying to persuade them it is the best diet because it is real food, it is delivered and I get chocolate snacks etc and I am losing weight, not that they can really see that yet as I am still in baggy clothes. Well of course, they are then saying in my opinion Go Lower is the best, but maybe it is not for everyone so I said what is???
What I was trying to get across was that if I am eating foods then when I come of the diet I will not put on weight because I have not had a substitute.
That is how the discussion got going and since reading these replies I can see I am just totally biased to GL and I need to stop being so opinionated and accept other peoples success stories. I guess personally because I can not handle shakes I assumed they were only ever taken for a short time. I didn't realise that some people maintain them for a long time. (Gotta ask what does VLCDs mean?)
Fantastic weight loss, that definitely deserves a compliment in my book!
Hi again Porgeous
as you can see from my reply above I am trying to realise that different diets work for different people I guess it is because I have finally found a diet that works for me, Go Lower, I have been trying to convert everyone else and my friends said back it up and that is what I was trying to do.
The comments on here certainly got us discussing all sorts when we met this weekend and I have promised them I will try to learn to keep an open mind.
Thanks for keeping the replies coming
Best regards

 

[KD]

What I was trying to get across was that if I am eating foods then when I come of the diet I will not put on weight because I have not had a substitute.

Ahh, but you could. It's all calories in vs calories out. I've put on many a time before I did cambridge after some 'real food' diets. Not blaming the diet at all, as maintenance isn't about the diet. I'm pretty sure that if I had lost the weight on go lower and then decided to eat way more than I needed, I'd gain it again.

I assumed they were only ever taken for a short time. I didn't realise that some people maintain them for a long time.

Well, I don't. I don't use the products at all now, though I must admit that I have had the odd Go lower bar that I've bought in the shops

Don't forget that these shakes are food. The only difference is that they are formulated so you can be sure you are getting everything you need. Once you are maintaining, you can still have shakes, porridge, soups etc, and if you want, you can use the products you used to lose the weight (ie have the formulated ones)...just like with go lower.

I have promised them I will try to learn to keep an open mind.

Good, because you never know what the future will bring

 

[Porgeous]

Hiya

I think we have all probably felt when we find a diet that works for us that it is the best one in the world but the reality is that it could be any diet it's the mindset that is different. The diet is purely a tool and they all work it is our ability to stick to them that makes the difference.

On the maintenance thing, like KD, I haven't had a CD product since the day I hit goal and don't see them as something that should be part of long term maintenance.

Good luck to you all whichever diet you choose.

x

 

[SuzyK]

Hi ya
Thanks for the replies KD and Porgeous.
KD I am hoping the future will bring me a lottery win to pay of my mortgage and of course a new wardrobe to go with my new body....... I don't think that is too much to ask, is it????? Seriously KD since being on this site I have learnt alot about different diets and attitudes etc. The biggest thing I have learnt is about maintaining, which I know is where I have gone wrong in the past but then I have never really reached a goal weight that I was totally happy with as I could not stick to the diet.
My comment about shakes for a long time was not meant to be about using them for maintaining, it was the comment from Slendablenda that she didn't eat for 10 months. Until very recently I thought you only had shakes for weeks rather than months whatever diet you did. Ignorance on my part!
Porgeous, I agree the diet is the tool, it is just finally with Go Lower I have found the tool that works for me and I am finally seeing results, which I rarely do when I have previously dieted as it is such a long process and then I give up.
I am going of on a tangent again....
Looking forward to reading your comments
Regards

PS What are VLCD's?