What's Your Experience/Thoughts on Diet Shakes & Long-Term Weight Management?

Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 13:52
Last edited 10/05/2025 - 19:05

Just saw the half price celebrity slim shakes @ $1.60 per shake @ coles, that's a pretty cheap individual meal.

A couple of experience questions:
Have you had success with these and getting/staying healthy? Particularly if you've used then, did you put weight back on easily afterwards?

What if any effect do you think it had on your metabolism?

Assuming a routine of replacing 2 meals a day with the shakes. E.g. brecky and dinner or brecky and lunch, and then.

I've been investigating metabolism and am curious about the place of shakes (so processed but so convenient), when current research (e.g. Dr Casey Means looks at a lot of it in this too-long video https://youtu.be/8qaBpM73NSk?si=BNlHG8EyjaJ-DidY) praises less processed, whole-foods.

Health & Beauty Meal Replacement

Comments

  • timps on 10/05/2025 - 14:04
    +23

    Many many many studies show that consistent progress and managing calories without heavy food replacement leads to long term better results and keeping it off.

    IE increase your activity level, monitor your calorie intake honestly and realistically for a week, and then reduce your total intake by 10%, while still eating the same things.
    It's NOT easy, at all. It's not. But it works.

    Replacement shakes are a fast path to being unhappy, uncomfortable. And if you reduce your intake TOO far, you won't lose weight anyway. As your body will think you are starving and go into panic mode.

    • tenpercent on 10/05/2025 - 16:03
      +6

      Many many many studies show that consistent progress and managing calories without heavy food replacement leads to long term better results and keeping it off.

      IE increase your activity level, monitor your calorie intake honestly and realistically for a week, and then reduce your total intake by 10%, while still eating the same things.
      It's NOT easy, at all. It's not. But it works.

      Those studies are ultimately really only comparing inconsistency with consistency. If you can do it consistently, go for it. If some quick weight loss from meal replacement shakes motivates you to transition to healthier eating and physical activity which is easier to continue long term, go for it.

    • gromit on 10/05/2025 - 22:06
      +3

      They don't have to be an unhappy, uncomfortable thing. Many use them as a simple replacement for breakfast or lunch as it stops them from going for something else less healthy simply because it is fast. I used to regularly have a strawberry milkshake one, it was actually bloody tasty and was way healthier than other fast options I would take when I had no time for breakfast.

      • Embaloo on 11/05/2025 - 00:09

        Did you find them satiating?

        • Jolakot on 11/05/2025 - 08:24
          +4

          The premium ones are incredibly satiating, they add fiber powder to them which absorbs water in your gut for fullness and takes ages to digest (and saves on toilet paper…)

          But those ones usually have to be drank very quickly, as the fiber starts absorbing water immediately, so you have 4 minutes before it becomes a slurry.

          The optiman platinum coffee one is decent, feels like a full meal

        • gromit on 11/05/2025 - 12:11
          +1

          yes I did.

    • magicpelgrave on 11/05/2025 - 13:01
      +1

      Everything you said is correct and great advice except for that last sentence;

      "And if you reduce your intake TOO far, you won't lose weight anyway. As your body will think you are starving and go into panic mode."

      No such thing as panic/starvation mode or whatever people call it. If your deficit is extreme, then your hormones and metabolism may be slightly affected however saying that you won't lose weight anyway due to a 'panic mode' is just wrong.

      • Embaloo on 11/05/2025 - 13:15

        Would be interested in your sources, for metabolism info?

      • corvusman on 11/05/2025 - 17:17
        +3

        It kind of is and it kind of isn't. When you lose substantial amount of weight fast - at least 10% of your body weight and fast means losing around or more than 1% of your bodyweight per week - your body starts burning about 20-25% fewer calories throughout the day. This calorie drop is 10-15% lower than what you'd expect just from having less body mass.

        So if you used to be fat but lost weight fast enough, you'll need to eat about 300-400 fewer calories each day to maintain your weight, compared to someone who's always been at your current weight, even if you both weigh exactly the same and do the same amount of exercise. There is no fixed timeline for metabolic recovery unfortunately, it greatly depends on individual and could literally take years. If you remember The Biggest Loser, there was study on its former participants, that showed that even 6 years after the weight loss their metabolism rate remained suppressed and they have to stick to about 500–700 kcal/day lower on average than expected based on their body composition and age

        This is called adaptive thermogenesis if you're interested to learn more. And no, you can't compensate this effect by increasing amount of physical activity. Yes you can work out individual hormone therapy to counter that to a certain degree, but this stuff is completely different and unpredictive.

        • Embaloo on 11/05/2025 - 17:20

          Wow interesting. Thanks, will look into this.

        • t_c on 12/05/2025 - 09:41

          A great money saver long term in this cost of living crisis then.

      • timps on 12/05/2025 - 16:07
        +2

        No, it is entirely true. Just stop if you don't know. Share sources. Lowering your calories too far will reduce the rate of your normal burn, and have significant other impacts.

        When you dramatically lower your calorie intake, your body senses that food is scarce and lowers the rate at which it burns calories.

        Controlled studies in lean and overweight people confirm that consuming fewer than 1,000 calories per day can have a significant impact on your metabolic rate

        https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-mistakes-that-slow-me…

  • Bruceflix on 10/05/2025 - 14:05
    +4

    I thought it was Ozempic these days

    • dlakers3peat on 11/05/2025 - 01:01

      It's Wegovy. Government has stopped ozempic for weight loss and the only people who can get it are diabetics.
      Wegovy is the exact same thing as ozempic but with a new name and cost $100 more.

      • Jolakot on 11/05/2025 - 08:25
        -1

        Far more than $100, and the dosage for wegovy vs ozempic is completely different

        • dlakers3peat on 11/05/2025 - 17:04

          For us it's not and the dosage is exactly the same.

  • p1 ama on 10/05/2025 - 14:07
    +6

    It's just a continuation of the stereotypical fad diets from the 1990s.

    Most people who go onto these sorts of diets will see some results early on (nothing to do with the "diet shakes", but more just a reduction in calories), they keep it up for a little while, then realise the shakes taste like shit and are not real meals, then go back to their old diets and put the weight right back on.

    If you just want to lose weight, you need to cut your calories and replace your existing foods with lower calorie options. Cut out any carbs coming from drinks, cut out any sugary drinks, alcohol (in particular, beer), snacks (e.g. chocolates, sweets, chips…etc.), and replace carb-heavy food bases (i.e. rice, bread, pasta) with healthier bases (e.g. quinoa, couscous, veggies…etc.), and substitute towards lean meats (e.g. chicken breast).

    Something else that also helps is to drink more water, helps with the urge to snack all the time.

    • Jolakot on 11/05/2025 - 08:26
      +3

      The shakes work for your suggestion too, replace a lunchtime takeaway burger or breakfast croissant with a protein shake and you'll have more room in your calorie budget. Doing it as a restrictive diet sucks though, nobody can keep that up forever

  • Benoffie on 10/05/2025 - 14:22
    +1

    Ive been on various medically directed plans over the years. My experiences (obviously personal):

    • Metformin did nothing
    • Reductil (Sibutramine) was amazing. Banned in Australia because it was given to people with heart contraindications and, strangely, they had heart complications 🤦‍♀️
    • Calorie counting. Post surgery (hernia). Did it for 2 years. This actually isnt about counting calories, but about understanding what you consume, values and for people like me who can't process FODMAPs.
    • Optifast/slim. Done it before, about to start again. Pure misery. Unless prepping for a surgery or unless directed by a Specialist, I dont recommend 3 meal replacement. It sucks.
      Try replacing just breakfast/lunch or both. Im aiming for breakfast. Blend with ice in a Nutribullet, take to work.
      Does it work? Obviously 3 - yes. 1/2 - depends what else you are consming.
      It's more about behaviour changes and metabolism that miracles tbh.
    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 19:15

      Thx for sharing ur experience. GTK.
      Use of shakes as a frappe sounds appealing.

      • Benoffie on 10/05/2025 - 20:12

        They are a slog. Think liquid cake mix.

        Designed to make you feel full but thats it.

  • Fredfloresjr on 10/05/2025 - 14:26
    +1

    2025 and weight loss theory still a complex puzzle for some.

    Doesn't matter if you eat all the pigs outside as long as you are burning more than your calories in, you will lose weight.

    • Nugs on 10/05/2025 - 19:06
      +3

      mmmm, bacon
      .

    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 19:16
      +1

      Yes. But do you see any place for shakes? Particularly @ $1.60 per meal.

    • Jolakot on 11/05/2025 - 08:38
      +8

      Can't excercise your way out of a bad diet.

      • rumblytangara on 11/05/2025 - 22:11

        Many sports fanatics I've met over my lifetime would beg to differ.

        Cycle tourers, outrigger racers, ultramarathon runners, hardcore gym rats. I've known a lot and a key part of their lives seems to consist of stuffing their faces with food. Cheap and cheerful or expensive gourmet. Makes no difference.

        • ozb1ozb2ozb3 on 12/05/2025 - 09:23

          While you are right for that rare breed of humans who can run ultramarathons for breakfast and pump 100Kg chest press, for the rest of us mere mortals who treat running 5K like we climbed Everest - unfortunately not so much. So Jolakot's statement, as generic as it is, sadly holds true for the majority. Wish we all could eat as much cheeseburgers everyday and burn that away with two hours of gym unfortunately does not eventuate in reality.

          • rumblytangara on 12/05/2025 - 09:31
            +3

            @ozb1ozb2ozb3: Have you mixed much with hardcore endurance sports people? It's not just the one or two generic freaks, it's a lot of them. I've ridden with cycle tourers who literally carry bags of sugar to scarf during rest breaks, and ocean going surf ski competitors who are doing multi hour workouts at 5am then eating big steak meals, or double restaurant lunches.

            They have 'mere mortals' metabolisms, but they are burning crazy amounts of energy because they love exercise. From close up observation, I'd say that many people who have dedicated their lives to working out can and do exercise their way out of a 'bad diet.'

            They're just generally not the kind of folks who are hanging around on internet forums about cheap deals for 65" TVs and powerbanks.

            On the other hand, people who spend two hours in the gym seem to spend most that time on their phones or chatting to others while sitting on benches- something that I'm guilty of myself (though I still couldn't spend that much time in a gym, it's just too boring).

  • SYLTB on 10/05/2025 - 14:36
    -6

    Energy would not disappear, change its forms.
    E=MC2
    Entropy=Extropy
    Anabolism=Catabolism
    Intake=Output
    Eat, drink, inhale, infusion etc= shit, pee, wee, fart, sweat, exale, discharge, menstruation, wank etc.
    1 gr fat= 9 cal, 1 gr protein (muscle)= 4 cal, 1 gr carbo (glucose, sugar)= 4 cal.
    Body burns them out in this order: carbo, fat, and protein.
    Those crap programs cut carbo intake to next burnable thing fat.
    If you eat 5 burgers, 3 shakes, 4 cokes etc at every meal daily as if no tomorrows/weeks/years ahead and sit all day and watch contusion-concussion footy, and wricket, drinking packs of beer (all is carbo), then no matter how large you shit out or pee away you cannot get a slim body as intake >>> output. That's physics, biology, chemistry, nature, cosmos, universe!

    • Gdsamp on 10/05/2025 - 15:28
      -2

      E=MC2

      Literally just some made up nonsense

      • dan2k on 11/05/2025 - 08:29

        Yeah first I’d heard of that! 🤔

      • SlickMick on 11/05/2025 - 08:47
        -1

        Increasing mass will give OP more energy hmmm Einstein might have been wrong.

        • Protractor on 11/05/2025 - 09:54
          -2

          For every action there's an equal,and opposite,reaction.
          Newton would eat Einstein for breakfast (as a smoothie)

      • Gdsamp on 11/05/2025 - 16:36
        +2

        500g chicken has the same amount of energy as 500g uranium because i multiplied it by the speed of light squared OK

    • rumblytangara on 12/05/2025 - 09:23

      Did you ask an AI bot to "make up obviously false pseudo scientific sounding garbage about dieting"?

      What was that nonsense?

      • SYLTB on 12/05/2025 - 13:18

        I know where all of your pain is coming from!

  • freefall101 on 10/05/2025 - 14:38

    These things are a bit of protein powder, some milk powder, a whole lot of sugar with a bunch of vitamins and minerals. You could put some chocolate syrup in some milk with protein powder and take a decent multivitamin and it'd be about the same. It's not a meal in any sense.

    IMO you will be extremely hungry. Since all the carbs are sugar, you'll burn through them. It won't do your body any good at all unless you really plan out your third meal because you'll have a massive calorie deficit, you need a lot of fat for fat soluable vitamins and your stomach will hate you if there's not a lot of fibre in it.

    Personally I found Qota worked for me. Costs more (around $4 a meal) but I found it worked for me because it didn't leave me hungry. I got bored of it but while I was consuming it I lost weight and it didn't rebound back.

    For me though, cut out alcohol and sugar = weight loss. You just need to figure out what works for you, but quick fixes generally don't.

    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 22:51
      -1

      GTK, thanks, good point about the carbs being all sugar. What do you attribute the not bouncing back too much after Qota to?

    • Jolakot on 11/05/2025 - 08:42

      Only the really crap ones use sugar, I've looked at dozens of them trying to find the ones with the most fiber and only 1 had actual sugar in it. The rest are just arrifial sweeteners

      • Embaloo on 11/05/2025 - 09:23
        -1

        What's your opinion on the coles CS one's formula?

  • scrimshaw on 10/05/2025 - 14:42
    +5

    You're better off trying to change your eating habits rather than replacing your meals with these ready-made pouches, bars etc. They might not be nutritionally complete for long term use, you will also eventually tire of eating the same vanilla / chocolate / banana milkshake flavours.

    you might want to do some research on what kinds of foods can keep you fuller for longer, if you're the type of person to like eating lots of rice, noodles and pasta every meal, consider eating more foods that have more complex carbohydrates and fiber. Fruits and vegetables generally have high water and fiber content, which provide volume and weight but not calories. That's why they're low-energy-dense foods.

    Increasing muscle mass also increases your metabolism too, so for people with bigger muscles, they can actually eat more and not put on as much weight

    Strength training exercises can boost metabolism by building muscle tissue. Muscle burns more calories than fat. And unlike fat, muscle burns calories even at rest. This means that the more muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR will be. In fact, total muscle mass along with your genetic makeup are the strongest determinants of BMR.

    So if you do exercise at home, consider pumping some irons and get some gains (it also offsets sarcopenia, which is muscle loss that you get with age past 30~35)

    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 22:46

      Thanks for this!

  • payless69 on 10/05/2025 - 14:48
    +1

    Walk to Aldi, even it is 500 miles

    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 22:45
      +1

      😄

    • Chandler on 12/05/2025 - 11:00
      +1

      Fun fact!

      If an astronaut on the ISS listens to "I'm Gonna Be", in the time between the first beat of the song and the final lines they will have travelled just about exactly 1,000 miles.1

      1. https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/ ↩

  • AustriaBargain on 10/05/2025 - 15:03

    Could be convenient to start drinking protein shakes or meal replacement drinks instead of eating snacks. I wouldn't replace all meals with it though, maybe just breakfast and brinner.

  • BobsYourAunty on 10/05/2025 - 15:21
    +7

    If you want to lose weight you need to get rid of the word “diet” out of your mindset. Dieting is short term. What happens when you finished your “diet”? Do you go back to your old habits?

    Losing weight and being healthier is a lifestyle change. Because once you’ve reached your weight goal you want to keep it off.

  • SnowDragon on 10/05/2025 - 15:46
    +3

    You could replace two meals with a diet shake but if you're having a whole bucket of fried chicken for dinner it's pointless.
    It's a simple equation of weight loss = calories burned > calories in.

    I lost 8kg or so using Optislim a few years ago and once I hit my goal I went back to my old habits and put it back on. It's now slowly coming back off due to eating healthier (less processed foods), more exercise and less alcohol.

  • simplystu on 10/05/2025 - 16:07
    +1

    OP … always good to check the nutritional label …
    not only protein / carbs / fat … but also sodium levels … some drinks/meals have 3-4x the amount salt added (for taste) … almost gives you diabetes just reading it.

    IMO … some of the Rokeby Farms protein milk drinks are healthier than some of the (marketed) weight loss drinks.
    that +++ a well balanced diet (eg. fish / salmon twice a week).

  • Potatohead82 on 10/05/2025 - 16:26
    +3

    You don't need shakes to lose weight.

    Any "DIET" with and start and an end date doesn't work and will never work, because after it ends the lost fat comes back, and in most cases, people get fatter as they go back to old habits.

    What works is an active lifestyle, watch the calories of what you eat, and weight yourself often, if you gain weight reduce the calories until you maintain the weight, then start cutting calories very slowly until you start losing weight very slowly. I use the app Macrofactor to track my calories intake. There is also a Macrofactor subreddit - very helpful people in there!!!!

    Stay away from the Reddit group 1200cals, as 1200 calories is too low unless you are a kid. If you eat 1200 calories for too long, you will gain all the fat and a lot more when you go back to a normal eating habit - I have seen friends do this diet and they are now way fatter than ever before. STAY AWAY FROM TE 1200 calories diet!!!!!

    Read the book Fat Loss Forever by Dr Layne Norton.

    • simplystu on 10/05/2025 - 16:39

      while shakes (high protein / low carb) are beneficial …

      it is only 1 tool - in the toolbox …. and NO SINGLE tool can fix all the problems (just like ONLY exercise won't work just on it's own).
      really need a multi-angle approach … of which high protein drinks is 1 of said tools.

      I used to be majorily in the gym +++ helped others with losing weight +++ GF has struggled for years with weight issues (even surgery).
      so I do have some EXP as to what I talk about.

      • Potatohead82 on 10/05/2025 - 17:55

        Agree, I have seen people buying the "XXX Shake" hoping they will lose weight drinking the shake and not changing anything else. I have also seen friends have 2 of those shakes per day for 2 months and consuming nothing else - the rebound effect was phenomenal because it was not sustainable.

        I also have some experience losing weight, I did a body building competition, and have lost weight to have visible abs during summer, I know what it means and feels to diet, lose weight and get peeled, so I can also talk about it.

    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 18:03
      +1

      Yeah agreed that lifestyle change is the most effective long term.

      Good thoughts re. the slow reduction to maintaining weight then losing weight. Is this a particular method, or somrthing you have seen work for you others? Sounds helpful metabolsim-wise, i have heard that too-extreme reductions do .ake the body want to hold onto everything more, but dont have any basis for this assumption.

      Ha yes the 1200 thing sounds a bit extreme :S

  • AussieDaddy on 10/05/2025 - 16:53
    +1

    If you don't exercise or not physically active in other ways, reduce your carb intake (and eliminate fast/processed foods from your diet), and don't eat too often. Carb reduction and intermittent fasting do work, but as others pointed out, maintaining a diet/calorie restriction is the hard part for weight loss.

  • DingoBilly on 10/05/2025 - 19:55
    +2

    Have had partners in the past on these. Was effective in weight loss, but they just put it all back on afterwards.

    So while it can help, if you don't actually change your exercise and eating habits afterwards you end up at the same place. Bit obvious but some people expect miracles without any long-term work.

  • Bystander on 10/05/2025 - 20:21
    +1

    I spent just over a year using a DIY Soylent for 50% of my meals. It was purely for convenience and not for weight loss but I did notice that after a year I had lost c5% weight.

    For me, I really enjoyed eating/drinking them and changed the flavours every meal. It was also cheaper than regular meals. I didn't notice any side effects good or bad but I did notice that I needed to drink more water.

  • highon2str on 10/05/2025 - 20:32

    Supplementing (not replacing meals) with protein can help with weight loss - Naturally suppresses appetite and increases metabolism.

  • star-ggg on 10/05/2025 - 20:49

    What's your end goal? Once you lose the weight will you continue to keep drinking the shakes to keep your calorie intake the same? If you are going to convert the same calorie intake to solid food why don't you do that now instead of using the shakes?

  • dtc on 10/05/2025 - 21:07

    Nothing wrong with replacing a meal (or morning tea) with a protein drink - much cheaper to buy WPC and mix that up than one of the meal replacements. Add some psyllium (get it at Coles/woolworths)and good to go. In terms of weight loos replacing lunch or dinner is ‘the best’ as those are likely your highest calorie meals; but replacing breakfast is probably easier as long as you don’t snack mid morning

    However replacing every meal with a shake won’t be sustainable

  • Protractor on 10/05/2025 - 21:15

    Just be your own smart friend. Eat better, move often and avoid telling your peers & friends what you're up to.That way you won't get dragged back into the fold.Don't use shortcuts because the price can change or the product disappear. If you have to use this format of food. have it as a last resort back up. Healthy smoothies are a better choice.You can budget seasonally. Just sit down and develop some recipes or mixes that float your boat.Write them down and mix and match through the week.If you persevere with more natural stuff you'll flick a switch in your body & mind and wonder what took you so long.

    • Embaloo on 10/05/2025 - 22:33

      Thanks, liking this. Good point about more natural smoothies. Probably the same price. Probably less comvenient unless one prepares the additions in bulk, and perhaps less nutritious (or less of a range of vitamins) but yes less processed.

      • lew380 on 11/05/2025 - 09:25

        Packet smoothies have a big list of vitamins that you probably don't need and you can't digest anyway, it's marketing nonsense. Fruit or natural smoothies have real nutrients that your body can digest by design. We were made to eat real food, not synthesised powders.

  • mrvaluepack on 11/05/2025 - 07:53
    +2

    Looking at the celebrity shakes nutritional values: 45g sugar per 100g . Almost half of it is just sugar lol. Might as well take a multivitamin tablet plus a sachet of sugar with a can of tuna.

    • Protractor on 11/05/2025 - 09:56

      Sounds yummy. You could market it.Maybe name it after the probable taste? Ducks Guts

  • brad1-8tsi on 11/05/2025 - 08:14
    +4

    As a person who has struggled with their weight since I was 5 years old and done various diets and exercise programs I've found there was no quick fix. You've got to change habits and your "new" habits need to be compatible with your lifestyle. I'd also suggest you do a personal check-in on why you are over-eating.

    If ongoing & consistent food substitution with shakes suits your lifestyle & ongoing budget then great but it wouldn't work for me.

    As an indicator I'm not tall at 167cm and my weight peaked at 92kg in Dec 2015. I made drastic lifestyle changes during 2016 and lost around 1kg monthly and by late 2018 settled around 76kg +-1.5kg. The lowest was 72kg after the 3 month camping trip to the NT in 2022. I've gone from tight 34" pants to comfortable 30" (belly fat is a prime health issue).

    There is no 1 thing I can credit for the change, more like 20 different things.

    Good luck in your health journey.

  • Trekky on 11/05/2025 - 09:13

    Wish you all the best - what works for one person doesn't work for another person. You have to find something that suits you and that you can stick too.

    Personally I find that I don't get hungry that often - I just love food. If it's there, I'll eat it. So I try not to have unhealthy stuff in the house. I am also finding that as I get older, I can't eat as much as I use to, without having indigestion.

  • b0rnwithabeard on 11/05/2025 - 09:13
    +1

    Like others have said, don't call it "dieting". You don't need to diet, you need to make long term changes to your eating habits. Make them incrementally, aiming for long term goals. Small changes are easier to make and you're more likely to stick to them if they're minor.

    My issue with shakes or even those prepared meals is they don't teach you anything about nutrition and your body. You need to learn about what you're fuelling your body with. Learn to live a healthy life with the foods in kitchen.

    Exercise isn't necessarily the secret either. Lose weight in the kitchen, get fit in the gym.

  • stickingly on 11/05/2025 - 09:23

    Of course you will lose weight if you only use these things as directed, but it is unhealthy and unsustainable and you will put on weight as soon as you start eating again.

    I have a friend that uses them and loses a lot of weight, then eats normally for a while and gradually puts on weight. Then repeats the cycle. This is how he chooses to live and has been doing this for years.

  • EFC94 on 11/05/2025 - 09:35

    I can't be bothered typing out a long reply, but a meal replacement shake is not a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight. Eating healthy foods in moderation and exercising is by far the better choice.

  • lilbudgie on 11/05/2025 - 09:45
    +1

    I once worked where my hours were from 9 till 3 and I only had a 10 minute break so I decided I would have a shake in the break to fill me as it wasn't really enough time to eat food. I lasted only about 2 weeks before I got sick of them. I don't like sweet drinks, I don't drink softdrink or have sugar in my tea or coffee and so I found them sickly sweet and because the sweetener was not sugar it was sort of worse. Maybe if I liked sweet drinks or something it might of been different but it just wasn't my thing. I would buy the single use sachets of a lot of different brands but found them all pretty much the same. They did fill me up until I finished work but I just couldn't get past the false sweetness of them

  • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 11/05/2025 - 11:34

    It's not about calories. It's about nutrients versus anti-nutrients. Go back in time and watch some videos on youtube from the 50s-80s and virtually everyone is skinny. They weren't smashing out reps in the gym every day and not everyone had a labour intensive job. Yet they did not have an obesity problem like today. It can take quite some time to figure out what nutrients and anti-nutrients are because everybody has a different opinion and something to sell you (like those shakes you're talking about). Some will tell you that sugar is the enemy, red meat will give you a heart attack and kale is a superfood etc. I don't think any of these things are true.

    I think the best way forward is to find what is actually working for people long-term and take an interest in the research surrounding that. It's a process. A lot of research is BS too. It's an industry after all. But you get a feel for it after a while.

    • mearkat7 on 11/05/2025 - 13:09

      I mean it's at least partly about calories. I lost about 25kg in around 6 months last year knowing basically 0 about what I was doing and did nothing more than a 30 minute morning walk and using myfitnesspal. Looking back I could easily smash more than a days worth of calories in a single meal if I had something garbage like fast food and that just compounded over time.

      I'm sure the nutrients in food are important in a way and how much foods will fill you up but whilst "dieting" I still ate plenty of crap and would say I still had a nutritionally poor diet but it didn't really matter. My biggest success was finding foods for much lower calories that filled me up the same as more, i.e switching my protein oats for breakfast to eggs on toast, was around 100 cals or so less and also kept me full longer.

      • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 11/05/2025 - 16:39
        -1

        Nobody's arguing that you can't starve yourself into a thinner body. Anyone can do that. You can't starve yourself into a healthier body though. The one exception (maybe) is being super-obese (if your life depends on it).

        If you don't know how to prevent the dysfunction that causes obesity then what are you going to do? Keep playing the calories game I guess. As long as you stay on the hamster wheel you can (probably) keep the weight off.

    • hasher22 on 11/05/2025 - 19:47

      It actually is about calories AND marcos/nutrients. It's just science and fact that caloric deficit or surplus will make you lose/gain weight. Keyword weight….

      But where macros and nutrients come into play is what your actual goals are with your body and weight. Is it fat loss? Muscle gain? Muscle retention?

      For example with me, my maintenance calories is 2400 but im in a recomposition phase where I am eating 1800 calories and 150g+ protein each day. My goal is fat loss and muscle retention and/or gain.

      If I was strictly on 1800 calories and just eating donuts everyday, I would lose weight in both fat and muscle and I would most likely feel like shit too

      • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 12/05/2025 - 10:00
        -1

        Nobody was counting calories or macros up until a few decades ago. They weren't trying to "burn off" calories in the gym.

        Im not saying that you cant effectively starve yourself into a thinner body by using up more energy than you are putting in. But it only works if you stay on the calorie hamster wheel.

  • ShadowlessAU on 11/05/2025 - 13:29
    +1

    Speaking from my own experiences as I've been on a weight loss journey since the end of Jan and have lost about 14kg so far (106 down to 92).

    1. I've tried shakes in the past (3 years ago) that left me feeling crap and hungry.
    2. I first started on fad diets, carnivore then keto and realised it wasn't for me. It wasn't until I started truly calorie counting that I started to see results.
    3. I changed how I thought about eating. I took foods I really enjoyed and worked out, "ok can I swap this out here and it'll be x calories lighter" but still be close to what I like.
    4. I started walking a lot, but I would say most of my journey so far is learning to eat within my budget, and then getting in steps because I just felt a lot better about myself doing so.
    5. Not sure how applicable it is to others but I believe you work out calories by dividing Kj by 4.18, but I do by 4 to give myself a little bit more wiggleroom.
  • mrdean on 11/05/2025 - 15:00

    Just pick one of the three daily meals, & lose it. Cheaper that way.

  • hasher22 on 11/05/2025 - 19:53

    If you understand calories and nutrition, these diet fads are nothing more than marketing for profit…..

    You'll lose weight if you're in a caloric deficit, you'll gain weight if you're in a caloric surplus. If you drink these shakes and you're in a caloric surplus, you'll gain weight…… It's just facts and science.

    Key word… WEIGHT….

    But what people really want is fat loss and/or muscle retention and gain…. and that's where calories and macros come into play.

    What people don't understand when being in a caloric deficit is that they don't track ALL THEIR CALORIES…… and lack self discipline, they want someone like a diet fad product to magically work.

    If you're in a 1800 caloric deficit:
    You'll lose weight by eating donuts everyday.
    You'll lose fat, retain muscle and/or gain lean mass by eating the right macros in carbs, fats and protein, and workout.

    • qaz182 on 12/05/2025 - 13:50

      A calorie of carbohydrate digested is not the same as a calorie of protein or a calorie of fat.
      A calorie of fruit is not the same as a calorie of steak which is not the same as a calorie of bread and not the same as a calorie of apple seeds (cyanide).

      These are all processed differently by the body at different rates of efficiency with different effects at different times of the day/eating cycles.

      • hasher22 on 12/05/2025 - 14:09

        I don't understand what you're trying to say based on what I said?

        The purely talking about calories of different nutrition value.

        I'm talking about calorie deficits and calorie surplus and the different nutrition to fuel your body and what your goals are.

        As I said before if you're in a calorie deficit but just eating doughnuts you will lose weight (In both fat and muscle). Doesn't matter what the nutrition is just as long as the calorie deficit you will lose weight.

        And as I said before if you want to lose fat, retain muscle that's a whole different calorie deficit nutrition plan and work out plan all together.

  • Purp on 11/05/2025 - 20:50
    +1

    If they help people manage their caloric intake then that's all that matters. If people can do it another way that's fine. Whatever is easiest for the specific person to be in a calorie deficit will make them lose weight

  • AuQld on 11/05/2025 - 21:17

    Eat less and shake your body. Eating shakes won't help.

    • Purp on 11/05/2025 - 21:25
      +1

      You missed the point of the shakes entirely. Also exercise doesn't mean you'll lose weight.

      • AuQld on 12/05/2025 - 06:26

        You most certainly will unless you're putting on muscle, which would require eating more and exercising. Eating less and exercising it's an e=mc2

        • Purp on 12/05/2025 - 15:15

          If you're exercising 3 hours a day but still eating in a 1000 calorie surplus over your daily requirement every day of the week you will still gain 1 kilo per week.

  • Embaloo on 12/05/2025 - 11:20
    -2

    Appreciate the experience & info.
    Seems like the general consensus is: more than a single daily meal replacement may not be healthy, helpful or sustainable, but occasional convenience use sounds OK, or when medically prescribed.
    And tracking consumption (staying aware & not being lazy about it) has worked the best for weight management longer-term (not considering movement/exercise).

    • SpicyStew on 12/05/2025 - 21:09

      you are deluded with selective context

  • Jaspa7 on 12/05/2025 - 11:46
    +1

    I alternate between up&go and musashi shred&burn to replace breakfast every morning..
    exercise is light weights, 10min elliptical & 800m swim 3-4x a week.
    working okay, but think my main shortcoming is more due to larger other meals.
    I think in the end, it really just boils down to input - output = gain.
    Exercise does help, but it's really only 20% of output.. 30% keeping intake 'healthy' and the remaining 50% purely how much - you can still get fat on protein shakes

  • TRANCE on 12/05/2025 - 11:48
    +1

    Generally people buying diet shakes are looking for a shortcut to weight loss, which does not exist, and indicates they are not in the correct mind set to be losing weight, which takes a complete lifestyle shift, there are no shortcuts. Buying an ab-roller and protein shakes will get you no where unless you are also making a concerted effort to learn about which food constituents are unhealthy and cut them out of or heavily minimize them in your diet and learning about intermittent fasting or exercising (less important than diet for weight loss, but important for long term health and well being).

    • Purp on 12/05/2025 - 19:11
      +1

      Wrong. You can eat absolute trash and still lose weight. The key is calorie deficit, you can eat chocolate every day and lose weight if you are burning more calories than you ingest. It's really that simple. Get rid of the terms healthy/unhealthy food and replace them with the key word moderation.

  • qaz182 on 12/05/2025 - 13:00

    I've been on a ketogenic mostly carnivore diet for the last 8ish weeks.

    I'm down around 10kg in weight (so far). My blood sugars improved, my blood pressure improved. Without fibre my digestion is better (the whole process including bowel movements), energy is higher, sleep patterns are better (finding it much easier to get to sleep). I had to turn down the pressure on my CPAP as my sleep breathing is better and my nasal passages are blocked up less often than they used to be (less mucus).

    This is all while not counting or restricting calories at all (though I try to eat only once/twice a day and only while the sun is up).

    Everybody's different (with different allergies and responses to toxins found in food), but in general, it's amazing what difference eating a species appropriate diet does for most people.

    • qaz182 on 12/05/2025 - 22:24

      Also my brain is clearer (less foggy), i get less, headaches than before and less restless leg (which contributed to the better sleep).

  • Bammers on 12/05/2025 - 13:43
    +2

    Who is ever satisfied with a shake instead of a solid meal?

    If your looking to diet take a look @ the carnivore diet / lifestyle. I have done it a few times but generally only last about 3 months. The reason I stop is cause i suck in the kitchen and lack of variety gets boring (if your someone who likes cooking there is an abundance of options, and you won't have this problem). However, you would be surprised how long a decent steak will keep you full.

    One of the things that attracted me to it is you can smash as much animal products as you want until your legit full and the weight kinda just drops off. Saying that though after a few weeks to a month you generally only have a steak and a few eggs a day or some other variation. When you work out the costs for a decent steak and a few eggs, maybe some bacon or pork crackle, it well and truley comes in under the cost of your 'normal' meals.

    • qaz182 on 12/05/2025 - 13:51
      +1

      Keto (mostly carnivore) has been what i've been doing for the last 8ish weeks and it's been a game changer for me personally.

  • EBC on 12/05/2025 - 16:08

    I make my own breakfast shake blend not for weight loss (I have never been overweight) but just for simplicity and consistency in the mornings. I calculated all the macros and calories myself to make sure I was happy with the blend. It is essentially runny protein porridge (blend of oat powder, protein powder, psyllium husk, with whole milk as the liquid). It is perfect for me because I am full until pretty much the exact same time every day (around 1pm) and I can have a whole meal in about 2 minutes from start to finish.

    I have never been a breakfast food person (when I go to a cafe, I am always looking for places with lunch style options) so this works well for me.

  • ozb1ozb2ozb3 on 12/05/2025 - 16:37

    My advise to you is this.
    Whatever diet pathway you choose, do not sign up to it until you are mentally prepared to also commit to - "Exercise" and "Lifestyle changes". I know I sound too harsh but the three together will not just transform your life. But importantly, will sustain your achievement for long-term. Good luck and hope you achieve your goals.

  • wetsandwich on 12/05/2025 - 16:52
    +3

    As someone got famously blasted for saying despite being 100% correct - "Eat less food, do more exercise".

    A calorie deficit is what does the trick. You cannot bypass the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry.

    Shakes may work, due to being lower in calories than your daily expenditure. Possibly not exactly full of vitamins and minerals however.

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