In Which Jenn Does Not Believe In Meal Replacement

Alice food

Hey, remember that time I got an Influenster Vox Box? And how I was honest in my reviews? And how I said because of that I’d probably never get another one?

Well, I was wrong. SO FAR. This may be the one to ruin it all.

You see, this Vox Box was filled with Slim Fast products. And while I don’t mean to pick on Slim Fast specfically here, as a recovering disordered eater I am extremely leery of diet products. I don’t like the regimentation, I don’t like the limitations, I don’t like the emphasis on pre-packaged, processed meal replacements over actually eating a meal. But I also don’t like being negative, so I decided to just keep quiet about this one.

Until I got an email from Influenster recognizing that I am a blogger and encouraging me to weigh in on my box with a post. Well. Ask and ye shall receive.

Slimfast

My box contained four Slim Fast items: a potato chip substitute, a cinnamon cookie substitute, a meal replacement bar, and a meal replacement shake. The shake was too sweet and frankly kind of gross; I took a couple sips and tossed the rest in the trash (I had the vanilla flavor; chocolate may have been more palatable). The bar was fine but for something that’s supposed to replace a meal it kept me full for maaaaaybe two hours. The crisps were tasty but didn’t provide much sustenance either. Of the three, the sour cream and onion “chips” were the best, in that the portion was fairly generous and as a snack it kept me satisfied for several hours. If you’re going to buy a Slim Fast product, I’d go with that one.

HOWEVER. I strongly dislike all of this, for the reasons noted above but primarily for this: what, am I just supposed to eat Slim Fast and only Slim Fast? Plus just celery and apples or whatever? Forever? Until I’ve lost enough weight? How much is that? Then what? What about if I just had a hard workout and… no, never mind. Slim Fast can’t possibly sustain a workout.

Again, not to single out Slim Fast exclusively here. They are but one brand in a sea of products promising to make you skinny. Screw those brands. Don’t let them tell you what to eat. Don’t let them define what you need. Embrace eating intuitively, with a mind to how you feel and how you WANT to feel. I know it’s hard – hell, I still struggle with it every day. But if the answer lies anywhere, it’s definitely NOT in the words “meal replacement.”

I am willing to field alternate opinions here. Has anyone had great success with something like Slim Fast?

Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Twitter @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.comSee ya real soon!

6 Comments

  1. I got this one too and as soon as I heard it was coming I said "NO! I do not want it." And they said "No problem." But the chips were kind of tasty.

  2. While I understand that for some people, this type of plan can work INITIALLY, it does nothing to teach people about healthy eating, food preparation, nutrients, or anything at all really, so once they stop The Plan and go back to eating what they used to, they gain the weight back. It's not a recipe for permanent, lasting success, it's a temporary tool.

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