Review of the Slim Fast Plan

This diet involves replacing two of your daily meals with Slim Fast milk shakes, soups, pasta or meal bars, and eating a 600-calorie balanced meal for the remaining meal. In addition, you can eat two or three Slim Fast snacks a day. This provides 1200 to 1400 calories per day — lower than the daily recommended amount, so dieters lose weight.

The Slim Fast products contain vitamins and minerals to ensure a nutritious diet. Dieters are also advised to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day.

The pros and cons of this diet, according to Medical Breakthroughs 2004, published by The Readers Digest Association, are:

Pros:

• Simple and convenient
• Good short-term way to lose weight
• Diet products contain essential nutrients
• Perfect for busy people
• No group sessions

Cons:

• Harder to follow at weekends
• Some people reported they missed solid food
• Difficult to stick to diet in the long term
• Reported decrease in fruit and vegetable intake