The Slim Fast diet is based on the Slim Fast range of products. The Slim Fast diet products work as healthy meal replacements and are therefore extremely convenient for those who are too busy to be able to follow other diet plans that take a lot of effort.
Calories In – Minus Calories Out
The Slim Fast diet was created keeping in mind that the calorie intake of a person, who wants to lose weight, needs to be lower than the calories that are burnt in a day.
The diet recommends consuming a milk shake for breakfast, another one for lunch and then a hearty meal for dinner. The promoters of the diet have also introduced a Slim Fast diet snack that can be included in breakfast and lunch.
While the concept of a Slim Fast diet is simple, the fact that the diet plan offers a range of products makes it possible for people to follow it over longer periods of time.
Along with the products that are recommended for consumption, the Slim Fast diet also encourages physical exercise and consumption of high fiber foods in the last meal of the day.
The diet suggests that foods high in fat and those that contain no nutritional value (chips, candy and soda) should be avoided at all costs.
History of The Slim Fast Diet
While the name of the diet has been retained since the day it was started the Slim Fast diet has an interesting history that has made the diet what it is today. Started by S. Daniel Abraham in 1977 as part of the Thompson Medical Group, the Slim Fast diet was an attempt to marry medicine with marketing.
Along with a colleague in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Abraham created a mix that was a combination of 24 vitamins and minerals. Along with filler substances, this was converted into a shake and various flavors were added to make it palatable. The objective of the entire exercise was to create something to help people easily lose weight.
However, the Slim Fast diet has seen its share of bad days. A new protein based shake shook the brand until a few fatal incidents were associated with the consumption of the protein based shake.
Slim Fast Shakes and Foods
The first of the Slim Fast diet products that were launched were Slim Fast diet shakes. These were made available in various flavors like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
They came in powder form that could be mixed in milk for consumption.
Over the years, the range of Slim Fast diet products have expanded to include ready-to-drink milk shakes, soups, snack bars and packaged meals.
Each product that is part of the Slim Fast diet is developed to control hunger so that the followers of the diet can ensure portion control. These products are both filling and nutritious.
The Slim Fast diet products are now available in variations that are meant for the entire family, for those looking for high protein content, for lactose intolerant people and also for those who like their shake with lesser carbs.
Will I Lose Weight On The Slim Fast Diet?
The Slim Fast diet was developed with the sole aim of helping people easily lose weight. While the line of products offered as part of the Slim Fast diet plan has expanded significantly, the program has never lost sight of its end goal that it started with when it was developed.
The convenience of the Slim Fast diet plan and the fact that it allows you to eat some of your favorite foods makes the diet an easy one to follow on a long term basis.
The Slim Fast diet plan claims that, if followed religiously, the diet can help you lose about 10% of body weight in 6 months.
Slim Fast is a convenient way to help you lose weight without having to really count calories or worry about nutrition. The Slim Fast shakes and other products are filled with vitamins and minerals, so that you don’t have to worry about being nutritionally deprived while you’re dieting.
Slim Fast is also really convenient, since you only concern yourself with meal preparation once a day. In the long run, while this is a great way to take off a few pounds quickly, it’s probably not for the person who has a lot of weight to lose, and it isn’t likely a lifestyle you’ll stick with for the long run.
It’s important to learn portion control and cut way back on the processed and sugary foods along the way so that you can keep the weight off once you’ve lost it. Still, you can hardly find a more convenient low calorie breakfast when you’re in a hurry than a Slim Fast shake.