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Maybe you have a few pounds to lose, and you’re looking for a healthy weight loss program that’s easy to follow. You might have heard that the Slim Fast program fits both those criteria. Here’s an overview of the program that should help you decide if it’s the right plan for you.

The original Slim Fast diet was pretty basic. You replaced two meals a day with a special shake that you made up by adding the Slim Fast powder to some low-fat milk. It came in three flavors: strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. You would have one of these shakes at breakfast and another at lunch, and then have a “sensible” dinner of about 600 calories.

Since then, Slim Fast has introduced many new products to its line-up. There are ready-made shakes in cans, snack bars and soup mixes, which you can have a few times per day. In addition, it is now required that you drink eight glasses of water on a daily basis.

Those are the basics of the Slim Fast program. Now let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this diet.

Pros: Perhaps most importantly, you can lose quite a bit of weight on the Slim Fast diet if you combine it with an exercise program. It’s not difficult at all to follow the program. The shakes are quite portable and you can take them with you anywhere. You won’t have to pack a lunch for work. You don’t have to count your calories or go to meetings.

Cons: It’s hard to feel full after drinking your Slim Fast shake, and you might be longing for some real food at mealtimes. This makes it pretty difficult to stick with this diet for too long. There isn’t an abundance of fruits and vegetables on the plan, so you won’t be getting your fiber requirements and you’ll miss out on some important nutrients (although the shakes contain vitamins and minerals).

It’s certainly possible to lose weight on this plan, but given the downsides, it might be easier to use the Slim Fast products for snacks instead of meals, along with a healthy food plan. The shakes are tasty, but you won’t experience the enjoyment you get from eating actual food.

Finally, it’s not unusual for people on this diet to put back on all the weight they lost. One woman followed the Slim Fast program for a year along with moderate exercise. She lost 60 pounds. And then she gained it all back the next year. The problem is, if you haven’t changed your eating habits, and then you stop using the shakes, you’re likely to go back to your unhealthy ways.

Recommendation: Since it’s so difficult to stay with this plan indefinitely, the Slim Fast diet is best for people who only need to lose a few pounds. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you could use this diet as a starting point for some quick weight loss, then move on to food-based plan to help you continue to shed a pound or two a week.

Every time you turn around, there’s a new diet book on the market. It can be hard to choose the one that’s best for you. While you’re checking out the latest weight loss miracle, remember that long-term weight loss requires a change in your eating habits that you can live with for life.