Now, my problem is not with Juice+ individually. I would just like to make a point that I don't hate Juice+ (or other meal replacement diets such as Slimfast and Special K) or think they are really bad, I just don't think they are right for me and would not try them myself. I know many people that have done these diets and had great results, I even have a family member who is a rep for Juice+, and good on them. But I have been advised by personal trainers and gym instructors as well, as to the pitfalls of these 'rapid results' diets which have helped me develop this opinion, and so this is it.
These diets are based around the principle that you replace 1 or 2 of your meals daily with a shake/juice that is promoted by the brand. This means that instead of having 3 regular meals a day you only have 1 (or 2 depending on which diet you are doing). You then are usually allowed to snack on fruit/veg throughout the rest of the day so you don't get hungry (which also goes to help your metabolism keep ticking over at a constant, as if you starve yourself of regular food your metabolism has a coping mechanism of slowing right down to compensate).
My issue with this concept is that it is a quick fix solution and a weight loss that is difficult to maintain once your goal weight has been reached and you come off of the diet. Through the entire period of your diet you have not been teaching yourself any healthy eating habits or anything that you can take forward with you after the diet, which suggests that once completed you would very easily slip back in to old habits and put that weight back on. Also, your body gets used to surviving on these meal replacements and so when you go back to eating 'normally' your metabolism has changed and your body can start to 'hoard' normal foods as it is not sure when they will be taken away and replaced with shakes again, in the same way that you would hoard limited edition make-up releases!
Therefore I find diets such as those provided by Slimming World (which I have done myself) and Weight Watchers are much more beneficial for losing weight and keeping the weight off. Yes it is a much slower process than the meal replacement diets but it is one where you learn eating habits that you can carry through once you have reached your goal weight and you get to meet and discuss your weight loss with other people going through it in your local area at the same time.
These diets teach you about portion control and cooking healthy meals that are low in calories and fat and giving more consideration to what you are eating on a daily basis. Some of the meals can be a bit hit and miss in regards to flavours (Slimming World Carbonara, I'm looking at you!) but I have found many recipes that I have really loved and still eat a lot of now.
I just think that the methods of weight loss offered by Slimming World and the like are much safer on your body. Plus all good things are worth working hard at and shouldn't just come easy, am I right?
What are your experiences with these rapid diets? Have you been put off by the same advice that I have received in the past? Would be lovely to hear of your stories and I respond to all comments :)
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