The Latest In Meal Replacement Diets
There’s a new diet fad circulating and so far negative reception is minimal, so we thought we would weigh in (get it?) and offer our two cents. Recently a friend told me about Body bi Vi shakes and her personal success story after trying it for a couple of months. What the diet consists of is a nutritional shake advertised as “the shake mix that tastes like cake mix”, which apparently contains all of the daily nutrition you would get from more than a shopping cart’s worth of groceries. The shake works as a meal replacement at two servings per day, and is offered in four different kits according to your choice of weight management and diet goals. Included in each kit are herbal metabolism boosters, flavor mix pouches to add to the mix, and various Vi-Slim products for snack fillers.
As this friend was singing the praises of this new trend, we couldn’t help but notice that even though it appears to be marketed as somewhat of a pyramid scheme, promoted as a 90 day challenge that you can distribute yourself and make money from (much like Avon or Mary Kay cosmetics) there are two distinctive features which make a good selling point: it is designed to reduce the grocery bill and function as a short term weight loss program for specific goals, rather than a guarantee to shed pounds miraculously. The appeal is in the do-it-yourself methods of constructing your own daily diet and weaning yourself off junk food by starting small. The theory is that if you complete the 90 day challenge on two shakes per day at $45-99 for a monthly kit, you will be redirecting the money you spend on junk food and grocery bills towards better nutrition and actually be saving yourself some cash.
Upon reviewing the numerous internet triumphs of having lost 20 pounds in a month and the promises of how delicious the shakes are, we simply had to give it a try.
Surprisingly, after ordering ‘The Balance Kit’ online, it arrived the next day. One bonus point already for efficiency. Next, a critical reading of ingredients. There doesn’t seem to be anything questionable and boasts 30% of all necessary vitamins, minerals, soy protein, and supplements for daily nutrition. Each shake clocks in at 90 calories, so with two shakes per day you’re supposed to be consuming everything you need at only 180 calories with room for a healthy meal and a few additional snacks. It’s not rocket science as far as how one could achieve weight loss so quickly; substantial reduction of calories.
Lastly, it’s true that the shake mix does in fact taste like cake mix. This, perhaps, was the focal point of experiment more so than the diet’s ability to shed weight. Whether you use meal replacement shakes as actual food substitutes or just want a grab-and-go snack in lieu of a donut, the reality is that nearly every brand on the market offers milkshakes that have a sort of metallic after taste, and don’t even resemble their advertised flavor to begin with.
Let the records show that Body by Vi shakes are every bit as delicious as they say. Should you sign up for the 90 day challenge, though? We’re not sure. While we can’t conclusively write it off as a scam, the program’s website is incredibly frustrating to navigate for information and finding exact details on the nutritional statistics and even the flavors accompanied with each kit is almost impossible. It’s not until you take the package out of the box that you realize the default mix flavor is ‘sweet cream’ and the sample pack comes with strawberry, banana, and blueberry.
Our vote is ‘yum’ to the taste, and ‘meh’ to the diet.
If you would like to try it out yourself, see the Body by Vi website for details.
 Courtney Gilmour | |
| About the author: | |
Courtney is a published writer, stand-up comic, and shameless Internet enthusiast. She holds a double bachelors degree in English Literature and Communication Media Studies, specializing in semiotic theory, however she doesn't get Shakespeare and has never won a game of Scrabble. Currently she lives in Toronto and works as a writer for WOMAN.CA. | |
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