Herbalife

Herbalife is a company founded in 1980 which sells Herbalife products for weight-loss and health through multi-level marketing (MLM) distributorships. The weight loss program called ShapeWorks™, and associated weight-loss products, are reviewed here.

Also available from Herbalife distributors are targeted health/nutrition products (specifically for heart, digestion, stress, men, women, etc, as well as skin, hair, fragrances etc). They recently released a line of their best workout supplements called 24 Hour Fitness Support.

Herbalife Weight Loss Program – ShapeWorks™

The ShapeWorks™ program is available for weight loss or weight maintenance in several variations (‘quickstart’, ‘advanced‘, ‘ultimate’, and with each of these ‘protein plus’), at regular prices ranging from $US85 to $US210 (discounted prices are available). The program personalizes daily protein intake for your body’s individual needs, with the aim that you feel full, satisfied and energized as you lose your unwanted weight. Included is a seven-day recommended meal plan.

The amount of weight-loss aimed for, and your physical make-up as well as your attitude to pushing towards your objective, will determine how soon you reach it and the extent that the ongoing cost of reordering supplies will mount up. The initial pack will last perhaps 11 to 15 days at the recommended rate of consumption.

The program features a daily plan of

a single healthy meal with plenty of fruit & vegetables
2 meal-replacement shakes tailored to your protein needs, and protein snacks to promote metabolism and reduce hunger
supplements to enhance health and cell nutrition
by helping reduce fluid retention, boosting metabolism and building energy, increasing intake of essential nutrients and curbing appetite

Herbalife Weight Loss Products supplied with ShapeWorks™

Herbalife Shake Mixes: come in a variety of flavors, and contain up to 20 essential vitamins and minerals as well as health-enhancing herbs and 9g of soy protein, as well as being a healthy source of fiber.

Herbalife Herbal Concentrate: Low-calorie tea-mix for a tasty and healthy alternative to coffee and sodas -
comes in several flavors and includes selected herbs and green tea for its thermogenic and antioxidant properties.

Herbalife Multivitamin Complex: A daily multivitamin and mineral supply, plus selected herbs, to maintain health of bones, skin, hair and the immune system, and promote overall well-being and long-term good health.

Herbalife Cell Activator: Essential nutrients, plus selected botanicals, to improved nutrient absorption and support cellular energy production and stamina.

Herbalife Protein Powder: a blend of unflavored whey and soy protein powder, that is mixed in shakes, soups and sauces to help maintain lean muscle mass and reduce hunger.

Herbalife Cell U Loss®: A supplement to help reduce fluid accumulation in the body, shown for example in dimpled skin which may form when fatty tissues in certain parts of the body accumulate fluid and wastes.

Herbalife Total Control®: A herbal enhancer that works at the cellular level to promote weight loss. Boosts fat-burning metabolism, and builds energy and soothes digestion. Contains green tea extract with yerba maté, ginger and other selected herbs.

Herbalife Snack Defense™: A weight-management supplement that works all day to reduce the desire for sweets while lowering the between-meals ‘snacking’ urge.

ShapeWorks™ Program Components
Quickstart	Advanced	Ultimate
Nutritional Shake Mix (550g) Multivitamin ComplexCell Activator Herbal Concentrate Original (50g)	Quickstartcomponents +: Cell-U-Loss® Total Control®	Advancedcomponents +: Snack Defense™ Sampler Pack of snack items: 4 Bars (different flavors), 4 Roasted Soy Nuts, 4 Beverage Mix packets (2 flavors), 2 Creamy Chicken Soup.
Quickstart Protein Plushas above with 750g Shake Mix (instead of 550g) +: Personalized Protein Powder	Advanced Protein Plus has Quickstart Protein Pluscomponents +: Cell-U-Loss® Total Control®	Ultimate Protein Plus has Advanced Protein Pluscomponents +: Snack Defense™ Sampler Pack

Sample ShapeWorks™ Meal Plan

Breakfast and Lunch: meal replacement cup of herbal tea concentrate multivitamins (1 tablet) (approx. 29g protein)	Meal Replacement 25g Shake Mix 375 ml 1% M.F. milk or soy milk 12 g (2 tbsp) Protein Powder – add more based on your needs 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit blend well
Dinner: meal dessert (1cup fresh or frozen fruit) multivitamins (1 tablet) (approx. 30-40g protein)	Meal 4+ cups of salad 15ml (1 tbsp) rice- or wine-vinegar or nonfat salad dressing 85-170g/3-6oz fish, skinless chicken, lean red meat or soy-meat substitute, cooked by non-fat means 2+ cups mixed vegetables
Snack:(approx. 12g protein)	1 cup cut, raw vegetables Soup (Cream of Chicken Mix) or Protein Bar or Roasted Soy Nuts or Protein Drink (Wild Berry or Peach Mango Mix)
Tips:	Individuals weighing over 100Kg/220pounds or wanting to lose 23Kg/50pounds or more may add one extra tablespoon of Protein Powder to their shakes. Also, men may have two snacks a day if hungry and weight-loss goals permit. Replace 1 meal a day (instead of 2) to just maintain your weight. Take advantage of all available flavors of shake and drink mixes. Drinking water is important. Exercise several times a week.

Sample Meal

GRILLED CITRUS SNAPPER (2 servings)
Ingredients:	¼ cup bottled citrus marinade¼ cup green onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp minced fresh ginger root 1 pound red snapper filets
Directions:	Prepare marinade by combining the first four ingredients in a bowl. Then pour marinade over snapper, flesh side down, and let set for 15 minutes. Prepare grill. Remove snapper from marinade and pat dry. Season snapper with salt and pepper. Grill skin side down on an oiled rack set five-six inches over glowing coals for four minutes. Place lid on the grill to cover, grilling snapper until just cooked through for another four minutes.* Carefully transfer snapper with a metal spatula to a platter and remove skin before serving. Serve with steamed asparagus tossed with lemon and garlic. *NOTE: Alternatively, snapper may be grilled in a hot, well-seasoned grill pan with a lid over moderate heat.
Nutrient Analysis per Serving:	Calories: 285Protein: 48 grams Carbohydrates: 12 grams Fat: 3 grams

Look for other meal ideas here.

Meal Replacement (Shakes) Variations

With up to 30 meals in every ShapeWorks™ meal replacement container, the shakes can be used to make lots of variations, for drinks and for snacks (muffins, cookies, bars and pies). Here are two examples.

CHOCOLATE – MINT SHAKE
2½ tbsp/37ml	Meal Replacement (French )Vanilla
1/3 cup/75ml	Skim milk
¼ cup/60 ml	Herbal Aloe drink
4-6	Ice cubes
2 drops	Mint extract
Directions:	Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE
1 cup/250ml	Meal Replacement (Dutch chocolate or French Vanilla)
2½ cups/625ml	Skim milk
1 package	White chocolate sugar-free instant pudding mix
¼ cup/60ml	Peanut butter
1	Ready made chocolate pie crust, 8″/20x20cm
Directions:	Mix Meal Replacement and milk together. Add pudding and peanut butter mix well and pour into crust. Chill one hour. Add fat free, non-dairy whipped topping.

Is ShapeWorks™ suitable for everyone?

Weight loss programs like this, while effective for many, are not necessarily suitable for all. Although the program supplies at least 1000 calories daily and is nutritionally complete, there is a heavy reliance on Herbalife powders and pills. The suggested rate of weight loss (up to 3.5Kg/7½ pounds weekly) is too high for most people to sustain. In addition, reliance on a specific product does not teach healthy, lifelong eating habits. Maintaining a successful healthy lifestyle is a long-term thing that extends beyond the program itself, so you need to continue lifelong habits of good nutrition, fitness, and exercise.

The Herbalife ShapeWorks Weight Loss Program may become costly when adding the ongoing additional expenses of meal replacement shakes and supplements to your initial outlay to join the program of your choice. Conversely, making a large financial commitment might help to stay motivated.

January 15th, 2012hanna

I have just started Herbal life, some days i am not able to mix myself a great tasting shake for lunch due to my school schedule. I am wondering if weight loss will occur if i alternate between 1 and 2 shakes a day?
January 10th, 2012Ariel Rey Tomimbang

Yes,I’ve been using herbalife thru my brother Jim and it really trimmed me down in size and weight, im having no problem with my lawn tennis sessions not like previously where i almost collapse everytime i play, now i feel better, thanks
December 8th, 2011Rosanna

Do you have to be on a strict diet?
November 14th, 2011Rob

Hi Natasha, Your not doing anything wrong. The body will decide when to do what – not the brain. Stop “trying” to lose weight. I lost 15.5 kg in 12 weeks – and I had tried lots of things. I met a lady a few years ago – who after 12 weeks hadn’t lost anything – but stayed on it because she had never felt so good – she then lost 14 kgs in 8 weeks. This was a lady who said that she had tried every known diet on the market. Herbalife simply provides balanced nutrition for the body – because so many of our foods today are nutrient deficient, because they are being force grown.
November 8th, 2011Gabi

Herbalife products are awesome. They realy work as long as you use sensible eating rules. If you are on a weight loss program with Herbalife that means you are taking 2 times a day: the shakes and the 3rd meal is the so called ‘colorful meal’. Your protein intake for a meal should be around 25-30g, so you need to make sure that your meal does not exceed by too much this number. Is would be recomended not to have meat and potatoes at the same time. Try and replace the potatoes with vegetables, salad, rice but as you know the ratio is 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch and 2/4 vegetables ( salad). If you keep this in mind, even after you stopped using the products, there shouldn’t be any reason to put weight. Of course, if you snack in between meals, try to stick to healthy choices.
Some might be reluctant to start using Herbalife due to the prices, but if you think about it, depends on what level of weight loss products you are, lets say it cost you $300/month ( and this is for the Ultimate program), divide that by 30 days and you’ll find that it will cost you $10 for 2 meals a day. The only one that you still have to shop is your colorful meal. Not too bad!? We went from $400-$600 per month to about $200 per month in shopping.
My husband lost 30lbs in 9 weeks and me 10lbs and a lot of inches. The personal protein powder keep the hunger away and helps turn fat into muscles. We love it. Not to mention that for me is a plus, because I don’t have to crack my brain every day what to cook for dinner, specially when I get home at 7 p.m at night.
You are not going to regret trying it! Your energy level will rise, if you have constipation problem – is taking care of that as well. And so many other issues related to overweight problems will disapear.
October 27th, 2011Junior

I started herbal life nd im taking formula 1 nd i drink 3 liters of water. I heard that when u stop taking it you gain the weight back is it true?
October 10th, 2011Marion Oleson

I am thinking of starting the herbalife products. I have a sample of Cookies and Cream that I am trying today. What flavors do you like best? I don’t want to buy a bunch of flavors to begin with…but over time. Thanks for any input..
September 27th, 2011M. RAJAN

I have started using this product for nearly 2 1/2 months, and the result is amazing. I lost about 9.5 kg.
The business side is also very good. To do the business one must become the Product of the Products. First Achieve the desired result by using the product then start doing business – Success is yours.
September 13th, 2011Diane Acker

For proper nutrition you should not let your daily colorie intake drop below 1200 and 99 grams of soy protein. It is imortant to keep a food journal.

For the average person your food intake should be as follows:

Twice a day have the following, this will equal around 440 calories and 48 grams of protein
Herbalife Smoothie made with Formula 1 Healthy Meal and Protein Drink Mix
Herbal Tea concentrate 8 to 16 oz
Aloe
Multi Vitamin and Cell Activator

Mid morning, Afternoon Snack

100 calories 1/2 piece of fruit with 15grams protein
Herbal Concentrate Tea
1/2 Hour after tea have Water at least 16 oz
Aloe
Aloe at least 16 oz water

Dinner
Have a colorful meal which will be around 500-600 calories
3-4 oz protein
1/2 plate of Veggies
1 cup starch, whole grain pasta, rice, corn, potatoes, etc.
Aloe
Water

This will average around 1200 calories

Aloe
1/2 after Tea drink at least 16 oz of water
September 6th, 2011Tumba

Ive been on herbalife shakes and the tea going onto 2 weeks now, Ive had some good weight loss but what I wanted to find out from you guys whove been there and done that is whether its imperative that I use the proten complex powder as well. Thanks for your help.
August 30th, 2011Ally

I’m starting to have the shakes this week and I often get a little bit hungry after 2 or 3 hours of the meal replacement shakes. I was thinking of having some fruits after drinking my shakes but I was wondering if that is allowable?or even a piece of biscuit in the afternoon?
July 11th, 2011Letty

I have heard that eating food less than 3 hours after eating a Formula 1 Herbalife meal shake will make you lose weight. Is this true? If not how long after eating a shake can I eat.
July 10th, 2011joanne young

I have been on this product before and had good results.My daughter is getting married in October and I want to lost weight
June 30th, 2011Lisa Murphy

I’m due to start the biggest loser in the next few weeks and Herbalife quick start package is included in the price, but I will have to buy subsequent packs. Can anyone advise me how much this will cost weekly / monthly? Thank you. Lisa x
June 28th, 2011natasha

I’vebeen on herbalife Quickstart for approximately 3 weeks my weight is 155lbs to date I have not shed any weight. Have been using the shake for breakfast, one healthy meal consisting required fist full carb, protein and vegs and shake for dinner midmorningand afternoon snacks mainly fruits, still no results. Can someone advise me on what I’m doing wrong
June 9th, 2011Tom

Hi All,
I have been reading some of the comments and I have to say I am a little shocked at such a differenc in the results,
I started using the products 5 months ago and I have gone from body fat of 27.4% to 16% I am down over 4 stone of fat and I have gaines over a stone of lean body mass, my plan is very simple and I’m never hungry I start my day with a shake+Protein i have fruit between that and my protein bar at 11am I have a good lunch with Carbs and Protein at 13:30aprox (e.g Tuna on crackers or low GI brown soda Bread)more fruit between then i have a second shake about 16:00 and again a piece of fruit before dinner at 18:30 which would be meat/poltry/fish and two veg maybe some low fat creamed rice for disert. I have 3ltrs of water every day which is really important.
The boredom factor is not there as I don’t have the same lunch or dinner twice in a week unless I want to and the shakes I use different flavours each month and sometimes do smoothies, this has worked for my whole family as we are all on the programme of healthy eating and exercising.
The MLM side of this well I’m no expert on buisness at all but I signed up to be a distributor to get the discount on the products and I now have over 25 customers and I get my products free and a little something now I don’t see myself getting super rich on it but I don’t understand why people have failed with this as the products are great and they work so I suppose its down to individual themselves if you don’t believe in the products how can you sell them and if they haven’t worked for you why would any else want them off you.
June 8th, 2011Kieran

I used herbalife several years ago and lost 14kg in 7 weeks! Awesome results!!! I found I got bored on 2 shakes a day – just drinking didn’t seem to tell my brain I had eaten and was full. After consulting with my coach I started having my salad intact (part of my veg allowance) at lunch- and instead of adding fruit to my shake I chopped it up and ate it for breakfast. My daily menu was something like this : Shake before excercise (20 min brisk walk on beach), fruit as rest of breakfast (weighed portion)- any fruit I didn’t eat I would then eat as my morning snack, shake and salad (measured portion) for lunch, shapeworks bar for afternoon tea (ONLY IF I WAS REALLY CRAVING SOMETHING TO EAT- which wasn’t often!), protein and mixed fresh, steamed veg for dinner. I would drink 2L fresh, purified water EVERY DAY! I even had a “free day” every fortnight and ate what I wanted- with my only stipulation being NO DEEP FRIED FOODS!

I had such a great success on it that my husband and I are about to start herbalife together- I put a little weight back on due to inactivity after an operation and need to encourage my husband! Using the shapeworks program also helped reduce my asthma and lower fluid retention! I can’t wait to start again!