Herballife & Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the most talked-about topics in the lives of people all over America. There are hundreds of weight-loss products and diet plans available out there. One of these is called Herbalife.

History

• Herbalife was founded in 1980 by Mark Hughes, who was said to have dreamed of "a future brilliant beyond compare." He began Herbalife in Los Angeles and was said to have sold the original, first program out of his trunk. Herbalife has been launched in 72 countries and has evolved in many ways over the years.

Products

• Herbalife products are used for weight loss, weight management and personal care. Weight-loss products include Herbalife shake mixes, cell activator, herbal concentrate, multivitamin complex, total control, protein powder, cell U loss and snack defense. Shake mixes come in several flavors with a diet-healthy mix of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Cell activator promotes cellular energy production; the concentrate provides a healthy tea mix. The rest of the products are used to reduce cravings and limit appetite, resulting in weight loss.

Basic Diet Plan

• The basic daily plan for an Herbalife diet includes one single meal that is rich in fruit and vegetables. The other two meals of the day are replaced with Herbalife shakes and snacks that are meant to fill you up and help you feel full longer, as well as boost metabolism. These are full of protein. The other supplements are used to help cell nutrition and enhance health. They are supposed to do this by building energy, boosting metabolism, reducing fluid retention and curbing appetite while increasing the intake of vitamins and nutrients.

Physical Activity

• Herbalife is known for extreme weight-loss results. However, it also promotes the other extremely important half of weight loss and management: exercise. On the Herbalife website tips can be found on why to stay active while on Herbalife and on a weight-loss journey. These include setting small goals, renewing your commitment to weight loss and a new lifestyle, participating in aerobic exercise, remembering that your metabolism doesn't slow with age, encouraging resistance exercises, using simple ways to get fit, resting between workouts, doing at least 30 minutes of activity daily and keeping hydrated.

Does it Work?

• The answer is yes and no. The products offered by Herbalife work for many individuals. Herbalife weight-loss goals are up to 7 1/2 pounds a week, so losing large amounts of weight is possible, and the Herbalife products are nutritionally well-balanced. However, the Herbalife program forces a sort of dependence on the products themselves to maintain weight, and that is not reasonable for long-term weight management. On the "no" side, Herbalife products are extremely costly and the price really adds up over time. Dependence on the products to lose and even manage weight means that many will regain or not be able to maintain their weight after stopping the use of products due to the price.