Herbalife- The Lie Behind The Brand

For my latest instalment I’m going to throw my two cents in regarding a supplement company sweeping across the UK called Herbalife. Firstly, what is it? Herbalife manufacture and distribute weight loss supplements usually in the form of snack bars and meal replacement shakes. Now these things are magic! They transform flabby couch potatoes into lean, mean athletic machines. A dream opportunity right?! Sadly, like most things in life, the reason this sounds too good to be true, is because it is. I’m going to tell you why.

I want to make my stance on products like this very clear. Fitness professionals who advocate the use of fad, trendy and expensive diets are not focusing on the overall health and well being of their clients, they're more interested in their bank accounts. If your trainer is selling you a diet you can’t buy yourself from the local supermarket, i'd be very cautious taking his or her advice. We all got into this industry to help people but, unfortunately, some of us seem to have lost sight of that.

The fact is, there is no substitute for healthy living and hard work. Whatever your goal, executing a sustainable, rewarding and enjoyable lifestyle change is the only way to fast track you to success. It doesn’t matter how large the task at hand may seem, start moving, eat well and enjoy the journey. No pill, potion or shake will ever give you the mind or body you want, but you can. 

How it works

In my career I’ve met clients who have tried anything and everything to lose weight except the one thing that works, clean living! These fads range from juicing, the 5/2 diet, fruit detox, intermittent fasting and or course Herbalife. I’m yet to find a success story. Those peddling Herbalife products will hit back with before and after photo’s of clients who have achieved commendable weight loss. They’ll also fail to mention the 3 hours of hard exercise they do each week and other positive dietary changes clients usually make when they start an exercise programme. That same client would have had the same results, if not better had they not drank that 'magical cup of sugar'! 

It's also important to mention that weight loss and fat loss aren’t the same thing! It’s been proven time and time again that high carb low calorie diets are excellent at eating away muscle, not so good at burning fat. Then what happens when you revert back to your old eating habits? It all comes back, and fast! What a waste of time, effort and a lot of money.

The Products

The name Herbalife leaves the impression of a natural product. In fact it’s anything but. The bars and shakes are loaded with stimulants to suppress appetites and diuretics to force out water weight. Does that sound like a natural way to lose fat? 

The first ingredient to appear on the nutritional information is what it has most of. In most Herbalife shakes that ingredient is soy protein. Now this is a whole other article on it’s own, but soy protein is largely believed to be not for human consumption. It is a cheap, largely indigestible and problematic protein source. In brief, much of the population has an intolerance to it, it has been proven to cause gastrointestinal problems ranging from discomfort to bleeding, and studies have found a strong link between soy consumption and breast cancer due to its high estrogen content. Supplement companies use it for cost, rather than health reasons.

Many Herbalife meal replacements also contain compounds known as diuretics. Diuretics work by increasing the body’s urine volume, in essence drying you out at the cellular level. To put this into context, mixed martial artists use diuretics to make weight before a fight. And you attribute your new, lighter weight on the scales from the amazing fat burning qualities found in these expensive shakes. Unfortunately that isn’t the case. In fact there isn’t one proven fat burning ingredient in any Herbalife product, and anyone who says there are is lying. Over the years Herbalife has been instructed by courts to remove misleading medical claims from their literature, such as 'Herbalife cures migraines and asthma'. Years of medical research hasn’t been able to cure asthma and bronchitis, yet Herbalife claimed to have cracked it!

In Summary

In just the last few years in the UK Herbalife has become huge. Using sporting superstars like David Beckam and Cristiano Ronaldo shows just how profitable this industry is. The distributors work tirelessly to push these simple yet expensive products. I receive at least a phone call a week trying to churn up interest in their illustrious, money spinning pyramid scheme. It’s not difficult to spot the distributors in and outside of the gym. Clad in the company t-shirts, drinking from Herbalife branded bottles, wearing Herbalife badges and some even having their cars wrapped in the famous green logo. Strike up a conversation with any distributor, about any topic and it always turns into a similar sales pitch. I ask you, would a product this ground breaking and effective need to be pushed that hard if the claims were true? I think not. 

Jacked Fitness personal trainers are experts in physical and nutritional weight loss. We understand how important it is not to sacrifice your health in the pursuit of the perfect body. By using work outs, diet plans and fitness schedules that will create a sustainable platform for you to keep off the weight you lose, you'll never have to settle for a dubious 'quick fix' again.