Have you heard of ViSalus or the Body by Vi Challenge? If you’re like me, odds are several people have asked you about the science behind ViSalus or asked you if you wanted to try their products. Fortunately for me, a friend gave me some samples so I could check it out for myself, so let me now review ViSalus and pay particular attention to its Body By Vi Shape weight loss shake because which seems to be one of their flagship products. I've written a separate review on Vi Slim Metabo Awake so check that out if your looking for information specific to that product.
What is ViSalus?
ViSalus, the company is actually part of a larger company called Blyth located in Greenwich CT. Blyth Inc is actually a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Its stock symbol is BTH. Blyth Inc. is involved in marketing a variety of products. See the Blyth website for more information on their products.
In America, Blyth is located at One East Weaver Street Greenwich, CT. Their phone number is : 203-661-1926
I mention this because it appears that ViSalus itself will be spun off as a publicly traded company in the near future. As of August 16 2012 ViSalus has started the paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Visalus Supplements
There are several ViSalus supplements that range from weight loss to “neuro support”. These supplements are usually sold in “kits”. Purchasing any kit also grants people access to the Body By Vi online support website.
These are the kits sold by Visalus.
1. Body by Vi Balance Kit. This is kind of a starter kit and has a 30 day supply of Vi Shape weight loss shake powder. This is designed for people who use 1 shake a day. Here is the Balance kit on Amazon.
2. Body by Vi Shape Kit. This kit has 60 servings of the Vi Shape shake powder and is designed to last 1 month (2 shakes per day). Here is the Shape Kit on Amazon.
3. Body by Vi Core Kit. This kit was a little ambiguous when I looked at it on the Visalus website. They say the Core kit has “a patented anti-aging and energy formula, balanced nutrition, and hydration and energy without the jitters”. Is that 4 different products or 5? It was hard to figure out how many products are in the Body by Vi Core Kit. Here is the Core Kit on Amazon.
They also say “Combine that with our comprehensive Vi-Pak, for sound nutritional support from head to toe, and patent-pending Neuro Smart Energy drink mix, to support healthy brain function and keep you sharp”. Here is the Vi Pak on Amazon.
The Vi Pak? Is that extra or does it come with the Core Kit? When they say “combine” it makes me think you have to buy the Vi Pak separately. Make sure you understand this part if you purchase the Core Kit.
The Vi Pak is a mulit vitamin and mineral, anti aging and omega fatty acid supplement developed by Dr. Michael Seidman who is on the ViSalus science board. Check out the Vi Pak link for everything in the Vi Pak. Be careful with the Vi Pak if you are pregnant, lactating or taking blood thinner drugs.
Tip. Nobody knows why we age or grow old. There are many theories about aging but no single theory completely explains the aging process. Because of this fact, don’t take too seriously anyone who has an “anti-aging” formula –even if it’s “patented”.
4. Body by Vi Transformation Kit. This is billed as “the ultimate in shaping and nutritional ingredients to help you see and feel maximum results.” It looks like it’s basically a 30 day supply of everything in the Visalus product line. Here is the Transformation Kit on Amazon.
How much do the Visalus kits cost?
I found the prices on the Visalus website in a pdf file.
- Balance Kit: $49
- Shape Kit: $99
- Core kit: $199
- Transformation Kit: $249
Yearly cost of Visalus Kits
Let’s add up what 1 year costs if you used any of the Vlsalus kits.
- Balance Kit. $49 x 12 = $588 per year
- Shape Kit $99 X 6 = $594 per year (each shape kit lasts 2 months)
- Core Kit. $199 x 12 = $2388 per year
- Transformation Kit $249 x 12 = $2998 per year
I checked out ViSalus on the Better Business Bureau and they give the company an “A” Rating as of 8/18/11. The BBB did report 6 complaints for ViSalus but the categories were vague, dealing with issues about “Advertising/Sales Issues” and “Problems with Product/Service”. All complaints appear to have been resolved and I'm not worried about their reputation with customers at this time.
Body by Vi business
Body by Vi seems to be marketed mostly through distributors. It looks like there is a multi level marketing (MLM) aspect to the business which makes some people think ViSalus is a scam. That said, I don’t think MLM is always a bad thing and it does allow some people to make a lot of money with a home based business. In this economy, I do like that.
If you are thinking about being a ViSalus distributor ask “what does the average ViSalus distributor make?”. The answer to that question might help you get an idea of how much you might make.
Also ask ViSalus if you have to buy the product up front before selling it? I don’t think this is the case with ViSalus, but ask anyway before you join up.
Many weight loss supplements are sold via distributors. For example this is mostly how Shakeology is sold.
Speaking of Shakeology, here is a post where I compared ViSalus shakes to Shakeology. There you can get a cost breakdown also.
In some respects the ViSalus shake reminds me of Formula 1 meal shakes by Herbalife. See that review for more information.
The Body by Vi Challenge
Like many people I first heard about ViSalus because of its Body by Vi challenge. This is basically how the challenge works. If you use ViSalus supplements and lose more weight than the others in 90 days, you win.
Prizes for winning the Body by Vi Challenge range from a Hollywood vacation to a cruise to Baja Mexico. Runners up can get other prizes.
The Body by Vi Challenge reminds me of the Body for Life “challenge” which was big in the late 1990s and is still popular today.
I credit Body For Life as being the impetus behind P90X and most other fitness and weight loss challenges that are popular today.
The book, Body For Life was written by Bill Phillips, who used to run EAS supplements. People who changed their life the most in 90 days by using EAS supplements (and working out) got prizes. This is pretty similar to the Body by Vi challenge.
The idea of a fitness or weight loss challenge is very smart marketing. You buy the supplements, work hard and if you win, the company makes a big fuss over you and shows you off to others.
For the company, it’s a win-win.
The company makes money up front when you buy their supplements and the company makes more money later on by showing off the winner of the challenge to “the next generation” of people in the challenge.
You win because you got healthy and got a cool prize.
There isn’t anything wrong with this and getting healthy is great. I only want to point this out to you. It’s also nice that the Body by Vi website lets people interact with others in the Challenge. Online support is good because it’s been shown to help people achieve their weight loss goals.
The Vi Shape
At the core of the ViSalus product line is the weight loss shake called Vi Shape. This shake is included in every Body by Vi Kit. Let’s take a look at it and see what we can discover.
Body By Vi- Shape Ingredients
| DV | |
| Calories 90 | |
| Calories from fat 10 | 10 |
| Total fat | 2% |
| Saturated fat | 0 |
| Trans fat | 0 |
| Cholesterol 15 mg | 5% |
| Total carbs 7 g | 2% |
| Dietary fiber 5g | 22% |
| Sugars <1 g | |
| Protein 12 g | 24% |
There are also many vitamins and minerals in the Vi Shape as well. Mostly, the shake gives you 30% of each vitamin and mineral. The exception is iron where you only get 5% of your daily value. That’s not a bad thing since most healthy people get enough iron from their diet –and too much iron is not always good.
Overall, the shake is pretty conservative in how much vitamins and minerals it gives you. Again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Tip. Extra vitamins and minerals don’t make you bigger, leaner or stronger. That’s probably why the Vi Shape doesn't give you lots of them.
How much nutrition is in the Body By Vi Shake?
On 11/3/11, I noticed an interesting video on the website BodyByVisalus.com. The video says that to get the same nutritional value in just 1 Body By Vi shake you would have to eat:
- 12 eggs – for vitamin D
- 1.5 cups broccoli – for vitamin E
- 5 peaches – for vitamin A
- 2 chicken breasts – for vitamin B12 (they say “at least 2 chicken breasts”)
- 1.5 cups of frozen yogurt – for calcium
- 1.5 cups of bran flakes – for magnesium
- 18 oz tomato juice – for vitamin B6
- 5 oz cheddar cheese for zinc
- 3 cups Lima beans – for niacin
- 15 slices of whole wheat bread – for pantiothantic acid
- 20 spears of asparagus – for riboflavin
- 2 cups of mushrooms – for copper
- 30 apples – for chromium
- 10 stalks of celery – for manganese
- 3 pineapples – for digestive enzymes
- 30 prunes – for fiber
All that in just 1 shake! Pretty impressive but this is just “fun with numbers”. Don't be fooled by this. For example, take the 30 prunes which they say is where Body Bi Vi gets it fiber from. But, 1 shake only has 5 grams of fiber. I bet if you ate 30 prunes, you would be getting much more than 5 grams of fiber!
As for digestive enzymes, you don't need these unless you have a digestive issue, which most healthy people don't have.
Adding protein to a weight 
loss shake is smart because it helps reduce our body protein (including muscle protein) from breaking down during dieting – something that can occur. But, each Vi shake only has 12 grams of protein. If you ate the 12 eggs and 2 chicken breasts in the above list, you would be getting MUCH MORE than 12 grams of protein!
The protein in the Vi Shake is a combination of soy and whey protein.
Compared to other weight loss shakes I've seen – like the P90X Recovery Drink – there is nothing in Vi Shape shake that would be considered “controversial”. That’s good. On the downside, I don't see anything special in the Body by Vi Shake either. Basically the Body By Vi Shake just a low calorie weight loss shake.
If you mix it with water, it’s only 90 calories. If you mix it with 8 oz of milk, it’s about 190 calories.
Can ViSalus help you gain muscle?
I'm sure in some people it might be able to help but remember ViSalus shakes have only 90 calories and 12 grams of protein. Gaining muscle is a matter or not just strength training, but extra calories and extra protein.
If you want to know how the ViSalus shake tastes, read my ViSalus shake taste test.
Because it’s fairly low in calories, that’s how the shake helps you lose weight – by reducing the calories you eat per day. If you follow the Body by Vi program you are replacing 1 or 2 meals a day with a ViSalus Shake. You also eat one or two “real” meals a day.
This is the same reasoning behind MANY other weight loss solutions. For example it was the same logic behind Right Size Smoothie. It’s also the basis behind Slim Fast too.
But here’s my question. Is the ViSalus Body Vi Shake better than other weight loss shakes? Will you lose weight faster or safer with Body By Vi than, say, Slim Fast for example? There is no good proof one way or the other.
What do you think?
Hello
I was reading your comment on sucralose Joe.I personally do not consume any artificial sweetners or anything artificial in that matter do to its nutritional value.
I wanted to inform you all of an artificial I was reading on sucralose and the true nature to it.
This should inform you a little more http://www.naturalnews.com/033914_Splenda_Essentials_sweetener.html
Phillip, thanks for the link. Since writing those words I have been looking in to sucralose and wondering about it esp when I started to hear how it might reduce thyroid hormone levels. I still want to see a human study showing that normal ingested levels of sucralose reduce thyroid hormone in humans, but I am thinking more about it and what it might do.
I just wanted to say I’m so excited I found your website. I have been searching for 2 days and only found 2 sites with 3rd party, unbiased reviews. That made me a little suspicious.
I purchased the $49.99 kit from an aquaintance. I already have a personal trainer and I watch what I eat including limiting my calories between 1700-1800 a day. I never have time for breakfast so I thought this might be a good way to get it in. I’ve tried things like slim fast previously and they just made be bloated and gassy.
I will use my 30 day supply as a breakfast replacement but I don’t expect to lose any additional weight by doing so.
Thanks againn
shoniej, thanks and I’m glad you found me too!! 🙂
Hi Joe,
I just discovered your reviews and wanted to say thank you!! They are very detailed and non-biased.
My cousin sells Visalus and is doing the challenge thing. She sent me a sample of the shake mix and a flavor packet thingie. I have yet to try them as I’m very skeptical about the nutritional facts on the shake mix (such as copper, manganese, chromium, phosphorus, etc.) as well as the fact that I can’t even pronounce some of the ingredients. Not to mention how some of those ingredients make me thing “majorly processed” and not natural.
I am overweight, but have been working on changing that. My step-daughters’ mother had (sadly it is had because of lack of proper nutritional education) Type 1 diabetes and my step-daughter has a 24% percent change of being diagnosed with Type 1 before she is 11 (I had to calculate this for a statistics class, which 24% is still too high for my liking). My oldest daughter is trying to be a “vegetarian” at age 15 (hard to be a vegetarian if you are not a lover of most vege’s, so I at least make her eat poultry and fish). My other daughter hates that I make her eat her vegetables (so does my step-daughter for that matter). Obviously, we have a lot going on in my house.
I joined a gym last year, and started seeing a “personal trainer”. I ended up gaining another 10 pounds from the workouts that were being prescribed to me as they were more of a “general” than a “personal” regimen. The “personal trainer” also tried to convince me that I needed to go on this extreme diet (and I mean extreme) to kick off the weight loss as well as drinking tons of protein shakes. I have never been a dieter. As a matter of fact, I detest the word diet. I had a genetic test ran to see what would work with my body, and found I needed to decrease (but not eliminate) my carbs, eat better carbs, decrease my bad fat intake, watch my calories, and workout with a high-intensity program for at least 3 days a week.
The same time that I started my lifestyle change, my cousin started her challenge. While she is slightly slimmer than she was, my results have been greater. I buy healthier / less processed foods (the more processing, the worse they seem to be in nutrition), we don’t eat out as much, I run 3 – 5 times a week, and I do a 30 minute random incline at a fast pace 3 – 5 times a week. Since I started doing this in the middle of December, I have lost 20 pounds and have noticed a significant difference in my shirts and pants. I was trying to get a comparison from my cousin, but she said I did better.
I don’t see how a meal replacement plan is going to work in the long run, if people don’t learn about proper nutrition and exercise. I also don’t see how all those ingredients can be good for a body if they are not natural, such as what my family now gets from fresh fruits, veges, poultry, fish, and lean-cut beef. I haven’t counted calories for 2 months and I’m still going strong. I also don’t eat 100% healthy 100% of the time. I still incorporate snacks and the occasional fast food. And I’m still going strong.
While I understand the immediate results some people are experiencing, is it really beneficial to their health in the long run? Especially if there have been no reputable studies done on this product? What are all those complicated ingredients? With the amount that I work out, and the fact that my nutritional change has been working for me already, is it even worth it to try this shake replacement? Is this shake replacement better than my occasional fruit shake that I make from scratch?
Hi Jennifer, I say keep doing what you are doing since you said it’s working for you. I would much rather you make your own fruit shake (I posted the recipe I use also on this site) than something that is more expensive. There maybe a convenience factor to a pre-made shake (you said you have a lot going on at your house – and it sounds like you do!) but as long as you can find time for “you” I’m fine with what you are doing. In the end we all have to do what we are comfortable with and if what you are doing is working for you then I say stay the course.
Glad you found me today Jennifer and thanks for your very nice words 🙂
I agree Joe, and it scares me to death that those idiots at the FDA are willing to force it down our throats. I do not buy anything anymore unless its labeled with clarity that there is no HFCS or GMO products in them. great conversation with you Joe, always love hearing your viewpoints Oh I found and added you on FB bro. Stay in touch
Sounds good Charlie and yep I saw you on facebook today too! 🙂
vary aware of the goitrogens and there effects. As I have said this is a patented process so not much general info is available to my knowledge on Independent research or independent reviews, sadly as with any new science. All I can go on at this particular time is personal success with the Thyroid issues (which really outside of science should speak for themselves.
I refuse to believe that DNA and Cell structure are different in everybody. Our genetic makeup changes according to each DNA structure but the cells are the same in every human. So if pill A heals subject B then Pill A will heal Subject C. My wife’s success with her thyroid speaks for itself. As for the goitrogens issue I have to look into more, but they seem to be again related to the IsoFlavones and those are successfully removed thru the washing process which would lead me to believe they would not be an issue.
I will follow up with this when I know more. Again though Science is Fact and Fact is from 30 on your Testosterone slows , Estrogen increases and after 40 anything that promotes Estrogen is going to cause Fat gain and issues related to high Estrogen Soy, Hops ect. If this is true then a 54 yr old man using a Soy product should not have a Blood Profile of a 25 yr old younger man. A 48 yr old Woman with a History of Thyroid issues, High Blood Pressure and Border line Diabetes being over weight should not be off her Meds and dropping Inches off her belly like melting butter.
An 81 yr old woman should not be hoping around her house cleaning and working in her yard like a 30 yr old. This to me is all the evidence I need to convince me this is a valuable product. Of course to the scientific and analytical mind peer reviewed and double blind university studies are the only way to completely answer all guestions but with most new products that’s not always possible and I have never felt the need to ask for them or ask if or why they were not done. Of the Women I stated that breastfed with Visalus all where healthy beautiful babies so no issues there, is there a possible issue 10 yrs down the road who knows but I would think those issues would manifest themselves at childbirth or soon after.
I fully understand your views and your need for Peer reviewed research as you pride yourself on thorough research and reviews, but sadly at this time I am in a quandary with this as well as I can find nothing outside the company (in regards to pro Soy) or the Washing Process, and only and all kinds of Con against Soy, but again I have been using some form of Soy for 40 yrs with nothing but healthy results, ad there are thousands using Soy based meat replacements (vegetarians healthy using Soy for generations so again all the bad I believe relate to Genetically modified Soy and we use Non GMO.
You should be able to see the difference. Do you promote the use of HFCS and do you believe its okay to use GMO grown Corn, probably not so you should be able to see the difference then in GMO and NON GMO. These studies are either funded by anti Soy influence or the Soybean farmers support organizations. Ours to my knowledge are in house done by Blythe Internationals Bio Research dept and there medical Research Labs and of Course Blythe is the Sister Umbrella company that overall funds and owns Visalus Sciences so you see my Quandry. I can only say It works and has changed my life and my families life and makes it possible to be vibrant active adults as we grow older and thats what I promote nothing more.
Gotta have my Early Bk Vi shake with light roast coffee and Scrambled Egg whites in Virgin Coconut oil bro talk to you later.
Charlie, I personally am ok with in house research if its peer reviewed and done properly. That may not be a popular stand to take among others in the supplement/medical fields, but I believe in a fair peer review process. If it works -and that is the main thing – I think it works well.
Since GMO foods have only been around about 10 or so years, Im not a fan of their widespread use because again I dont know what their long term effects might be. Again, that’s not popular but that is my position stand for at least another 20 years or so.
In respone to the Soy statement Joe in Regular commercial Soy I would say yes about the Estrogen buildup, hypothyroidism ect, but remember this is a patented washed Soy product Non GMO. The bad Estrogen promoting Isoflavanoids have been removed. You know as I do if this products Soy still had the Isoflavanoids then not only would Crystal still be having issues with Her Hypothyroid and not be off her meds but I would have Higher Estrogen buildup with lower Testosterone and I would not be as Hard as I am as a Senior Athlete. Consider dont you think in a Senior bodybuilder that does 2 servings of the shake a day that the high Soy levels would bring some Gynecomastia to light, there is none. This is a 100 % safe product.
Charlie, Can you show me published peer reviewed proof that visalus shakes do not inhibit throyid output in adults or in infants? This is a more focused answer to Whitneys question than saying that visalus shakes dont have any washed out soy products.
I hear what you are saying but you as an adult are very different than an infant or a breastfeeding mother. The things I’m referring to are compounds called goitrogens which are in soy and several other foods here is a link to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen
I believe that when it comes to breastfeeding and infants, it is best to be conservative because neither of us know the answer to the question I am posing.
Hi Whitney, In other groups and with my upline There are quite a few women that have continued to use Vi thru there breast feeding routines as there is nothing bad in the shake ingredients (much better health wise than most commercial bought GMO grown, chemically treated foods) With 30 plus yrs in Nutrition study and active Bodybuilding health & Fitness I would say you are not only safe but smart to allow your infant to savior the quality of a body in healing.
By the way Joe something else I wanted to bring up My mother is 81 yrs old and 2 months ago she started drinking 1 shake a day replacing the ensure that her doctor had her on and already her body is starting to show improvements (such as before she bruised easily, that is improving, she’s got more energy and wakes up with less moaning and groaning from the Arthritis she has had since her 40s. I am excited to see improvements in her health in just 2 months and look forward to hearing her doctors comments in the coming months.
Thank you Joe, It has worked for us and hopefully I can prove that its not just another shake by accomplishing my goal and stepping on stage at Muscle Beach on memorial day. If I reach a sub 5% BF level using Visalus then that will be proof that it stands above just a General Protein shake, and being in Fitness I think you understand that and Know just how important good Nutrition is in My Sport and how important supplemental quality Protein sources are in the daily nightmare of Nutritional Macro design.
There is a whole lot more science to Bodybuilding and Body shaping than just eat meat & veggies & lift weight. We in this Sport have to be a little of everything a Mathematician, Chef, Nutritionist, Chemist, biologist ect ect lol. My daily weekly and individual meals are broken down into knowing Calories, Carbs, protein, fat (the types of fat) grams, mg oz’s man it goes on. I know exactly how much of each source my body needs at any time to function at an optimal level.
I plan, prepare and cook everything that goes into my body. So yes Visalus fits my lifestyle needs and if it has improved my life thru convenience health & daily living than think of the benefits to those that are not as dedicated, driven as I am could see by using this Shake or MRP. What it boils down to its another supplement (a supplement to exercise and Lifestyle change, not a miracle) just like a quality source multi vitamin (maybe not for everyone, but definitely anyone with a desire to make an improvement and change in there lives.
I will finish here (but see you around the industry brother) with this again “I am an active user of Visalus, I actively promote this product in the Sports & Fitness community, I am proud of what this company is doing in there programs to feed needy children with part of the profits from this product sales, I am proud of the thousands of users who have changed there lives and for helping to change others, and as a Trainer I stand proud wearing the Visalus name next to my Company name when I am with clients and around the fitness industry. Everyone have a great day and here’s to great health.
Charlie, believe me when I say I am really happy you have found something that is working for not only your self but your mom too (My granny lived to 104 so I know how hard it is to get older adults to eat well). Im also aware of how complex the science of being a bodybuilder is. I had a feeling that when I mentioned what I did about soy and thyroid that I potentially was opening up a hornets nest and some might see that I was picking on Visalus and that definitely was not my intention. I only wanted to give Whitney something to think about. I’m sure other women have used visalus while breast feeding and had no problems but again I do not know what happens 20 or 30 years from today. I am very open to the possibility that I am wrong – and I accept that possibility – but I have to go where the research takes me and where there is no research, I will always err on the side of caution when it comes to infants, kids and pregnant women.
good luck at muscle beach and I hope you let me know how things turned out.:)
A friend of mine told me about ViSalus and I am very interested in it but I have one question that I have not found on any other websites and you kind of addressed it in one of the paragraphs but I want to know for sure before taking it. I have a 13 month old baby who still breastfeeds and I am trying to wean her but she does not want to. Is it safe to take while breastfeeding? I seen where you posted the Vi Pak is not but what about the shakes?
Hi Whitney, honestly I have no idea if the Visalus shake is safe while breastfeeding – and I dont think anybody else does either. Supplement labels often warn not to take while pregnant/breastfeeding because nobody knows what would happen. I’ve never seen a supplement study that used pregnant / breastfeeding women.
In adults, I think Visalus is safe but in babies, I dont know. For example, the protein comes from soy and I wonder what impact soy supplements have on a baby? We sometimes hear how soy can be detrimental to the thyroid gland but does that mean that babies who get soy supplements may be at an increased risk of getting hypothyroidism later in life? Again, I dont know. Believe me, I’m not picking on visalus by saying this but just trying to point out that babies are not miniature adults and there is a lot that we dont know.
Personally, I say dont use it while breastfeeding but why dont you try this if you want a better opinion. Get a sample pack that has the ingredients and show it to your doctor and see what he/she thinks. If you get an answer I hope you will let me know.
Alright let me chime in. As a competitive Natural Bodybuilder I have and still am using The Vi shake to supplement y Nutrition and protein. My Training sessions are to complete failure 4 plus days a week. I use Visalus plus 1/2 to 1 scoop of whey Isolate in my shakes to gain Lean Mass and fuel my cutting of Body fat. Yes there is nothing magical about the shakes they are a supplement, Yes a quality supplement and I will tell you mine and my wifes experience and the reason we are now promoters (I dont call myself a distributor as I dont distribute I offer period, it is a supplement to my Training business which is doing quite well.
2 yrs ago I was taking the normal tons of Bodybuilding supplements to get lean gain muscle and just stay in the Game at 51. So called superior vitamins, high quality Amino acids, high Quality Protein, digestive enzymes additional particulate minerals ect. Needless to say a lot of money to be an Athlete. One day I said enough was enough and went looking for my supplements thru food, well My energy levels crashed, metabolism went to dirt ect. So as a Trainer and Nutrition specialist I decided I needed to supplement Protein so Off I went on a search product after product nothing seemed to bring me back (some helped but I was no longer growing no longer hitting heavy PR numbers.
Then I found Shakeology and Visalus (I chose to try Visalus and into the second week of 1 shake a day added to my meals and I started to feel better, I can only say the higher quality protein blend and the so called low amount of extra’s you claim do nothing were the catalyst to bringing me back. Today Visalus is my primary Protein source and the only source of Vitamins I or my wife get. Since my last physical 2 yrs ago I now have a perfect Blood profile and the doctor who did my physical is amazed at how I look and what I can do.
I dont think this would be possible if Visalus was just another sugar infested Weight loss product like Slim fast. You and everyone else can say do think whatever you want but this fact is true Visalus changed my life and improved upon what I previously had developed, has balanced my 48 yr old wifes Blood Sugar levels and has her of meds for the first time since she was 28. her B/P is now back down and again no more meds, her Hpoglycemia has been under control now since the second month on Visalus shakes.
Along with walking only and my nutritional Guidence and shakes for Bk and Lunch then Lean meats with herbal Greens for dinner good nuts raw milk cheeses NO commercial dairy she has lost 2 inches across her belly and now the scale shows a 10 lb loss in 4 weeks (not a crazy amount but I will not risk her health going to extreme). Anyway her health is no longer in the hands of the medical profession and she has set her sites on the Bikini Fitness competitions as her goal.
Visalus is the only real healthy clean chemical antibiotic meal most users get in there day and because of its quality lives are being changed. I am truly sorry you have formed this Viewpoint but thats okay and its what makes America great. Me and Mine will continue to use this product and by the way I am 9 weeks out of my next show a major event in Southern California I am currently 175.6 at 7.4% bodyfat and will be under 5% the day of that show using Visalus and hard work. Most that meet me swear I have found the fountain of youth as everyday I look younger and younger healthier and healthier.
Charlie, I am glad you found something that works for you and your wife. I think you said it best when you said visalus and hard work. The hard work is also necessary.
A few thoughts…
I jumped into the Body-By-Vi 90-day challenge to see if it could help me with my blood glucose control. I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 18 years. I did nothing differently other than meal replace with the shake once a day for 2 months, then 2 a day for the final month. I ultimately lost 10 lbs and lowered my monthly blood glucose levels to 130 from the 160 to 180 range I was used to for so long. That’s incredible for me! My A1c came back last week at 6.5! I never came in below 6.9, and I only reached that level a handful of times before. Also, I was able to lower my insulin intake between breakfast and lunch by half, leading to an increase in insulin sensitivity.
I also found my metabolism increased, enough that I had quite a balancing act to acclimate myself to sugar levels that were lower after activity that wouldn’t impact sugars before. I also experienced the feeling of being hungry, which is often a missing component in the lives of some diabetics. All in all, this is an amazing product. But…the key has been the fact that is it so low in sugar and carbs, mixed with how low it is in sodium, along with the patented fibersol that literally did keep me feeling satiated. I could likely have some success with one or two other products, but I’d be on more insulin, and have more volatility. It would also take longer to lose weight. That’s why I decided to promote the challenge as well.
2 of my customers immediately reported within 2 weeks that their high blood pressure had gone significantly down. I had not known of any such reports at the time, but I’ve since read many. These customers both had at-home blood pressure monitors, so their off-the-cuff surprise was medically confirmed. I presume there’s a connection with the whey protein, as I’ve read a number of articles that suggest whey can impact blood pressure.
Another success story: my team mate just reported her 90 day results, which came to 37 lbs and 20 inches!
To Tommie’s point above, you won’t lose weight on one shake a day! You need to take 2 a day for that!
To Kim’s point, yes, she was doing things that were not recommended by Visalus. Her distributor would have pointed that out had she asked. She was starving herself, which slowed her metabolism way down!
To Levis points (and yours, Joe), the Body-By-Vi products are different from other products on the market.
The cost is cheaper. I’ve saved immensely. The sugars are far lower. The sodium is much lower. From a manufacturing perspective, Visalus voluntarily meets and exceeds Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) set by the FDA for pharmaceutical-grade products, standards which are much higher than required by law. I do not see this same care taken by other similar products, though I haven’t been able to confirm that.
Yes, the “Trisorb” word is made up. It is much easier to say than “3 expensive, high-quality forms of protein with the lactose, isoflavones, carbohydrates and fat removed, a blend that has been shown to be absorbed faster than Whey alone—in less than 20 seconds after a workout—and that contains the most ‘clean’ and concentrated protein on the market, the only form of protein that can carry the claim that the FDA allows it to be called ‘fat loss accelerant’ as a result.”
We add in the Aminogen, a patented and clinically tested amino acid to aid protein absorption. Many body builders buy this product in nutrition stores to aid their body. We include it. Competitors do not.
Is the shake perfect? No. But it works. And to date, more than 7 Million pounds have been lost, and many other disease states have been impacted. The statistics make it the most successful health and fitness platform in existence.
Patrick, thanks for your words. When you said that the blend of protein in Visalus shakes is allowed by the FDA to use the phrase “‘fat loss accelerant’ I take this to mean that you are saying that the phrase “‘fat loss accelerant’ is a structure/function claim since words “allowed to use by the FDA” is a reference to structure/function claims. Am I correct? if yes can you point me to where on the FDA website it says that a specific blend of protein -the one Visalus uses – is the only blend of protein allowed to use this phrase. If you can do that, I’d appreciate it. I never heard of this phrase before.
Hi Joe,
I just commented on another review but wanted to see what you said about visalus. As I mentioned, I am extremely sensitive to sucralose. Those “sugar-free” ice creams and yogurs and soda pops sweetened with sucralose/splenda? I get bloated and gassy and I’m miserable.
Here is an article about the dangers of splenda…http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx
I’ve been drinking a meal replacement shake everyday and it’s sweetened with STEVIA and contains no artifical ingredients. I hope to see a review on it soon (smile).
I really enjoy your site….I will be sure to visit often. Thanks for all your hard work!
Michelle, thanks for the article. Ive been thinking about splenda for the past few days since I heard a couple of dietitians talking on a pod cast about how splenda might decrease thyroid hormone. I want to look into this further and see if there is anything to it so thanks for the material and the kind words. you have a very nice website yourself 🙂
Dr. Oz’s team blogs about why meal replacement is one of the best ways to healthfully lose weight, keep it off, and increase metabolism: http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/lisa-lynn/breakfast-shakes-drink-yourself-skinny
Patrick, thanks for the link. I noticed that the woman writing that post was Lisa Lynn who is the person Dr Oz sometimes has on his show touting metabolism booster supplements like Raspberry ketone and Choleus forskholii. Here are my links on those products for more info:
http://supplementclarity.com/raspberry-ketones-weight-loss-review-side-effects/
http://supplementclarity.com/coleus-forskohlii-forskolin-weight-loss/
I dont have a problem with shakes for breakfast. I do them myself quite often. In the post, its mentioned that breakfast shakes might boost metabolism by 25% and regulate blood sugar levels. I’m guessing that both of these points can be traced back to adding protein to the breakfast shake. The caffeine (from the coffee in her recipe ) probably also has some effect on metabolism.
Joe,
I wanted to test if I would lose weight without exercise. And I did. But please know its not like I sit on the couch all day. I have four children 10 down to 2. I work full time (shift-worker) play volleyball once a week. Now that spring is here or soon to be I will be playing softball 2x a week. I have done weight loss programs and lost the weight didn’t gain it back until I was pregnant. I am by no means grossly over weight. I just wanted to lose a few extra pounds. All I am saying is it is a simple assistance to weight loss and isn’t expensive.
Niki, yes the convenience of of weight loss shakes like this is what makes them attractive. Whats expensive or not will vary from person to person.
Thank you for your independent reviews!
I’m a Beachbody coach and studying holistic nutrition. I agree with you 100% — the best way to lose weight is to exercise and restrict calories, but eat GOOD, whole foods. You don’t have to take a shake to lose weight. I lost 43lbs exercising 5-6 days a week and eating approx 1400 calories/day (yes, I did use Shakeology for some of my time, but I also make my own shakes from time to time). Anyone who simply drinks a shake to lose weight without working out will actually do damage to his/her body.
Thanks again!
Thanks Kelly and congrats on your weight loss!
Hi Joe,
Thank you for this review page, one of the best I have found on this topic/product.
I am a sales and marketing director of a fitness center in Canada and the owner of the company has recently been turned on to the whole Body By Vi product package and 90 day challenge and we are considering promoting git to our clients to help in their weight loss goals.
BUT I AM A SKEPTIC ON THIS WHOLE MEAL REPLACEMENT THING!!!
I believe we should be eating healthy whole foods, in sensible portions and frequently throughout the day. Something more like the Zone Diet, which teaches us to eat a healthy balance of macronutrients in the right amounts for our body size and physical activity level.
My Questions For You:
1. What is your opinion on using this product for weight loss for someone who is regularly physically active (2-5 high intensity workouts per week) if they are using it as a meal replacement for one or even 2 of their 3 meals a day.
It seems similar to the Cookie Diet, or really any caloric restriction “program”/product.
I am concerned that our clients will not be eating enough to sustain all that physical activity. (not to mention all the other things I am concerned with about this product)
2. A lot of the talk of artificial sweeteners that I see about this product refer to the sucralose, and the “small amounts” thereof. What about the maltodextrin, isn’t that an artificial sweetener of sorts as well? And it’s the second ingredient, and the fourth or fifth ingredient as well (just in another form). What can you tell me about the maltodextrin in this product? I believe the term they use is “digestive resistant” maltodextrin, or something of the sorts. It all sounds pretty “chemically modified” and “unnatural” to me, what are your thoughts on this part of it?
3. Between the protein powder, the maltodextrin and the sucralose, it seems like this is just a big bag of protein and sweetener and they threw in some vitamins to market it better. Wouldn’t my clients be better off with a more natural whey protein shake (with fresh fruit say) and a multivitamin? Plus eating a balanced diet of healthy whole foods?
4. Metabolism: I understand to keep our metabolism high and efficient, we should be eating regularly (say every 2-3 hours) in small amounts and exercising our bodies. If someone currently eats 3 meals a day spread out by about 6 hours (say breakfast @ 7am, lunch @ 1pm and dinner @ 7pm), would adding one of these shakes between each meal work to increase the persons metabolism? In your opinion does our body process this stuff like food to help maintain a fired up metabolism? Please let me know your thoughts on that as well.
As I think you can tell I am pretty skeptical about this product. I have a hard time trusting any weight loss program that doesn’t teach people how to eat a healthy balanced diet and EXERCISE. One of your readers posted a comment about having 3 shakes a day with just fruit and coffee in between and she’s wondering why her and her friend aren’t losing their 30-40 lbs of vacation weight: OH MY GOD!!! REALLY??? Do people still think this way? EAT SOME FOOD GIRL!!! Where’s the vegetables, where’s the healthy fats…… ARGGGHHH!!!
Joe, I want to make sure my clients don’t get the wrong idea if and when my fitness center starts promoting this stuff. I DON’T LIKE IT, but I’m the Sales & Marketing Director and will be put in a very uncomfortable position, PLEASE HELP!!! What can you tell me either to prove to my boss that we should not be promoting this stuff or to put my concerns at ease?
Also can you direct me to other good “unbiased” info about this product online? This page was the only thing I found so far, maybe you can help me find more useful info about this product?
Joe, I thank you in advance for your information and for “keeping it real”, and I look forward to reading your reply.
Best regards.
Levi, let me try to answer your questions in the order you asked
1. The Body By Vi products are no different than any other diet “challenge” out there. They just get people to reduce their calories. People could use it when they exercise but if they workout as hard as you say I wonder if the reduction in calories might cause some muscle loss. Remember carbs, help protect muscle protein from being broken down. Im guessing on this point. I have no direct evidence that body by vi products do this. its just a hunch based on the intensity you said the people were working out.
2. as for the sweeteners, the Center for Science in the Public interest says that maltodextrin is “safe” and since they are pretty darn conservative about this stuff Ill take their word on it. Here is the link http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
3. I would agree that the people are best served with a shake that has real food. Do you have a juice bar at the club? maybe a deal could be made between the gym/juice bar to protein the juice bar stuff. if they use real food in their shakes I think that would be better.
4. Its hard to say how much a Body By Vi shake would raise metabolism because Visalus has never done a study on it – nor has anybody else to my knowledge. Eating increases metabolism rate a little bit and foods that have protein tend to raise it the most. All that said, the “thermic effect of food” – which is what we are talking about – only accounts for about 5% -10% of total daily calories that we burn. That is something, but its not much.
Are the personal trainers at the club distributors of Body By Vi? Ive heard some gyms make the trainers sign up under the club so the club can make money from the sale of the products.
If the goal is to get people working out and get healthy and to have a “challenge” why not offer a prize like an I pad to the person who loses the most weight (or inches) in a period of time. That way you dont have to sell any supplements you feel funny about and the club might be able to use this as a way to get in local newspapers. this might spur membership sales.
Ive looked for others who wrote about body by vi who were not associated with the product but could not find any. Im sure some have done this besides me so if you find any do let me know.
I hope this helps Levi. Do keep me posted on what happens at your gym!
I have been on the 90day challenge for just over a month down 10lbs. This is with no exercise. I have two shakes a day a healthy third meal with snacks in between. Visalus really isn’t expensive. On average a meal can cost $5+ dollars where visalus is less than $2 a shake.
Joe making a comment like “those that can afford to purchase Visalus are probably already getting enough minerals and vitamins” is in my belief incorrect. I now am eating properly and getting the needed vitamins I was lacking. I can’t recall the percentage but a major part of north Americas population is over weight.
Why not have a shake that is simple to make and tastes good. It is filling too. This shake has helped my mom. She has diabetes and it has assisted in regulating her sugars. To me that is a pretty sweet deal. Lose weight and regulate sugars.
I have difficulty listening to anyone opinions till they themselves have tried the thing they are giving their opinion about. Kinda like the saying don’t judge a man till you have walked a mile in his shoes.
Nikki, the important thing here is that both you and your mom are losing weight. I could comment a lot about what you said but I wont because I think its more important that you are happy with the results (Fantastic about your mom and her type II diabetes!). I DO want you to exercise. you are losing muscle mass if you dont do some sort of physical activity – like walking – and once you lose muscle cells, they dont come back.
I think they are much more than just for weight loss. The vitamins and minerals in them ARE important. They may not aide in weight loss (directly) but in my experience, when your body gets what it needs, it gives back 7 fold! Nutrition is the key here.
Adelia, but most people – and I’d guess the majority of those who can afford VisSalus products – are probalby already getting enough vitamins and minerals.
Joe have you reviewed the V-Trim Clear Control Drink Mix that claims to control hunger and between meal cravings? It’s part of the Transformation Kit by Visalus.
JE, not yet I haven’t. I will have to check and see if I have it here as part of the samples that were given to me.
I am considering doing the Shape Kit because I am not overweight and I workout. I am about 135 on average. I just want to melt the existing cellulite on my legs and bottom. It runs in my family and even though I have lots of leg muscle, it still exists. Is there anyone doing this kit that can vouch for it?
Angela, I dont think there is any product that can cause weight loss/fat loss from only certain areas of the body. Basically what you are asking for is something that causes “spot reduction” which does not seem to be possible. If you try the ViSalus Shape Kit, take measurements of your hips legs and bottom and then again after a month or two and you will know if its working.
I agree with Emillie,
Any time I goggle something and practically all I can find are sites related in some form to the product it immediately sends up a Red Flag in my mind..
This product is a perfect example of that scenario.. Visalus has saturated the web with their own promotional info, finding any NON-Biased information is not easy.
That only adds to my suspicion that they do not welcome outside information or evaluation of their products..
Joe you look to be providing very good, sound information here… Thanks ..