Daniel lost 19kgs after he had a realisation

Hi, I’m Daniel and I have lost 19kgs using The Man Shake.

It all started in mid-April 2023. I came home to my wife, Rolande, after having spent a week with my elderly father on the Gold Coast. Having not seen me for a couple of days, she made a passing comment that she had not realised that I had been slowly putting on weight. She was right. I admitted to her that the extra weight had taken its toll on me and I was feeling somewhat depressed and quite unhealthy. I wanted to get back to the weight I was three years ago when she and I first met.

Nothing to Lose But Everything to Gain

So, we spoke about going on a diet. I started on a cabbage soup diet and this went on for approximately a week. Then Rolande suggested I compliment the soups with The Man Shake.

At first, I was hesitant. Thankfully she was there for me and discussed all the options. Together we agreed that we had nothing to lose but everything to gain by giving the shakes a go. We jumped online and had a look at the stories (like this one) on the website and in the Man Shakers Facebook Community Group. The decision was made and we placed our first order.

Prior to The Man Shake, I was counting my calories and ensuring that I had the right balance of vitamins, minerals, and calcium each day. I was using an app to help keep a daily food diary. I found this incredibly helpful but soon I realised that I was not meeting my daily intake correctly. It became quite a challenge to find the right balance for a healthy diet but The Man Shake solved this. It was a godsend as it has all the required elements for healthy eating. 

For the first couple of days using the shakes, I did find myself feeling quite flat and it was difficult getting over the swap from chewing to drinking. But within a week it became quite a pleasant routine and I began enjoying the different flavours. I now find myself looking forward to having The Man Shake they taste nice and give me all the nutrients I need.

Together We Made a Pact

My routine consists of at least one Man Shake per day. I move it around the day where sometimes it's breakfast, others lunch, or even dinner but never more than two a day. As you can see, I am not consistent, but it works for me.

Rolande and I used to be big snackers. Packets of chips, lollies, crackers with salami, cheese, and olives… along with a couple of glasses of red wine. Together we made a pact that we would reduce the unhealthy snacking but not give it up entirely. Once and a while we will have a little splurge and indulge ourselves. Fruit has now become a daily snack for me instead. I have also cut out eating a lot of bread and instead swapped in corn thins.

My meals have also changed. I have reduced my portions and increased the healthier options. I now eat a lot more fish and salad, as opposed to meat and potatoes. I ensure that I have the last meal of the day as early as I can as I want to make a 12-hour fast. This is something that I do not do consistently, but it is a guide I follow, and it appears to work for me.

I still keep calories in mind. I aim for under 1650 per day and make sure to drink plenty of water. For physical exercise, I focus on walking with an aim for 7-10kms per day. I’m not going to the gym but I have recently included push-ups into my routine. When I go on my walks I will stop at benches and do 20-25 push-ups, adding up to around 100 per trip.

I get on the scales once a week and Rolande also takes my chest and hip measurements.  I find this to be encouraging and gives me the determination to continue on this journey.

My favourite shakes are Choc Honeycomb, Choc Mint, and Cookies & Cream flavours, but the best mix is Coffee with Cookies & Cream. When it comes to the bundles I like to get the Buy 3 Get 1 Free with an average of under $2.50 a meal it's economical and easy to store. Rolande and I live in a motor home, so storage is something we have to be conscious of. We are looking forward to the challenge of ordering whilst on the road trip around :P

I Am Not Starving My Body

For me, The Man Shake is a no-brainer. It takes away the headache of trying to balance out your daily intake requirements.  It is all done for you. All you have to do is ensure the foods you have in between the shakes are healthy choices and smaller portions. Swapping in healthier choices like raw vegetables in salads, fish, some red meat, chicken, or lots of fruit became easy. I now have a lot of homemade soups.

I am not starving my body of some of my favourite foods as I do not want to be a slave of my diet. I reward myself with a good ol’ meat pie once in a while and a glass of wine here and there.

I started this journey at 115kgs and I now weigh 96kgs. I can fit into my wetsuit again! But most importantly my wife and I can comfortably share a bed again. Our motor home only has two single beds, so being able to be next to each other is amazing. My journey isn’t over just yet as I plan to get to 85kgs.

I am proud of my achievements so far and I feel mentally and physically a lot better.