ViSalus Vi Shape Nutritional Shake Mix

First the good. Visalus shakes taste great and if you use it as they suggest there is a decent chance you will lose weight. My wife has lost over 10 lbs in 10 weeks and I lost 8 pounds in about 2 weeks when I was using it. Now the bad... at least for me. I noticed that I was getting headaches, joint pain, swollen glands and was very moody. I had not tied the symptoms to the shakes I was making. While researching I came across an article from a nutritionist that said she never recommends soy based proteins to men - she only recommends whey based proteins. I did not have all the symptoms she said that soy causes but I had most. So I immediately stopped drinking the shakes and after a few days all the symptoms were gone. However, this created a problem that needed to be solved. There is no doubt that the Visalus shakes were helping me cut weight and I definantly wanted to keep loosing weight. So I decided to build my own shake. Based on information I read in the article I decided to put together my own shake that would do the same thing the Visalus was doing. I read the nutrient part of the Visalus packaging and using that as a guide I came up with the following: I use the "About Time Whey Protein Isolate" as the base - I get the cake flavored one. I put 2/3 of a scoop of protein into 12 ounces of almond milk (sometimes juice), then add one TBS of "Now Foods Psyllium Husk Powder" (the fiber), and usually 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen fruit(s) and blend it. I replace two meals per day with these shakes - I usually do one for breakfast and one for dinner. I keep each shake under a total of 45 carbs. I also take two "Now Foods Liquid Multi Gel Vitamins" with the morning shake. After 8 weeks I have lost 22 pounds. Sometimes I have peanut butter added as well and even have added other nuts on occasion. Adding spices like cinnamon and other flavors like baking cocoa are a good idea too. All the ingredients, except the frozen fruit, are available on Amazon. I can tell you that the Visalus taste better, but only slightly so. I don't dread these shakes and they do not leave a bad after taste and are not chalky at all. Normally I am looking forward to them at meal time. My shakes have more protein, more fiber, and when combined with the vitamins I am getting more nutrients than the Visalus. The cost per shake is slightly higher than Visalus but not enough that I care. And best of all - none of the symptoms have returned. So, my recommendation is this, if you experience any symptoms I mentioned while doing the Visalus shakes try creating your own. You don't have to use my recipe - I am sure there are other good whey proteins, other good fiber sources and other good vitamins.