OurSkinny : An overview and Day One Review

I have tried a variety of weight loss programmes in my time, so always view a new one with a relative degree of scepticism. I know that losing weigth boils down to more exercise and less food, but I find that really hard to do, so sometimes a regime can be a really useful starting tool.

OurSkinny has some similarities with some of the other weight loss diets on the market- it’s primarily Shake based (think Slim Fast) and includes protein bars (think Atkins). Where it differs though is in the quantity that you get to consume, that they let you have a meal of your choosing a day, and that it TASTES DELICIOUS.

The diet was created by Dr Paul Bradley as a way to help people lose weight easily and without drama. It involves drinking four shakes a day, spaced out around 2-3 hours apart, and includes a protein bar to give you more energy. They suggest you take a multivitamin a day (not included) and you also get to have one main meal a day- which means you can lead a ‘relatively’ normal life, as people won’t give you crazy looks as you sip shakes at dinner. Naturally, dinner should be healthy-ish, think lean meat/Sei-tan and veggies rather than a McDonald’s, but it allows you a little leeway, and the OurSkinny diet plan book has a bunch of suggestions for evening meals. They say it’s important to have healthy fat, listed there as mostly ‘nuts, olives, cheese’.

So here’s the lowdown on my experience with the OurSkinny diet.

First off: THE PACKAGING

It comes nicely bundled in a big cardboard box, with the products all wrapped up in silver bubble wrap to make sure they stay safe in transit. I was originally confused as to why the bottles of shakes were so light and then I realized that they needed to have water added to them- DOH!- before you could drink them.

NEXT: THE TASTE TEST

I have already mentioned that I’ve tried a number of other shake based diets but I can honestly say that the OurSkinny shakes may be the nicest ones I’ve ever tasted. The bottles are empty with powder in the base, and you add water, shake and drink. I like that they are not filled already as this makes them MUCH LIGHTER to transport when out and about in the day, as carrying equivalent Atkins/whatev shakes really weighs a bag down.

I tried two of the shakes- the Chocolate Pro and the Cappuccino and they were really delicious. They are around 80-100 calories each (look, I can’t help kcal counting, OK?) and they were very yummy. They had a nice consistency- not too watery, not to sweet, and they went down well. It was convenient to drink them on the go and make them in the canteen, and I also liked how the bottles were discrete and doidn’t scream ‘SHE’S ONA  DIET!!’.

There are a few more flavours in the range and Orange Dream and Vanilla Pro also sound rather lush. Did I mention they have 15g of protein a shake? No? Well they do and that’s AWESOME!

Next up, the protein snack bars. Calorie wise these are around 150-180 and they are really intended for that extra energy boost and when you want something solid not liquidy. They have a whopping 17  flavours in all, and the one I liked most was the Caramel Crunch and the Double Chocolate Crispy. I surprisingly also liked the Lemon Meringue which was unexpected, but it was tart and light and really refreshing. I didn’t try the Cinnamon Raisin as I HATE raisins, but if you were to buy this diet you get to choose the flavours you like the most, so this wouldn’t be an issue.

DINNER THAT NIGHT

It was remarkably easy to have dinner after a day on the shakes and bars. I opted for some Sei-Tan lightly fried with onions, lettuce and peppers, all which was something I would have had on a normal night in. I seasoned it with spices and my favourite Sriracha sauce (makes everything taste amaze!). I was allowed to have a serving of alcohol, but went for Diet Snapple Peach instead (so addicted to that stuff). Overall, I found it really easy to keep to the diet during the day- the shakes and bar fitted into my daily schedule and dinner felt like a normal dinner.

I know it would be harder f this had been a weekend day, or if I’d been going out for dinner or to a party, so I’ll have to think about what I’d do in that situation, but for an everyday trial of the food it fitted into my life really easily.

An extra note:

I received a days worth of OurSkinny to try, so my experience is based upon the taste and ease of one day, rather than a long term trial of its weightloss benefits. I’ve also read that if you sign up for a plan you get, ‘A free phone or email consultation with one of our Wellness Coaches’, who I guess will help you reach your goal.

After my initial trial, I’m actually keen to have a proper go with the diet- I’d like to sample more of the flavours and see if I can get those last ten pounds gone by October (there’s a mermaid costume I have my eye on!).

One week on the  OURSKINNY plan IS $70 plus shipping.