Long Term Meal Replacements

Hi ive been fighting a weight battle ever since i can remember and struggle with my obsession with all food in general. I am interested in the lighterlife program to stop me having to think about food all day but cant afford it so i am wondering if i had slimfast shakes 3 time a day would i get the same results?
I have urine sticks to test if i am in ketosis and was wondering if anyone one knew how long it normally takes and whether i would ever reach it with the shakes. I have been told to increase the calorie intake by 500 every 12 weeks for 1 week is this correct to keep in ketosis?

I currently weigh 273lbs and what to get down to 150lbs.

I am managing quite happily on shakes only with occassionally substituting one shake with a bowl of soup if im cold. I would love it if someone could share some wisdom on this subject xx

Substituting shakes may help you in the short term, but you need to learn how to eat right for the rest of your life. Are you going to drink the shakes for the rest of your life? That is not realistic. So, if you drink the shakes for the next 2 years in order to lose 125 lbs, what happens when you reach your goal? You will not have learned how to eat right and then when you stop the shakes you will gain weight b/c you will obviously be consuming way more calories. I think the shakes can help get you started on a weight loss program, but you need to learn portion control and how to plan healthy, balanced meals.

Why not just eat the amount of calories in a shake - plan what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. Make a chart, decide what you are going to eat and go to the grocery store. This will allow you more flexibility and will probably be more likely that you can stick to forever. What happens when you have a party or a dinner out - you aren't going to take your shake with you. You need to expose yourself to holidays, parties, BBQ's or whatever - so that you can learn to manage those situations without going overboard.
If you don't feel you have the tools necessary, or aren't motivated enough - then I'm not sure you can be successful with any "diet". You have to want this more than anything - you have to want to weigh 150 lbs more than you want the cookie. You have to want it enough to make changes and to exercise and to stay off the couch... When you decide you want it that bad, then you will find what works because you won't have a choice. And you may have to change things up along the way just to keep the weight coming off.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice but the reason i have decided to try shakes instead of meals is because ive got so hung up on what to eat and writing it down it seems i spend the whole day focusing on food which doesnt really help when trying to eat less. I understand that long term i will need to eating proper meals but im hoping that by eating shakes i will be able to decrease my appetite and see food more as fuel than gratification, does that make any sense?

NCNOLE is right I'm afraid.....its good advice to take control rather than look for a substitute. meal replacement has been researched as actually making people put on weight long term so you would be best to avoid them.
you could identify your problem time of day say it was evenings then use say just one replacement a day for this mealtime for short term. you really must get used to being around food and resisting what it is that is making you put on weight. if its food generally then the quicker you start dealing with the issues the easier life will get for you otherwise inevitably it will sting you later

taz, ketosis means that our bodies are using fat for energy, instead of carbs. that means you will have to eat a low carb diet to get there. you won't do that drinking shakes, there are way too many carbs in them.
i totally get the convenience of slim fast, but the best way to control your appetite is to eat real food.

How about trying a low-carb, high protein shake (like EAS) for breakfast and/or lunch, and then some lean protein and veggies for dinner? Pretty simple stuff - very nutritious, and not that much to keep track of throughout the day. Also supplement with green veggies.

First things first. Looking at your diet calendar, assuming it's accurate: you're starving yourself to death, quite literally.

~800-1200 ca/day is dangerously low for someone your weight. It's counter productive. The only reason that type of calorie deficit should be done is at the direction of and under the supervision of a physician.

Starving yourself is counter productive. It forces your body to enter starvation mode, which means it starts shutting down and cannibalizing vital organs nd muscle tissue to conserve energy and nutrients.

The absolute max that is safe calorie deficit to do without medical supervision is 1500 ca/day average, or a hard minimum of 1800ca/day for a male and 1200ca/day for a female (whichever is HIGHER).

If you tell me your age, gender and height I can give you more specific information.