The Yes You Can diet is a popular weight loss plan that uses daily meal replacements and dietary supplements.

It is marketed to help you achieve your ideal weight and live a healthier lifestyle while still enjoying some of your favorite foods.

Still, you may wonder if this diet really works.

This article takes an objective look at the Yes You Can diet and its effects on weight loss and health.

DIET REVIEW SHEET

• Overall score: 1.5
• Weightloss: 1.5
• Balanced diet: 2.5
• Durability: 2
• Whole body health: 0,25
• Nutritional quality: 1,25
• Evidence-based: 1.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Yes You Can diet, which relies on supplements and meal replacements, can be useful for short-term weight loss. However, it is very restrictive, low in calories and expensive. It has also not been widely studied.

What is the Yes You Can diet?

The Yes You Can diet is a partial meal replacement plan that includes shakes and dietary supplements sold on the company's website.

The system was created by Alejandro Chaban who founded the company in 2012 after losing 160 pounds (73 kg) using similar weight loss methods.

The products are marketed as “clinically proven” to help you lose weight. They can be purchased individually or in bundled packages.

Their most popular bundle is a 30-day supply of shakes and supplements called the “Transform Kit: On The Go 60,” which includes:

• Complete meal replacement. Two cans (30 servings) of fortified powder for making shakes. Each serving provides 200 calories and 20 grams of milk-based protein along with 21 essential vitamins and minerals.
• Slim down. 30 capsules containing a blend of green tea extract, L-carnitine and other ingredients. It’s advertised to help you “burn more calories” and “increase energy levels.”
• Appetite support. 30 capsules containing a blend of herbs, chromium and amino acids believed to decrease hunger and reduce food intake.
• Collagen. 30 bovine capsules plus a vitamin and mineral blend marketed to “maintain skin elasticity” and promote healthy hair and nails.
• Colon optimizer. 30 capsules of probiotic and herbal supplements advertised to help promote a healthy gut and prevent gas and bloating.
• Nutritional guide. A nutrition and lifestyle guide that tells you what, when and how much to eat.
• Heart band. A heart-shaped bracelet with instructions to give you a boost when negative thoughts about "junk food, doubt and fear" overshadow your goals.

Summary

The Yes You Can diet is built around low-calorie meal replacements and dietary supplements. It is advertised to help you lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

How does it work?

The Yes You Can diet works by replacing one to two main meals each day with a fortified shake. He also recommends taking daily supplements and following the traffic light diet for your remaining meals and snacks.

Meal Replacement Shakes

Yes You Can meal replacement shakes are low in calories and high in protein.

A single serving of meal replacement powder provides 200 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fat and 20 grams of protein.

For most, this is a much lighter meal than usual. So, shakes can lead to weight loss by restricting calories.

Indeed, numerous studies have demonstrated that it can be an effective approach to losing weight (, , ).

However, no published studies exist on Yes You Can shakes specifically.

Food complements

The Yes You Can plan includes four dietary supplements, advertised to “help you with your transformation.”

When taken daily, these weight loss supplements are intended to boost your metabolism, reduce hunger, promote a healthy gut, and revitalize hair, skin, and nails.

Although studies on these particular supplements are not available, research supports a few of their main ingredients.

For example, some studies suggest that the extract – found in the Slim Down supplement – ​​can cause significant weight loss and help with weight maintenance, although results are mixed (, ).

Speed ​​at traffic lights

The Yes You Can weight loss plan includes a nutritional guide to supplement meal replacements and supplements.

The guide explains portion sizes and how to diet at traffic lights.

The traffic light diet originated in the 1970s, to help combat rising rates of childhood obesity. Since then, it has been adopted by many weight loss programs, including Yes You Can (, ).

The concept is simple. Foods are divided into three categories:

• Red foods. These are foods to avoid. Examples include fast foods, high-fat meats, grain-based desserts, and sodas.
• Yellow foods. These are foods that you can eat from time to time. For example, refined grains, eggs and low-fat dairy products.
• Green foods. These are foods you can eat often. For example, whole grains, lean meat, poultry, fish and most fresh fruits and vegetables.

Studies have shown that the original traffic light diet may be helpful for weight management in children, but research is lacking on its effectiveness for adults ().

Additionally, no studies have evaluated the Yes You Can version of the diet.

Summary

The Yes You Can diet replaces one to two meals per day with low-calorie shakes and weight loss supplements. He also follows a portion-controlled traffic light diet for remaining meals and snacks.

Can this help you lose weight?

Cutting back is key to losing weight, but it can be difficult in an environment filled with tempting, energy-dense foods.

No studies exist on Yes You Can shakes. However, research suggests that meal replacement shakes can help you lose and maintain weight by controlling it, creating a calorie deficit, and keeping you full on fewer calories (, ).

In a 12-week study, 45 dieters lost an average of 11 pounds (5 kg) by replacing 2 meals per day with healthy meal replacements ().

In another study, individuals lost an average of 25 pounds (11 kg) by following a low-calorie diet involving 2 meal replacement shakes each day for 16 weeks ().

Additionally, a comprehensive review of six studies demonstrated that meal replacement drinks may be more effective than traditional low-calorie diets.

The review found that dieters using daily meal replacement drinks lost 7-8% of their body weight compared to 3-7% on a traditional low-calorie diet ().

Summary

The Yes You Can diet can lead to weight loss by controlling portion sizes and reducing overall calorie intake.

Other potential benefits

The Yes You Can diet may have some benefits beyond helping you lose weight.

Practical and portable

Yes You Can products can be ordered through the website and shipped directly to your door.

Since you only need to add water, shakes are easy to prepare and especially convenient if you lead a busy lifestyle.

Plus, they are portable. Having a Yes You Can shake on hand can prevent you from reaching for something unhealthy or high-calorie on the go.

On the other hand, relying on shakes may prevent you from developing lifelong healthy habits, such as cooking and busy days.

Therefore, you may return to old, unsuccessful habits as soon as you stop the diet.

May help increase vitamin and mineral intake while dieting

When you're on a low-calorie diet, it can be difficult to get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy ().

Yes You Can meal replacement shakes are fortified with 21 vitamins and minerals, including iron, two nutrients that people are commonly deficient in (, ).

However, shakes lack some essential nutrients, such as calcium and potassium.

In fact, a single serving of meal replacement powder provides only 8% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDA) for calcium and only 2% of the RDA for potassium.

This means that your remaining meals and snacks must be very high in potassium, or you must purchase and take another supplement to avoid nutrient deficiencies.

Summary

Yes You Can is a promising diet solution for busy people. The shakes are convenient, portable and provide 21 essential vitamins and minerals, which may be lacking in your diet. Yet it may be low in other nutrients, like calcium and potassium.

Possible disadvantages

Although the Yes You Can diet can help you lose weight, the diet has several drawbacks.

Can be difficult to respect

The Yes You Can diet plan can help, but it can be difficult to stick to long term because it is very restrictive.

Not only are you limited to meal replacement shakes for one to two meals per day, but the plan offers a restrictive version of the traffic light diet for your remaining meals.

This diet eliminates many foods, including some healthy options like banana and mango.

Additionally, studies suggest that meal replacement diets can be difficult to adhere to (, ).

For example, 49% of participants dropped out of a 12-week study that replaced breakfast and lunch with a drink ().

Products are highly processed

Yes You Can shakes are highly processed and may not be the best option for overall health.

Although the shakes are fortified with 21 essential nutrients, they can't compare to the benefits of a healthy diet.

Whole foods offer much more than what is listed on any nutrition label.

Fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes contain plant compounds that have been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of many chronic diseases ().

Uses multi-level marketing to sell products

Using a multi-level marketing strategy, Yes You Can coaches purchase products at a discount and resell them directly to you for a profit.

According to the website, coaches also provide individual advice and support.

This can be dangerous because there is no guarantee that these trainers have formal training in nutrition, health or counseling.

Summary

The Yes You Can diet can be difficult to follow and is based on highly processed products that cannot compare to the benefits of real, healthy food. Additionally, trainers within the company may not be qualified to provide health advice.

Sample Meal Plan

According to the Yes You Can diet plan, your day should include five meals, spaced evenly throughout the day.

One or two of your main meals should be a Yes You Can meal replacement shake, while your remaining meals and snacks should follow the diet's nutritional guidelines.

Here is an example of a 3-day meal plan:

Day one

• Breakfast. One serving of a complete meal replacement and one capsule each of Slim Down, Appetite Support, Collagen and Colon Optimizer.
• Nibble. A small handful of.
• Lunch. Chicken fajitas with peppers and two flour tortillas.
• Nibble. Tuna salad with celery sticks.
• Having dinner. One serving of a complete meal replacement.

Day two

• Breakfast. One serving of a complete meal replacement and one capsule each of Slim Down, Appetite Support, Collagen and Colon Optimizer.
• Nibble. A small handful of , mixed with chili powder.
• Lunch. One serving of a complete meal replacement.
• Nibble. Chicken salad with cucumber slices.
• Having dinner. Shrimp stir-fry.

Day three

• Breakfast. Vegetable egg white omelette with a whole wheat English muffin and one capsule each of Slim Down, Appetite Support, Collagen and Colon Optimizer.
• Nibble. A small handful of mixed nuts and seeds.
• Lunch. One serving of a complete meal replacement.
• Nibble. Slices of turkey and tomatoes rolled in lettuce leaves.
• Having dinner. One serving of a complete meal replacement.

Summary

The Yes You Can diet recommends five meals evenly spaced throughout the day. A daily plan may include one to two meal replacements and two to three approved meals and snacks.

The bottom line

The Yes You Can Diet is a convenient, portable weight loss system that works by reducing your calorie intake with meal replacement drinks and a portion-controlled diet.

This approach to dieting can be effective for rapid weight loss, although no studies exist for the Yes You Can diet itself.

For a long-term solution beneficial for both weight loss and overall health, consider one that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins and healthy fats.