The Man Shake

Here at Men.com.au there is a "Health" section where we publish insights into how to persist with, or create a lifestyle that will lead to a feeling of "wellbeing".

There are hints about dental treatments, pain relief and a lot more topics on the issues that have an effect on the health of men. The problem as I see it, is that both men and women can feel well but in reality, they may have underlying potentially fatal issues.

My doctor, during a skin check, looked at me and said, "We are all rowing a leaky boat upstream against the current. You will die one day and if you keep going the way you are, your boat will sink sooner than it should."

"I tell many of my patients to lose weight and they invariably ignore my advice come back for their next check up with well rehearsed excuses"

He was telling me that I was carrying too much fat and that the extra weight would cause health issues that would affect my life expectancy. He certainly gained my attention.

I started to ride a bike for 45 minutes each day, take vitamin tablets and I modified both the type of food I ate as well as portion size. I went back to the doctor in a year and I explained what I had been doing. A big smile came over his face as he checked my now acceptable blood pressure figures.

I already knew that I was doing well on my quest to regain fitness because I could ride the same bike circuit in less time and at the end, my heart rate was slower than before.

The point I am trying to make is that once a man or woman decides to or is motivated to lose weight, ( barring underlying health issues ) it can be done.

My daughter, who had been working overseas, came home and when she saw me she exclaimed "Dad you are thin!"

I felt good about myself because I had actually done something when I was given the ominous warning by my G.P.

How I lost weight and regained fitness

I had a bit of a head start on overall fitness due to a few years in the Australian Army. Over time, I put on extra fat... it is not weight it is fat.. stored up energy that manifests itself as both volume and weight. I had enjoyed too much pizza, pavlova and pie.

My task now is to maintain a sensible and healthy amount of body fat to protect my heart from the effects of powering the movement of more weight than a body is designed for and the actual fat with its kilometres of unnecessary blood lines.

I was sent some samples of The Man Shake, which is a convenient and healthy meal in a shake, to evaluate.

The suppliers describe the product in these terms. "The Man and Lady shakes are packed nutrition – protein, fibre and 25 different vitamins and mineral. They have flavours such as choc mint, caramel, coffee and banana. They can be used to replace one or two meals a day to shed a few pounds, whilst still enjoying snacks and main meals."

I tried out the samples and purchased some more with my own funds.

For me, the benefits are that I do not have worry about portion control of the food that I consume, I am aware of the ingredients ( low sugar ) and it is easy to prepare.

It helps me to meet the intake part of the lose weight and maintain fitness duo..... volume and type of food consumed and sensible exercise.

I feel good about my fitness level and I am using The Man Shake to stay on track.

Features of The Man Shake as revealed by the manufacturers..

The ManShake is a convenient and healthy meal in a shake for busy men that want to lose weight. It has helped over half a million Aussie men achieve their weight loss goals and is the simplest way to shed those unwanted kg’s.

It is high in protein, low in sugar which keeps you fuller for longer it also tastes great and is formulated specifically for men and offers the perfect daily regime for convenient weight loss.

The Man Shake contains nutrients, vitamins and minerals you need to lose weight and be healthy even when you are busy or on the run.

The Man Shake is gluten free, contains a natural fat burning formula to assist with weight loss, it contains 25 vitamins and minerals, high-quality whey protein, low GI carbohydrates from sweet potato and fibre from chia seeds, flax seeds and psyllium husk to support health and wellbeing.

It can be used to replace one or two meals a day, depending on your weight loss goals.

Can be purchased online, at Woolworths and, Coles and pharmacies.