I have officially gone through my first entire bag of Chocolate Shakeology! This equates to about a shake a day for a month. A few months ago I gave a review on Shakeology based on a one packet taste. Adam and I made a shake and gave it a whirl. We loved it! You can check out the full review here. When I ordered the Insanity workout program I received a month’s supply of Shakeology as part of a Challenge Pack (a great way to bundle costs). I knew from the sample that I wanted to give it a more everyday try. Now that I’ve been drinking it more often I feel obliged to give an update as a regular user.
The Good:
- Taste. I still really like the taste. Though I will say when I got my first bag it seemed different than the packet – but I think that might’ve had to do with expectations and anticipation waiting for it to arrive. Overall I still give it an A for taste! I mix mine with ice and water everyday. It’s simple, but the ice makes it more smoothie-esque. I know there are many recipes out there, but this easy one suits me just fine!
- Ease. This is a huge one for me. It is so easy to drink a shake and know I’m getting some awesome nutrients. I’m not a great chef and with my real chef (Adam) gone, I have to be more conscious about being a better eater. Shakeology helps me know I’m getting lots of good stuff in one drink! I love that I can mix a shake right before walking out the door – it’s awesome.
- Cravings! I actually sort of miss it when I don’t drink it for a few days. When I was on vacation I didn’t bring any with me and boy did I miss it! That was one thing I couldn’t wait to get home to! I knew I liked it, but I was a little caught off guard by the, dare I say, craving for it.
- Health Benefits. I like the way it makes me feel. I won’t say that wow bang boom my face is clear and my skin looks great and my health is at 100% (maybe I need to use it longer for those effects ;)), but I do like the way I feel when I’m drinking it. A little bit could be a placebo effect (I know this is supposed to be healthy and make me feel great – oh look, now I feel great). Either way I feel healthier and better when I drink it.
The Bad:
- Expense. It’s still expensive. At $139 a bag (that lasts about a month) – it ain’t cheap. It’s about 5 bucks a shake, which is a lot for me. (Edit: Shakeology is a little under 139 per bag – so comes out to more around 4.5 per shake). At this point it is a cost I’m willing to work with (Adam is gone and I am buying less groceries :)). If the cost becomes too much of a burden (remember, I’m planning a wedding people!) I will likely suspend it for a time until I’m able to budget for it.
- Appropriate Expectations. It’s not a miracle drug. Shakeology is an awesome health drink, but I’m not going to expect it to cure my asthma or runner’s knee. As long as your expectations are correct you’ll like it! But maybe at 139 /bag you might think it should cure cancer ;)
- Auto-Delivery. Beachbody automatically enrolls you in auto-delivery. Yeah – this was a shocker for me. I knew you could do auto-delivery, I just didn’t know you had to opt out instead of opt in. If you want to just try one bag be aware of this feature. As soon as I figure out how to opt out I’ll let you know. :) Because I’m happy still using it I haven’t spent much time investigating. But it was irritating seeing an unexpected charge on my credit card. (Edit: check out Heidi’s comment below to see the logic behind auto-delivery aka Home Delivery).
Overall:
Personally I am enjoying the benefits of Shakeology and it allows me to spend less time on one meal of my day. It makes more confident that I’m getting healthy foods in on a daily basis (hooray!) – because we know my Ramen dinners might not be doing the trick. ;)
I’d recommend it to folks that are looking for a convenient way to get better nutrition and are willing to spend a few extra bucks on it. For me, at this stage in the game, it is a worthy expense!
-Kelly
Edit: I am not a Beachbody coach or affiliated with Shakeology in any way.
Races, Reps, and Ramblings 
Great review! I continue to appreciate the fact that you’re NOT a coach and provide this unbiased and honest opinion. Since I AM a coach, it’s exactly what I try to do, too, but there will always be some who just think I’m trying to “sell” them something! I think your review is right on, but I do have to make a couple of minor corrections. The cost for a bag of Shakeology is actually $129, but does come to just under $139 with tax, so is closer to $4.50 per shake… I know, minor difference, but it does add up! :) Also, you CAN order a 1x bag with no obligation for further delivery, but you will pay an extra shipping fee if you do so. I always recommend that people chose the HD option (home delivery), even if they only want one bag, because of the savings on shipping ($12 savings). It’s a super easy phone call to stop this delivery at ANY time, for any reason. And you can change your flavor at any time with this choice too. So, you can opt in from the beginning or opt out from the beginning. It’s just a better value to opt in and then opt out later if you want. Make sense? :)
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the extra information! I figured someone would help me figure out how to opt out :) I added in a couple edits calling out the things you pointed out – thanks so much for the information and corrections!! And glad you enjoyed the review! Let me know if you think of any other corrections!
Glad you like Shakeology! I am a Beachbody coach as well and I really do think Shakeology is awesome! However, the cost is definitely a factor for me as well as a lot of people who I give samples to and love it! I’m glad you are liking it and this makes me want to get back on it again.
I really am surprised with how much I like Shakeology! It almost makes me want to become a coach just for the discount – because you’re right… it’s tough to justify the cost. I’ve rationalized that this is pre-wedding prep – maybe you can use the same excuse ;) (Though I’ll probably continue post-wedding).
You TOTALLY should be a coach. The discount is worth every penny if you only use it for that purpose. Reading your blog, however, I know you’d be an amazing motivator, encourager, and champion of all things fitness, too! I can’t imagine doing anything else…
Hi Nicole! It’s nice to meet another coach on here! :)
I have a friend who is obsessed with this stuff – like went to their events and does the beach body thing and everything! She’s trying to get me on board but I’m weary of ‘shakes’ because I’m all about being ridiculous with my eating habits. In any case, this is interesting to hear – I like that Heidi added that you can change flavors at any time too! That’s handy! Surprising that the taste is good, I wouldn’t expect it to be that way!
I hear you on the weary of shakes thing – I felt the exact same way before I tried it and honestly still do about most shakes. I did the whole Slim Fast thing etc, I really normally hate HATE drinking my meals. However I’ve enjoyed it with Shakeology – probably because it tastes so good :) It’s definitely worth checking out. Maybe you could get a sample from your friend! I did that before committing to a whole bag and is definitely the way to go!
it was nice to read and honest review of shakeology. I had been doing the insanity workout, but sadly I just don’t have the money to afford it. so I guess I’ll just have to stick with my cheaper homemade fresh fruit protein smoothies. but I will definitely remember your review for the future :-)
Glad you enjoyed the review! I can certainly understand the financial piece with Shakeology. It is certainly an investment. I’m sure your fruit protein shakes will do the trick just fine :) Good luck with Insanity and let me know if you ever have any questions about Shakeology in the future!
thanks! I will :-)
Good for you for tackling Insanity! That’s a kick-butt workout to say the least! I would be happy to send you a sample if you would like to check out Shakeology. I completely understand the affordability piece… I really do. I look at it as re-allocating $4.50 a day to invest in the BEST thing you can do for your body, even better than exercise. If there is anything in your budget you can “shift” to allow for this addition you will thank yourself later! :) Let me know if you’d like a sample and I’ll send it on it’s way!
Hey I do shakeology and if you call their customer service number and give them your order number you can stop auto delivery. What I did was keep auto delivery for the same low price but altered it to every other month which works better for me as I don’t drink it every day. They were really nice about it. Just give them a call.
Oh this is BRILLIANT! Thank you so much!! That is perfect. Thanks Megan!
Very true Megan! I forgot to mention that. I recommend this to people who are going away for vacation, for example, and aren’t going to be home to receive delivery for awhile. And, though it’s IDEAL to drink it every day, I know not everyone does and SOME is better than NONE! :) Do you have any favorite recipes?
I do light iced coffee with my chocolate shakeology. Best of both worlds for me.
OOOOHHH! You need to try the new vanilla Shakeology flavor then…. 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup brewed coffee (cooled), 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa, 1 scoop vanilla Shakeology = Amazing! :)
Hehe I loved your’s and Adam’s initial review of Shakeology, so funny!! Glad to hear you’re still enjoying it, I really wish they had it in the UK so that I could try a sample as it really does sound great re: all the nutrients etc, but I’m still not too sure personally about ‘ready-to-mix’ drinks! Maybe one day it will come :) Yes, the cost of drinks and some protein powders are ridiculous! I once bought some vegan protein powder which cost a bomb but it has remained somewhat untouched :/ Wish they let us always sample things before buying!
Thanks Lucy! Glad you enjoyed it :) I can’t believe they don’t have it in the UK – that really surprises me. And I totally feel you on the whole ready-to-mix drinks – Shakeology has made me a convert, at least for it! It was crucial that I got to sample it first – I’m now too scared to just buy things without a sample!
This is a great review! I love that you touch on the pros and cons. For me, the expense outweighs a LOT of the pros, but it’s hard to knock something that’s delicious AND convenient.
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it! And you are so right – it’s crazy how much it costs! But… the convenience factor is huge for me, so for now it wins!
I had no idea how expensive this stuff was!! AHH! However, once in a while the splurge is worth it!! I spend wayyy too much on food anyway! Awesome review, thanks for sharing!
Oh I KNOW! Insane right?? I did an analysis before taking the plunge to make sure I could really make room for it in the budget. I just switched to get it every other month – which should help! Glad you enjoyed the review! :)
Hi All! I really do understand the “price objection” to Shakeology. Take a look at this video. I think in the end you’ll find that the benefits FAR outweigh the price. In fact, it may be an outright bargain! :) http://youtu.be/lnYbixayDdU