The Saba Weight Loss Program: 3 Crucial Things to Know
Author: Amanda Cofer, MPH
With all the fad diets out there, it’s hard to know what is safe and what may be on teetering on the line for being harmful. We know that losing weight on a cleanse, pill, or fast doesn’t necessarily equal long term success. The Saba 60 weight loss program is one such program that combines a cleanse, pill supplement, and shakes to help you lose weight, but what do you really (I mean really) need to know about this program before you consider factoring it into your daily routine?
The Saba 60 Weight Loss Program Set Up
The Saba Program isn’t anything special in terms of it’s set up. There are certainly other programs out there like it. According to Saba’s official website, the Saba 60 weight loss program starts off with a 5 day cleanse and then transitions to using their Toppfast meal replacement shakes as well as a pill supplement. You also receive a meal plan that incorporates “approved” grocery foods of what to eat when and how much. This may sound like it will solve all your problems surrounding food and weight loss, but don’t jump the gun just yet.
This heavily promotes a dieting mindset over a lifestyle change approach. While you may learn some lifestyle hacks and see yourself make some changes (maybe), it’s likely that they will only be made in the short term when going about it this way. Research has shown that there is way more that goes into successfully losing and maintaining weight than you’d like to think. Honing in on the psychology behind it all to modify behaviors is what really leads to success.
The Saba 60 Business Model
Over the last decade or so the weight loss industry has exploded and everyone seems to want a piece of the pie (pun intended). However, there are some business approaches that put the money-maker first and the client second, or even third. With that, weight loss programs with a multi-level marketing (MLM) model have been on the rise. These companies use “consultants” or “coaches” to sell their products and plans but may not have the professional background to back it up. Making sure the consultant you’re buying from actually has your back would be an important factor to consider. Many times companies like this place an emphasis on commission, sales, and numbers rather than the health and weight loss success of those using the program. The Saba 60 weight loss program does fall under a MLM and the products are costly.
According to their website, you will initially pay $120 for your first round of shakes and pills to pop. After this, you can expect to pay about $70 every 30 days to keep your plan and product stocked. This almost triple what you could pay with a program like Noom! This also takes collaboration out of the picture since the sales may or may not always be in your best interest. Evidence supporting a client-centered approach is vast and shows that a client-centered approach using health coaching can be more effective in the long term for weight loss and preventing disease.
The Saba 60 Supplements and Safety
This one is a doozy, for sure, in terms of safety. If there is one section in this article that you’d want to pay attention to, its this one. While many programs use shakes and vitamin supplements, there are some that utilize little pills with big promises. They promise that the over the counter substance will decrease appetite, inhibit the absorption of certain carbs or fats in your body, or even break down the body fat you’re hoping to lose. Keep in mind that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate these sorts of pills and promises for safety and effectiveness.The Saba 60 supplements include one called Skinny 5000 and Saba ACE (appetite, control, energy). While you won’t find much information on the contents of these supplements on their website, they claim to be “all natural.” Natural doesn’t mean safe though.
Consumer reports show that the Saba supplements contain caffeine equivalent to about 4 cups of coffee (since they say you should take 2 each day) as well as other stimulants like green tea extract, mango extract, B vitamins, among others. This can have some pretty hefty side effects, especially if you’re drinking your morning coffee on top of all this. Those taking these supplements may experience: rapid heart beat or abnormal rhythm, jitteriness, restlessness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, stomach pain, trouble sleeping, and dehydration to literally just name a “few.” We don’t know about you but if we were experiencing all of this we wouldn’t want to eat either. In a much more serious instance, the Saba ACE supplement and it’s ingredients have been linked to liver failure and listed and “hepatotoxic” substances. With all of this the FDA did issue a warning in an attempt to create safe and smarter consumerism for those looking for a quick fix weight loss program, however these products are still up for sale today.
The Saba Weight Loss Program: The Bottom Line
In the end, the Saba weight loss program is one that you could categorize as a fad. It uses pill supplements, cleanses, and shakes to cut calories for rapid weight loss that really isn’t sustainable in the long run. The sales of products are done through a MLM business model that really is set up to serve those who are in the business rather than their clientele.
Noom’s approach is completely opposite. No product pushing, no shakes or pills, and a totally user centered approach to help you feel supported towards your weight loss goals. Focusing on real foods, the likelihood of experiencing a life threatening side effect is pretty much zero. With Noom you’ll change your mindset along with habits for truly lasting weight loss results.
