The sweet, french vanilla shake with a dash of cinnamon races down my throat. Never have I thought workout drinks could taste so good. Instead of having breakfast, I indulged in the same routine as a regular Herbalife user, where a shake takes the place of a meal. No longer was I hungry as I looked at the white chunks left at the bottom of my cup. The motto ran through my head, “healthy never tasted so good.”
Every day, faithful Herbalife users have a shot of aloe, an herbal tea, then a shake before exercising.
UT students are joining a new lifestyle choice, called Herbalife, in hopes of having more energy, becoming more fit and building more muscle.
Sophie Aldeman, a sophomore exercise science major, has been using Herbalife since the end of January. She saw Ray Camaraza’s pictures on Facebook, a UT graduate who now works to promote Herbalife, and decided to get in contact with him.
“I was skeptical at first because you look at the pictures and hear people’s testimonials and you think ‘how does it happen so quickly?’ but it just works,” Aldeman said. “I’m just happy all the time and energetic.”
Aldeman uses the meal replacement shakes two times per day and works out once per day. She gives herself one day off from using the product. She has lost two pounds so far and will continue with Herbalife.
Herbalife sells a variety of products for personal care, kids’ nutrition, energy and fitness and weight management. Consumers can pick from several shake flavors: french vanilla, dutch chocolate, piña colada, mint chocolate, wild berry, cafe latte, dulce de leche and the most popular, cookies and cream. The shakes are designed to contain 20 essential vitamins and act as meal replacements. The tea consists of an herbal aloe powder mix, which acts as a cleanser and provides support for the immune system. The teas come in original, lemon, raspberry and peach.
As a package, consumers can buy the shake, a multivitamin complex and a cell activator. The multivitamin supports the immune system and bones. The cell activator contains aloe and supports the body’s absorption of micronutrients.
Customers come in to different gym locations across the U.S. and have one of the meal replacement shakes. They can purchase meal cards and use them at the locations. At one location, if you buy six meals for $30, you get a seventh one for free. Many customers also purchase Herbalife and make it at home but still come into the gym and purchase the meals.
Clara, a trainer for Herbalife who requested that her full name remain private, said locations of gyms where Herbalife are purchased are kept secret because the owners do not want huge crowds coming in all at once. They also want to be able to reach out and build relationships with people. If they have a lot of publicity, it would be hard to maintain that relationship because they call and keep track of clients weekly. Trainers also do not want customers to favor one gym location over another.
“If I buy a protein shake at GNC and go work out on my own, no one from GNC is going to call me,” said Camaraza.
This gym has trainers specified to different types of people. Camaraza handles mostly UT students. He was recruited by Sebastian, a trainer who also requested his full name be withheld, and mostly handles MMA fighters. Clara, who is a mother, handles moms who want to get into shape.
Camaraza first started using the workout products but then decided to use the weight loss ones as well. He gained an eight-pack and lost four percent of his body fat. He switched to Herbalife because other workout products made him feel sluggish.
Camaraza gets people interested in Herbalife by providing free workouts at the gym and by exercising at UT’s campus. Once newbies join, they still receive free group workouts.
“Many people come join because they want to be a part of a group. A lot of UT students are looking for a family atmosphere. A lot of them are traveling from home and they don’t have a typical family,” Camaraza said. “We provide that for them.”
Kenra Borden, a senior communication major, was introduced to Herbalife when she took a fitness class with her sorority sisters last semester. She enjoyed it but said the whole workout was circled around the product.
“They push it and give you testimonials and pictures,” Borden said.
Borden and about 20 of her sorority sisters decided to try the product because of the pressure from trainers. She spent around $150 and was on it for about a month.
One day Borden was talking to her friend from Colombia, where Herbalife is also sold. Her friend said they sell the product for $20.
“They do it over there [Colombia] for a little diet, or for a wedding or event. They will drop 10 pounds in a month,” Borden said. “It’s not a lifetime thing.”
According to a GNC sales associate who wishes to remain anonymous, there is a cheaper alternative. He said by combining ultra mega green active powder with aloe vera juice, customers could save a lot of money. Ultra mega green active powder only costs $44.49 while the aloe vera juice costs $11.99.
After a month of using Herbalife and losing two pounds, Borden stopped. She now makes her own natural shakes and likes knowing what exactly is going inside them. The other sorority sisters have stopped taking it as well.
“It’s just like any other diet product. You might lose weight, but are you going to stay on it your whole life? No you aren’t,” Borden said. “You can find other healthier alternatives.”
Camaraza said he sees a lot of people, especially UT students, fall off the program. He does, however, see many students come back because of their friends’ progress with the product.
Camaraza’s favorite thing about working at the gym is getting to know people on a personal level while promoting the product at the same time.
“It goes a lot more into it then just giving them products,” Camaraza said. “We provide them with positive attitudes and free workouts. People come in here with no hope at all and we give them hope, so it inspires me.”
Mark Sugden can be reached at mark. sugden@spartans.ut.edu
Theresa Stanton can be reached at theresa. stanton@spartans.ut.edu