Avoiding the “COVID 15” Weight Gain

Over the summer, I heard a lot about gaining the “COVID 15.” It’s like the “freshman 15” or the 15 pounds you gain because of a significant shift in your daily routine and life.

Conveniently, Facebook really started targeting me for weight loss or weight control supplements. I figured if I was ever going to try any of these, now would be a convenient time. Why not try it and see what happens?

I tried out four different products:

1. Beachbody Bevvy
2. Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies
3. Superfood Skinny Tabs
4. YourSuper.com Superfoods and Plant Protein Mixes

Below are my personal experiences and findings with each.

Beachbody Bevvy

This 15-calorie drink powder is supposed to help curb your cravings. 30 minutes prior to a meal, dump one packet of Bevvy into 8 oz. of water, shake and drink.

After giving it a try, my conclusion on Beachbody’s Bevvy is it’s:

1. Incredibly easy to use.
2. Very tasty.
3. Helpful to get me to drink extra water.
4. Only 15 calories!

Does Bevvy “work”? Well, I don’t really use it 30-minutes prior to a meal. I often drink Bevvy when I really want something to eat NOW and am trying to test if I’m really hungry or just stressed.

So my analysis of Bevvy is that the sweet taste makes me feel like I’ve eaten something sweet. At 15 calories, that’s great! But sweet foods typically make you want more food right? Although at that point, the 8 oz. of water helps fill me up a bit. And, it makes me thirsty, which results in drinking even more water.

Therefore, while Bevvy doesn’t curb my cravings, it does result in me eating less. AND, I’ve found a better use for it (see YourSuper section below).

Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

I had been taking Goli gummies since December 2019, but only one a day because it’s expensive to take 2-3 a day. Why would I take so many?

Well, a Facebook ads enlightened me to a new use…. it said to take Goli gummies to minimize cravings. This blew my mind. I never would’ve thought to use them this way. But I had them in my cupboard and figured why not?

After eating two Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies between meals if I wanted to eat something but knew I wasn’t hungry, my conclusion is:

1. It’s super easy to grab and eat two gummies, unless they’re stuck to the bottom of the bottle– that’s a pain.
2. The flavor is not sweet but it’s definitely yummy enough that it’s enjoyable.
3. The flavor is strong enough to make you feel like you ate something if that’s all you needed.
4. The flavor is distinct enough that I really don’t want to eat anything else afterward.
5. I still have no clue if it helps my energy, gut health, healthy skin, etc.
6. It’s only 12 calories per gummy.
7. It’s better than drinking actual apple cider vinegar.

Do the Goli Gummies “work”? For the purposes of gut health or supporting the immune system… maybe? I haven’t been sick for the past few months. However, we’ve been quarantined all summer.

BUT, Goli gummies are awesome for squashing cravings. After eating 2 gummies, I rarely want to eat anything at least until the flavor dissipates. And if I wasn’t hungry at all, just really grazing or bored, these are perfect! They also helped replace the bad late-night snack habit I developed when quarantine started. Woohoo!

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Superfood Tabs

Facebook advertising got me really hard on this one. I had never heard of Superfood tabs or “skinny tabs,” but the company has several pages each promoting the same product so I’d see multiple ads in the same day.

All of them promised that it’s a tab you add to 16 oz. of water, shake and drink in place of a snack or meal and so you’d lose weight. Every post has hundreds of comments, with so many people raving about these tabs and how much weight they lost. It felt gimmicky but in the spirit of trying, I decided to go for it.

After trying the Superfood “skinny” tabs, this is what I found:

1. It’s easy to use. Just drop a tab into water and shake.
2. These taste AWFUL. Like, so awful I had to eat chips to keep from throwing up, which of course is more food which defeats the purpose.
3. Per directions, if you want to reduce the strong flavor, add more water. This just really means you’re drinking the nasty flavor for longer.
4. If you add lemon concentrate or lemonade to mask the flavor, it makes it something you can chug without wanting to vomit, but it’s still disgusting.
5. If you use only half a tab, the taste is still there.
6. I was never able to fully finish one drink no matter what preparation method I used.
7. Their 30-day return guarantee policy starts the day you order, so when it takes two weeks to receive the tabs, you have two weeks to decide to return, process the return, and mail them back.
8. Their customer service is SLOW to process returns, but quick to respond when you comment negatively on their Facebook ads with tips like 2-4 above to make it “taste better.” Priorities.

Do the Superfood Skinny tabs “work”? Maybe people lose weight because they literally throw up after drinking them. Otherwise, no. Do not waste your money.

Friends, these were so disgusting, I’m honestly not even going to link to the site because this is more of a warning than an endorsement. I don’t know how people can stomach these. I seriously wonder if they are fake accounts to con people into buying.

I feel nauseous just thinking about the taste. Let’s move on!

YourSuper.com Superfoods and Plant Protein Mixes

Another Facebook ad tugged at my heartstrings when the company started because “Kristel made superfood blends for Michael after his cancer diagnosis at age 24.” Aww, of course I had to learn more.

I held off for so long on purchasing this one but I also REALLY wanted to believe YourSuper.com wasn’t a gimmick. Note: It didn’t promise weight loss, but “Skinny Protein” caught my attention.

One Facebook ad had a video of Kristel mixing Moon Balance with a small glass of water, drinking it and saying how yummy it was. Due to its bright pink color, I just knew it had to taste like fruit punch or maybe even the sweet pomegranate Bevvy.

So I digested the website, studied the comments in the Facebook ads, and really thought about how I’d integrate these into my life. In the end, I chose Skinny Protein, Power Matcha and Moon Balance. I was hopeful.

After trying the YourSuper.com Superfoods and Plant Protein Mixes, I have found that:

1. It’s certified organic, vegan, no GMO, dairy-free, soy-free, 100% natural plant-based supplements.
2. The most obvious thing was not obvious to me: these powders are made from plants, which means THEY TASTE LIKE PLANTS. Not sweet at all.
3. Because of the flavor, these aren’t as easy to use. It takes planning to figure out how to mix them into foods you’re already eating so that you don’t add more food to your daily intake.
4. I tried mixing moon balance with water like Kristel does in the video. It tastes so much like you’re drinking dirt, BUT, it does totally squash my craving for anything else! And, it’s 14 calories per serving for the potential benefits. Sometimes, I still drink it straight, but I prepare myself.
5. I only use power matcha in my morning shakes and not daily due to the caffeine. Power matcha is only 15 calories per serving.
6. I use skinny protein after a workout. It’s only 50 calories a serving.
7. They have great customer service.
8. With the order, you get multiple recipes on how you can use them in your daily life if not mixing with water. Often with coffee or tea (I drink neither) or a blender/shake concoction.

My favorite eureka moment was when I realized that I could mix the super sweet bevvy packet with a serving of these supplements and it completely masks the taste.

Do the YouSuper supplements “work”? In the end, my conclusion is that I bought these as a part of the experiment to find ways to keep my weight down during quarantine, but instead I use these more as an additional nutritional supplement that I integrated into my daily routine.

So in the end, I’m not replacing food with YourSuper.com supplements, but I am hopeful it’s giving my body more of what it needs to be and stay healthy.

Am I avoiding the “COVID 15”?

Although I have lost a few pounds over the quarantine, I doubt that any one of these was the sole reason. In addition to exercising regularly, this test helped keep my focus on what I was eating, when I was eating and why.

Overall, avoiding mindless eating and keeping moving is probably the best thing to avoid gaining weight during the coronavirus quarantine. But if you wanted to try any of the weight loss or craving curbing products I listed above, I hope this helped answer some questions you might have.

Have you tried any of the items above or anything else and either had luck or want to warn people not to try it? Comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts too!

Good luck! Stay healthy all!