I Tried The Man Shake & The Lady Shake – Did I Lose Weight With The Meal Replacement Shake? (2024)

There are hundreds of fad diets and weight loss supplements out there. Most of them don’t work whilst simultaneously removing the joy in life.

Is The Man Shake another forgettable fad, or could it really help you lose weight and keep it off?

I’ve embedded their shakes and bars into my diet for the last month to see if they work, as well as examining the ingredients and health benefits.

Hopefully, I can help you understand if The Man Shake (or The Lady Shake!) is right for you.

Explore The Man / Lady Shake RangeTry their shakes for a month and see the difference (highly recommended)

The story behind The Man Shake

I wouldn’t traditionally associate healthy meal replacement shakes with anyone who’s nickname is “Mad Dog” but here we are.

The Man Shake was founded in 2015 by Adam “Mad Dog” MacDougall, who many may remember as Rugby League legend. Over a 16-year career he racked up 195 club games, mostly with the Newcastle Knights. He was also selected for 11 State of Origin games, and played 11 tests for Australia in international competition.

What leads a professional rugby player to shift into launching a dieting product? To put it into his own words, it was an answer to the question of “how to lose [your] beer gut without losing the beers!”.

The principles are simple – have something that can be eaten quickly and leaves you feeling full, without packing in loads of calories.

The Man Shake was born out of solving this problem.

What is The Man Shake?

The core product on offer is a simple powdered protein shake, formulated to provide sustenance whilst keeping calories low.

It’s designed as a replacement for 1-2 meals per day. Here’s the nutritional information for a single serving of The Man Shake:

56g Per Serve	Qty Per Serve
Energy	209kcal
Protein	30g
Fat (Total)	4g
Fat (Saturated)	0.4g
Carbohydrate	11.2g
Sugars	2.4g
Fibre	7.5g
Sodium	4.5mg

These are the key nutritional headlines:

• Just 209 calories in each shake is very low, which helps ensure you stay in a calorie deficit.
• Having only 2.4 grams of sugar in an often sweetened protein shake is very impressive.
• 30 grams of protein will help ensure you can retain muscle mass whilst losing fat.
• Each shake contains 7.5 grams of fibre to help with digestion.

It’s important to note that the original Man Shake isn’t keto friendly, or vegan (they do also a have a vegan shake with roughly the same nutritional content).

For more information on recommended daily intake options, check out EatForHealth.gov.au.

The options when ordering The Man Shake

Since launching the original Man Shake, Adam and the team have expanded the range significantly. The original Man Shake now has 10 different flavours to try, including classic as well as more inventive flavours.

At the time of writing, here’s what’s available:

• Chocolate
• Banana
• Caramel
• Coffee
• Strawberry
• Vanilla
• Choc Mint
• Cookies & Cream
• Choc Honeycomb
• Passionfruit Ice Cream

Each Man Shake is an 840g pouch containing 15 meals. That’s either 1 meal a day for 2 weeks, or 2 meals a day for 1 week.

The Man Shake’s Expanded Product Range

You can now order much more than just a simple protein shake through The Man Shake. One of their most innovate products is the Man Shake GO! which takes the classic Man Shake and adds a good dose of caffeine.

Perfect for anyone who can’t wake up in the morning without their coffee, this combines your breakfast and drink in a single, easy to drink shake.

There are 3 options: Espresso, Mocha, and Vanilla Latte. They all pack 125mg of caffeine, which is equal to a double shot of coffee. Instead of a pouch, the Man Shake Go! comes in individual sachets making it incredibly easy to carry with you.

Then there’s The Man Bar, a snacking bar that contains around 14g of protein and 12g of fibre within about 170 calories. If you’re a snacker (like me), this is a great little product to have around when cravings strike.

Lastly, you can get The Man Shake Dessert Mousse (simply mix with water and get a healthy dessert) and The Man Fuel (a pre-mixed version of the man shake).

You’re able to buy each product individually, or save money buying bundles on their website.

The Man Shake vs The Lady Shake

You’ll notice I’ve been focusing on The Man Shake so far, but there’s a whole separate range designed especially for women.

I’m not sure ‘The Lady Shake’ is going to win prizes for an inventive product name, but at least the branding is consistent.

The most notable thing about The Lady Shake is that they offer exactly the same range of products as The Man Shake. Yep, that includes all the flavours, and products like The Man Shake GO! (obviously now The Lady Shake GO!).

So, what’s the difference?

The primary difference is some minor adjustments to their formulation that ensures The Lady Shake is more suitable to women. I’ve summarised the differences in the below table:

	The Man Shake	The Lady Shake
Protein Per Serving	30 g	28 g
Protein Blend	Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate	Milk Protein Isolate, Collagen Peptides, Whey Protein Isolate
Fibre Per Serving	7.5 g (from Psyllium Husk)	6 g
Vitamins & Minerals	25 different types	25 different types plus Acetyl-L-Carnitine* and collagen.
Calories Per Serving	209 kcal	204 kcal
Sweetener	Sucralose	Stevia, Thaumatin

*Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a supplement that helps convert fat stores into energy.

Considering they’re both the same price, it makes sense to opt for the one that’s most suited to your gender. However, if you can only get access to one type, know that they’re exceptionally similar products.

The most striking difference is the branding, with The Man Shake using black branding and The Lady Shake using bright red branding. It’s impossible to mix them up.

My order – trying both Man Shake and Lady Shake

I wanted to try both The Man Shake and The Lady Shake, so I ordered a variety of products from each range. That included the original protein shake, GO! shakes, and protein bars.

All of my products arrived in two sizable boxes, each completely unbranded. I think branding the delivery boxes is part of the overall experience, so this was a little dissapointing for me. However, nobody can argue I’m not giving The Man Shake a thorough test.

Thankfully, this also coincided with a “new year, new me” health kick where I was trying to drop around 10kg. The Christmas period had seen me reach an all-time high of 95kg and clothes weren’t fitting me the same.

The other thing you need to know about me as a reviewer… I HATE dieting because I absolutely love food. There’s nothing I enjoy more than a morning pastry or a sweet dessert.

So, if The Man Shake was to act as a meal replacement, it had to be enjoyable. It also had to allow me to have regular treats without stopping my weight loss progress.

The Man/Lady Shake

I’ve had many different types of protein powder in the past, so I know what flavours I tend to like. My attention was drawn by the Choc Honeycomb so I opted for a few pouches of that.

Each shake is designed to be 2 scoops plus roughly 350ml of water. It’s crucial that a ‘weight loss’ shake blends well with water, so you can avoid the extra calories that come when blending with milk.

My first attempt at a Man Shake with 350ml of water came out thick. Really thick. Too thick, in fact.

I improved on that first attempt by upping to the ratio to 400ml of water plus a few ice cubes. That did the trick.

I ended up with a shake that was easily drinkable, incredibly well blended (no chunks), and was surprisingly delicious. If you’re not able to get a smooth blend, you might need to shake for longer or add in a shaker ball.

Alternatively, I know some people use a blender. Unnecessary, but effective.

There’s no doubting that this is a sweet protein shake, which might be off-putting to some people. However, for me it’s incredible. I feel like I’m having dessert for my entire lunch.

A healthy, sweet lunch. Yes please.

The Choc Honeycomb flavour even contains some ‘Sugar Free Chocolate Cookie Crumbs’ that add a bit of texture to the shake, which I thoroughly enjoy.

Did it leave me feeling full?

This is not some magic bullet that will leave you feeling satisfied for 6+ hours until dinner. I generally found that I still got the munchies at some time in mid-afternoon.

However, it’s important to say that I often felt the afternoon munchies even if I had a huge, calorific lunch. Considering I was limited to just 200 calories at lunchtime, it felt totally acceptable to snack. In fact, often I chose to snack on a Man Bar which would get me through to dinner.

Overall, that means I give it a big thumbs up as a single meal replacement option. Oh, and it’s much quicker to make than bothering to cook anything.

The Man/Lady Shake GO!

There are two main differences between The Man/Lady Shake and The Man/Lady Shake GO!:

1. The GO! range introduces caffeine to the powder.
2. The Go! range comes in individual sachets rather than a large pouch.

The fundamental concept remains the same though, with the shake acting as a meal replacement. Due to the amount of caffeine (125mg) it’s recommended to have only a single GO! shake each day… and perhaps obviously not right before bed time!

Having tried the Mocha, Iced Latte, and Espresso flavours, I think this product is a great idea but don’t expect the same enjoyable experience as your normal morning coffee.

This is still a protein shake, and it tastes / drinks like it. Perhaps partly because it feels weird to be drinking a ‘thick’ coffee.

However, if you think about it as a protein shake with a hit of caffeine, I found each flavour quite enjoyable to drink. My favourite was the Mocha because it gives a kick of cocoa flavour before mellowing out into a coffee aftertaste.

Similar to the normal Man Shake, the flavouring is quite sweet (despite minimal sugar content) and that might not suit your individual taste.

The Man Bar

The most difficult thing for me when it comes to protein bars is that I don’t like nuts! It feels like every option contains some form of peanut butter or almonds.

It’s no surprise that The Man Bar has flavours like Choc Hazelnut, Choc Peanut Butter, and Rocky Road (contains peanuts). Thankfully, there’s a nut-free flavour in the form of ‘Chunky Choc’.

At just 167 calories, these are a satisfying hit of 14g of protein.

‘Chunky Choc’ is also the best tasting protein bar I’ve ever tried. Avoiding that nutty flavour entirely, it never takes me long to devour one of these bars.

The only downside is that I’ve found them to be a bit chewy and dry/chalky. It’s part of the trade-off when eating any protein bar that mostly contain protein in a powdered form.

I found that The Man Bar was perfect for taking the edge of your hunger, giving you a small hit of energy to get you through to your next mealtime. Alternatively, I enjoyed having mine slowly over the hour after lunch as a form of ‘dessert’.

Previously, I’d have reached for a chocolate bar at double the calories and far less filling.

How much weight did I lose?

I clearly didn’t run a scientific study. Losing weight is a combination of exercise and calorie control, which takes your holistic lifestyle into account.

However, the science is clear that if you’re in a calorie deficit then you’ll lose weight. The bigger the calorie deficit, the more weight you’ll lose.

The Man Shake allowed me to replace meals that were 700+ calories with just 200 calories. I found it much easier to get through the day with a calorie deficit, often eating under 1500 calories across an entire day (this was such an achievement for me!).

I still had regular ‘treats’ including beers and meals/lunches out a few times a week. I rarely ate salad.

Despite not adhering to a strict ‘traditional’ diet, I was able to lose 2.5kg in a month. I felt noticeably fitter and more energetic after 4 weeks using The Man Shake to replace 4-5 lunches a week, mixed with some form of 30-minute exercise every day.

Based on my past experiences trying to lose weight, I know this would have been much, much harder without The Man Shake.

How much does The Man Shake cost?

Some of the pricing for The Man Shake can be a bit affronting at first. It seems like an expensive investment.

However, it’s important to remember that The Man Shake is a meal replacement. That means a single Man Shake can be compared to the cost of your lunch.

Product	Servings	Price	Price Per Serving
The Man Shake / The Lady Shake	15 shakes	$49.95	$3.33
The Man Shake GO! / The Lady Shake GO!	10 shakes	$49.95	$4.99
The Man Bar / The Lady Bar	10 bars	$44.95	$4.49
Man Fuel / Lady Fuel	12 shakes	$66.00	$5.50
The Man Shake Dessert / The Lady Shake Dessert	10 servings	$29.95	$2.99

At the time of writing (and for as long as I’ve been using The Man Shake), they’re offering a 3 for 1 offer on most products. If you can make that investment, you can get The Man Shake for as little as $2.49 per meal.

I think that’s a bargain.

With The Man Shake Go! it’s important to consider that it replaces both a meal and your morning coffee. Even at a standard serving price of $4.99 that doesn’t seem unreasonable.

Explore The Man / Lady Shake RangeTry their shakes for a month and see the difference (highly recommended)

Delivery costs a standard $10 anywhere in Australia, though it’s free with any order over $70. It’s really easy to spend over $70 so I’d expect most people to earn that free delivery.

Alternatives to the Man / Lady shakes?

I’m a healthy sceptic when it comes to any sort of ‘diet’ products. They’re commonly cheap products repackaged and modified slightly to look ‘healthy’ and charged out at a steep price.

That means I want to compare The Man Shake with two of the most popular protein shakes in Australia – MyProtein’s Meal Replacement Blend and True Proteins’s All-In-One Blend. All nutritional values are per serving.

	MyProtein	True Protein	The Man Shake
Pouch Size	1 kg	900 g	840 g
Meals Per Pouch	19	15	15
Flavours	5 flavours	2 flavours	10 flavours
Calories	200 kcal	274 kcal	209 kcal
Fat	6.7 g	6.7 g	4 g
Saturated Fat	3.1 g	2.2 g	0.4 g
Carbohydrates	17 g	20.8 g	11.2 g
Sugars	14 g	3.3 g	2.4 g
Fibre	4.1 g	9.0 g	7.5 g
Protein	18 g	25.1 g	30 g
Sodium	900 mg	153 mg	4.5 mg
Price	$45.99	$78.00	$49.95
Price Per Serving	$2.42	$5.20	$3.33

This comparison is incredibly enlightening. It shows how incredibly well the team at The Man Shake have done to produce a shake that’s low on Saturated Fat, Carbs, Sodium and Sugars whilst upping the Protein and Fibre.

Even though the MyProtein blend is roughly 50% cheaper, I wouldn’t want to put that much sugar, carbs, and sodium in my body. There’s an insane 14 grams of sugar per portion for just 18 grams of protein.

The True Protein blend is nutritionally much closer, but comes in at a steep $5.20 per portion whilst delivering 5 grams less protein and an extra 70 calories per serving.

In this context, The Man Shake comes out as a comfortable winner.

My overall thoughts on The Man Shake & The Lady Shake

I must admit that I was sceptical about The Man Shake at first. I thought their marketing was cheesy and oversold the product. It’s just a protein shake after all.

I’m now a total convert to The Man Shake.

You’ll be struggling to find a weight loss protein shake that ticks as many boxes as The Man Shake. It’s an incredibly well-formulated product:

• High in protein.
• High in fibre.
• Low in sugar.
• Low in carbs.
• Low in fat.
• Low in sodium.

Most importantly, it doesn’t taste like blended cardboard. It’s extremely drinkable, even enjoyable if you’re in the mood.

I found it consistently easy to blend down without leaving lumps (using a bit of elbow grease to shake it hard) which is a huge positive compared to other similar products.

Combine these factors with the Man Shake GO! for a hit of caffeine, and The Man Bar to handle snacking, for a huge leg-up on your weight loss plans.

I’ve never found it easier to lose weight.

What are the downsides?

Well, a shake only really kept me full for at most 3-4 hours so I ended up regularly snacking on the bars. At $4.49 each, the costs can add up quite quickly especially when you are buying 40+ bars in one order.

Lastly, taking The Man Shake isn’t part of a sustainable long-term diet unless you want to be eating shakes for lunch for the rest of your life. I’d be concerned about putting on weight quickly when stopping with The Man Shake because it doesn’t promote a healthy, holistic diet.

Explore The Man / Lady Shake RangeTry their shakes for a month and see the difference (highly recommended)

The Man Shake competitors

I haven’t reviewed any other direct competitors on Food Box Mate, although I can recommend a few other services that can help with weight loss and improved health.

Equalution is a service that provides weekly meal plans (no food, just the plan!) and access to a nutritionist to help you consistently make good choices with food. They target more of the mental side of dieting to create long-term sustainable weight loss. Read my Equalution review.

Check Out Equalution's Subscription OffersRated Our #1 App For 1-1 Nutrition Coaching

Vitable offer a personalised vitamin & supplements plan based on your personal needs and goals. Taking their short (free) quiz generates a set of recommendations, then their subscription service delivers the right amount of tablets every month. They make it really easy to build a habit that supports your body to become healthier. Read my Vitable review.

Get Personalised Recommendations With Vitable's Free Health QuizThen, use code FOODBOXMATE40 for a 40% Discount Sitewide

I’d love to hear about other people’s experiences with The Man & Lady Shake – were they similar to mine? Did you find my review of The Man Shake useful? Let me know in the comments section below!