I Tried The Man Shake & The Lady Shake – Did I Lose Weight With The Meal Replacement Shake? (2025)

When a Rugby League legend nicknamed “Mad Dog” launches a meal replacement shake promising you can “lose your beer gut without losing the beers,” it’s worth paying attention. But does The Man Shake actually work, or is it just clever marketing?

After reaching 95kg post-Christmas and watching my clothes get tighter, I decided to put both The Man Shake and The Lady Shake to a real test. For the past month, I’ve replaced daily meals with their shakes and bars, analyzed every ingredient, and tracked my results – all while refusing to give up my favourite foods completely.

This hands-on review breaks down exactly what you can expect from these Australian-made meal replacement shakes, including my genuine weight loss results and whether they’re worth your money.

If you’re exploring different weight loss options, you might also want to check out our guide to the best meal delivery services for weight loss.

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

The story behind The Man Shake

When you think of healthy meal replacement shakes, a Rugby League player nicknamed “Mad Dog” might not be the first person who comes to mind.

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 inspired a professional rugby player to create a dieting product? In MacDougall’s own words, he wanted to answer the question of “how to lose [your] beer gut without losing the beers!” – a relatable goal for many Australians.

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

This practical approach to weight management became the foundation for The Man Shake.

What is The Man Shake?

At its heart, The Man Shake is a carefully formulated powdered protein shake designed to keep you satisfied while maintaining a low calorie count.

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

Looking at these numbers, there are four key benefits that stand out:

• 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.

For those with specific dietary requirements, it’s worth noting that while the original Man Shake isn’t keto-friendly or vegan, they do offer a vegan alternative with similar nutritional benefits.

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

The options when ordering The Man Shake

The Man Shake range has grown significantly since its launch, now offering 10 different flavours that range from classic favorites to creative combinations.

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

• Chocolate
• Banana
• Caramel
• Coffee
• Strawberry
• Vanilla
• Choc Mint
• Cookies & Cream
• Choc Honeycomb
• Mixed Berries

Each Man Shake comes in an 840g pouch that provides 15 meals worth of shake. You can use this as either a two-week supply (one shake per day) or a one-week supply (two shakes per day), depending on your weight loss goals.

The Man Shake’s Expanded Product Range

The Man Shake has evolved beyond its original protein shake to offer a comprehensive range of weight management products. Their standout innovation is the Man Shake GO! – a clever combination of their classic shake with an energizing caffeine boost.

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.

For between-meal hunger, there’s The Man Bar – a protein-rich snack bar containing 14g of protein and 12g of fibre in just 170 calories. It’s designed specifically to satisfy cravings while supporting your weight loss goals.

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 by 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?

While the product range is identical, The Lady Shake features a specially adjusted formulation to better suit women’s nutritional needs. I’ve summarised the differences in the table below:

	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.

Since both products are priced identically, it’s worth choosing the version formulated for your gender. That said, the nutritional profiles are quite similar, so either option can still be effective for your weight loss journey.

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

To provide a comprehensive review, I tested products from both The Man Shake and The Lady Shake ranges, including their original protein shakes, 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 disappointing for me. However, nobody can argue I’m not giving The Man Shake a thorough test.

The timing worked perfectly with my post-Christmas weight loss goals. After reaching 95kg during the festive season and noticing my clothes fitting differently, I was aiming to lose around 10kg.

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 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!

After testing the Mocha, Iced Latte, and Espresso flavours, I found the concept innovative but different from a regular morning coffee.

While the caffeine kick is there, the thick, protein shake texture takes some getting used to – it’s definitely not your typical morning brew.

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.

Like the original formula, the GO! range features the same sweet flavor profile despite its low sugar content. While I enjoyed this, it may not appeal to those who prefer their coffee unsweetened.

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’ stands out as my favorite protein bar to date. Without any nutty flavors to compete with, the rich chocolate taste makes it incredibly moreish.

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 contains protein in a powdered form.

I found that The Man Bar was perfect for taking the edge off 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.

By replacing 4-5 lunches a week with The Man Shake and maintaining daily 30-minute exercise, I lost 2.5kg in a month. This came without following a strict ‘traditional’ diet, and I noticed improvements in both my fitness and energy levels after just 4 weeks.

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 confronting 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

The Man Shake frequently runs a 4-for-3 offer across most products, bringing the cost down to just $2.49 per meal – exceptional value for a complete meal replacement.

The Man Shake GO! is particularly cost-effective when you consider it replaces both your breakfast and morning coffee, making the $4.99 per serving quite reasonable.

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.

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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!