ViSalus Vi Shape Nutritional Shake Mix

I've only been drinking Visalus for 6 days but so far I am beyond excited. I am using these as a meal replacement for 2 meals a day since I am trying to lose weight. After 5 days I have lost 7.5 lbs with no change to my normal exercise routine. I do walk 4.25 miles most mornings and walk an additional 3.75 miles in the afternoon 4 times per week. I can't possible imagine being able to lose that much weight every week but it's a GREAT start. For healthy snacks I've been eating a piece of fruit (banana, apple, etc.). I did do some trial and error to determine what worked for me from a taste perspective and have provided details below. Overall details: -These fill me up at 2 scoops per shake - If sufficiently mixed in a blender or with a shaker bottle I do not think these are grainy at all and I'm pretty picky from a texture standpoint Note: I have determined that the shaker bottle works great and no longer bother with the overhead of using a blender -To me there is a slight aftertaste but I just follow each shake with a chaser of 12oz of water -The first few days I was physically EXHAUSTED - even going to bed earlier. I think my body has now adjusted and I seem to be at normal energy levels again. -The first few days I did have a persistent headache. Again, I think this was my body adjusting to the lower calories. What didn't work for me: -Shake mixed in blender with water and no additional flavorings. YUCK! -Shake mixed in blender with skim milk and no additional flavorings. YUCK!!! What worked for me: -Shake mixed in blender (or shaker bottle) with 1 cup skim milk (80 calories) and 2 tbsp sugar free pudding mix - YUM! -Shake mixed in blender (or shaker bottle) with 1 cup unsweetened blend of coconut milk and almond milk (35 calories) and 2 tbsp sugar free pudding mix - YUM! If you mix everything together in the morning and let it sit until the afternoon it's almost a pudding consistency which you can eat with a spoon or somewhat drink as a beverage (it's thick). I find it equally as good to just mix together and drink right away. Since I am using sugar free pudding mix in my shakes I can easily switch up the flavors so it doesn't get boring: Chocolate, butterscotch, pistachio, banana cream, etc. Next I plan on trying to mix in fruit and ice instead of pudding mix to add additional variety. I doubt I would do this during the week due to convenience but it might be a nice change on the weekends. I am also not sure that "just" fruit will mask the taste of the base shake flavor enough for me to like it. UPDATE: I have been drinking Visalus as meal replacement for 2 meals a day for 5 weeks and have lost 17.8 lbs so far. I take Saturdays off from calorie scrutinization and pretty much allow myself to eat whatever on that one day. This gives me a way to "reward" myself for a good week, provides a mental break and IMO informs my body "hey, don't worry - we are not starving"