Arbonne vs Plexus - Unbiased Take On Their Most Popular Products (2024)

Like many people, I’ve been trying to lose weight and feel better about my body and health for a long time without much success. I might do well on a diet for a couple of weeks only to get intense cravings for “bad foods” I wasn’t “allowed” to have.

I would end up cheating on my diet, becoming discouraged, and giving up. It was so frustrating and I spent a long time wondering why I was trying everything and nothing was working.

Eventually, I learned that what I was missing was the knowledge that health is a lifestyle,not something you do and get it over with.

Once I realized that, I started looking for a few things that would help me control cravings, replace meals, and give me energy as needed that I could use consistently in my new lifestyle.

I didn’t want to go on crazy crash diets anymore — I wanted to live my life healthfully, losing weight naturally while I gave my body the nutrients it needed and hadn’t been getting from my poor diet.

I found the Plexus Lean^TMWhey Meal Replacement and Plexus Slim^®, as well as Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix and Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks.

These have been a great help in keeping my energy levels up and helping me cut calories while still feeling satisfied. I’ve tried other products from Plexus and Arbonne, as well as other health product companies, and I have to say these four are my go-tos. Here’s what you should to know about these four products, how they compare against one another, and which products are right for what needs.

What Is the Plexus Lean^TMWhey Meal Replacement?

The Plexus Lean^TMWhey Meal Replacement is a tasty protein shake with 15 grams of whey protein per serving or 24 grams of protein when prepared as indicated, plus 23 highly bioavailable vitamins and minerals that are easier for your body to absorb than traditional vitamin tablets.

It also includes a healthy dose of critical amino acids, prebiotic and dietary fibers, and digestive enzymes. You can use the Plexus Lean^TM Whey Meal Replacement up to twice a day to help you trim calories and lose weight. Alternatively, you can have Plexus shake just once a day to maintain a healthy weight you’ve reached. There is no caffeine in this product, so it’s a great choice for people who are sensitive to caffeine but still want to start shedding unwanted pounds.

What Is the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix?

The Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix is a meal replacement shake similar to Plexus Lean^TMand other like products. It has 20 grams of vegan protein per serving and includes all necessary amino acids, along with 24 vitamins and minerals.

This protein shake is low on the glycemic index and won’t cause a sudden rise and subsequent crash in blood glucose levels. Subsequently, it’s an ideal choice for diabetics and hypoglycemic individuals.

It’s mixed with water, making it a low-calorie choice, and can also be blended with fruits or vegetables to improve nutrition and taste. You can also mix it with other Arbonne products, such as Daily Fiber Boost, Daily Protein Boost, Greens Balance, and Mind Health.

I really enjoy blending the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix with the Daily Protein Boost to get an additional 10 grams of protein on top of the 20 grams already in the Protein Shake Mix. 30 total grams of protein, in the morning especially, really helps me to feel full for hours.

How Do Plexus Lean^TMand Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix Compare?

Here’s how Plexus Lean^TMand Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix stack up against each other in my opinion:

Similarities

Both the Plexus Lean^TMand Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix are meal replacement shakes designed to help boost weight loss or maintain weight management. Both products:

• Have a full amino acid profile
• Have wide scope of vitamins and nutrients that have been specifically formulated to be easily absorbed by the body
• Are soy and gluten free
• Are non-GMO
• Do not contain artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners
• Are available in chocolate and vanilla flavors

Differences

The biggest difference between Plexus Lean^TMand Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix is that Plexus Lean^TMis made from dairy-derived whey protein, while Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix is vegan and uses a blend of cranberry, pea, and rice proteins. Here are some additional differences:

• Plexus Lean^TMis lower in sugar per serving at 5 grams than the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix, which has 7 grams.
• There are slightly fewer carbohydrates in Plexus Lean.
• Plexus Lean^TMhas 35% of your daily recommended value of calcium prepared, while Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix has only 12% DV.
• Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix contains twice as much Vitamin E.
• Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix has fewer calories than Plexus Lean^TMand half as much fat.

What’s Better About Plexus Lean^TM?

Being prepared with nonfat milk, Plexus Lean^TMhas over twice the amount of calcium that Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix, and I the older I get, the better I feel knowing I’m getting that extra calcium.

It also tends to help me feel satisfied for longer compared to Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix, which is prepared by mixing the powder into water. They whey protein used is rBGH-Free, meaning I can feel good about not adding unwanted hormones to my daily supplements.

What’s Better About Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix?

The Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix is the vegan option of the two, so is a great choice for those who are either sensitive to lactose or choose to practice a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. It also containssignificantlymore vitamin B12, which is helpful in boosting energy.

Plexus Lean^TMoffers only 60% of your total daily value of vitamin B12 when prepared as directed with nonfat milk, while the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix offers a whopping 250%. When I’m feeling run down or in need of an extra boost of energy without caffeine, I definitely reach for the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix. I also like that the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix is only 170 calories at 3 grams of fat per serving, whereas Plexus Lean^TMpacks 6 grams of fat and a 250 calorie punch.

Which to Choose

What’s great about both the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix and Plexus Lean^TMis that they are both relatively similar meal replacement shakes that each come in chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Consequently, you don’t necessarily haveto choose between them. There aren’t any ingredients that are contraindicated with each other, and you can easily switch back and forth. While you likely won’t want to mix themtogetherfor a single serving, you can choose which shake you want depending on how you feel during the day or what you have on hand.

If I’m having a protein shake for dinner, I’m more likely to choose Plexus Lean^TMbecause it has less vitamin B12 and therefore won’t give me an energy boost right before bedtime. If I do drink the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake not too long before I try to sleep, the B12 will keep me up, so I recommend using it during the day.

Or, if my stomach seems to be feeling more sensitive on a particular day, I’ll opt for the lactose-free Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake since it’s vegan and has less chance of irritating my digestive system without the lactose.

What Is Plexus Slim^®?

Plexus Slim^®, also affectionately nicknamed and known as thePlexus pink drink, is a refreshing drink designed to be consumed approximately half an hour to an hour before a meal, up to twice daily for weight loss. Or, if you simply want to enjoy extra energy throughout the day and a healthier gut microbiome, you can enjoy it at any time of day. Plexus Slim^®contains a proprietary blend of alpha lipolic acid, garcinia cambogia extract, green coffee bean extract, xylooligosaccharides, and chromium polynicotinate that has been clinically proven to promote weight loss.

Plexus Slim^®also contains robust prebiotics that help promote healthy gut flora and calm the gastrointestinal system — the center of your immune system. A healthier gut helps improve overall wellness, and I can certainly speak to that. I feel good for hours after myPlexus pink drink, and I’ve also noticed that my gastrointestinal system as become more regular.

What Are Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks?

Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks are a prepackaged powder designed to be mixed with water that provides an extra boost of energy. Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee, I grab a fizz stick and feel more awake, refreshed, and focused instead of jittery. Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks are created with a proprietary blend of green tea, ginseng, and guarana extracts along with taurine, and Coenzyme Q10 to promote energy.

They also include chromium to help keep blood glucose levels balanced, niacin to support the metabolism, and riboflavin to increase the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that can be used for energy. If you’re sensitive to carbonation, the fizz sticks might not be the best choice for you — don’t mix the packet of powder with a full bottle or cup of water, or the fizz will cause the drink to overflow.

How Do Plexus Slim^®and Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks Compare?

Here’s how Plexus Slim^®and Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks stack up:

Similarities

There are several similarities between these two types of energy supplements. Both products:

• Are portable drink powders that fit easily into your purse, wallet, or pocket and can be mixed with water on the go
• Are designed to increase energy throughout the day or as an instant boost when needed
• Should not be overconsumed due to containing caffeine; exceeding daily recommended limits of either Plexus Slim^®or Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks has the potential to cause unwanted but usually temporary and benign side effects, such as increased heart rate, sweating or feeling flushed, nervousness, and other mild to moderate discomfort
• Are free of soy, gluten, and milk
• Are not made with GMO ingredients

Differences

Some differences between these two products include:

• Plexus Slim^®can only be used twice per day, while Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks can be used up to three times per day.
• Plexus Slim^®has only 5 calories per serving, while Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks have 15
• Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks contains 250% of your daily recommended value of vitamin B12; Plexus Slim^®does not list vitamin B12 on the nutrition label
• Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks contain panax ginseng, which is a natural supplement that has been proven to increase focus and improve memory and cognitive function
• Plexus Slim^®does not fizz when added to water and has no carbonation
• Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks uses green tea as its source of natural caffeine, while Plexus Slim^®uses green coffee beans

What’s Better About Plexus Slim^®?

I like that Plexus Slim^®is lower in calories than Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks. It may seem like a small amount, but if you’re using Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks three times daily at 15 calories each, that’s 45 calories per day.

Plexus Slim^®has a maximum recommended dose of twice per day at 5 calories, resulting in only 10 calories consumed on energy products for the whole day. When comparingPlexus vs Arbonne weight loss, the fizz sticks are fun but you may want to limit them when you’re really trying to control calories from non-food sources.

Plexus Slim^®also contains ingredients that help balance your gut microbiome, which is a significant factor in how well you feel overall. This is something Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks lack. I enjoy knowing that not only am I getting the energy I need to get through the day without adding extra calories to my diet, I’m also improving my health with every pink drink.

What’s Better About Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks?

Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks have 6 micrograms of vitamin B12, which equates to more than double your daily recommended intake. The extra B12 naturally increases energy in a way that the green tea can’t do alone.

So as far as energy goes, I grab a fizz stick when I really need that additional boost. Arbonne Essentials includes many more vitamins and minerals than Plexus Slim^®. It’s the one I choose when I feel like my essential vitamins might be lower than normal.

Arbonne Essentials contains natural cane sugar as well as stevia, which is likely where the extra calories come from. However, the natural cane sugar gives it a better taste in my opinion than energy drinks made with only stevia or other types of non-sugar sweeteners.

Which to Choose – Arbonne Vs Plexus

While I felt like Plexus Lean^TMand the Arbonne Essentials_®Protein Shake Mix were quite similar, I can’t say the same about Plexus Slim^®when compared to the Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks. While one isn’t necessarily a clear-cut winner over the other, the two products are quite different even though they seek to achieve roughly the same results.

I personally prefer the taste of the Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks and feel that the energy they give me is better quality and longer-lasting than Plexus Slim^®.

However, it’s hard to deny that Plexus Slim^®has fewer calories and just fits better into a weight loss program. It also has an excellent effect on the gut microbiome and your overall immune system, which is something not a lot of energy drinks can say.

If I had to choose only one though, I would go with the Arbonne Essentials_®Energy Fizz Sticks. However, I do enjoy using both and will select one or the other. It just depends on how much energy I need and whether or not I feel like my digestive system needs a bit of extra care that day.

While many people typically choose one brand of weight loss or energy products, I like to have a variety of options that gives me more control over my health, wellness, and the way I feel from day to day.

I like being able to select which products I want to use from which brands, based on the ingredients and performance of each product and what my goals are for that day. Although Arbonne and Plexus both produce excellent products that I use frequently, not all Arbonne products are right for me every day, nor are all Plexus products.

My final verdict is that it’s up to each individual to test each product they’re interested in using and figure out how it works best for them.

Each person responds differently to different products and ingredients within those products, and this may even change from day to day. Choosing what’s most effective for your unique needs is an important part of tailoring your weight loss journey for yourself and ensuring that the weight you do lose stays off as you adopt an ongoing healthy lifestyle.

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