Oakdale shop serves weight-loss shakes

The menu board inside The Zone Club-1 features 49 flavors, including Cinnamon Roll, Chunky Munky, Strawberry Splash and Rice Krispy Treat.

But this is no Baskin-Robbins.

Proprietor Karen Valentine is serving weight-loss shakes in her storefront in Oakdale's Bergen Plaza, at 10th Street and Hadley Avenue. It's one of just a handful of such shops in the state.

"A lot of people think they are coming in for ice cream," said Valentine, who opened Aug. 1. What they get is a calorie-burning fruit tea and a "protein-base mix with real nuts or fruit. There is no junk, drugs or preservatives. They get something healthy."

And something that might actually help people shed a few pounds, Valentine said.

Valentine said she got the idea for the store after visiting her son Warren, 37, in Cloquet, Minn., last spring. Valentine said her son had lost 25 pounds and "changed dramatically" over a three-month period by visiting a shop in the northern Minnesota town that served weight-loss shakes.

Valentine ordered an oatmeal cookie shake when the two went out for breakfast, and took a two-month supply home. She dropped nearly 30 pounds before she ran out of the mix.

"I believe in it," said Valentine. She said she had tried countless diets in her lifetime without much success. "I thought, 'What a great thing to bring to town.'"

As a testimonial, on the interior wall of The Zone Club-1 she has posted photographs of herself and her son that show the progression of their weight loss. Warren went from 269 pounds to 244. Valentine slimmed down from 178 pounds to 148.

For $7, customers can get an Alo shot, an 8-ounce tea and a 20- to 24-ounce shake they can take to go or sip while reading the paper and lounging on a soft sofa. Customers also can buy a mix to make their own shakes at home, Valentine said.

Valentine added three flavors to her menu this week. She said she plans to introduce smaller sizes for children soon.

For now, the biggest challenge is to let people know what she has to offer and educate them about her products. She has set up a sandwich board in front of a nearby grocery store, passed out fliers and distributed coupons in the area and at a nearby fitness center.