Protein shakes replacing meals?

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jenlyons21
jenlyons21 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! Is anyone else or has anyone else tried meal replacement protein shakes? I was thinking about doing this with my low cal diet. I workout everyday to jillian michaels 30 day shred right now and i was wondering if this would be an effective method for shedding pounds

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    My dietitian would rather I eat real food. I don't find protein shakes to be satisfying. I prefer food that bites back. I do keep protein shakes around for convenience just in case I'm having trouble getting enough food in.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Protein shakes aren't designed to replace meals. They are meant to supplement when you don't get enough protein. You could make your own .....start with a good quality protein powder, add veggies (spinach,kale, etc) for fiber, add some fat (nut butters) and fruit for flavor (and fiber). Google green smoothies.

    I just use portion control & logging in MFP. Meal replacement shakes won't teach me anything. I'm here because my portions were too big, and too many snacks. Plus I like to chew food. For me it has to be a lifestyle change.
  • pzarnosky
    pzarnosky Posts: 256 Member
    edited April 2015
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    Protein shakes aren't designed to replace meals. They are meant to supplement when you don't get enough protein.

    Agreed. Most people forget that a lot of the stuff that's sold are supplements. I use protein shakes because I'm trying to get 140g of protein in my diet daily and being an on the go with full time work and school doesn't leave me with a lot of options. But still most of my protein comes from eggs and especially chicken breast.


  • nikkinoellemary
    nikkinoellemary Posts: 119 Member
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    Hrm. For shedding pounds? I don't think so. And besides, will you always want to replace meals with protein shakes? I think they are great for needing a meal in a pinch, but I think just having an actual meal would work too.

    I was really into those kinds of shakes before (as well as meal replacement bars), but they don't really sate me. Plus, they can still be missing a lot of stuff that you need from a meal, depending on what kind it is. PLUS plus, they can get pretty boring. Just my two cents. It didn't work for me.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    I prefer chewing my food and drinking my calories in wine!
  • jenlyons21
    jenlyons21 Posts: 19 Member
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    thanks everyone for the info, i was going to maybe replace one meal a day with em, like lunch but i guess ill just stick to the low cal diet and exercise routine :)
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    I replace one meal a day with a good vegan protein shake but for the most part I use them to supplement my protein and for something healthy to keep me full between my afternoon and evening workouts. But yeah... when I all out replace an entire meal e.g., breakfast or lunch while eating a low calorie diet I lose weight quickly. But I like real food and my trainers agree that real food is better for many reasons. My favorite reason is it takes more calories to digest real food than it does a shake :wink:
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    I do this sometimes, mostly during the summer for breakfast. I have a sweet tooth and a protein shake satisfies that craving for me and I like the way they taste. I drink it on the way to work. It's not necessarily low calorie though as this mornings was about 400. I vary what I add but this morning it was chia seeds, cacao powder, and spinach in addition to the protein powder and fruit.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I wouldn't call this a replacement but in the morning I make a tropical fruit smoothie with Frozen peaches, mangos, pineapple and strawberries adding in 1cup of cranberry juice and 50grams of protein powder with 1 cup of almond milk...smoothie is good without the powder but it's to hit my protein macro.
  • torizia
    torizia Posts: 140 Member
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    I replace half my lunch with a protein shake, but one that's designed to be a meal replacement shake. It's the USN diet fuel - I have 2 scoops of chocolate or banana caramel (200 calories, 24g protein) blended with ice and water, which makes an incredibly thick, creamy milkshake. I have this along with a boiled egg on toast, making a really filling, enjoyable and high protein c400 calorie meal. I find that this keeps me full a lot longer than any other lunch, and it also ensures I get my vitamins, iron etc as it's designed as a meal replacement shake :)

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