Shake diets? How did you go on a shake diet?

shantal_96

Hello
I'm just wondering If anybody has tried a shake diet, where you replace (for example) breakfast and lunch with shakes, and just have a not too heavy dinner?
If so, what were your results?

timtakel

These diets are inherently a short term, quick fix with out learning experience and therefore nothing I would recommend.

scottwilson16

Stay well away from them. Eat food rather than drink it. They are all fads. Spend your money on food.

yarwell

http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_messageboard_thread.asp?board=-1x28178x46282324

Alatariel75

I lost heaps of weight really quickly with a shake at breakfast and lunch, and a dinner of small lean protein and veg!!



Then I stopped because it sucked, made me miserable and I was crazy hungry and I gained it all back, with more, really fast. The only time I tried to lose weight and it stuck was when I learned to count calories, work out what I needed, eat to that target and learn food skills for life.

yweight2020

I've tried the shake meal replacement thing in the past and it worked for me short term, because I quit it. The best advice is make your own from fresh milk and fruit or yogurts and fruit combined with a little milk and ice. Lots of recipes to make your own fresh and chemical free. I say if you choose one from the can do your research on the product, best of care to you.

yweight2020

My results I loss 15 lbs until I started missing having a meal I could chew, even though the shakes were ok they couldn't do it for me long term.

kyrannosaurus

I lasted 1.5 weeks. There was no way I could stick to it any longer without going crazy. I lost 2kg, most of it was water weight and I regained it all almost immediately once I ate solid food. Not worth it.

katieboo93_

Stay away from these rubbish diets! They do not work.

Seriously.

shantal_96

Oh okay, I think I'll definitely stick with just calorie counting with actual food ☺️
Would it still be okay to have a shake for breakfast? Or just proper food for each meal?

scottwilson16

shantal_96 wrote: »

Oh okay, I think I'll definitely stick with just calorie counting with actual food ☺️
Would it still be okay to have a shake for breakfast? Or just proper food for each meal?

If having a shake for breakfast suits your day and schedule for convenience, then yeah, go for it. I like walnuts, espresso, milk/almond milk, frozen banana and some oats, maybe some whey. Far more nutrient dense than anything sold by 'meal replacement shake' companies.

PinkPixiexox

I would never in a million years recommend a 'shake diet'.

By all means, a shake or smoothie for your breakfast with some fruit is absolutely fine! But please don't buy into this "Drink shakes and only shakes and you will lose weight" scams. Please! If you do the research, you are still most likely consuming the same amount of calories as you would with food - the idea of 'shake' makes it seem 'fast' and 'rapid' and 'a sure thing'. It isn't. I promise, the moment you start back on your solids, your body will cling on to those for dear life and before you know it, all your losses will turn into gains.

When I was 18, I wanted to lose weight and I wanted to lose weight 'fast' (silly me..!). I started a well-known UK shake based plan, lost weight - felt TERRIBLE in the process - and gained it all as soon as I started 'maintenance'.

rybo

scottwilson16 wrote: »

Stay well away from them. Eat food rather than drink it. They are all fads. Spend your money on food.

Yes this.

kommodevaran

The question is why, not how.

MommyL2015

I do a protein drink for my lunch every day because it curbs my hunger all afternoon and helps me stay under my goal, but it's just a protein mix that I purchase myself and add my own stuff to it. Honestly, I'll probably keep drinking them even after I hit maintenance because I really like them and I much prefer to eat a bigger dinner with snacks later in the day before bed.

I would never buy into any diet program that sells shakes though, and I wouldn't replace more than one meal with it.

oh_happy_day

kyrannosaurus wrote: »

I lasted 1.5 weeks. There was no way I could stick to it any longer without going crazy. I lost 2kg, most of it was water weight and I regained it all almost immediately once I ate solid food. Not worth it.

This was pretty much my experience. Plus I was so hungry and emotional I was unpleasant to be around.

kshama2001

shantal_96 wrote: »

Oh okay, I think I'll definitely stick with just calorie counting with actual food ☺️
Would it still be okay to have a shake for breakfast? Or just proper food for each meal?

I drink lots of smoothies in the summer when I want cold food. I start with protein powder, and add fruit. By the time I finish adding peanut butter, flax seed, chia seed, etc, it's a hearty liquid meal with good balance of protein, fat, and carbs.

What brand of shakes were you looking at?

I randomly picked Slim Fast Rich Chocolate Royale. I see the first ingredient is sugar and that it doesn't have enough protein and fat to keep me full for long. YMMV, so you could certainly try it yourself.

Liftng4Lis

Personally, I would rather eat real food. More bang for your buck.

scottwilson16

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Personally, I would rather eat real food. More bang for your buck.

Exactly. Need to get some jaw hypertrophy

branflakes1980

The only shake I have every day is a protein shake, and if I have room in my cals I do enjoy a fresh green smoothie here and there (that I made myself) As everyone else has said, these are a temporary fix at best, not to mention that most of the store bought shakes taste like chalk. Bleck! Best of luck to you!

stephaniemarie2

I love shakes for meals, every once in a while. I will also add PB2 and a banana, but always count the calories, as the extra ingredients add to the protein. But like others said, if you do two shakes a day and small dinner, your likely not getting 1200 calories, which what everyone tells me should be the minimum.

jgnatca

A liquid diet may be required to prepare for surgery, as it was for me. Two weeks on a medically supervised VLCD liquid diet consisting of meal replacement drinks and a cup of skim milk. Unlimited, water, clear bullion and sugar-free jell-o. It did it's job and shrank my liver (glycogen reserves depleted) prior to laporascopic surgery.

I had to give up exercise; I was too wobbly.

I would not go on such a diet again unless it was medically required.

I like variety, volume eating, and I love chewing on my food. The calories that can be packed in to an itty bitty shake that is finished so quickly makes it decidedly unappealing. I will have a shake if I've had an extra energetic day and I haven't hit my calorie allowance.

Bshmerlie

I have a Premier Protein shake in the morning for breakfast. It is 160 calories and 30 grams of protein. I do it for four reasons.
1. I'm not that hungry in the morning and it holds me over till lunch.
2. It helps me to reach my protein goals. Hard to beat 30 grams of protein for only 160 calories.
3. It's a quick and easy meal you can have in the car on the way to work.
4. Its something I plan on doing forever because they're easy and I'm just not a big breakfast person.

Melwillbehealthy

If I have a protein shake, I consider it a 'treat' and count the calories into my daily allotment. I wouldn't do it every day though as I find that eating 'real' solid food satisfies me more. I've lost 46 lbs.

cwolfman13

the biggest issue with things like this is that you forgo the process (and it is a process) of learning how to eat appropriately for long term health, wellness, and weight management.

people tend to be overly obsessed with the actual weight loss aspect of things and tend to neglect the process of actually learning how to lead a healthful life for which the bi-product is a proper weight, better overall health, and general wellness. It is most definitely a process...changing dietary and exercise habits is difficult...but the process is well worth the endeavor...and really, you're always in process.

VykkDraygoVPR

shantal_96 wrote: »

Oh okay, I think I'll definitely stick with just calorie counting with actual food ☺️
Would it still be okay to have a shake for breakfast? Or just proper food for each meal?

If you have a good blender, I'd recommend a smoothie, more than a shake. I buy frozen fruit, blend it with vanilla almond milk, and toss in a raw egg (protein powder works as well). It's tasty, filling, and right around 300 calories for a mason jar full of smoothie (takes me almost an hour to drink).

Azuriaz

scottwilson16 wrote: »

shantal_96 wrote: »

Oh okay, I think I'll definitely stick with just calorie counting with actual food ☺️
Would it still be okay to have a shake for breakfast? Or just proper food for each meal?

If having a shake for breakfast suits your day and schedule for convenience, then yeah, go for it. I like walnuts, espresso, milk/almond milk, frozen banana and some oats, maybe some whey. Far more nutrient dense than anything sold by 'meal replacement shake' companies.

That actually sounds tastier, too.

melmerritt33

I tried one but I lost no weight at all in three weeks and felt like I was starving then ended up overeating when I stopped and put weight on! I'm now back on eating normal foods but keeping within my calorie limit and I've lost 4lb in the last two weeks. So it didn't work for me but I know they seem to work for some people although I wouldn't advise using it as a long term plan as you don't learn good eating habits.

jim180155

"Shake Diets:" As others have already said, don't do it. There's nothing magical about liquified foods. Blended calories are the same as solid calories.

However, there's nothing wrong with smoothies. As long as you're not counting on them to somehow make you skinnier, they do offer some benefits, such as the convenience (you can drink them in the car or sitting at your desk while working), getting foods in that might otherwise be difficult (seeds, brans, supplements), and being able to combine foods in an effort to fine tune the balance between targeted macros and calories.

I had been drinking a 700+ calorie, 64 ounce smoothie for breakfast and a 400+ calorie, 24 ounce smoothie for lunch. Today I'm going to try a combination of the two which will total 999 calories and I think it'll total around 70 ounces. (That's as much as I can stuff into my 64 ounce Vitamix without spilling out over the top.) The smoothie should get me through the day until dinner.

I pasted the ingredients and MFP's "nutrition label" for the recipe below. I don't drink this to lose weight, I drink it to help hit my macro, fiber and calorie targets. I tend to tweak the recipe over time as I hear about the benefits of certain foods, which account for most of the current ingredients. I'd like to add an apple, a green tomato and an avocado, but I'll have to wait until I hit my weight goal (3.2 pounds away) and begin an intentional bulk, when I have an extra 750 calories to spend.


15 Ingredients Edit Recipe

10.00 g (1/2 Cup), Oat Bran Hot Cereal
1.00 Tbsp, Black Chia Seeds Whole
0.19 cup (15g), Wheat Bran
2.00 cup (225 grams), 0% Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
42.50 g(3 oz), Deep Green Blend Kale
2.00 Scoop (32 g), Extreme Milk Chocolate Whey Protein
1.00 Cup (140g), Wild Blueberries
1.00 banana, Banana
0.50 cup chopped, Carrots, raw
100.00 gram, Pineapple
0.50 cup, Grapes - Raw
1.00 cup, Coconut Milk
1.00 Rounded Teaspoon (5 grams), Micronized Creatine Powder - Creatine Monohydrate (Creapure) (Unflavored)
0.25 tbsp, Spices - Cinnamon, ground
1.00 packet, Stevia Packets

Nutrition Facts
Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 999
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15 g 23 %
Saturated Fat 8 g 39 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 110 mg 37 %
Sodium 540 mg 23 %
Potassium 1599 mg 46 %
Total Carbohydrate 125 g 42 %
Dietary Fiber 24 g 97 %
Sugars 74 g
Protein 103 g 205 %
Vitamin A 238 %
Vitamin C 166 %
Calcium 134 %
Iron 34 %

kommodevaran

Or you can make smoothies just because delicious. My favorites are (whole) milk, banana, lime/blueberries/strawberries; milk, banana, peanut/hazelnut butter, cocoa.

hellonew2015

shantal_96 wrote: »

Hello
I'm just wondering If anybody has tried a shake diet, where you replace (for example) breakfast and lunch with shakes, and just have a not too heavy dinner?
If so, what were your results?

I have shake everyday for lunch that fills me up and perfect for work. I make my own in a shaker cup, whey protein unflavored, stevia, pure cocoa powder , pb2 and unsweetened almond chocolate milk. I also have a cheese stick for lunch.