Meal replacement shakes and weight loss pills

zeinebchebbi91
zeinebchebbi91 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
Anyone has tried a milk replacement shake and found it helpful? If so which brand did you like the most ?

Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    You'll find most against replacement shakes on here--be prepared. The majority are trying to learn to stay fit for life with good habits, no quick, expensive fixes.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I'd rather eat food. A liquid meal is going to come in at the same calories as an actual meal...I'd rather just eat.

    Yep. And I definitely do not feel full if I drink my calories.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I tried Slim Fast. It made me hungry, so I ending up eating food after drinking it.

    My grandmother used to do this. But then, she also taught me to fry white bread in bacon grease. It wasn't until grad school that I learned the real trick is to spread cream cheese on the bread, slice it into soldiers, wrap each soldier in bacon, secure the bacon with a toothpick and bake it. We we're all in our 20s and 30s and we already called it "heart attack on a stick".

    Still better for you than some of those shakes.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    For me a meal replacement shake would seem like a waste of calories. I'd rather save the calories, and consume them when I want to eat and with food I really enjoy. If I didn't enjoy breakfast, I'd use the extra calories for bigger lunches and dinners.

    That said, I have some smoothies I make that I think are delicious and really enjoy in the morning, and for me they are as filling as any other breakfast. They have protein powder in them (as well as avocado, a lot of vegetables, some berries, and some kind of milk alternative). If you really enjoy the meal substitute, and find it a good use of calories and sufficiently filling, go for it.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited March 2018
    I will sometimes have the ready to drink meal replacement shakes as a snack, or something to grab in the morning to tide me over until I can get some proper food. I've never found them to be any good at replacing a meal.

    I think plans that have you replacing a meal every day with a shake probably work in the short term, assuming you are willing to be hungry because all you had was a shake, but set you up for failure. Eventually you are gonna want to stop buying shakes, and figure out how to eat that meal, why not just do that right from the beginning?
  • coonhoundmom50
    coonhoundmom50 Posts: 75 Member
    Since September, I've been on a strict diet consisting of 2 shakes per day then a real supper. im currently using Giant brand Satisfy meal replacement shakes; theyre better tasting than ANY other brands ive tried (beats slimfast and all carnation varieties) Comes in Vanilla and Chocolate flavors; Also the price is unbelievable at $5.59/can; cheaper than any powdered shake in the stores; weight loss Progress is slow but I'm hopeful ( I use 2 cups of milk& powder at breakfast and lunch); hope this helps!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited December 2018
    I've done meal replacement shakes in the past and lost some weight. The problem is they taught me nothing about my eating habits, so I promptly gained the weight back.

    Weight loss is just the first step. What will your maintenance strategy look like?......more meal replacements, meal replacements forever, or finally taking the time to learn about portions?

    Meal replacements and pills aren't really short cuts, because those don't exist. Someday a smaller you will require fewer calories forever.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    I think plans that have you replacing a meal every day with a shake probably work in the short term, assuming you are willing to be hungry because all you had was a shake, but set you up for failure. Eventually you are gonna want to stop buying shakes, and figure out how to eat that meal, why not just do that right from the beginning?

    Yep, that was my problem! A few years ago I lost nearly 25lbs using a meal replacement program, but because - as someone else mentioned - I don't feel full unless I've had actual food to chew, I'd need a salad or something else with the shake to make it seem like a meal. They never really filled me up, and I was replacing two meals a day with them, so I was always hungry.

    They were also expensive and I had to stop buying the powder after a few months - and I couldn't see me continuing with that long-term anyway. It didn't take very long at all to put all the weight (and much more!) back on, for the same reasons @TeaBea mentioned.

    This time around, I've seen the light! I've lost over 75lbs, and kept it off, just eating less of what I usually like to eat. I've also learned a lot about the way I eat and what habits I've formed around particular foods, and I now have confidence that I know how to maintain my loss in the future. :)

    I think the only time I would use shakes these days was if I was sick and couldn't keep solid food down - or maybe if I needed a quick on-the-run fix to keep me going until I could get real food!
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I am another that has to chew my food to feel full so meal replacement shakes would never work for me. You may be different and these could help start your journey with weight loss. Just remember though that, unless you want to have these shakes for the rest of your life that you really do need to learn more about nutrition and what combinations of macros work best for you to not only continue losing weight but to maintain the loss long term. Keeping our bodies at a healthy weight and fitness level is a lifelong journey and doesn't end simply because our goal weight is achieved. If what you try is something you know you can not sustain longterm then try something else.
  • beast_kitty89
    beast_kitty89 Posts: 58 Member
    I drank Ensure in the morning. I would then eat 2-3 hours later. I also make my own shakes and smoothies. Really, people with medical needs such as myself benefit from shakes. Healthy people should learn how to eat rather than using a shake to lose weight. Like everyone has said, you will not learn drinking shakes and thus will just put all the weight back on.
  • Dilvish
    Dilvish Posts: 398 Member
    I tried Natural Foods PGX meal replacement for a while and all it did was make me hungry.

    These meal replacement shakes are crap IMHO. if you lack proper nutrition, take a multivitamin and eat foods rich in protein. My favorites are: Pumpkin seeds, plain Greek yogurt, low fat Swiss cheese, lean meats, salmon, tuna, and beans.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    Your metabolism is not a dead car battery and hence does not need a "jump start." Just nope.

    Once awhile if I'm in a big hurry, behind on meals/cals, and zero time to actually eat anything, a meal replacement shake isn't a bad thing, just grab one and go. But for me they aren't particularly satisfying (they take the edge off of hunger for me but I'm not like, oh wow I'm so glad I had that instead of actual solid food) and definitely not something I'm gonna buy on a daily basis.
  • rainbowblu
    rainbowblu Posts: 119 Member
    Hi,I have used both meal replacements and pills.The pills did work,but I was under the care of a Dr. I wouldn't take any pills without medical advice and proper blood work and ekg's done 1st....Also,the pills are temporary so the Dr. will(or should) also put you on some type of eating plan for the long run.

    I LOVE my meal replacement shakes! I'm NOT against them.1st reason-They help my hair grow faster,2nd-They are convenient when I don't have any meals prepped,3rd-I often have a problem getting enough protein in my diet,so they help on those days. I work in the medical field,sometimes we can't take a proper lunch break,so I'll just take 5 minutes to drink one...works for me!

    Some are better that others based on your bodies needs.I choose low carb,high protein varieties that don't taste gross. I like Premier Protein Banana and GNC lean Banana...I freeze them just a lil...If completely frozen they will be gross..just 20 min or so. I also make 'protein coffee' with the other flavors....half a can added to your coffee..great way to add protein and vitamins for people like me.

    Good Luck
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    My view is that they're fine as long as they're a part of your normal eating and not a departure from it. By this I mean:
    Shakes to REPLACE meals with the aim of losing weight is a disaster. As soon as you stop replacing your meals with shakes you'll more than likely just end up back where you started as your temporary fix is no longer providing the temporary benefits.

    Shakes AS a meal is fine. I see nothing wrong with grabbing a smoothie or a shake as a convenient meal that forms part of your normal eating habits. They're quick and easy and are great when you're in a rush or just couldn't be bothered making something.
  • CindyJNC1963
    CindyJNC1963 Posts: 895 Member
    Danp wrote: »
    My view is that they're fine as long as they're a part of your normal eating and not a departure from it. By this I mean:
    Shakes to REPLACE meals with the aim of losing weight is a disaster. As soon as you stop replacing your meals with shakes you'll more than likely just end up back where you started as your temporary fix is no longer providing the temporary benefits.

    Shakes AS a meal is fine. I see nothing wrong with grabbing a smoothie or a shake as a convenient meal that forms part of your normal eating habits. They're quick and easy and are great when you're in a rush or just couldn't be bothered making something.

    Good point. I have never been one to eat much breakfast. Before starting on this healthy eating plan, I would always just eat a Nature Valley bar for breakfast. Compared to the rest of my diet they actually weren't awful health wise. After seeing my weight loss doctor, she mentioned the Pure Protein bar and that's what I eat for breakfast now. I'm not one for the shakes though....I tried Slim Fast shakes years ago. They taste great but you are hungry about 30 minutes later.

Categories