Has anyone had success with using shakes

Mrsindepenant1

I’m looking into using meal replacement shakes to replace breakfast and possibly lunch if they are filling enough. Iv found some low calorie protein shakes 150cal max each.
Has anyone else had success using shakes? I only have coffee in the AM so I’m use to skipping breakfast anyway.

rheddmobile

If shakes are part of eating at a calorie deficit, then they will be successful. I once lost 50 lbs using Slim-fast, but then gained it all back within a year. The problem with using shakes as meal replacement is that you aren’t learning how to feed yourself properly. Unless you plan to eat nothing but shakes for the rest of your life, you need to be thinking in terms of eating what’s right for your needs, not dieting. You are going to have to eat food for the rest of your life, it’s an important skill to master!

ElizabethKalmbach

I really only use protein shakes to get my protein up in the right range when my deficit is so steep that it's hard to do it with "real food." Or if I'm in a hurry. They work, but I'm a "savoury" so too much sweet is unappealing.

corinasue1143

I kinda agree with @rheddmobile. You have to find your own way, and that probably won’t include shakes twice a day for the rest of your life while everyone around you is eating real food. But shakes can be a good fill-in or occasional meal. I used to have one on the nights I mowed the lawn and worked in the yard all evening. 1 cup skimmed milk, 1 banana, 1 individual packet whey protein, and a carload of ice in the blender, kept all but one glass in the freezer and sipped on it from about 5 to about 10. Worked great for that one night. I tried them off and on. I really suggest you use them only as a snack or a shortcut when it’s hard to get a meal, but easy to take a can or shaker with you.
Again, do your own thing. Different things will work for you than worked for me.

Mrsindepenant1

Thanks all. I’m having a really s****y day so I didn’t really say what I wanted to haha.
I’m more wondering if people found replacing meals with shakes satisfying enough. It will be a short term thing maybe a month and then breakfasts during the week likely long term

corinasue1143

I didn’t. But that’s just me. You might. I’m a volume eater. Lots of salad, low cal veggies.

rheddmobile

Mrsindepenant1 wrote: »

Thanks all. I’m having a really s****y day so I didn’t really say what I wanted to haha.
I’m more wondering if people found replacing meals with shakes satisfying enough. It will be a short term thing maybe a month and then breakfasts during the week likely long term

I found they weren’t bad when frozen and eaten as ice cream, but were pretty unsatisfying when drunk as shakes.

Greek yogurt, berries, and a small portion of nut butter is a real food alternative which is almost as easy as a shake.

psychod787

Shakes can be effective. They are quick, take the thought out of what you will eat, and let's face it, sensory specific satiety takes over. Probably why a bland liquid diet experiment was so successful. In one experiment, an grossly obese individual lost 200 lbs in a year. Now, I agree with the above, it's not long term sustainable. If you need a quick snack, sure have a shake, but I think most of your diet should be whole foods.

aries68mc

I find them more effective as a snack, or with a meal, not replacing a whole meal.

stephaniek511

I tried the shake thing for breakfast...even when I made sure that the shake was around 400 calories, I was still "starving" by about 9am. It's probably a mental thing for me but I just can't do the liquid as a meal thing even though I see specifically that it's the same number of calories.

janejellyroll

Some of my biggest diet crash-and-burns were meal replacement shake plans. If you're talking about only have 150 calories for breakfast and lunch, I really doubt you will be full at any part of the day, including immediately after eating.

springlering62

I started out having a homemade smoothie for breakfast. Luckily I hit on a combination that was not only filling, but looked and tasted like a Wendy’s frosty and it made me look forward to breakfast. Here I am eighteen months and 85 pounds later and still having the same (well, tweaked for more nutrition) smoothie for breakfast, and I miss it like crazy when I can’t have it.

However, lunch is usually a volume salad, and snacks and dinner are heavy on protein.

Man does not survive on shakes alone. (He could, but he would be misssssserable!!!!!)

cwolfman13

Mrsindepenant1 wrote: »

I’m looking into using meal replacement shakes to replace breakfast and possibly lunch if they are filling enough. Iv found some low calorie protein shakes 150cal max each.
Has anyone else had success using shakes? I only have coffee in the AM so I’m use to skipping breakfast anyway.

Protein shakes aren't meal replacements...they are protein supplements. They do not have the requisite nutrition to qualify as a meal replacement. They are lacking in vitamins and minerals and other nutrition that you would want with a meal replacement.

quiksylver296

I tried SlimFast shakes back in the 90's. It absolutely did not work for me. I found that I need to chew actual food in order to feel full.

leahkathleen13

Sometimes i feel the shake makes me hungrier cause it is like a dessert.

angelexperiment

I feel like ig you go w one go w a higher calorie one. All the ones i tried were low cal and i was hungry within the hour/ two hour mark unless you add fat like coconut oil to up calories.

springlering62

angelexperiment wrote: »

I feel like ig you go w one go w a higher calorie one. All the ones i tried were low cal and i was hungry within the hour/ two hour mark unless you add fat like coconut oil to up calories.

My dietician suggested adding Greek yogurt to my breakfast smoothie to bump up calories and protein, but I ran out and discovered I much preferred adding a serving of cottage cheese. It makes it very rich, creamy and satisfying, and not as “tart” as adding the yogurt.

Priasmama416

I use premier protein ready made shakes, or I use protein powder mixed, with different fruits and veggies in my nutribullet

Mrsindepenant1

Thanks all, I tried making them up with water and they were below average, added some banana and still average. Made one up today with half full fat milk and water and it kept me satisfied for 3 hours. I think it will be best for when I’m on the go or if I got that 3pm slump.

Onedaywriter

Once or twice a week I put 1 cup of frozen berries with a scoop of whey protein and water in the nutribullet for breakfast. I often use a similar mix for a snack at night. It does keep me full until lunch, but I generally have some fruit for a snack at around 11am. I feel like I get my protein along with some vitamins and fiber from the berries. One cup of frozen mixed berries has only around 80 Cals

OHFlamingo

I need way more than 150 calories in the morning for breakfast, otherwise I'd be starving for sure! However, I have found that making a protein smoothie almost everyday for lunch, with almond/coconut milk, protein powder, berries, bananas, pumpkin puree, etc. satisfies me until dinner, as I need the extra protein, being a vegetarian, and on 1200 calories (per mfp). I tried SlimFast before, and they didn't taste all that great, I got hungry quickly, and it became expensive. Just try some shakes for a couple weeks, and see how it goes for you. If you are not used to eating breakfast, maybe it'll work for you. If not, try something else until you find what you like, and what works best for you. Good Luck! 😁