Protein Shakes/ Meal Replacement Shakes

Romes08

Hello All!

I was thinking about doing some sort of protein shakes or meal replacement shakes for 1 to 2 of my meals through the day. What are your thoughts on these and does anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks!!

Cindy393

I'm drinking the ForU shakes-one every morning. I use almond milk and add 1T peanut butter to it. Low in calories, NO added crap and is delicious. I lost 5 lbs the first week, and I this is week 3 just starting. Plus, I had horrible eczema on my foot, and it's totally cleared up. This stuff is amazing!

LoraF83

What are you hoping to achieve by using the shakes?

nefbaker

I'm a big fan of the shake/meal replacement plans. I tend to get really busy and will eat junk food, so having pre-made shakes or a meal replacement bar that I can keep in my car or purse keeps me from saying "Yep" when the people around me want to go out to eat.

I also hate to cook, so it works well for me. I have a lot of friends who used the shake plans to lose weight, but they gained most of it back when they stopped "shaking."

For me, it's become a long-term thing...I don't shake to diet. I shake because I like them for breakfast, or I know I'm going to a lunch meeting at Pizza Hut. I've been doing it for nearly two years now, but it fits into my life.

Romes08

Several things really.. I want to use them to feel more full so that I am not snacking as much, Lose weight, and to give me energy!

tigerlily8045

I drink a slim fast for breakfast most mornings just because something comes up in the morning and I don't get to scramble eggs.

LoraF83

Several things really.. I want to use them to feel more full so that I am not snacking as much, Lose weight, and to give me energy!

Food can give you energy.

You can preplan your snacks into portion sizes that fit into your calorie goals.

You can lose weight with a calorie deficit.

tskitzoid

I'm hopefully getting some meal replacement shakes soon. And I'm really glad they have those kind of things available. It'll be a lot better for me to drink one of those than to cave in at work and eat something from there (I work at Dunkin' Donuts!) and we don't really have any way to bring food from home unless it's like a pb sandwich because we don't have an employee fridge or microwave

trogalicious

Unless you plan on doing it for the rest of your life, why start? A change of diet would be more beneficial, but a lifestyle change is going to be key. If you're hungry throughout the day, snack on healthier things.. or eat a better breakfast so you aren't feeling snacky.

tigersword

Several things really.. I want to use them to feel more full so that I am not snacking as much, Lose weight, and to give me energy!

Unless you are adding calories, a shake won't make you feel more full. As for energy, they won't give you that either, unless you add calories. Same with weight loss, they won't help you lose any more weight.

jasonp_ritzert

If you are using them to supplement protein needs, then go for protein shakes since they give you almost a pure source of protein. If you are using them for meal replacement, then you need something that has carbs, fat, and protein. You may want to go to a website like dpsnutrition.com, bodybuilding.com, or supplementwarehouse.com and compare/contrast what's in each powder/shake to help you meet your needs. I have points during the year when I travel a lot for work and the shakes help me meet goals and keep me full until I can get a quality meal. My recommendations for protein powders are Dymatize, Muscle Milk, or Optimun Nutrition. All good flavors, Muscle Milk tastes more like a milkshake though since it does have more fat than the others. I don't really use meal replacement powders, I usually eat a piece of bread with 1 tbsp of PB on it with a protein shake as a snack.

notyourkimmy

Protein shakes help a lot with weight lifting. They make you less sore, which motivates me to stick to working out. I love them. I buy the powder and make my own shakes.

CincinnatiDEIFan

I have one each morning, otherwise I would not have enough time to fix breakfast and get two kids out the door and eat sensibly. (Kids eat breakfast at school).

Its a convience for me more so than anything.

You need to figure out what is best for you and go with that. If it works for you - Great! If not, then try something different.

mbrocksocks

I buy Aldi's fit & active weight loss shakes. They are are 1) cheap 2) I think they taste way better than slim-fast and 3) they take care of my chocolate craving for the day. I mainly use them for the mornings when I have to be at work early and it's going to be busy. I also try to eat a fruit or piece of string cheese afterto add calories because 190 calories won't last me until lunch time. I hope they work out for you.

kaervaak

In general, meal replacement shakes aren't going to make you feel as full as a caloric equivalent amount of real, nutritious food. Why not eat 2 hard boiled eggs and some carrots or some plain greek yogurt with berries instead? (2 eggs + 1/2 cup of carrots has 200 calories, 13g protein, 10g fat, 6g carbs) Also, shakes are expensive and full of preservatives and chemicals.

now_or_never12

I have tried shake diets and I find I am much more full and have a ton more energy by picking the proper foods to eat. Shakes are good in a pinch but shouldn't be used long term. They are filled with processed crap ... real food is always better. Preplan and prepare your meals and snacks in advance. Protein shakes are great for after heaving lifting or if you just don't get enough protein from your normal diet.

_AshLynn

I would suggest that if you focus on your eating habits you would not need to increase or include any supplements.

I am in school right now under a health and exercise degree program....I am not fully trained, but I have my hands on the pulse of the latest studies that are circulating through credited programs and such. Right now ACSM is suggesting that there is no need for supplements. You are able to gain everything needed through your diet.

Its a huge investment in money, and it is a quick fix in a sense. Are you going to eat like this forever? Probably not...It's a change for your goals, but it isn't setting yourself up for a lifestyle change to be able to maintain this type of living futher down in the road. Also, with the increase in protein supplements over the years there are few people aware of the risk of over doing their protein amounts. Anything about .8 g/lb of body weight can lead to kidney issues, and even aid in osteoporosis.

My advice...try picking a sensible option to improve your diet that you may be able to adopt into your daily lifestyle. Just a thought!

*PS - Meal replacement bars and such are LOADED with sugar, and if you read the labels of the ingredients....not the best sources for calories if you are planning on doing this on a continual basis.

_AshLynn

Another thought.... UP your fiber .. will feel full longer ... protein is not going to do that for you.

prpljellybean

I have only tried two different meal replacement shakes: Herbalife (dutch chocolate and french vanilla) and the GNC version of the Herbalife meal replacement. I did not care for the GNC shake AT ALL because I cannot tolerate any kind of fake sugars or even the Stevia, Truvia, etc. It was cheaper but I just could not tolerate the taste. I really like the Herbalife brand. I do not use this every day but I would say use it at least once per week. I add 1 tbsp of reduced fat peanut butter, 1/2 banana, and a little vanilla and ice to it...very tasty. I have also added various frozen berries to them. Again, very tasty. I ordered the mix last time off Amazon as I could get it a bit cheaper then through Herbalife. I would like to find a good one that is as low in cal (90 for two scoops) and tastes as good that I could just go and buy locally. Good luck

now_or_never12

Another thought.... UP your fiber .. will feel full longer ... protein is not going to do that for you.

Protein does fill you up and make you feel full longer. It is just like fibre.

sarahmarc

About 3 months ago I started doing the shake thing usually once a day. I started thinking it would help me lose weight cutting done on calories for at least one meal. I really enjoy my shake, makes my life a lot easier not having to plan one meal eat day. It has not help me lose any weight however and it's expensive. I still drink my one shake and love it. I use it after exercise as a protien snack making only half a serving. I believe in the product and believe I get more nutrition in that one meal than a meal I can plan myself. I use Isalean shakes by Isagenix...I add 1/2 a banana,some frozen berriesand 1 cup water with 2 scoops powder and it tastes like a dream come true every day!

I do believe in eating healthy food...shakes just take the thinking out of planing once a day and healthy snack after weight training. I don't believe it the answer to weight lose.

Good look....try it for a week and see

Romes08

Thanks for all the tips, suggestions, and help everyone!! This is VERY helpful!

ecw3780

I do shakes for 2 reasons.
1. I try to eat a lot of protein, and some days a shake is the only way I can get to my goal. Also, it is liquid protein so it is good for after a work out.
2. On crap food days (days that aren't balanced nutritionally) they help me to get things back in balance.

The draw backs:
1. I still need that chewing feeling to feel satisfied so it never works as a meal replacement for me. They are always snacks.
2. They tend to have just as many calories as a small meal, and a lot of people treat them as a beverage along with another meal. So remember, you drink a shake, you don't eat anything else at that meal time.

JulieSmiles1

I really like GNC's Lean shakes. I used them for a while when I first started calorie counting. They were great at helping me feel full in the morning and not snack all day. I like any protein shake that is higher in protein, but lower in calories. I think the BNS protein shakes are pretty good too, but I find myself getting hungry still.