Meal replacement shakes

Dony1888
Dony1888 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks. Been looking into doing meal replacement shakes as part of my diet. Does anyone have any success stories/bad stories with them.

What I was looking to do was cutting the meal replacement to 3 days per week, and the other 4 days eating my usual 1500 calorie diet. So only 3 days ill be using the meal replacement to have an intake if around 700-1000 calories and the other 4 days at my usual full days of 1500 net.

Sound good/bad/indifferent??
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Replies

  • beautifulbeast11
    beautifulbeast11 Posts: 202 Member
    I don't use store shakes... I use blender bottles to make my own... protein powder, peanut butter, almond milk... other variations too.

    Super good, keeps me pretty satisfied between meals. Up the amount to make it an actual meal replacement.

    Works for me, may not for you.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Why are you trying to use shakes to starve yourself?
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Why do you want to drop your calories so low a few days a week? There is no need to use shakes to starve yourself by taking in so little calories.

    Shakes can be a good thing. I have a protein shake after a hard workout or when I need to increase my protein for the day.

    Shakes on their own will not make you lose weight.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Here's why i think meal replacement shakes are a waste of time and money. :)

    They are not sustainable. You are not going to replace your meals with shakes for the rest of your life, period. Going about it this way does NOT force you to make better eating habits and choices. Therefore, nothing learned, nothing gained. As soon as you go back to eating REAL food, guess what? You are going from replacing a 90 calorie shake with a 600 calorie meal.

    In addition they lack a lot of the vitamins, nutrients, and macro profile that a meal SHOULD consist of.

    I would also stay away from any MLM companies like HerbaLife, Body By Vi, Shakeology, etc. They are out to make money. Their products are substandard to any normal whey protein powder and their reps know nothing about the products in which they sell.

    Change your eating habits... learn to make proper choices ALL the time, and you have sustainable weight loss and knowledge that will last you FOREVER! :)
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Huh? Feel free to use meal replacement shakes if and when you don't have the time to make yourself a square meal; but I don't see why you think this would let you get away with eating 700-1000 calories.
  • AngelaKelly02
    AngelaKelly02 Posts: 73 Member
    I went on the Celebrity Slim shake diet about 2 years ago, I lost 22lbs but once I stopped using them even though I was eating fairly healthy I gained 40lbs back within a few months. I would not recommend them to anyone.
  • SoulReckoning
    SoulReckoning Posts: 48 Member
    I've been using meal replacement shakes for breakfast because I didn't eat breakfast before, but I beleive it's important to eat breakfast based on everything I have read. However, I've no time to get up and make an omlette, oatmeal, etc. Anyway, I like Herbalife, there's like 6 different flavors in their main line and they mix really well and taste best out of all I've tried. Plus, they have other lines for other specialized needs. I think it's a personal preference. I see alot of people looking for protein shakes that aren't whey based, or shakes that don't have artificial sugars. I'm not sure if Herbalife's products are as "all natural" as the distributor said they were (I've been meaning to check) but I like them.

    I do keep up my daily calorie intake though, whether the shake is a part of that or not. Don't limit your calories so excessively just because you are using shakes as a meal replacement.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Sorry I have to add... as a male you should normally be taking in more than 1500 cals a day. Taking in only 700-1000 is setting yourself up for failure.

    The larger the deficit you have the more of your losses will come from muscle instead of fat. I would imagine your goal with weight loss is to retain your muscles and lose fat. If that's the case you need to eat more ... if you dont mind losing muscle while losing some fat go ahead with the shakes.
  • gimmegimmemoar
    gimmegimmemoar Posts: 213 Member
    I don't use store shakes either. I make my own green shakes. Usually I have one for breakfast... so filling and yummy!
  • sunlover89
    sunlover89 Posts: 436 Member
    These things only exist because they know desperate suckers with more money than sense will buy into them. IMHO...

    Feeling desperate? Exercise an hour a day, continue to eat your 1500 calories a day. Fill your meals with ONLY with eggs, spinach, vegetables, nuts, seeds, baked potatoes and turkey and chicken. This will be cheaper, work a hell of a lot better and be more sustainable than shake ****. And oh my god...it's actually real food!!
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    Hi folks. Been looking into doing meal replacement shakes as part of my diet. Does anyone have any success stories/bad stories with them.

    What I was looking to do was cutting the meal replacement to 3 days per week, and the other 4 days eating my usual 1500 calorie diet. So only 3 days ill be using the meal replacement to have an intake if around 700-1000 calories and the other 4 days at my usual full days of 1500 net.

    Sound good/bad/indifferent??

    I'm going to pick...bad.
  • Dony1888
    Dony1888 Posts: 16
    1500 calories is the recommendation on my fitness pal :)
  • Jerrypeoples
    Jerrypeoples Posts: 1,541 Member
    i drink a shake m-f as my dinner from the gym. its 400 calories and very filling. after that my calories are right around 1300-1400 for the day. i still eat a nice breakfast and a healthy lunch and so far for 6 months, i have dropped 61lbs

    the key is to find what works for you. because it works for me does not mean it will for you, or vice versa
  • Kath1391
    Kath1391 Posts: 138
    Someone I knew was having shakes and the amount of sugar in them was worrying..I'm not judging anyone or what they do..I'd much prefer a healthy hearty stew then a shake haha
  • suz2411
    suz2411 Posts: 33
    I used meal replacement shakes a couple of years ago and lost 18kg in 4 months......but regained it all back as soon as I started eating normally again :-( This time Im doing it the right way......portion control, healthy clean foods and 30 to 45 mins of cardio each day!.....I may not be losing it as quickly as the shakes but at least Im learning a sustainable lifestyle change that my body will be thanking me for :-)
    Saying that I do have a couple in the cupboard to use if Im running late for work etc.....although if you look at my diary a single shake has 203 cals and I can have 2 poached egg, spinach and mushrooms for less than 190 cals!
  • brokenjawedmuse
    brokenjawedmuse Posts: 132
    I really only advocate MRSs when you don't have time for an actual meal or if you have a condition that prevents you from eating (like lockjaw). I would not, however, use them to replace a meal if I have time to eat real food.

    When I worked full-time with evening classes, I had literally zero time to eat between work and classes. So I drank a MRS while I was driving.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    1500 calories is the recommendation on my fitness pal :)

    MFP doesn't always set proper amounts as they solely use a mathematical equation to figure out calories for each member based on what they have selected.

    1500 is too low for a male... especially if you want to retain your muscle mass.
  • BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY
    BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY Posts: 666 Member
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  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    no
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    One question before input.... Why are you contemplating them?
  • Dony1888
    Dony1888 Posts: 16
    One question before input.... Why are you contemplating them?

    Less calories = weight loss

    If it wasn't the case, why do people buy them?
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    One question before input.... Why are you contemplating them?

    Less calories = weight loss

    If it wasn't the case, why do people buy them?

    Coming from experience....this is the wrong reason to use them. If you have your settings correct, just eat what you need to. If you have focus on muscle growth and are having issues hitting your macros, THEN consider these.

    Most people buy them because they lack proper education about them.

    What you are doing is changing your lifestyle. I'll place a bet on my life that you are not considering using MRP shakes for the rest of your life....Eat.


    EDIT: Let me add in...if you have days where you are crunched for time, these can be of assistance, but do not rely on them as a main consistent source of your diet.
  • dschassie
    dschassie Posts: 192 Member
    Here's why i think meal replacement shakes are a waste of time and money. :)

    They are not sustainable. You are not going to replace your meals with shakes for the rest of your life, period. Going about it this way does NOT force you to make better eating habits and choices. Therefore, nothing learned, nothing gained. As soon as you go back to eating REAL food, guess what? You are going from replacing a 90 calorie shake with a 600 calorie meal.

    In addition they lack a lot of the vitamins, nutrients, and macro profile that a meal SHOULD consist of.

    I would also stay away from any MLM companies like HerbaLife, Body By Vi, Shakeology, etc. They are out to make money. Their products are substandard to any normal whey protein powder and their reps know nothing about the products in which they sell.

    Change your eating habits... learn to make proper choices ALL the time, and you have sustainable weight loss and knowledge that will last you FOREVER! :)

    ^ This exactly! From my experience, people use shakes for extra protein intake or as a true meal replacement when pressed for time (no time to cook a real meal). A shake should not be used to come in under your calorie goal which has already been set up by MFP with a deficit for you to lose weight.
  • stephgas
    stephgas Posts: 159 Member
    i have found shakes sustainable, as has my husband. i use them to aid my weight-loss, he uses them to aid his weight-gain. so the idea that MRSs are just not sustainable long-term may not apply to everyone. i use shakes to supplement my daily diet. the shakes i use are generally 180-200 calories. i use them as a 6th 'meal' some days. i find that many of the shakes marketed as 'meal replacement' have a good array of vitamins/minerals, but are high in sugar and low in protein. i would say that shakes are not inherently bad - it's how you use them. and honestly, using them to maintain a 700 cal/day diet is probably NOT a good idea. no matter how much protein/how many vitamins/whatever the shake has in it, it is not a long term REPLACEMENT for real food.
  • alvin0012
    alvin0012 Posts: 29 Member
    Meal replacements are just "supplements" try to prepare and eat solid food. On the other hand they work for me to maintain my caloric intake. If weight loss is your goal, lower your caloric intake.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    One question before input.... Why are you contemplating them?

    Less calories = weight loss

    If it wasn't the case, why do people buy them?

    Less calories does equal weight loss... Too little calories and your losses will be muscle. Do you want to lose muscle? Losing muscle makes your metabolism slow. Muscle loss makes you look soft.. Aka skinny fat... When you lose weight. Losing muscle causes your body fat to either go down very slowly or not go down at all
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    These things only exist because they know desperate suckers with more money than sense will buy into them. IMHO...

    Feeling desperate? Exercise an hour a day, continue to eat your 1500 calories a day. Fill your meals with ONLY with eggs, spinach, vegetables, nuts, seeds, baked potatoes and turkey and chicken.

    Can you please explain your reasoning behind suggesting he ONLY eat eggs, spinach, vegetables, nuts, seeds, baked potatoes, turkey and chicken?
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    You are a young male. This is not enough calories for you. Bad idea.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    I have a feeling that this is going to fall upon deaf ears, but...

    IMO, you've got your caloric deficit set way too high - especially considering that you're also working out. As a young male, I'd assume that part of your goal is to hang on to some muscle so you don't arrive at your goal weight looking like a droopy bag of bones. With a deficit that high (and especially with the implied low protein intake), a good part of what you're losing is lean body mass, of which muscle is a component.

    Here's a good article which explains why it's a bad idea:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Here's why i think meal replacement shakes are a waste of time and money. :)

    They are not sustainable. You are not going to replace your meals with shakes for the rest of your life, period. Going about it this way does NOT force you to make better eating habits and choices. Therefore, nothing learned, nothing gained. As soon as you go back to eating REAL food, guess what? You are going from replacing a 90 calorie shake with a 600 calorie meal.

    In addition they lack a lot of the vitamins, nutrients, and macro profile that a meal SHOULD consist of.

    I would also stay away from any MLM companies like HerbaLife, Body By Vi, Shakeology, etc. They are out to make money. Their products are substandard to any normal whey protein powder and their reps know nothing about the products in which they sell.

    Change your eating habits... learn to make proper choices ALL the time, and you have sustainable weight loss and knowledge that will last you FOREVER! :)

    I agree about the MLMs!

    I have been taking Vega One shakes - plant based shakes - with 50% of the minerals and vitamines you need with each scoop. Helps me, and is sustainable. Even if it's not, I most likely will make shakes for the rest of my life - green shakes and the likes.

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