I'd like to start taking Meal Replacement Shakes / Smoothies

NCVF
NCVF Posts: 83 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've tried to do some research on here, but tend to see a lot of Meal Replacement Shake/Smoothie (MRS) bashing. I'll share some reasons I'm interested in replacing 1-2 meals a day with a MRS. If anyone has experience or information they'd like to share with me, please do. Any nutritional or product information is greatly appreciated.

I prefer to eat low Carb. I feel better while doing so and I like the weight loss results I get when I'm sticking to it well. I like to cook, so the meats and veggies are pretty easy for me to get creative with. When I'm doing well, I prepare my meals weekly. But it's hard working full time and being a single mom. One reason I'd like to diet using MRS is obviously Weight loss. I see it as temporary. I haven't been eating very well lately and I feel like I've stretched out my stomach. I'd use them to lower my calorie intake and to suppress my appetite so I can feel comfortable eating less. I need some results to get motived. Also, I'd use them to fill in the nutrient Im not getting otherwise. I have a hard time going #2, even on my high fiber days. There can be days in between (yuck). So secondly, whether it's fresh greens or a high fiber shake, it seems convenient to pack it all in a beverage. Third, I lack energy and have a hard time focusing at work. I've heard I can get a boost of vitamins or even some caffein when need be, depending on how I shake it up.

I've seen successful results using MRS, so I know it can be done. Whether I buy Atkins shakes to supplement my low carb diet or make something from scratch with spinach and almond milk, I just need to find something that is reasonably priced and convenient in a time crunch. I'm not sure which meals I plan on replacing as of yet. I'll most likely have a meal at lunch and snack on fruits and veggies during the day. I purchased some powders and shakes to sample as well. Some organic and full of nutrients and some sweet and suposidly fulfilling.

Any advice? Feel free to ask any questions. Thanks!
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Replies

  • NCVF
    NCVF Posts: 83 Member
    anyone? :ohwell:
  • jadams1650
    jadams1650 Posts: 139 Member
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    First off, you can't stretch out your stomach, it doesn't work that way so eating shakes isn't going to shrink it either. A MRS is not going to be high fiber so that idea doesn't fly either. Most shakes are around 250 calories if they're any good at all and you can create a decent meal for that much.

    Shakes teach you absolutely nothing about eating properly but try it and you can come back later and tell us all about how it didn't work.
  • xboomerx
    xboomerx Posts: 29 Member
    I've been mixing vanilla flavored almond milk with 2 scoops of peanut butter chocolate protein - comes out to 325 Calories 16 Carbs 8 Fat 54 Protein 3 Fiber. Tastes awesome and keeps me really full.
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    I agree with the poster that mentioned how shakes teach you nothing about nutrition. If your goal is only to lose weight temporarily, then go for it. If you want to lose and keep it off, I don't recommend them.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.

    Lol what does it do to your digestive system?
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I know nothing except that I'd probably end up drinking them WITH my meals. not good
  • gabegrammy
    gabegrammy Posts: 147 Member
    I never have long term success with MRS I just eat healthy meals. Wether it's a salad with portion contral ingredents. And weighed meat with veggies or whole wheat pasta. I make extra for dinner and take to work for lunch next day.
    Viki
  • mrsjas2000
    mrsjas2000 Posts: 908 Member
    I replace breakfast with slimfast , and it is fine for me, before I met my husband I replaced 2 meals and lost 60lbs, but then we started going to restaurants and bars and it went by the way side so now I have to lose it again
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    You know myfitnesspal kind of gives you guidance so you don't have to do something crazy like that.

    It's not sustainable.
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    there is empirical evidence that "drinking" a meal turned into a drink slowed its digestion time, leaving you less hungry for longer periods. Mind you, the experiment involved taking an actual meal, combining it with a glass of water in a blender, grin - comparing stomach emptying times with the same meal eaten normally with a glass of water on the side. In the unpureed meal, the water quickly exited the stomach along with larger bits of food, while the puree meal took much longer to exit the stomach overall.

    BTW, you don't need a premade meal replacement shake, they taste far better if you use real food ingredients (mine consists of milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds, coconut flour, 1 banana, unsweetened broma process cocoa powder, and vanilla flavor whey protein powder to add the touch of sweet/flavoring and extra protein). This is my smoothie for my lunch on work days, and I find it does exactly what I need to have the energy to get through my afternoon workout and leave me not hungry until dinnertime. Its not really low low calorie, at just under 500 calories. It is designed to fit into my macros.

    Carbs: 56 g
    Fat: 10 g
    Protein: 41 g
    Fiber: 14 g
  • crazytreelady
    crazytreelady Posts: 752 Member
    I like Nature's Plus Spirutein. I have tried a much of protein powders and none were as filling as this.

    It's not too badly priced and it is freaking DELISH!

    However, I don't believe they sell it in Canada, if you live here. Bought mine on the interwebs.
  • jadams1650
    jadams1650 Posts: 139 Member
    For those who haven't eaten optimally (like me), the pro-biotics replace some bad critters in the gut...keeps things moving along. A somewhat different approach than yogurt, much wider spectrum of nutrients, and a lot more fiber. Works for me.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I mainly do it on work days, and only breakfast. I usually do a coffee/oatmeal/protein shake. It is actually really good and really easy to make and helps me get out the door. Like I said, that is the only time I do them.

    My recommendation to you, is make your own. Period. Don't get the slim-fast or the special k shakes. They are mainly carbs and loaded with sugar.
  • darbobo
    darbobo Posts: 53
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.

    Don't waste your money on this stuff, you would pay over $100 for a 30 day supply, not sure why people recommend this
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    First off, you can't stretch out your stomach, it doesn't work that way so eating shakes isn't going to shrink it either. A MRS is not going to be high fiber so that idea doesn't fly either. Most shakes are around 250 calories if they're any good at all and you can create a decent meal for that much.

    Shakes teach you absolutely nothing about eating properly but try it and you can come back later and tell us all about how it didn't work.

    ^^^^This (Nail on the head)
  • Moonwind75
    Moonwind75 Posts: 6 Member
    Ive been drinking Slim Fast 3-2-1 Drinks in the morning and sometimes in mid afternoon to suppliment any snacking that I would ordinarily do. When they say "They curve the appetite for several hours", I have found that they do. I eat a cerial or hot breakfast every morning at around 7 Oclock , however, I start getting hungry around 10:00am, so I will have a slim fast to get me through to 12:30 when I have lunch. I also have nutrition bars and Almonds that give me an afternoon snack so I dont eat junk. By the end of the day, if Im lucky, I have about 400 caleries that I can use for dinner, inwhich I dont want dinner to be my biggest meal anyway. I am losing weight moderately and I feel great!

    The thing about Myfitnesspal is that as you enter everything you are eating/drinking, you can also monitor area's that you could be lacking in and suppliment whatever it is. I agree with one writer on here that commented that the key is learning to eat right. Right now, Im working on shedding off the weight, feeling better and staying healthy. These shakes help you stay in line with what you are trying to accomplish without feeling like you are starving, yet your getting the nutritions through your shakes and your regular meals, like salads, 3 course meals. Dont substitue for your regular meals, however, use them as a suppliment between meals. The ones that I drink are 110 cals.
  • jadams1650
    jadams1650 Posts: 139 Member
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.

    Don't waste your money on this stuff, you would pay over $100 for a 30 day supply, not sure why people recommend this

    Remember, you are replacing 1/3 of your meals a month with this MRS...nutrient dense, high fiber, pro-biotic, packed with vitamins, and 160 calories per shake. A lot of people spend this much every month on coffee. Not pushing the stuff, but it works for me.
  • peglock
    peglock Posts: 1
    I have been taking Usana Meal replacement shakes for 8 years now, love them for a quick meal. They are a complete meal with the correct balance of protein, carbs and fat and contain fibre. Have a look at the website www.usana.com and go to your country, then choose PRODUCTS > DIET AND ENERGY > DIET for the complete information. The Nutrimeals are the MR drinks.

    This company manufactures all their products, quality is number one with the company. The products are pharmacetical grade so you are getting exactly in the product what is on the label, nothing more nothing less.

    There weight loss program is called RESET.

    I am a representative, so if you are interested and would like more informatoin or products, let me know.
  • Courtney24891
    Courtney24891 Posts: 29
    I've been drinking strawberry-banana special k protein Shakes In the AM/breakfast. Just because I am not hungry in the morning and i feel fine drinking then actually eating.. They are really good I think.. Or i sometimes buy jamba brand at the grocery store/freezer section its mixed frozen fruit with yogurt in it.. i add apple juice its tasty that one is strawberry flavor. Both satisfying and tasty.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.

    Don't waste your money on this stuff, you would pay over $100 for a 30 day supply, not sure why people recommend this

    they recommend it because they are selling it. this site is full of lurking shakeology "coaches" who try to pick off the unsuspecting newbies and get them into buying this junk instead of real food.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    Try Shakeology from Beachbody. High fiber, pro-biotic, and packed with nutrients. Changes your entire digestive system.
    And changes your take home pay. You can get comparable "stacked" products for less cost.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • slroggemann
    slroggemann Posts: 168 Member
    there is empirical evidence that "drinking" a meal turned into a drink slowed its digestion time, leaving you less hungry for longer periods. Mind you, the experiment involved taking an actual meal, combining it with a glass of water in a blender, grin - comparing stomach emptying times with the same meal eaten normally with a glass of water on the side. In the unpureed meal, the water quickly exited the stomach along with larger bits of food, while the puree meal took much longer to exit the stomach overall.

    BTW, you don't need a premade meal replacement shake, they taste far better if you use real food ingredients (mine consists of milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds, coconut flour, 1 banana, unsweetened broma process cocoa powder, and vanilla flavor whey protein powder to add the touch of sweet/flavoring and extra protein). This is my smoothie for my lunch on work days, and I find it does exactly what I need to have the energy to get through my afternoon workout and leave me not hungry until dinnertime. Its not really low low calorie, at just under 500 calories. It is designed to fit into my macros.

    Carbs: 56 g
    Fat: 10 g
    Protein: 41 g
    Fiber: 14 g

    This sounds delicious, and much better than a mix. I would make your own smoothies so many people recommend.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    I understand that some people get motivated by results and it helps them to continue. But I also know that when people get off the MRP's that weight gain is pretty much inevitable and leads to feeling defeated and more consumption of excess calories usually ensues after.
    You sound like you understand the concept and may end up being among the 10% who can actually keep the weight off. But eventually you will have to learn how to eat on your own again if you don't intend to drink MRP's the rest of your life. I encourage you to try to learn it now. It's a slower process, but habit forming lifestyles will always trump the quick loss diets. Good luck.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • MerlinWilliams
    MerlinWilliams Posts: 92 Member
    Eat real food unless you have no other alternative.

    When you read the labels on shakes, do you recognize what all the ingredients are? Can you pronounce them? They're not real food, and they're certainly not a good substitute for it.

    In music, we say that you perform the same way you practice. So it is with eating. Think of losing weight as practicing and maintenance as the performance.
  • Princess4Run
    Princess4Run Posts: 135 Member
    I am NOT a proponent of pre-made MRS but I make my own smoothies most mornings and treat it as a meal. It allows me to have a filling and super nutritious breakfast on the go. I get up early for work and don't have time to eat, plus I don't feel like eating at 6:15. But, a smoothie Is awesome while driving and it keeps me full till lunch. I pack mine with 2 cups of spinach or kale, some fruit, Greek yogurt, and either nuts, flaxseed, or chia seeds. Carbs come from fruit and can add up if you want it really sweet, but if you use lower carb fruit like berries, apples, peaches and keep it to around 1.5 cups...it keeps the carb numbers from running too high.
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    there is empirical evidence that "drinking" a meal turned into a drink slowed its digestion time, leaving you less hungry for longer periods. Mind you, the experiment involved taking an actual meal, combining it with a glass of water in a blender, grin - comparing stomach emptying times with the same meal eaten normally with a glass of water on the side. In the unpureed meal, the water quickly exited the stomach along with larger bits of food, while the puree meal took much longer to exit the stomach overall.

    BTW, you don't need a premade meal replacement shake, they taste far better if you use real food ingredients (mine consists of milk, greek yogurt, chia seeds, coconut flour, 1 banana, unsweetened broma process cocoa powder, and vanilla flavor whey protein powder to add the touch of sweet/flavoring and extra protein). This is my smoothie for my lunch on work days, and I find it does exactly what I need to have the energy to get through my afternoon workout and leave me not hungry until dinnertime. Its not really low low calorie, at just under 500 calories. It is designed to fit into my macros.

    Carbs: 56 g
    Fat: 10 g
    Protein: 41 g
    Fiber: 14 g

    This sounds delicious, and much better than a mix. I would make your own smoothies so many people recommend.

    Thanks :) it is meant as a time saver, and it does the trick at lunchtime. Nothing that needs cooking, just the immersion blender all ingredients and done!

    I don't have it all days, just when I am tired from work and not interested in cooking a lunch when I will cook dinner in some hours anyway. I hit several birds with one stone, it is fast, it keeps me full, it has the required nutrient profile I was looking for, especially with potassium. (why a banana, this is why). And contrary to Shakeology dogma, there are plenty of probiotics in fat free greek yogurt, and plenty of whole food nutrition in chia seeds, cocoa powder, coconut flour and bananas! I use Designer Whey as the whey powder protein as its fairly cheap and has a good nutrition profile, along with being certified gluten free. (necessary for me as I have celiac disease and I avoid "wheat grass" powders due to the risk of cross contamination)

    I agree with other folks that most premade mixes like SlimFast, et al are high in sugar and won't keep you full, or they cost a lot of money comparatively to the benefits.

    But the science of having a fresh real food smoothie as a meal replacement to delay gastric emptying is sound.
  • azwen
    azwen Posts: 237 Member
    Peanut butter chocolate protein?! What brand is it? Where do you buy it?
  • KeriW626
    KeriW626 Posts: 430
    I have started using a whey protien shake, but only because I am having issues reaching my goal of more than 1200 calories. Not to restirct anything.
  • cnewlin86
    cnewlin86 Posts: 87
    I've never been a breakfast eater so I have a shake in the morning. I eat a low calorie lunch and dinner is usually my largest calorie meal. I don't think I could do two shakes a day because I just enjoy eating and shakes would get old in a hurry!

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