Meal replacements.....any luck?

dcjackson50
dcjackson50 Posts: 196
in Health and Weight Loss
I definitely understand and know how to cook prepare and eat a balanced nutritional meal. So I am not considering these as a lazy way out of doing the work. I have a busy two weeks coming up and after hearing about a good friends success I am considering an attempt with these.
My girlfriend lost ten pounds over 16 days just drinking one for breakfast and lunch then eating chicken or fish with vegetables at dinner. Snacks were cheese, fruit, or almonds sometimes veggies.
Anyone else try this with positive results?

Replies

  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    The trouble with meal replacement plans is that you tend to put the weight right back on when you go back to eating like a normal human being. This is because MR doesn't teach you healthy habits or help you establish a lifestyle. Also, if you're using prepackaed MR shakes like Slimfast or Special K, you're also going to have a harder time maintaining lean body mass because they don't exactly have a ton of protein and the protein they do have isn't always complete.

    Personally, I'd recommend taking a little bit of time at the beginning of the busy week and prep real food. Egg muffins last a week in the fridge, and they can be frozen if need be. A healthy lunch of salad with tuna and chicken paired with Greek yogurt is fast and easy. There are tons of better ways to lose weight that are almost as easy and convenient without being expensive and unsustainable.
  • dcjackson50
    dcjackson50 Posts: 196
    Great advice, in fact that's what I have been doing,.... Weekends for me without the plan in place have derailed me!
    I wanted to try MR's for a couple weeks knowing that I will have little ime or meal prep, and having snacks that will provide protein,
    Cottage cheese
    Cheese strings
    Almonds
    Yogurt

    I know they get a bad rap, but a jump start o losing would definitely motivate me right now!!
    Thx
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Great advice, in fact that's what I have been doing,.... Weekends for me without the plan in place have derailed me!
    I wanted to try MR's for a couple weeks knowing that I will have little ime or meal prep, and having snacks that will provide protein,
    Cottage cheese
    Cheese strings
    Almonds
    Yogurt

    I know they get a bad rap, but a jump start o losing would definitely motivate me right now!!
    Thx

    So, really, what you're looking for is the magic bullet. Good luck with that.
  • dcjackson50
    dcjackson50 Posts: 196
    No magic bullets I know I know,....just wanted a plan to offset time constraints for a couple weeks.

    I do believe the first real loss or taste of weight loss success helps to motivate!!!! I read it here all the time
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Nothing wrong with meal replacements for convenience, IMO. If I can't be bothered to prepare something that has the amount of protein to fit my macros, I'll have a shake.

    Just make sure it fits your calories and macros and you'll be fine :)

    ETA: keep an eye on your fibre too.
  • dcjackson50
    dcjackson50 Posts: 196
    Thanks,....convenience is the key word here. I wouldn't rely on them indefinitely as I love cooking and know how to eat healthy. I know my weakness is eating poor choices when I haven't prepared lunch for example
    So,..... They may be a great option,
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Sometimes we make a big batch of something and portion it out and freeze it = home-made frozen lunches for hubby to take to work.


    If you frequently find yourself short on time, perhaps take a weekend afternoon, and do this with 3-4 favorite recipes, and create a little stock pile in your freezer. It will help on the days when you are really strapped for time, or just plain tired. You can still have a healthy meal you enjoy AND the convenience.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Your friend probably lost 16 lbs because she wasn't eating enough, and most of it was probably water weight.

    I don't see anything wrong with it for convenience, I'm just not sure it's good nutrients-wise to have two a day.
  • dcjackson50
    dcjackson50 Posts: 196
    16 days with a 10 pound loss. True about the water weight, but that success was so great for her she stuck with it and lost more,...not sure on total but probably about 30 pounds.
    I should point out that she used MR's every day for 2 weeks then only occasionally if she was on the go.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    I use some meal replacement but I do so while still sticking to MFPs recommended calorie intake. Im a veggie so getting enough protein is hard . I use a product called Diet fuel I got on e-bay and I mix this with my favorite whey protein. Comes out at 400 calories. I take it for breakfast because I work a long way away from home so I get up early and not hungry. By the time I get there I am hungry. I also sometimes have the same for lunch if I can't get anything decent. Note though I am not using this to cut calories I am using it to replace the **** they sell in our canteen with something that will significantly boost my protein intake quickly and easily. I will usually have another 6-700 calories for dinner and then finish off with a 2-400 while eating back most of my exercise calories.
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  • BarbarainMN
    BarbarainMN Posts: 19
    I've always been against the meal replacement dieting, but starting October 1st, my old fitness trainer in Phoenix (I live in MN now) had me do a 30 day challenge of using highly nutritious shake powders, mixed with yogurt or almond milk and fruit, for two meals, while also snacking and then making healthy, whole food dinners. I'm now past the 30 days and have been doing a shake maybe for breakfast (totals around 300 calories, so it's not serious deprivation), and I totally love it because I have had no cravings. Not even for soda and I've been a huge diet soda drinker for decades. Anyway, I've had no problem shifting to whole foods/regular meals, and I've had no rebounding to snacking, because my nutritional needs are completely met. Since starting 6 weeks ago, I've lost 18.5 pounds now, and feel amazing. I still have a way to go, but the meal replacement definitely fits with my busy life. You can't just do any ol' protein shake as a meal replacement though... they may match in calories, but not in nutrition.
    If you want to chat with my old trainer about it, let me know. She's helping 2 of my friends here, long distance, via phone, texts, facebook. She's a wealth of information. So glad I started this.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    I don't really use it as a replacement for a full meal, but Garden of Life's Raw Meal is a very good protein and carb source. You can get it cheapest on Amazon but it's still expensive at 1-2$ a serving. I drink it as part of my breakfast most days.
  • jeanri
    jeanri Posts: 22 Member
    The trouble with meal replacement plans is that you tend to put the weight right back on when you go back to eating like a normal human being. This is because MR doesn't teach you healthy habits or help you establish a lifestyle. Also, if you're using prepackaed MR shakes like Slimfast or Special K, you're also going to have a harder time maintaining lean body mass because they don't exactly have a ton of protein and the protein they do have isn't always complete.

    Personally, I'd recommend taking a little bit of time at the beginning of the busy week and prep real food. Egg muffins last a week in the fridge, and they can be frozen if need be. A healthy lunch of salad with tuna and chicken paired with Greek yogurt is fast and easy. There are tons of better ways to lose weight that are almost as easy and convenient without being expensive and unsustainable.

    Thanks for the info...I was wondering about meal replacements as well, but they do not look appetizing at all!

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