Protein Shakes

You can replace anywhere from 1 slim fast shake to ALL of your slim fast shakes with whatever you want and still lose weight as long as you are in a caloric deficit. If you look around this site you will find a lot of helpful information about healthy and SUSTAINABLE ways to lose weight. Sustainability is important and a lack of sustainability is what causes most people to fail and gain their weight back.

For example. . . it is unrealistic to expect to drink slim fast for the rest of your life. Most people who lose weight with slim fast WILL gain it back once (IF) they reach their goal. Why? They never learned how to maintain a healthy weight while eating actual food while losing their weight. They reach their goal and then go back to eating how they did before.

You can replace anywhere from 1 slim fast shake to ALL of your slim fast shakes with whatever you want and still lose weight as long as you are in a caloric deficit. If you look around this site you will find a lot of helpful information about healthy and SUSTAINABLE ways to lose weight. Sustainability is important and a lack of sustainability is what causes most people to fail and gain their weight back.

For example. . . it is unrealistic to expect to drink slim fast for the rest of your life. Most people who lose weight with slim fast WILL gain it back once (IF) they reach their goal. Why? They never learned how to maintain a healthy weight while eating actual food while losing their weight. They reach their goal and then go back to eating how they did before.

This.......I drink protein shakes in between regular meals to provide sufficient fuel before my workouts. Don't rely just on shakes/drinks to fuel your body. If you use them, use them to compliment a healthy food and workout plan.

Slim Fast shakes won't kick start weight loss any more than a balanced diet made up of real foods. The high sugar content alone should be a sign that real food could do more for your health.

Any who, here is a great link to get started on losing weight using real food. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

There are also a ton of recipes on the site that can give you an easy grab and go meal that will give you a better nutritional content than the shakes.

I found regular small curd Cottage Cheese is high in protein. I do NOT eat the fat free stuff cause it is loaded with sugar. I rather eat the fat than the carbs and I'm losing weight just fine this way. Best part is you can add your favorite fruit apple, pear, banana, whatever you like fresh or even in the snack pack cups (watch for syrups to be added cause they are loaded with sugar).

Believe in yourself stick to your plan and make sure to eat what you like NOT what you think you must. Ultimately if you don't you will get to the weight you want. Go back to eating what you like and gain it all back

I LOVE potatoes. There is no way I can live without them so I found that I could boil them in chicken stock and although this is more of a treat than an everyday meal it is something I will do again.

Also Alton Brown has come up with a recipe for Lentil soup that is VERY tasty. Lots of protein and little carbs.

Best wishes,

Jim

If you're looking for a "meal replacement," ditch the processed junk that's in slim fast and make your own green smoothies. Spinach, berries, almond milk, protein powder. (many other recipes can be found online). There isn't really a need to replace meals, but if you're looking to go that route don't use slim fast. Read the ingredients list! Gross!

*like!*

I have recently started drinking maxi muscle lean protein shakes after my workout and for me I feel full for a good few hours after I drink it. Before my workout I have a banana, a slice of toast with peanut butter on and a cup of coffee then a couple of hours later I go to the gym about an hour later which brings me to lunch I have my shake maybe a salad aswell and I feel satisfied untill my evening meal I hope this helps :happy:

No i totally understand your opinion and i fully respect it , and i agree towards the end of the first few months it was the high protein low carbs that starting the **real** weight loss , but its a nice stepping stone , and as long as people know that slimfast isnt a permanent fix then they should be ok.

Slimfast was just a gateway into a world of dieting for me , and i'm now so much more educated with fitness and my own dietary needs thanks to the first stepping stone (Slimfast).

I will give you a small example , i brought tescos own meal replacement called ultra slim , i used it for 4 days and now im slowly coming off it and replacing it with healthier alternatives , like for example i will have a protein shake and exercise , or if i want to chill out 2 egg whites whole and some brown bread.

I think as long as we stress just to use it as a stepping stone and teach people more about the nutritional value of real food whilst there using it we can accomplish something far greater than just bashing someones method the bashing has all been constructive though.

For me I guess it's how I view the whole meal replacement industry. It's a multi-million, perhaps multi-billion dollar industry that goes to great lengths to convince people that these things are the way to go. Consider the Slimfast Creamy Chocolate shake ingredients:

FAT FREE MILK, WATER, SUGAR, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), CANOLA OIL, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, FRUCTOSE, GUM ARABIC, CELLULOSE GEL, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MALTODEXTRIN, SOY LECITHIN, CELLULOSE GUM, CARRAGEENAN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SUCRALOSE AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (NONNUTRITIVE SWEETENERS), SODIUM CITRATE, CITRIC ACID,

Sure, fat free milk and water are good for you and since ingredients are listed in the order of how much is present in serving then that doesn't look so bad. Then you hit the #3 ingredient. Sugar. Yum. And after that it doesn't get any better. How about a shot of High Fuctose Corn Syrup? Sorry, bleh. :sick:

So other then it being easier to pick up a six pack of these at the market instead of preparing a honest to goodness meal I don't see any value in these whatsover. It's a convenience thing that's about it. Very few folks can state that "A diet consisting in daily servings of Sugar, cellulose gell, and high fructose corn syrup have proven to combat obesity"

Meh. I'll take food over "nutrient" injected slather any day. But I wish you sincere luck. :flowerforyou:

Good for recovery for me (Whey)

If you are going to use a protein shake can I recommend this. http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-diet-whey/10530657.html
I have been using this since October and find it great stuff. Tastes good great texture and a good price. It also contains lots of good stuff.

As you've mentioned you have PCOS then you should absolutely avoid the Slim-Fast products, and any refined/processed carb products in general.

For those that don't know, having PCOS makes you insulin-resistant. As such OP needs to watch her carbohydrate intake - especially refined carbs, much like anyone else with insulin-resistance.

I have a protein shake at-least once every day - usually as my breakfast meal. I use a very-high-quality (no added sugar) whey isolate - http://www.ultimatenutrition.com/catalog/protein/iso-sensation93.html) with berries, spinach and cream. (I use cream to keep mine high-fat/low-carb and give me the calories I need - you may not need to.)

I also often have one after strenuous workouts. They're a good way to ensure you get enough dietary protein, and they're quick.