Shakeology for someone with poor diet, starting to improve health
smallandunhealthy
Posts: 10
Hi all. I'm new here. Over the past month, I've started working out more after noticing some weight gain and realizing how slow, unenergized, and unhealthy I've felt. I've had pretty bad eating habits my whole life and I've always been a sensitive eater (I used to not be able to keep a lot of food down, so now I have an aversion to certain tastes/textures).
I'm naturally petite, was always active and pretty underweight even in college. I've gained a bit weight in the form of fat in the past year, so I probably look healthier, but I feel worse. I don't eat tons of vegetables and in general don't eat regularly. I'm trying to get better about eating right, but it'll be a long process. I'm taking graduate classes for my job and work full time, so I still think I can live like I did in college, but it's definitely taking its toll on me. I'm also assuming my metabolism is slowing down due to age and also not eating regularly.
Most days I'll eat snacks (free candy and standard office junk food) to get me through the work day. Sometimes I'll have one small meal during working hours, but not all the time. I tend to have a protein dinner between 6-8pm (chicken, steak, tacos, pasta or takeout like asian food or wings). I don't have much variety in my meals when I do cook.
Would anyone recommend Shakeology for someone like me (or any alternative)? It's been intriguing since I don't really get enough of anything nutritious during the day, and I have a tendency to just snack until 6pm.
I'm trying to start working toward improving my diet, and hopefully I'll start feeling better and have more energy. Weight loss or toning up isn't a major goal, just a perk - I just want my clothes to fit like more comfortably and to feel like I used to. Any advice would be appreciated.
I'm naturally petite, was always active and pretty underweight even in college. I've gained a bit weight in the form of fat in the past year, so I probably look healthier, but I feel worse. I don't eat tons of vegetables and in general don't eat regularly. I'm trying to get better about eating right, but it'll be a long process. I'm taking graduate classes for my job and work full time, so I still think I can live like I did in college, but it's definitely taking its toll on me. I'm also assuming my metabolism is slowing down due to age and also not eating regularly.
Most days I'll eat snacks (free candy and standard office junk food) to get me through the work day. Sometimes I'll have one small meal during working hours, but not all the time. I tend to have a protein dinner between 6-8pm (chicken, steak, tacos, pasta or takeout like asian food or wings). I don't have much variety in my meals when I do cook.
Would anyone recommend Shakeology for someone like me (or any alternative)? It's been intriguing since I don't really get enough of anything nutritious during the day, and I have a tendency to just snack until 6pm.
I'm trying to start working toward improving my diet, and hopefully I'll start feeling better and have more energy. Weight loss or toning up isn't a major goal, just a perk - I just want my clothes to fit like more comfortably and to feel like I used to. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Why not just eat the raw fruit?0
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If you want to learn to eat right, shakeology is not going to help you long term.0
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Only thing shakeology will teach you is how to say good bye to your money.
Eat food, learn about nutrition and save your money0 -
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jeffpettis wrote: »
This even more so. Metabolism is perhaps the most overrated excuse for lack of weight loss.0 -
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I would carve out some time to go to the grocery store and start making meals you can pack into a feedbag for work. You can cook a double dinner the night before or cook a big batch of something over the weekend.0
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Thanks for the tips! I have a friend who's really into shakeology, not a bb coach, and offered one of her bags to see if it helps (because anything is better than not eating). I never have a huge appetite and so I thought this would be a good way to ease into things.
To address some concerns from the comments:
I avoid fruits and veggies and am slowly trying to relearn how to eat them. Besides bananas and apples, I never could keep most food down as a kid, even when I didn't know I was eating them, I would throw up. I have a big aversion to those foods and some types still will make me gag/vomit or make me sick.
I figure my weight gain was from going from an extremely fast to less fast metabolism. I used to eat lots of meat/rice/fast food/junk food until I graduated college and the highest I weighed was 87 lbs. I eat a bit less now, but most of the same stuff, so I figure it was my metabolism or all that bad food catching up to me.
Weight loss is not my goal. I weigh under 100 lbs still, so I'm not fat. Just unhealthy with more body fat than I'd like, it makes me feel less comfortable in my clothes.
If I decide to use it, I'll be trying the shakeology for free from a my friend's husband, they have a few bags in their house that are expiring soon. She's just going to take one and give it to me. I don't want to try it though if it won't actually help/isn't actually healthy/has side effects after you stop drinking it.
I thought shakeology would be a better option than not eating or eating junk food until dinner time. I'm never really hungry, but I know I should eat something during the day. I'm trying to ease my way into eating right, I thought that maybe shakeology will be something good for me while I slowly progress into eating good foods and cooking regularly. Basically I just wanted to know if it's something that will in fact help me feel better/healthier while I work on figuring this whole nutrition thing out for myself.. kind of like a quick fix or jumpstart. I'm still trying to figure this part out.
Thanks again everyone for the tips!0 -
http://macrolifenaturals.com. Better and cheaper than Shakeology. And actually provides you with daily servings of fruits and veggies (which Shakeology does not).
What I think you truly need though, is psychiatric help from a therapist who specializes in disordered eating.-1 -
I tried it once when I started on a Beachbody kick…I honestly didn't see much difference between that and less expensive protein powders. It also doesn't do much in the way of teaching you better eating habits.
If you are getting it for free there isn't any harm in using it, but after that I would suggest finding a less expensive alternative. Good luck!0 -
Thanks for the advice to the two above! Also that link is for macro life is the type of thing I'm looking for.FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »What I think you truly need though, is psychiatric help from a therapist who specializes in disordered eating.
Are you talking about the food avoidance/aversions?
I used to have to see my school counselor when this happened in elementary school because they thought it was me just being picky, then they found out I would still throw up/get sick even if I didn't know I was eating certain foods. My parents used to take me to the doctor a lot as a child about my eating, they never could figure out what was wrong, my parents always just said I had a sensitive stomach.
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^ Thanks BrettPGH, but I'm not focusing on weight loss. But I'm sure your tips will still be great for trying to feel healthier!0
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Shakeology is perhaps the 2nd greatest waste of money. The greatest waste would be paying to be part of any MLM/Pyramid and having the gall to call yourself a "coach".0
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Is there a chance you're allergic to certain fruits/veggies? You should really figure out if your aversion is from some allergic reaction. I'd see a doctor about testing for food allergies first. After you know what (if anything) you're allergic to, you can look at learning to incorporate more fruit and veggies into your diet.0
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jeremywm1977 wrote: »Shakeology is perhaps the 2nd greatest waste of money. The greatest waste would be paying to be part of any MLM/Pyramid and having the gall to call yourself a "coach".
I'm not buying it and I don't do anything with beachbody. A friend has lots of bags and was offering one for free. I wanted to find out if it was actually something that could help ease me out of my poor diet, or if there is something better.brandiuntz wrote: »Is there a chance you're allergic to certain fruits/veggies? You should really figure out if your aversion is from some allergic reaction. I'd see a doctor about testing for food allergies first. After you know what (if anything) you're allergic to, you can look at learning to incorporate more fruit and veggies into your diet.
This is a good point. It never really crossed my mind, I always assumed my parents would have found that out from my pediatrician when I couldn't eat anything as a child. Definitely worth looking into.0 -
Also I think very important: have you tried organic vs "regular" fruits & veggies? You may be very sensitive to pesticides and other toxins that are polluting our food supplies... It may be simple as you needing "clean" food and avoiding the gmo's and pesticides. Do you have any fruits/veggies that you have ever been able to keep down or say you like?0
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Also I think very important: have you tried organic vs "regular" fruits & veggies? You may be very sensitive to pesticides and other toxins that are polluting our food supplies... It may be simple as you needing "clean" food and avoiding the gmo's and pesticides. Do you have any fruits/veggies that you have ever been able to keep down or say you like?
Organic fruits and veggies are still treated with pesticides.
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Also I think very important: have you tried organic vs "regular" fruits & veggies? You may be very sensitive to pesticides and other toxins that are polluting our food supplies... It may be simple as you needing "clean" food and avoiding the gmo's and pesticides. Do you have any fruits/veggies that you have ever been able to keep down or say you like?
Organic fruits and veggies are still treated with pesticides.
They also may be a GMO. See - corn on the cob, apple trees, etc.0 -
Did you mention how tall you are? You're under 100lbs so unless you're super extra short..I really don't know.
If shakeology is going to help you eat more, as you said you aren't hungry, then maybe, though mainly people use it to lose weight from what I've seen.
You mention weight gain like it's this massive thing, but again, you also say you're under 100lbs so I'm really struggling to grasp what's going on. Are you sure you're looking at yourself accurately? Maybe you aren't really gaining "fat" you're just starting to look how you should? I dunno, I don't want to assume so if you could clarify that would be great.
As for the aversions thing, it could be allergies, but negative memory tied to food can be hard to get over. Try something new, I'd say, or speak to a doctor to see if allergies can be ruled out.0 -
Thanks everyone!
Shadowofender:I'm around 4'11 or 5' depending on who measures me. I think my weight is fine, but my stomach, back, and waist area have gotten noticeably thicker. I can definitely feel it in my clothes, since most of my work attire is tailored and slim fitting. Things just feel less comfortable. I could also just very bloated all the time? My chest/arms/shoulders haven't changed too much, maybe less bony, but nothing noticeable. I don't really see a drastic difference in my body, it's more than I think I feel that I'm bigger now.
CoachMigs/kgeyser/newdaydawn: I've always eaten apples and bananas, but not much else. I've never tried the organic or clean fruits/veggies, but there are lots of healthier grocery stores where I live now (there weren't any at home when I was a kid and none at my college). Any recommendations on what stores I should go to?0 -
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smallandunhealthy wrote: »Thanks everyone!
Shadowofender:I'm around 4'11 or 5' depending on who measures me. I think my weight is fine, but my stomach, back, and waist area have gotten noticeably thicker. I can definitely feel it in my clothes, since most of my work attire is tailored and slim fitting. Things just feel less comfortable. I could also just very bloated all the time? My chest/arms/shoulders haven't changed too much, maybe less bony, but nothing noticeable. I don't really see a drastic difference in my body, it's more than I think I feel that I'm bigger now.
CoachMigs/kgeyser/newdaydawn: I've always eaten apples and bananas, but not much else. I've never tried the organic or clean fruits/veggies, but there are lots of healthier grocery stores where I live now (there weren't any at home when I was a kid and none at my college). Any recommendations on what stores I should go to?
You should probably look into body recomp. Start a lifting or bodyweight training program. Utilizing weights (free or your own bodyweight) should help you get the body you want to achieve.0 -
It sounds like you have a health problem that needs to be addressed so you can eat normally. I would say do a nutritional smoothie in the morning like with yogurt or coconut milk with a egg and a avacado and a banana and a veg. I make my own pumpkin deal. I like nutiva hemp protein powder and you can get your green goodness in a powder and add it in. Add in fats like avacado ( makes it smooth) coconut oil flax oil etc. Add in powdered vitamins. You just may be deficiency in vitamins take b12 or the b family and iron ( the kind that wont constipate) zinc and folic acid. You will start to feel better. Fish oil and vit d3 as well. I was real ill and I was extremely vit deficient due to miscarriages. I hope you find out what it is but it seems like a digestive isdue too.0
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In for Shakeology being terrible
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^ We'll see if it's actually terrible and not what it's cut out to be. I'm getting it for free from a friend so at least I won't be wasting any money if it turns out to be bad.0
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It's great to see how many people on this forum bash shakeology who probably have never tried it. I am contemplating trying it as well and splitting the cost with my roommates.
Would love to hear advice from people who actually have tried it.
Also OP, I hope you can figure what will work to make you feel better. In my experience anything is better than not eating and only eating junk food. If your shakeology is free, just drink it for however long you think is necessary and see how it makes you feel. If anything, you'll at least be ingesting something more regularly and can get in the habit of eating more than once a day.0 -
It's great to see how many people on this forum bash shakeology who probably have never tried it.
Would love to hear advice from people who actually have tried it.
Okay, I have tried it as well as other meal replacement powders. The taste is no different, and the nutritional value is no different. The part that is dramatically different.......the cost and imposition on your life. The cost is easily 3-5 times more expensive than a comparably sized bag of anything I can find off the shelf with the same or similar nutritional value. Additionally, buying something off the shelf does not get a Beachbody "Coach" crowbarred into my life.
Is that the kind of advice you were looking for?
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I use it. I've been a coach in the past and I'm waiting on resigning under a new coach in a few months (already have a new coach so no current coaches, don't ask). Honest review from me: I like it usually with fruit. The only one I don't care for is strawberry plain b/c you can actually taste the vitamins in it. The strawberry in my opinion tastes like a flintstone vitamin. I try to take it as often as I can, but don't always b/c I hate being cold and this time of the year drinking a cold shake isn't appealing to me. I think it's a great place to start, even if you don't take it every day.
FYI, don't mention Shakeology, Beachbody, Healthy eating, Crossfit, running too much, lifting too much or anything relatively healthy in these forums. It's keyword for people to lose their poop. You're only allowed to have an opinion if it falls in line with theirs.
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