Meal replacement (Clif Bars)

Mitzki5
Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
Trying to lose weight. Just tried the Clif Bars and really like them. What do you think of replacing my meals each day with a Clif Bar? I think each is about 240 calories.

Replies

  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    You lose weight by burning more calories than you eat. I am willing to bet you can do that and stay full easier with whole foods than a cliff bar. I have eaten them for convenience in a morning or on trips, but I can have 3 eggs for less calories for breakfast and be full much longer.
  • nickatine
    nickatine Posts: 451 Member
    I would not suggest using cliff bars as meal replacements especially for all your meals youl will be missing out on a lot of flavour and nutrients. However it is quite understandable if one were pressed for time and on the go to replace one meal a day with a ''bar". Cliff bars are not ideal they full of sugar. If you are willing to spend money on protein bars I would go with "quest nutrition" bars. Much more filling and cleaner than a cliff bar.
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    I mainly am eating 1 a day max. I don't normally eat breakfast and am eating these as an early lunch at work with a small snack in the afternoon like a small salad or fruit. I work 12 hr days, so it's easier to have two snacks rather than a big lunch. It's hard to find something easy like a protein/energy bar because it seems like one place says they are great and another will say they are awful.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    They are great snacks. Not a great meal.
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    depending what you mean by meal replacement. For early bike rides I often skip a normal breakfast, and start eating a clif bar (and fluids, bananas, etc.) during the ride in lieu

    They are great for riding - fairly calorie dense, quick absorption, and in my case no GI distress. I can't stand, for example, the old Powerbars that you could probably use to caulk a pipe at home.

    More importantly for weight loss, they are 240-250 calories each. Do they provide enough nutrition, satiety, and availability for your case? So many variables! (including how much and when you work out).
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I mainly am eating 1 a day max. I don't normally eat breakfast and am eating these as an early lunch at work with a small snack in the afternoon like a small salad or fruit. I work 12 hr days, so it's easier to have two snacks rather than a big lunch. It's hard to find something easy like a protein/energy bar because it seems like one place says they are great and another will say they are awful.

    Oh I think I misunderstood... eating them to replace all your meals not great I would agree. You'd be missing out on a lot.

    Eating one for convenience won't hurt though you might want to add something with it. Handful of nuts or some dried fruit, might check the carb/fat/protein level of a bar and calculate accordingly.

    Seems as long as you're getting in your cals and macros and it's convenient for your working hours I don't see an issue.

    Good luck :)
  • pokegurl
    pokegurl Posts: 15
    Well yes it should work. Back in the day when I didn't have money for lunch I would buy a power bar and a small orange. I did lose a few pounds.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    LOL at the crap that comes up on here…

    cliff bars a meal replacement…???? NO …just eat in a calorie deficit…good lord the derp is amazing….
  • isa474
    isa474 Posts: 47 Member
    It's always best to actually eat sold food than replace it with bars. For one a lot of them are high in sugar. For a quick snack maybe. I actually like the victory bars. They are good. Had one today:)
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    I wasn't clear in original post. I didn't mean to replace all my meals. What I meant to say, do you think it's okay to eat these in place of a full lunch a few times a week? Obviously I wouldn't live only on the Cliff bars.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I wasn't clear in original post. I didn't mean to replace all my meals. What I meant to say, do you think it's okay to eat these in place of a full lunch a few times a week? Obviously I wouldn't live only on the Cliff bars.

    honestly, man ..just eat real food and if you want to use the cliff bars as a snack then do so ..

    but I would just eat three solid meals a day and fill the rest in with what you need…

  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    45g carbs and soy protein?

    You can do better.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I don't like the nutritional analysis on those bars, plus they're pretty high calorie. Have a couple boiled eggs instead or look into quest bars
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    Thanks for the info all. I picked the Cliff bars because they were highly recommended by a personal trainer/nutritionist I know. They recommended the Cliff bars or Usana bars. I know the correct exercises to do, just not good on the nutrition part. I know the everyday bad foods to stay away from but still learning the right things to seek out to eat. Thanks again
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    Thanks for the info all. I picked the Cliff bars because they were highly recommended by a personal trainer/nutritionist I know. They recommended the Cliff bars or Usana bars. I know the correct exercises to do, just not good on the nutrition part. I know the everyday bad foods to stay away from but still learning the right things to seek out to eat. Thanks again

    Look man ..there are no "good" or "bad' foods.. There is just food that your body uses for energy. hit your calorie/macro/micor goals for the day and you will be fine. yes, this means that you can eat pizza, ice cream, cookies, etc…just make sure that you are hitting your goals.

    Overall diet and dosage is what matters, NOT individual food choice….

  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    I get that. I am in a weight loss challenge right now against someone. They are doing the shakes and fasting stuff. I am not. I want to change the way I eat and have the weight loss be a result of that. I am down from 241.4 to 233 in about 3 weeks. Trying to make small changes for the better so that they become habit. Don't want to lose a bunch of weight just to put it back on in 6 months.
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    Haven't had the time to exercise much do to work and my wife going thru chemo but things are moving in the right direction. Trying to make it on the treadmill at least a couple times a week for a walk/run 5k.
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