Ladies: Experiences using low calorie protein shakes for weightloss?

It sounds like you've already made up your mind to use it as a meal replacement, instead of a way to increase protein for a lifting program, etc. We look forward to your update, and whatever you, if you stay in a moderate deficit (20% below your TDEE) and log accurately, you will lose weight.

Just to add - I use protein shakes as meal replacements all the time. I usually pre-log my food every day and if I want a high calorie lunch I'll have a protein shake for breakfast, dinner or both. Most days I have at least 1 protein shake in order to get more protein into my diet but it's often in place of a meal.

I'm aiming to reach around 90-100g of protein most days so protein shakes help me get there. If it's a day when I'm weight training I'll try and have a protein shake immediately afterward doing my workout but sometimes depending on what else I've eaten or will eat I have a shake, half a shake or a couple of shakes every day.

That said, I had originally planned to replace two meals a day with the shakes but sometimes I don't fancy it and prefer to have solid food so I skip it and replace it with a high protein meal or snack.

What I like about the shakes is they're low calorie (in my case usually 25g of protein and 130 calories) and if I mix with other things like peanut butter or a banana they can also be quite filling for around 200 calories in total.

Eh. Sometimes I'm not terribly hungry and feel like a smoothie instead of a meal and have a shake. It's not like I'm saving calories since a scoop of protein powder has the same amount of calories as a cup of Greek yogurt. Adding things to a smoothie, they usually come to at least 350 or so calories. Most of the time, for the same amount of protein, I'd rather have a protein bar for less calories if I'm having a between meal thing.

I usually have them when I have a migraine and can't stomach the idea of chewing.

They don't have magical weight loss properties, but I'm a vegetarian, and they help me supplement my protein intake.

JAT74 wrote: »

No they are not magical weight loss drinks but supplements which are usually low calorie, low carb and low fat. For me they help meet my macros like not many other foods I can find, and a protein shake keeps me a lot fuller than a greek yogurt or other foods with the equivalent amount of protein.

I find that if I have one for breakfast I am often not hungry until lunch time and that way I can have a higher calorie lunch. The same with dinner, most days I have a large lunch so have a shake for dinner so that I have something to stop me being too hungry before bed.

Ideally I try and have 1 protein shake as a meal replacement and 1 as a snack or after a workout.

When I eat yogurt, I don't eat those little cups of sweetened yogurt, I eat 227 grams of plain Greek yogurt, so it's more filling for me than a shake. I looked at your diary and saw the yogurt you eat. That wouldn't fill me up either

It's nice to have options. A shake for me isn't really filling unless I put oatmeal in it, but by that point, between the protein powder and the strawberries? The calories are really starting to add up.

It's fascinating how we're all different when it comes to this stuff.

JAT74 wrote: »

Actually I use the low-fat low calorie yogurts to get in a light snack between meals, or to add to things like cereal. You obviously didn't notice the Greek yogurt I eat 2-3 times a week too, though as I said before I can't get the 0% Greek style yogurt very easily so I end up buying whatever is on offer and that doesn't usually give me much protein and is higher in calories and fat than I'd like.

I'm not sure where you are located but for some of us it's not very easy to find certain foods. In Spain I find that they're not very focussed on fat free or low fat/low calorie so there is limited choice. When I'm in the UK I can find a lot more health foods and generally a lot more fat free options for every type of food being sold.

And their food is all the better for it. One of the things I love about going on holiday is the gorgeous fresh produce, dairy, meat etc - Spanish ham is to die for. They don't seem to be inundated with the 'low-fat', 'no-fat', 'fat-free', 'healthy option' packaged crap that we are. That stuff is far from good for you - you might not have heard, but fat isn't bad for you (too low an intake is). Cutting fat means you just have more volume of food - what's the point if it's at the detriment of taste (and your health)?

I'm on the go a lot. I usually try to eat/chew my calories, but sometimes I make a small protein shake with chia (good n-3:n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio) to have before I leave my office to tide me over before supper. Otherwise, it is hard to not eat a few wildly high calorie snacks as I am making supper. We all have very different lifestyles and eating habits. I agree that the shakes are not "for weight loss" but they can be a tool. (Also, I really enjoy the taste of mine, so it is almost a treat.)

JAT74 wrote: »

3laine75 you're right to a certain extent, though unfortunately aside from the Serrano ham, olive oil, seafood and other specialities we are stuck with the larger than life fruit and veg grown using pesticides which often has no taste. All the best produce and organic fresh food gets exported so I dread to think how bad some of it really is.

I know a mediterranean diet is supposed to be better for you, but most restaurants here serve everything with chips and huge chunks of bread so aside from what I've already mentioned, all in all I am not sure how much healthier it really is.

That's sucky! I tend to prefer self-catering and have always loved the fruit and veg - tends to taste like what it's meant to be instead of the watery tasting stuff we get here.

I hear you though, I wouldn't be impressed with that either (especially if i was going out to eat, that should, at least, be palatable).