Protein shakes or no protein shakes

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jkenglish61
jkenglish61 Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Please give me feedback concerning protein shakes. I am drinking shakes 2 times daily with a good sensible meal too. What are the pros and cons to using shakes? Kickstart for weight lose?

Replies

  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
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    They won't really affect weight loss. They are good if you want something on the go, or if you need help boosting your protein intake. But they won't "kick start" anything. If you like them, by all means drink them. But they have no magical properties.
  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
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    Do you mean you're only eating one meal a day and substituting shakes for your other meals? If so, that's not what they are intended for. Protein shakes are supplements. They are a way of meeting a macronutrient goal, specifically increasing protein while minimizing fat and carbohydrate intake. They are a great tool for doing so, but they should not be used as substitutes for a real meal.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    First, you cannot kickstart weight loss. You are either eating in a calorie deficit or you are not.

    Second, so you are drinking two shakes a day as a meal and then eating one meal of real food? If yes, then I think that is overkill. I only drink protein shakes when I am in a rush or I need to fill in my protein for the day.

    I think you would do much better eating in a deficit and consuming real foods. I know when I drink a protein shake for lunch, I am freaking starving two hours later …..just my .02

    Finally, do you really think that this is a sustainable way of eating? Are you going to drink two protein shakes and eat one meal for the rest of your life? I would think no. You would be better off now learning sustainable habits that will put you on the path to long term success.
  • pfousek
    pfousek Posts: 4 Member
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    It depends on the brand of shake. Most protein powders you buy at local grocery or chain stores like Walmart or GNC, are very low quality. They contain lots of fillers and other stuff you don't need. I use an all natural protein "shake" that is a meal replacement and is proven to reset your metabolism. It's backed by 30 years of science. I lost 5lbs in 2 weeks by having one of these shakes for breakfast and healthy meals throughout the day. I love them!
  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
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    pfousek wrote: »
    It depends on the brand of shake. Most protein powders you buy at local grocery or chain stores like Walmart or GNC, are very low quality. They contain lots of fillers and other stuff you don't need. I use an all natural protein "shake" that is a meal replacement and is proven to reset your metabolism. It's backed by 30 years of science. I lost 5lbs in 2 weeks by having one of these shakes for breakfast and healthy meals throughout the day. I love them!

    Nonsense. Proven by whom?
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    edited May 2015
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    pfousek wrote: »
    It depends on the brand of shake. Most protein powders you buy at local grocery or chain stores like Walmart or GNC, are very low quality. They contain lots of fillers and other stuff you don't need. I use an all natural protein "shake" that is a meal replacement and is proven to reset your metabolism. It's backed by 30 years of science. I lost 5lbs in 2 weeks by having one of these shakes for breakfast and healthy meals throughout the day. I love them!

    And I lost 5lbs by eating purely at a calorie deficit for the same amount of time if not less. Didn't even think about protein shakes till I started my half marathon training a month later.

    The shake isn't responsible for your weight loss. It may have helped but it's not doing anything food wouldn't.

    ~Lyssa
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    pfousek wrote: »
    It depends on the brand of shake. Most protein powders you buy at local grocery or chain stores like Walmart or GNC, are very low quality. They contain lots of fillers and other stuff you don't need. I use an all natural protein "shake" that is a meal replacement and is proven to reset your metabolism. It's backed by 30 years of science. I lost 5lbs in 2 weeks by having one of these shakes for breakfast and healthy meals throughout the day. I love them!

    let me guess…this magical product is called Shakology and if I pm you you will tell me how to order some???

    or its more commonly used name ..failology…..
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Oh goody. A potentially decent thread ruined by an MLM pitch.

    OP, I agree with NDJ that 2 shakes a day is a bit of overkill.

    I like protein shakes a lot. I'm a vegetarian, I like to supplement my protein intake with shakes and bars. I frequently battle with nausea due to medical issues and don't always have much of an appetite. Sometimes a shake is just the thing for how I'm feeling. I use them as either a meal replacement or as a snack, depending on how the day is going.
  • jkenglish61
    jkenglish61 Posts: 15 Member
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    Thanks for all the great feedback. I drink a protein shake for breakfast due to my busy schedule. I race to work and get involved with my job immediately. Suddenly, I realize that I haven't eaten breakfast and go to lunch starving. The shake I make using a nutribullet has greens and fresh fruit in it and is very filling. I'm glad I received the responses for kickstarting my diet plan. I really did think the shakes would help me get started. I guess after reading the posts and thinking about what was written, it doesn't make much sense.
  • nylo143
    nylo143 Posts: 56 Member
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    As everyone has mentioned it's all about being in a deficit. Yes you will lose weight but probably would anyways if you ate the same amount in calories of actual food. Besides, doesn't the same shake every day twice a day get boring?
    You might feel more satisfied by just having real food.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Protein shakes are for when you're not getting enough protein. They in no way help weight loss and personally, I like to eat my calories.
  • greengirl4
    greengirl4 Posts: 22 Member
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    They're also good for getting in those foods that you may not necessarily like on their own. I can't seem to maintain eating yogurt on a regular basis, and spinach isn't something I like by itself, so by having a protein shake every day, I get my yogurt and spinach in without actually tasting them. I also love having them as an after workout snack, I do use them as a meal replacement at times, but mostly it's my post-workout treat.

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