Help! Shakes- Where Do I Start?

i prefer to eat my food.

careful with the shakes- some of them are pretty calorie heavy

also get a blender, it makes life easier!

Not an expert here, but this is what I do 2-3x a week.

I Vitamix:
- 1cup fresh kale/spinach
- 2scoops Optimum Nutrition whey Mocha Capuccino powder
- lots of ice, some water
I take this drink w/ me to the gym, and drink it when I run errands afterwards, so I don't eat my arm off or buy every junk item from the supermarket.

I like the ON vanilla for my green pina colada shake (spinach/frozen pineapple chunks/coconut butter).
or ON Rocky Road with PB2.

Sometimes I replace the kale/spinach w/ frozen chunks of zucchini or summer squash.

I try not to use too much banana/strawberries, fruit ==>> too much sugar/carbs.

I buy the ON in 5# tubs when they go on sale.

Amanda

My fav...taste wise... is body logix. Both choc and vanilla. Sold at meijer and online...$26 for a large tub. Less than $1 per scoop. 120-130 cals per scoop depending on flavor.

I like it mixed with water, but if i want a meal replacement, i blend it with a bananna (100cals approx), 1 large handfull of spinach or kale (20 cals). Approx 345 cals

i dont generally replace meals with shakes..no matter the calorie count they dont keep me as full as the equivalent calories in food. But i understand the appeal.

To compare that calorie wise...if im doing fast food for breakfast, i eat an egg white delight and a hashbrown for 400, or 315 if i take off half the english muffin.

I use http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/hexatein-sr-rich-chocolate-3-lb-powder/vs-2617#.VoiasLYrJdg
I do not always have the luxury of having a good lunch or breakfast because of my work schedule and this has helped me.

i used to have protein shakes for breakfast every morning and now I just have them occasionally. Mine would consist of: 1 cup almond milk, 75g of banana, a big handful of spinach, PB2 (1-2tablespoons), 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (from Costco), and some ice. It was somewhere around 230-250 calories.

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

i prefer to eat my food.

careful with the shakes- some of them are pretty calorie heavy

This.

Those breakfast biscuits they do now are good for a breakfast on-the-go.

Or a quick tub of Greek yoghurt if you need more protein.

The body doesn't recognize liquid calories the same as solid food.
I don't know all the technical reasons, but you can browse PubMed for supportive studies.
Better to eat the fruits & vegetables, as well as the eggs, peanut butter, chicken, etc.

If you really want a healthy shake, use frozen fruit instead of ice cream, regular fruit, maybe peanut butter or an
egg or 2 for protein, flax meal ... basically healthy things that taste good together.
Fiber is good both for slowing absorption & helping intestinal motility (did I put that delicately enough?), so do
NOT juice things, just throw them in the blender.

JanetYellen wrote: »

Start with a protein BAR. That way you can see if you can tolerate the taste of protein. Walmart sells a few kinds. You can buy just one at a time.
Don't do shakes like carnation or slim fast. Full of sugar

I've recently bought a few slim fast meal replacement shakes to supplement as my lunch because I work in a fast-paced environment and they are one gram of sugar.

I use the Phd Women Whey formula (available from Boots if you're in the UK - the only reason I pick the women's formula over the men's is it contains more iron which I am deficient in) in the Vanilla flavour. On mornings I'm rushing because I've been to the gym or for a run before work I mix up a serving of that with semi skimmed milk and fruit (usually a banana or berries) in my blender and drink in the shower/car/whilst trying to sort out my hair. They normally tide me over from about 7 until 10 or 11, usually by which time I can have a slice of toast or something at work. My shakes range from about 250-400 calories depending on what I stuff in them, and sometimes I make them the night before for convenience. I'm rarely hungry right after exercising so they just help me to save time and make sure I've had something substantial - there's no magic in the shakes themselves.

I will occasionally have a shake instead of my usual morning oatmeal when I've eaten a really heavy meal before bed (like I did yesterday) and I still feel kind of full. Shakes don't make me feel as full as oatmeal. The shakes that I have are super simple - 1 scoop protein powder (which I weigh), a banana and some unsweetened almond milk or 1 scoop protein powder, some berries and some almond milk.

I use ON gold standard whey protein or GNC's equivelant.