Meal replacement shakes? Work or no?

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autumnmoser1
autumnmoser1 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a college student living on campus and I only have mini fridge and don't have a kitchen to cook food in, so I thought meal replacement shakes might be my best bet. Do they work for anyone? Also any suggestions on cheap supplements (powders) to add?

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  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    do they work for what??
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Anything will "work" for weight loss if you consume fewer calories than you burn.

    The issue with meal replacement shakes is that they often aren't very satisfying (which leads people to struggle with staying on-plan) and that people struggle to maintain the weight loss they achieve on them (if they can't figure out what to eat when they quit the meal replacement shakes).

    For these reasons, they aren't all that popular here.

    What are you eating now? Are you on a meal plan?
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I could never make them work. I always ended up hangry or sick. I had a friend who used them long term and developed diverticulitis, due in part to lack of adequate fiber in her diet.
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
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    Don't use them in the end you'll feel
    Food deprived then get bigger
    I have first hand experience
    You need to change your lifestyle eat less calories than you burn & move more to burn extra
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Do they work how? A 500 calorie meal replacement shake is 500 calories...which would be the same as eating 500 calories of actual food which would be far more satisfactory IMO.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    They do not work as a meal replacement for me. I get hungry again within an hour. I stay fuller longer when I eat actual food. That's because it takes longer to digest food than a liquid shake.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    I have used them intermittently. Lots of people consume protein powders/shakes in order to help meet their protein goals.

    I wouldn't recommend them for a college student, the good ones are a lot more expensive than other food. You don't have to cook to lose weight. I eat out a lot and am still losing weight.

    If you are going to get some, make sure you check the nutrition labels and avoid ones that have a lot of added sugar. Soylent makes a good drink meant to give you all your nutrients for the day. Super Body Fuel makes mixes similar to Soylent but with more options. However as I said, I don't think it's affordable.
  • Emi1974
    Emi1974 Posts: 522 Member
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    I have used the shakes as meal replacements twice. This particular brand works very well because I was never hungry after the initial 3 days. Unfortunately both time I have regained the weight lost, so in the long run I would say for me they are a waste of money.

    Cheaper to buy and eat real food
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    i've used them for a convenient meal or snack occasionally , they are ok to add into your diet in moderation, but i wouldn't suggest living off them.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    my teenage son eats a large bag of gummy worms and a grilled cheese sandwich and root beer for dinner almost every night. If i could get him to have a meal replacement shake , i would because even though they aren't the greatest they have more nutrition than what his other choice is.
  • eileensofianmushinfine
    eileensofianmushinfine Posts: 303 Member
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    I'm an advocate of meal replacement shakes, but not if you can't afford them because they aren't cheap. I make mine with 8 oz of skim milk and 2 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter. I zip it in the blender - and it tastes like a chocolate peanut butter frozen shake....totally Yummy! AND it holds me over until lunch time. I LOVE my daily shake and absolutely intend to do it for the long term.
  • tazzie51
    tazzie51 Posts: 8 Member
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    |I love them and find yes they do work .. im not hungry after i drink one for about 4 or 5 hrs by then its lunch time I have the special k shake chocolate
  • LivLovLrn
    LivLovLrn Posts: 577 Member
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    If you are extremely overweight AND under the care of a Dr who tells you to use them, then use them....otherwise do not, you will not be doing yourself any favors
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I sometimes use them for snacks. I prefer high protein, low sugar products. I don't know how great they would be made in a shaker cup, I prefer an electric blender. Find a small package and try it.
  • Samrny
    Samrny Posts: 62 Member
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    I use this recipe:

    Take 1 Ninja cup (or Bullet cup or generic blender cup, w/e)
    • Toss in one container GREEK yogurt
    • Add some berries (higher fiber berries like raspberries are great!)
    • Add a bit of skim milk
    • Pour in one scoop of Slim-Fast Powder
    • Add in 2TBS whey protein powder.
    • Fill to the line with more skim milk.

    Then BLEND BLEND BLEND. If you'd like, you can add psyllium husk fiber, or flax seed meal as well, as I do on occasion (I'm too poor to afford husk fiber atm)

    I'm satisfied for a while thanks to the protein and fiber, and this is low-fat so I can have something yummy and full of fat later to enjoy (hello peanutbutter!) If you want this to be more balanced you could add flaxseed oil to add fat...

  • mom23nuts
    mom23nuts Posts: 636 Member
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    Lots if stores sell a single plug in electric burner. Get yourself a sauté pan and find a store in the area you can get to to shop. You can do a lot in a tiny toaster oven even in little minifridge storage space. Real food is more substantial and satisfying. No meal plan with healthy options or local fast food place with healthier choices?
  • darlenemmurphy
    darlenemmurphy Posts: 3 Member
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    I add vega protein powder to my smoothie every morning!
    A cup of almond milk, a cup or so of spinach, half a cup of frozen fruit and vega...satisfies me until lunch with a snack of peppers in between.
  • BeYouTiful94
    BeYouTiful94 Posts: 289 Member
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    I drink them cuz I can put two scoops in the bottom container of my shaker cup and take it to class, then when lunch time rolls around, I just get water from a fountain, toss the powder in, shake, and drink. Keeps me plenty full and has a bunch of protein which really helps me with my goals right now.

    Does it work for hunger? To me, yes. To others, maybe or maybe not.

    Does it work for weight loss? Not necessarily. I could eat something else for 220 calories and be in the same position

    I'm not gonna lie, when I was a freshman (2 years ago) and haaaad to live in those dang dorms, it was tough. It wasn't freshman 15, it was freshman 30, no lie. We had a community kitchen though, and it's my understanding that a lot of uni's dorm's have one, so maybe look into that and if there is one, try to do some meal prep each weekend for the week. You'll need Tupperware that fits in a mini fridge, and all that, but that's an option to look into. The dining halls also tend to have a feeeeeew healthy options such as a fruit bar and a salad bar that you could maybe look into as well!
  • Onamissionforfit
    Onamissionforfit Posts: 90 Member
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    Depends on how you use them. Remember it's a meal supplement. If I plan on eating a big dinner I will have one for lunch. It does help with keeping you'r calories under but it all depends on you too. It works for me but everyone is different.

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