Protien shakes and gaining weight????WTH!!!!

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ninabaz
ninabaz Posts: 75 Member
I've started useing meal replacement shakes...eas lean 15...and I've gained 3lbs in the last two days. Anyone else faced this problem? I am also having a hard time Going to the bathroom. Asking because I don't know if I should just give up using them or if I should plug along. I use them for breakfast and lunch and eat a healthy dinner. I also work third shift so should I have a shake at night at work instead of food or just make sure I am eating healthy? Starting to believe there is no hope in this weight loss I've been trying different things over the past year and have lost NOTHING!!!!! I want to give up!
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Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    A 3 pound gain can simply be water retention from sodium, extra workouts, or hormones.

    If the shakes are making it hard for you to have a BM, it could be that as well.

    Do you really feel you need these shakes? You could just eat food too.
  • ninabaz
    ninabaz Posts: 75 Member
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    I've done clean eating I've done vegetarian. I've done no sugar no carbs no dairy....next step is NOTHING at all. So yes I've tried real food.
  • brala90
    brala90 Posts: 16 Member
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    I agree with arditarose. Focus on eating whole sources of food. Drink plenty of h2o and work your butt off!!
  • ninabaz
    ninabaz Posts: 75 Member
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    brala90 wrote: »
    I agree with arditarose. Focus on eating whole sources of food. Drink plenty of h2o and work your butt off!!

    I've done that. I'm doing my secound tough mudder in a month. So working my butt off is something I've done and currently am doing.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    I've done clean eating I've done vegetarian. I've done no sugar no carbs no dairy....next step is NOTHING at all. So yes I've tried real food.

    I didn't ask if you tried real food. I asked if you feel you need the shakes.

    Have you tried a calorie deficit? Weighing your "real food" on a food scale, logging everything you put in your mouth, and staying in a deficit for weeks and weeks at a time?

    Anyway, I gave you my best answer to your question above. Also, if the shake is "backing you up", make sure you're getting enough fat in your diet to move things along.
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    brala90 wrote: »
    I agree with arditarose. Focus on eating whole sources of food. Drink plenty of h2o and work your butt off!!

    I've done that. I'm doing my secound tough mudder in a month. So working my butt off is something I've done and currently am doing.

    Are you eating less calories than your body uses during the day? If you only burn 1800 calories a day, you could eat nothing but 2500 calories of salad and you're not gonna lose weight.
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
    edited April 2016
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    brala90 wrote: »
    I agree with arditarose. Focus on eating whole sources of food. Drink plenty of h2o and work your butt off!!
    Yep, this^^^^
    We really don't know what those supplement companies put in those potions they call "shakes".
    When I see protein bars and powdered shakes, I see candy.
    At least with whole foods I know just what I am getting, because I choose every single ingredient.
  • Irenethirteen
    Irenethirteen Posts: 9 Member
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    Try adding a soluble fibre into your shake and also add in a bit extra water to the shake (so that it is still tasty and drinkable). Good for you doing another tough mudder that's excellent. :)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    She can drink the dang shakes if she wants. I'm just saying, 3 lbs is nothing to worry over unless she ate 10,500 calories over TDEE.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    edited April 2016
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    I've done clean eating
    Completely irrelevant.
    I've done vegetarian.
    Completely irrelevant.
    I've done no sugar
    Completely irrelevant.
    no carbs
    Completely irrelevant.
    no dairy
    Completely irrelevant.
    arditarose wrote: »
    ninabaz wrote: »
    I've done clean eating I've done vegetarian. I've done no sugar no carbs no dairy....next step is NOTHING at all. So yes I've tried real food.

    Have you tried a calorie deficit? Weighing your "real food" on a food scale, logging everything you put in your mouth, and staying in a deficit for weeks and weeks at a time?

    Completely relevant. No matter what else you do, you need to make sure you're in a Caloric deficit. Also, as has been mentioned, 3 lb could be any one (or more) of a great many things - especially water retention if you've begun or changed an exercise routine.

    Protein shakes aren't some great "superfood" or anything. I'd think you'd probably do better with regular food, as that tends to be more filling. Shakes are fine, but they tend to not be particularly filling and/or high in Calories - especially considering what you may put in them and/or make them with.


    eta: Those things above are completely irrelevant, provided no particular medical issues. And, if those are present, then you should be under the care of a doctor that can refer you to a dietician that has knowledge of the condition and can help.
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    She can drink the dang shakes if she wants. I'm just saying, 3 lbs is nothing to worry over unless she ate 10,500 calories over TDEE.
    Well said!

  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
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    I drink a protein shake for lunch but only because it helps me keep my calories in a deficit. I get ridiculously hungry at night, so I like to have my biggest meals and snacks then. If drinking them did not help me maintain a deficit, I would not use them because they'd be defeating the purpose of my drinking them.
  • ninabaz
    ninabaz Posts: 75 Member
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    My typical day before I started the shakes was eggs in the am with a veggies. Usually asparagus or spinach. A salad for lunch and veggies and either chicken or fish for dinner. Snacks were plain organic Greek yogurt or low fat cottage cheese. I don't know what else to eliminate unless I do a meal replacement shake. So eating foods that are natural is something that just isn't working. So thought id try this. And working out a hour a day.
  • ninabaz
    ninabaz Posts: 75 Member
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    So by the sounds of it I'm screwed and fat and nasty for life.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
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    Make sure you are eating at a deficit by weighing your foods. Eating "natural" foods or "clean" or whatever will do nothing for weight loss if you're eating too much of it.
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    My typical day before I started the shakes was eggs in the am with a veggies. Usually asparagus or spinach. A salad for lunch and veggies and either chicken or fish for dinner. Snacks were plain organic Greek yogurt or low fat cottage cheese. I don't know what else to eliminate unless I do a meal replacement shake. So eating foods that are natural is something that just isn't working. So thought id try this. And working out a hour a day.

    It's not about eliminating specific foods. It's about eliminating calories. How many calories have you been consuming and how long have you been tracking? You're not going to lose 20-30lbs overnight.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    So by the sounds of it I'm screwed and fat and nasty for life.

    I don't see anyone here saying that. What I do see are a lot of people trying to help you troubleshoot what might be happening even though you keep shutting them down.

    It sounds like you've decided on the shakes and don't want to hear opinions or suggestions against them. That's fine, but you'll still have to pay attention to the same things the rest of us worry about. Constipation or being "backed up" means you need to watch your fiber, fat, and fluids to be sure you're getting plenty of each. 3pounds gained over a few days could be a very normal water weight fluctuation that will disappear as your body settles down.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    drwilseyjr wrote: »
    ninabaz wrote: »
    My typical day before I started the shakes was eggs in the am with a veggies. Usually asparagus or spinach. A salad for lunch and veggies and either chicken or fish for dinner. Snacks were plain organic Greek yogurt or low fat cottage cheese. I don't know what else to eliminate unless I do a meal replacement shake. So eating foods that are natural is something that just isn't working. So thought id try this. And working out a hour a day.

    It's not about eliminating specific foods. It's about eliminating calories. How many calories have you been consuming and how long have you been tracking? You're not going to lose 20-30lbs overnight.

    ^^^^ Bingo!

    In respect to weight loss it's not so much what you eat (I can easily find salads that are over 1,000 cal) but how much (your health calls for a well balanced nutritious diet but you can lose weight eating nothing but Twinkies.....)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    So by the sounds of it I'm screwed and fat and nasty for life.

    No, just like the rest of us it's a matter of being disciplined the rest of your life. I know lots of people cringe at the prospect of tracking their food forever but some of us have to........it's so easy to put it on, taking it off and keeping it off is much harder. It all depends on how badly you want it......
  • RWClary
    RWClary Posts: 192 Member
    edited April 2016
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    ninabaz wrote: »
    So by the sounds of it I'm screwed and fat and nasty for life.
    :o
    OUCH!
    That's not it at all. Please re-read the thread. There is sound info here.
    Good luck...