Weightloss shakes and bars.

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curvymegan89
curvymegan89 Posts: 98 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Yes, I know that they are no substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise, however I'm looking for people who had success using them to kickstart their motivation.
I have no desire to use them long term, as I know they're not sustainable. But if you have previous used them, I'd love to hear your story about how they helped you start your weightloss journey.

Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I've tried a few, but unfortunately they never filled me up so i ended up adding bibs and bobs that dramatically upped the calories which defeated the purpose of a low cal shake lol

    I have no problem with them if they keep you satisfied, make dieting more simple and you're getting adequate nutrients etc If you are going to start using them i would recommend tapering off when you're ready and replacing 1 shake with a proper meal, and then dropping another one and so on until you've found your food/satisfaction/nutrients groove.

    Using shakes/bars will help you lose weight only if you stay within your calories, as you know, they don't contain anything that will make you lose more weight than if you were eating regular food.

    Sorry i couldn't give a perfect success story, just wanted to add my opinion.
  • msheepy00
    msheepy00 Posts: 17 Member
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    Replacing a meal with just a home-brew protein shake with fruit and veggies isn't a bad thing. I have had success using a post-workout shake of whey protein, nut milk, berries, spinach etc. to supplement having smaller meals throughout the day, or even replacing a meal.

    And I am always of the mindset that it is better to make it yourself with fresh ingredients than to buy the pre-packaged stuff. You avoid a lot of junk that way.
  • aloranger7708
    aloranger7708 Posts: 422 Member
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    I've lost 31lbs with bars and shakes, mixed in with proper meals, of course.

    I usually have each once per day and find them really convenient. I haven't had the biggest appetite when losing weight so they've kinda been a life saver for me.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I was on a medically supervised VLCD liquid diet for ten days before surgery. It was a certain number of high protein meal replacement drinks a day, a cup of skim milk, and lots of water.

    The intent was to deplete glycogen stores, shrinking the liver, to prepare for surgery.

    I lost ten pounds.

    I had to give up all vigorous activity as I was too weak.

    My tastes and energy tanked. Food was not fun.

    I found out we are bombarded with food temptation everywhere. I took pictures and blogged about it to take my mind off what I was missing. There are food ads on television, billboards, and magazines. Treats are stacked at checkouts. There's no escaping it.

    This is no kick start. The ten pounds could very well be mostly water weight. I would never do this again unless medically necessary.

    If I were to restart I would tackle my old habits setting up weekly SMART goals. Only by tackling the root cause of overeating do I have any chance of making a permanent change.

    Duhiggs book on Habit is also very good.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I don't think they're all horrible and bad, per se, especially the bars. Never really been sure what a 'kickstart" for weight loss actually means, but I like grabbing a protein bar on the way out the door on Saturday mornings, or making a shake if I'm not overly hungry for lunch. Personally I've tried the Slim Fast diet for awhile when I was younger. I lost weight, but it didn't last because I was so hungry by each mealtime that I gave the shakes up and gained the weight back.
    They are filling and satisfying as lower calorie snacks, though, if I'm in a mood to binge. I have a mix that tastes like chocolate cake batter and that one's hard to beat!
  • curvymegan89
    curvymegan89 Posts: 98 Member
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    Thanks all. You've given me some great advice and different perspectives. I'm thinking about doing 2 a day until I drop 5kgs, then bringing it down to one a day for another 5kgs and then easing myself off them. I'll just have to make sure I have healthy snacks around me for when the hunger kicks in.
  • JoenDeb1958
    JoenDeb1958 Posts: 229 Member
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    I've had great success using Premier Protein. It has 30 grams of protein. The chocolate tastes great. What I do is that my meal. I have hypertension and I'm a diabetic and my nutritionist said that it was a good replacement for a meal.
    So on those days when I get up and I don't feel like eating I'll grab the shake and I'll drink that it fills me up and I've broken my fast. I've lost 31 pounds with it as a supplement to better eating and exercising
  • Bearbo27
    Bearbo27 Posts: 339 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I love Quest protein bars for an afternoon snack or to replace lunch. I don't really eat them for the purpose of losing weight, but they fill in my afternoon and leave me full until dinner (I'm not big on lunch and often will skip it or eat a string cheese, etc).

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