Protein powder???Meal replacements??? I'm lost

Protein powders are simply an efficient and convenient whey (lol) for meeting your protein requirements. If you find it more convenient to eat an apple and a protein shake than, say, a turkey sandwich, then it works for you.

A lot of people say that drinking X calories rather than eating X calories doesn't provide the same level of satiety because the body has missed out on certain cues.

I've not had this problem -- I often throw some bananas, strawberries, greek yogurt and almond milk in a blender and call it second breakfast. I add protein powder if it looks like I might need extra for the day.

Ultimately, there's nothing magical about protein shakes or meal replacement shakes.

Protein powder to complete your nutrition and reach your daily protein intake NOT to replace a meal.
You want to lose weight watch your carbs. Avoid simple carbs and eat complex carbs (veggies and fruit).

Google GI diet and eat from the low GI food list.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Protein powder is just a protein supplement...it does not provide sufficient nutrition to qualify as a meal replacement...it's only for protein supplementation. A meal replacement shake is a completely different animal from a protein shake and provides a variety of nutrients. I suppose they're fine, but I'd rather eat...a true meal replacement shake is going to be roughly the calorie equivalent of a small meal...I'd rather have the meal.

This. You can, however, get protein bars which have carbs, fiber, fats, and lots of protein all in one, and are usually called meal replacement bars. Most of them are in the 400 calorie range and have between 16-32 grams of protein. Most of us that use the powders use them to increase our protein intake with less calories, but we don't use the shakes as meal replacements, more as a macro enhancement. For instance, every day with my breakfast I drink a 2 scoop Whey Isolate shake that is 60g of protein. I do it because I eat mostly bran cereal and fruit for breakfast, and I try to get about 180g or more a day of protein. It's tough to eat that much protein unless you eat a ton of meat at each meal, so I suppliment with the shakes in the mornings. If I have snacks (and I do on days I exercise a lot) during the day I go for protein bars. Always look at the calories and nutrition, see how it fits your macros.

Spliner1969 wrote: »

MoonKat7 wrote: »

Protein bars are full of junk and expensive. A waste of money. Buy real meat.

I use them at work and on the go to stay away from preserved meats (IE: sodium laced garbage), but yes, I agree with you. When at home and when I can cook it.. I prefer meat any day of the week.

I totally understand that but still it's not healthy.
I use unsalted sugar free rice cake or nuts or fruit. I plan my macros around it.

MoonKat7 wrote: »

You want to lose weight watch your carbs. Avoid simple carbs and eat complex carbs (veggies and fruit).

Google GI diet and eat from the low GI food list.

Or just keep track of your calories eaten and eat whatever you want (as long as you stay under your set calorie goal).

Restricting carbs is certainly a way to lose weight, but it's not the only way. And it's not for everyone.

adriennevy wrote: »

I recently bought my very first protein shake powder (Vega Essentials Shake) for post-lifting at the gym. I was considering having it with almond milk occasionally for breakfast. My usual breakfast is a piece of toast with peanut butter or some fruit yogurt, but those are killing me on the carbs/calories/sugar. I figured the shake would be an upgrade. Yes, no?

There are a lot of variables before we can answer this. What does the rest of your diet lool like? What is your training? What are your stats (height weight age)? Think of shakes like a vitamin. They are there to fill a gap in nutrition. If you are low in protein, then its cool. If you arent, they can bit a bit unnecessary.

It's OK to replace a meal with a protein shake AS LONG AS you're meeting your daily macro/micro requirements through other means. In the end, weight loss is all about caloric deficit. If protein shakes help you maintain that deficit and meet your macro goals, go for it.