The fear of protein bars!
SteveVx
Posts: 12 Member
I'm considering getting some protein bars/protein shake mixes to add to my weight loss diet however I'm concerned because I see a lot of them are packed with calories, fat and sugar. I've also read some stories on here that people have gained weight eating them. I'm wondering if any of you have success stories keeping the weight off with them and what brands/flavors 
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Easy fix. Eat half. Instant 100 calorie snack. Taste is individual. Buy individual on sale and take notes of your favourite.9
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I doubt you read stories "on here" about people gaining weight eating them. They are filling, and many are less than 250 calories. I maintain and lose weight eating protein bars.
I've also gained weight eating them...because I was in a caloric surplus in general.
I like Quest and Combat crunch as they provide 20g of protein for 170-210 calories max.11 -
It all depends on what you buy. Read labels.
I buy Quest, BPI Sports, Pure Protein Plus, and Optimum Nutrition. All low sugar/carbs and not too high in calories. I eat a high fat diet, so, fat content doesn't bother me.1 -
I buy the Kirkland ones at Costco because they're relatively less expensive. They taste pretty good, and I like the macros/fiber.3
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It all comes back to calories in and out. As long as you're within your macros and calorie range for the day, you can add these and not gain weight. They may even help you lose, because protein does tend to be filling, so you may find that you won't want to snack as much by adding one of these to your daily meal lineup.
I really like the Nature Valley bars in peanut butter and dark chocolate. They aren't the most low cal (a full bar is 190 calories), but when I'm craving something sweet in the afternoon, they are a good option for a mid-late day snack.
Premier Protein shakes in Chocolate are also really good, and very filling for only 160 calories and 5 grams of carbs. If I don't have time for lunch, I'll have a whole one as a meal replacement shake, or if I just need a quick snack to hold me until my next meal, I'll have half of one.
I've been also adding a scoop of Cellucor Chocolate Protein powder to plain greek yogurt for a delicious and filling snack. One scoop of protein powder is only 85 calories with 4g of carbs, so it's really fairly negligible.
If you shop around, I'm sure you can find other options that won't blow out your calorie requirements.
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They're calories and macronutrients.
They're no different from any other food.
You'll gain weight if you consume a surplus of calories. Where those calories from is a non-story.5 -
I'm considering getting some protein bars/protein shake mixes to add to my weight loss diet however I'm concerned because I see a lot of them are packed with calories, fat and sugar. I've also read some stories on here that people have gained weight eating them. I'm wondering if any of you have success stories keeping the weight off with them and what brands/flavors
You gain weight if you eat more calories than you expend, regardless if those calories are from a protein bar or organic kale.
Protein bars/shakes are useful to supplement your protein intake if you're not getting enough in the rest of your diet. Other than that, they have no effects or benefits upon weight loss.4 -
If you eat them and they take you over your maintenance calories, you will gain weight. If you eat them and remain under your maintenance calories, you will lose weight. Same as any food.3
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How you eat a half of a protein bar I don't know. I could eat 3 at once.17
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ANY excess calories from ANY food source will cause weight gain. You can't make something out of nothing. People who gained weight eating protein bars may have added the protein into their diet without making adjustments elsewhere thereby putting them in a caloric surplus. Also, many times, protein bars will claim a calorie count due to the concept of net carbs (Google it). For example, the Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bars claim 190 calories but if you calculate calories from the total macros, the bars are actually (9*9)+(20*4)+(21*4)= 245 calories. The difference is 55 calories which is not much, but if a person frequently eats these bars, they can end up gaining weight. This is a good thread about protein bar choices: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10497658/protein-bars/p15
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I eat them often as my 3pm snack. They work well for me, but there are a lot of different kinds and each brand has its own macro split. The best thing to do is probably just go to the protein bar aisle or aisles (my grocery store keeps them in 3 different places) and start reading labels to see which ones work for you. Some of them do have a lot of calories and some of them don't. Generally speaking, the more protein the bar has the more calories it will have.
I'm on a budget, so I stick with the Kroger-brand knock off of the Nature Valley protein bars. But some of my other favorites are Clif bars, Zone bars, and Luna bars. I'd basically try anything on sale! Just play around and see which ones you like.2 -
How you eat a half of a protein bar I don't know. I could eat 3 at once.
@bbell1985 Lmao right? Especially quest bars for me! Chocolate chip cookie dough is where its at!0 -
Tankiscool wrote: »How you eat a half of a protein bar I don't know. I could eat 3 at once.
@bbell1985 Lmao right? Especially quest bars for me! Chocolate chip cookie dough is where its at!
I know. I eat one on the subway around 4:00 and I can finish it between one stop lol.1 -
I eat a protein bar (Kirkland) every day, practically. It's a scheduled snack so it fits into my calorie goal and macros. If I was eating them and not counting the calories and likely going over my goal I'd gain weight.
Protein bars can be part of a weight loss diet as long as you are in a calorie deficit,1 -
There is a simple fix. I make my own I make 9 at a time (3 molds, 3 per mold)
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
¼ cup of chocolate rice protein powder
⅓ cup of original almond milk
1 teaspoon pb fit
1/2 teaspoon of EnerG Egg Replacer (mostly potato starch which is my low calorie binder)
Bake in a bar shaped silicone for around 15 minutes at 350°
Nutritional profile:
27.3g protein
26g carbs (4.5g fiber, 4g sugar)
3.1g fat (.4 saturated, 1.4 polyunsaturated, 1.2 monounsaturated)
245 calories7 -
Look for products with less sugar, if you don't mind artificial sweeteners. Count the calories into your daily goals. If you stay within your calorie goal, eating protein bars or shakes won't reverse your deficit.1
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My favs are My Bar, Oh Yeah (Salted Caramel is TDF!), Fit Crunch and Power Crunch. I eat one immediately after my workout and just figure it into my macros.1
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They have some on sale at my local supermarket, but I've never tried them. I think I'll try them now just to keep in my gym bag if I get really hungry.1
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I find it worrying that you find calories, carbs and fat concerning. All food is calories. Your body needs calories for energy. All food is made up of macronutrients....you need macronutrients to survive too.
Protein is the same calorie value per gram as carbs, so why do you not find protein concerning?
Fat is more calorie dense, but still essential for your body to function properly.
I don't think many (if any) protein bars are worth the calories, I'd rather spend my calories on something else. If you want them because you like them and they fit your lifestyle, make them fit just like you would any food.
If you're low on protein, a powder will likely give you the best bang for your calorie spend - I can't say I've ever bought one that's packed with calories, or fat or sugar. You don't even need to get one with artifical sweeteners if you're also concerned about consuming those.2 -
annacole94 wrote: »I buy the Kirkland ones at Costco because they're relatively less expensive. They taste pretty good, and I like the macros/fiber.
I switch between those and the ON protein bars (favoring whichever is on sale).
Although the Kirkland bars are a little cheaper and slightly lower in sugar, for some reason I find the ON bars more filling.
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Yeah I think I understand how to cut and chew, thanks.5 -
A real protein bar will have around 18g of protein or more for 200 calories. The rest are 'energy' bars, whatever that means.
I'm still looking for one that is worth the calories (and price).3 -
I eat these as a snack most days of the week. I find that most are around 200 calories...not really too bad. I find the good quality protein bars give me the sustained energy to not be tempted by snacks, keep focused at work, and otherwise keep on track. The convenience also keeps me from avoiding excuses to buy a stupid snack.
If I were doing a very low calorie limit I think this would be problematic, but at 1600 I do it regularly. (I also typically do about 250-400 cal in exercise).2 -
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I'm considering getting some protein bars/protein shake mixes to add to my weight loss diet however I'm concerned because I see a lot of them are packed with calories, fat and sugar.
Read the ingredients and pick the ones that fit your goals.
One question is what you want to use them for. They don't help with weight loss (or hurt). They are just another food. I use protein powder occasionally to add protein to breakfast. (I mix it with yogurt and almond butter sometimes, and used to mix it with oats. In the summer I sometimes make smoothies for breakfast and add it, because otherwise they are IMO too low in protein. I like breakfast to have at least 30 g of protein. As for protein bars, they can be a more filling/less easy to overeat/easier to fit with your macros kind of dessert, or I used to carry them around since if I couldn't get a meal they would do as a substitute in a pinch. (A Quest bar and various other common protein bars are only about 190-210 calories, so for me a meal would be 2 of them. In that case that they have some fat and carbs is probably not a bad thing, as just protein isn't a good meal replacement for most.) At this point I rarely eat them as I'd rather have a more special dessert more rarely and normally I don't like to snack, but I do bring them with me if traveling.I've also read some stories on here that people have gained weight eating them. I'm wondering if any of you have success stories keeping the weight off with them and what brands/flavors
You definitely can overeat them -- the calories count, as with any food. Some people find them harder to overeat than others.
They don't keep weight off unless they fill you up better than other things you would eat or replace other choices that you would be more likely to overeat.1 -
I don't have any reason to eat a protein bar. I do supplement with whey protein, but it's just protein and nothing else. You gain weight when you consume more calories than your body requires to maintain the status quot...it has zip to do with whether you eat a protein bar or not.2
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I use them both from time to time. I keep some pure protein bars at my office for when I haven't had breakfast (better than the drive thru) or when I have forgotten my lunch.
And, I usually have some vanilla whey protein powder at the house to beef up a smoothie and make me more likely to make it to lunch.
I try not to rely on either of these things regularly but they do have their place1 -
Some protein bars contain the artificial sweetener sucralose, which I find nasty and thus protein bars containing it inedible.
A lot protein bars contain soy protein isolate, which I also dislike, but would eat in a pinch. It also depends on how much of it they use. I like the ThinkThin Peanut 150 calorie/10 g protein bars but not the 240 calorie/20 g protein bars. I don't like the Cliff High Protein bars either, but love their regular bars, which may not have much better macros than a Snickers.
It's honestly just easier (for me) and tastier to have cottage cheese with pumpkin seeds for a snack.
Nom nom nom.3
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