Diet Shakes are they worth it or a waste of money?

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mattdunn1701
mattdunn1701 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all.

my friend has been on MFP for a while now and hes doing well, he has a main meal in the afternoon and substitutes his breakfast and lunch for a Diet Shake i think he uses the Sci-MX Diet Shake Protein and hes trying to get me to buy into it and use them.

Normally i sometimes skip breakfast and lunch all together would it and is it beneficial to use one of these shakes to replace breakfast and lunch all together? or are they just a waste of money

Replies

  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,360 Member
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    Waste of money.
  • SmashleeWpg
    SmashleeWpg Posts: 566 Member
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    WASTE of money AND calories that could be better spent!

    But the more important question is - why are you skipping A) breakfast and B) sometimes also lunch? Definitely not going to help you with weight loss if you aren't fueling your body at a regular basis.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    Why don't you just eat real food and keep within your calorie allowance. Much better for you and much more sustainable in the long run. :drinker:
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
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    Normally, I would say it's a waste of money, but if you don't eat breakfast or lunch at all, it might be helpful. I personally like to eat my meals instead of drinking them so they never worked well for me.
  • stephl21uk
    stephl21uk Posts: 123 Member
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    i agree a waste of money....i have a friend who used the lipotrim shakes and yes she has lost about 2.5st but it took her 7months.....there normally around 250 cals a shake and i can eat a less nutritionally good breakfast and dinner for less calories......my tip......make time for a quick breafast and make lunch up to take with you.....make it on a night then you know its there and ready to go in the morning....even if you use the Belvita breakfast bars.....something is better than nothing! x
  • lucycaz
    lucycaz Posts: 191 Member
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    Hi

    I use PHD Diet Whey as a replacement for breakfast (partially as I tend to eat breakfast on the go and also to give me a good source of Protein - this helps kerb appitite) I use the diet whey as it is not loaded with unwanted carbs and cals.

    I have been doing this on the advice of my trainer since I started this journey and sware by it.

    On days I struggle to get Cals in or if I am on the move I occasionally have a second one.

    Lucy
  • Lovesparklesandcupcakes
    Lovesparklesandcupcakes Posts: 50 Member
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    Skipping breakfast and lunch is definitely not healthy and if you do add the shakes in to replace having nothing at all it will be beneficial to you! However, eating something fresh and nutritious would be the best option!
  • sherry9300
    sherry9300 Posts: 149 Member
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    I'm a single mom who does not have time for breakfast in the morning. Sometimes I mix an Advocare shake in the morning because otherwise I would not eat. It's not everyday and it helps me when I'm in a pinch. That being said, I prefer real food, too. A diet shake for the purpose of avoiding real food is not the wisest choice, in my opinion.
  • melly424
    melly424 Posts: 23
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    I agree that you should be eating breakfast. That just begins your day on the right foot, but I do know some people just do not like to eat in the mornings. I recently started using the Whey Protein shakes in the morning and sometimes at night. I teach pre-school and am required to eat breakfast with the kiddos at school. As everyone knows, school food is not the healthiest of foods, so I drink my shake in the morning before coming to school. It is 150 calories and I feel I am getting some extra nutrients. I think it tastes great and would be perfect for the person who does not like to eat breakfast. I have also used the Shakeology shakes from Beachbody. Shakeology has tons of nutritional benefits, but it is substantially more expensive than the the Whey protein, so unfortunately, I don't use it that often. Whatever you use, don't refer to it as a "diet shake". Drink them for the nutritional value so make sure you read the label of whatever you use before you make a decision.
  • SmashleeWpg
    SmashleeWpg Posts: 566 Member
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    There's nothing wrong with using a protein supplement and making a shake out of it - I do that almost every day and would certainly advocate it. When I read the term "diet shakes", I think of prepackaged meal replacement shakes, such as Slimfast, which are just full of sugar and carbs and not a lot of nutrients, and that's why I would say they are a waste of money. Maybe I misunderstood what the OP was referencing.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    Mostly a waste of money they do nothing that a decent diet can do for you, you would be better off dumping that money into supplements that work at least. No supplement is necessary to get results just some that help along the way depending entirely on your goals of course. For those whom want to add muscle things like creatine, protein powder, L-leucine, and a decent multivitamin are beneficial but not required, for straight fat loss there are no real effective supplements that will make a big difference and lots of placebo effect fat loss ones lol.
  • jgerbe2
    jgerbe2 Posts: 57 Member
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    They don't have to be a waste of money or loaded in calories. I use Muscletech 100% Whey protein powder Vanilla flavored for a shake for breakfast and one for lunch. One scoop is 120 calories. I ususally mix it with fruit (banana or blueberry), milk, cinnamon or cocoa, and flaxseed or oatmeal. This allows me to get in some very healthy carbs and fresh fruit. You could use water instead of milk. My shake usually ends up being between 300 and 400 calories and my urge to snack has gone way down.
  • BruteSquad
    BruteSquad Posts: 373 Member
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    I do use protein shakes, actually I put a scoop in my morning coffee.
    I do use meal replacement shakes that are really, if you read the label, fortified milk. But I don't use them regularly to replace meals. I use them when I know my day will be chaotic and use them to replace a snack. I use them as a tool to assist in reaching my goal.
    Real food is the best way to go. I plan and pack lunches, but my plans do not always survive contact with reality. :happy:
  • mattdunn1701
    mattdunn1701 Posts: 5
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    ok thanks everybody :)

    i work nights and have a reasonable meal before i leave for work by the time i get in, in the morning its about 5-6ish and i just want to go to bed and i normally end up sleeping to about 12-2ish which is why i skip breakfast and sometimes lunch.

    i will look into other alternatives or just actually make time to get something to eat
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Protein shakes is/are food. No better or worse, than food.
  • memega
    memega Posts: 73
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    Well I have a friend from India who now lives in Norway, lost 132 lbs by trying out a meal replacement program by the name Herbalife. A program that replaces 2 of your 3 main meals with a shake and a bunch of stinky tablets - really stinky tablets! But it worked. He was 145kg when he started this diet. Lost his weight all the way down to 80kg in 6 to 8 months. It wasn't easy, initially he was loosing real fast then it became slower. Crazy loose skin issues had to be fixed twice with cosmetic surgeries. But he was dedicated to his new life and ate healthy with regular workouts. From then he has been successfully maintaining a healthy 85kg for the past many years though normal diet and exercising.

    I was really surprised and equally happy to 'read' about him online recently from this link here:
    http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/1/201202132012021303515546721603202/From-fat-boy-to-attaboy.html

    Cheers.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    Skipping breakfast and lunch is definitely not healthy and if you do add the shakes in to replace having nothing at all it will be beneficial to you! However, eating something fresh and nutritious would be the best option!

    broscience.





    If the shakes assist you in reaching you're protein targets then drink them. That is, if you don't like eating food.
  • hyperkate
    hyperkate Posts: 178 Member
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    They don't have to be a waste of money or loaded in calories. I use Muscletech 100% Whey protein powder Vanilla flavored for a shake for breakfast and one for lunch. One scoop is 120 calories. I ususally mix it with fruit (banana or blueberry), milk, cinnamon or cocoa, and flaxseed or oatmeal. This allows me to get in some very healthy carbs and fresh fruit. You could use water instead of milk. My shake usually ends up being between 300 and 400 calories and my urge to snack has gone way down.

    My colleague at work does this and swears by it. How long have you been using Muscletech? :smile:
  • Kevww1982
    Kevww1982 Posts: 76
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    I thought about doing body by vi since my neighbor is a personal trainer and is selling them. Then I figured that I am not going to do something that will get me off my progress. If you know what is good and what is bad for you and you can eat real food what are you going to do when you go out for lunch or breakfast. You can't ask for a shake there so I figured this is a better way to retrain myself to think about what foods I am going to eat and choose wisely.
  • kittyraj
    kittyraj Posts: 129 Member
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    Nothing beats eating real food. But if you're skipping a meal or can't be bothered to make something best have a shake, it'll stop you snacking or rubbish. (I graze on nuts, chips, sweets when I skip a meal)

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