Meal Replacement Shakes

tpender13

I'm thinking about ordering Ideal Shape and having those for breakfasts and/or lunches. I would like to lose 20-25 pounds, and I'm not great at making healthy food choices readily available for myself. I get that I need to exercise as well, but I thought shakes would help me out a bit in that goal, plus it would save money since I wouldn't be buying full cafeteria meals at work like I've been doing often lately. I'm trying Special K premade shakes for now to see if I'll be able to drink a meal or two per day. ATM, I'm deciding whether to have another shake for lunch or if I'm going to go buy some real food.

My question is, has anyone tried/used them? Any thoughts/tips? The only people I know that have used them are FB who use Visalus shakes, and from the way they post about them, I'm half-convinced they've all joined a cult, so that has scared me away from asking them questions. TIA!

pokepoke27

I have difficulty eating right when I wake up, but when I was on a diet and working I was getting up too early to get up even earlier to give myself time to get hungry. I substituted breakfast with a shake almost every day. 

Honestly, if you're thinking about using them to help you reach your goals - I'd start out only using them for breakfast. Most days they would keep me full enough until around lunch time, but for the first few days I would start getting hungry around my "normal" breakfast time, and it was only the thought of food to come that kept me going. 

I used the generic brand of slim fast. 

Habs2Hart

If you really want to replace your meals with something, what about a homemade smoothie?  You can put so much goodness in them and get way more nutritional content than you can from a meal repacement you buy.  Plus it's all natural. 

I wouldn't eat a smoothie/shake for more than one meal.  Losing weight is about making healthy choices.  Why can't you bring a salad, or a healthy lunch from home every day?

aragx6

I've been drinking a slim fast for breakfast every morning and it fills me up prety well until lunch.

seesawgirl

The thing about meal replacement shakes, is that they WILL help you lose weight if you use them properly, but you will rarely keep the weight off, because they don't teach you healthy eating habits. I agree with the PP who suggested making a homemade smoothie, because you can make that taste however you want, and you are more likely to stick with it long term, instead of just until you get down to the weight you want.

LeiselEB

I go through periods of time when I drink Slim Fast shakes at breakfast. I never used them at other meals. They do a good job of keeping you full until lunch time. I think the main thing with them is that they get me to realize when I'm actually hungry, so I don't just eat for fun or because I'm craving things. 

I'd just start out with them for just one meal, I think drinking two of those shakes a day will make you crave food. The shakes taste good, but the flavors get old, ya know?

dumdumfroggie

I believe the meal replacement shakes are a quick fix, but people that use them tend to gain the weight back after they stop using them.

On occasion, I will have a protein shake for breakfast.  I keep them in the house in case I don't have time to grab anything else for breakfast.  It works in a pinch, but I wouldn't make it a habit.

Like Habs said, I'd try to add in natural healthy food into your diet.  You can premake a lot of things on the weekend and then have it prepackaged and ready to go.  Soups work great, especially for lunch, as you can even freeze portions.

Have you tried signing up for My Fitness Pal, or Spark people?  Those are free sites that allow you to track your calories and are quite easy to use.

tpender13

Habs, I wouldn't be able to bring a blender and stuff to work, but a homemade smoothie in theory is something I could do for breakfast. I wake up way earlier than H right now though, and I'd hate to be waking him up every day with the blender. Can a homemade smoothie save for a day or so in the fridge?

The reason I haven't really considered homemade smoothies is that I feel like I would use that as an excuse -- "Oh, I don't have the right ingredients since I didn't make it to the store yesterday." or "I don't want to wake H." Or I'd be tempted to make them with ice cream or something sugary. I feel like shake powder would take those variables out of the equation.

hwoychowski

Watch out for how much sugar is in those drinks. But you are on the right track. Dieting accounts for 70% of weight loss and being active the other 30%. I always make my food in advance and prepackage it so that I can make the decisions easier. Good Luck!

ahhhitsshannyn

Honestly, if you are not committed to making healthy choices, I don't think it would work for you just yet. I don't want to be a debbie downer, but I just know a few of my friends have fallen into the "juicing" craze, and they will juice for a month, then when they are done go crazy and gain it all back and more. It really is about knowing better food options and controlling yourself in your day to day life. I have done many a diet in my day, and I really had to hit rock bottom before I could control myself and actually make a life change.

I do agree with Habs though, if you are going to go the meal replacement route, I say try all natural smoothies that you can make at home.

tpender13

For the record, I understand that the shakes would be temporary, and I'd need to look for better options for long-term.

Froggie, I've tried cooking and saving food, but I'm way too lazy to keep that up. When we cook, it's usually pretty decent food, and I usually have leftovers for lunch. But both H and I need to get better about planning meals -- we don't cook nearly as often as we should.

tpender13

Ha, Outlook just reminded me about a meeting I'd forgotten about, so shake it is, I guess. I'll probably end up getting a side of vegetables later on if I'm still hungry.

Thanks for your thoughts, ladies. I'll check back in a little later.

Snippylynn

Yep. You need to make the decision to make better choices first before you can truly meet with success for the rest of your life.  Meet with a dietician who can help you work with a plan that will ensure you get the right nutrients for your body and help you lose weight.  

All that money you spend on shakes could easily pay for a visit or two to the dietician and give you better, long term results!

Snippylynn

I have to ask, Tpender. How much weight have you put on since your wedding picture was taken that's in your thumbnail? because going by that, you aren't overweight, so I have to assume that you've gained since then.  If that is the case, you need to look at the things in your life that have changed to cause you to gain, rather than stop gap measure.

StefffiC

There is a smoothie maker some people use at work, it's very small and quiet. I think it's about $20 at Family Dollar.

goobersinlove

I didn't read any PP's, so my apologies in advance if I may be repeating.

It's my opinion, if you want to lose weight and be healthy, that "weight loss" shakes are not the ideal way to go.  Any dietician will tell you that real, unprocessed, healthy foods beats processed and marketed "health foods" (e.g., shakes, lean cuisines, etc.) every day of the week. All the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates you need are in foods that are unpackaged in the produce section and meat counter at the grocery store. Eat fresh and natural - not processed powder.

barrelbabe004

When I first started out with my trainer I was drinking Slim Fast.  He put a stop to that really quick.  He said all the preservatives, etc. that are in the drinks are actually worse for weight loss.
Now I do a homemade smoothie with some protein powder on the mornings I'm working.  It's quick and easy. 

We have a Magic Bullet which helps make smaller portion sizes and isn't as loud as a blender.  My H never hears it.  I'm up before him and our bed is against the wall where the kitchen is.

Snippylynn

Barrel, how are things going for you? Your blog hasn't been updated since January, yo!

[Deleted User]

It is a temporary solution.   Once you stop it, you will ain the weight back.
If you log everything you eat, and try to eat clean, or at least nothing that has more than a few ingredients listed, you will lose the weight. 
A couple of things that really work for me:
Cut out all soda, including diet
Eat breakfast
Drink lots of water

Habs2Hart

I bring my smoothies to work with me.  You can buy insulated plastic cups (clicky) with straws (also no waste like a slim fast would be) and I make it and bring it to work and chuck it in the fridge and eat it for lunch.  It's delicious.  I put in water, kale, spinach, avacado, frozen fruit, Mila (chia seeds) and Arbonne protein mix (it's all natural, you have to be careful of protein.  A lot of it has arsenic in it!).  It keeps me full and has lots of good nutrients in it.  If you are trying to lose weight, I would put very little avacado in it, even though avacado is a healthy fat. 

If you don't meal plan, and are lazy about what you make and eat, you aren't going to lose weight, or you will and then gain it back plus some.  You have to make a conscious effort to control what you eat.  It's not easy, or else everyone would be at their ideal weight.  It takes work an commitment.

SB1512

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_meal-replacement-shakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6c10e537-c194-41b9-8888-154206df5b91Post:a45d7ec8-aba1-4e85-ad37-dae65df7447e">Re: Meal Replacement Shakes</a>:
[QUOTE]Habs, I wouldn't be able to bring a blender and stuff to work, but a homemade smoothie in theory is something I could do for breakfast. I wake up way earlier than H right now though, and I'd hate to be waking him up every day with the blender. Can a homemade smoothie save for a day or so in the fridge? The reason I haven't really considered homemade smoothies is that I feel like I would use that as an excuse -- "Oh, I don't have the right ingredients since I didn't make it to the store yesterday." or "I don't want to wake H." Or I'd be tempted to make them with ice cream or something sugary. I feel like shake powder would take those variables out of the equation.
Posted by tpender13[/QUOTE]

You can make a smoothie the night before and it still tastes great in the morning, I do it on a regular basis.  As for ingredients.....you can usually make them with stuff you should already have around.  For my shakes I use 1 banana, milk, orange juice, a few heaping spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt (but not a full serving) and frozen mangos and strawberries (any frozen fruit will work though).  I don't know the exact measurements of the liquid......maybe 1/4 OJ and 1/4 cup of milk.  I'd say I use about 3-4 mango chunks and 4-5 strawberries.  If you want some extra to keep your full, throw in a spoonful of peanut butter to the mix.  I find that between the vanilla yogurt and the fruit it's sweet enough for me.  Sometimes I use plain instead of vanilla yogurt and then add a little honey or agave nectart in the blender.  Another variation is milk, banana, yogurt, peanut butter and cocoa powder for a chocolate banana smoothie.

Natrasha

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_meal-replacement-shakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6c10e537-c194-41b9-8888-154206df5b91Post:54715ec5-20bf-4acf-912d-b69f681fdda1">Re: Meal Replacement Shakes</a>:
[QUOTE]I bring my smoothies to work with me.  You can buy insulated plastic cups ( clicky ) with straws (also no waste like a slim fast would be) and I make it and bring it to work and chuck it in the fridge and eat it for lunch.  It's delicious.  I put in water, kale, spinach, avacado, frozen fruit, Mila (chia seeds) and Arbonne protein mix (it's all natural, you have to be careful of protein.  A lot of it has arsenic in it!).  It keeps me full and has lots of good nutrients in it.  If you are trying to lose weight, I would put very little avacado in it, even though avacado is a healthy fat.  <strong>If you don't meal plan, and are lazy about what you make and eat, you aren't going to lose weight, or you will and then gain it back plus some.  You have to make a conscious effort to control what you eat.  It's not easy, or else everyone would be at their ideal weight.  It takes work an commitment</strong>.
Posted by Habs2Hart[/QUOTE]

So much agree with the bolded! Sometimes weight loss is very simple (calories IN vs calories OUT) but that doesn't mean it's easy. It takes a lot of work and commitment. My first 20 pounds came off pretty easily, but since then it has been a lot of hard work and I've read and learned more about what and how to eat.

Meal planning has been crucial for me. I plan healthy meals that make leftovers so I always have something good to eat. I always have fruit or yogurt or steel cut oats around so I have an easy snack.

Good luck! There are TONS of resources on the interwebs, so use them! I'm down about 35-40 pounds in the last 2.5 years. (I'm at about 168-170 right now, and my heaviest weight was 210)

abcollins08

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_meal-replacement-shakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6c10e537-c194-41b9-8888-154206df5b91Post:97fc67a8-a91b-4a48-abec-6d4ccbaf299c">Re: Meal Replacement Shakes</a>:
[QUOTE]If you really want to replace your meals with something, what about a homemade smoothie?  You can put so much goodness in them and get way more nutritional content than you can from a meal repacement you buy.  Plus it's all natural.  I wouldn't eat a smoothie/shake for more than one meal.  Losing weight is about making healthy choices.  Why can't you bring a salad, or a healthy lunch from home every day?
Posted by Habs2Hart[/QUOTE]

This is what I've been doing for breakfast.  Green smoothies are great, lots of spinach, veggies, fruit, some milk or yogurt and you're good to go.  The best thing is that you can add in whatever you like.  I never taste any of the veggies, just the fruit.  These keep me full until lunch and I can tell I have more energy than before I was drinking these.

tpender13

Thanks again for all the suggestions, ladies.

Snippy, to answer your question about my weight, I was just weighed at the doctor last week, and I'm at 152, and I'm 5'3". My wedding was Nov '10, and I have no idea what I weighed then, but to guess I was probably 10 pounds lighter and definitely more toned since I was exercising more regularly. The weight I've gained since then feels like it's all where I can see it -- face, upper arms -- where most of my weight before was in my butt and thighs where it's more easily hidden. Oh, and in my belly where I've never really gained weight before.

I get that a lot of things since then have really changed since the wedding, relationship-related and otherwise. I need to work on that. I've felt overwhelmed to really change things since it feels like so much needs to be done, but some stuff has recently happened at work to give me new energy, and that's given me momentum and snowballed into good things happening for me there. That's what really made me think seriously about the shakes -- I see it as a kickstart to get me working towards developing healthier habits.

tpender13

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_meal-replacement-shakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6c10e537-c194-41b9-8888-154206df5b91Post:d1ff8f10-d97e-4c1a-8dfb-ef7d9199e0b1">Re: Meal Replacement Shakes</a>:
[QUOTE] We have a Magic Bullet which helps make smaller portion sizes and isn't as loud as a blender.  My H never hears it.  I'm up before him and our bed is against the wall where the kitchen is.
Posted by barrelbabe004[/QUOTE]

We have a Magic Bullet too -- I used to make smoothies in the AM and H complained about it. We grind coffee beans with it for our Keurig only once a week or so, because he'd be pissed if I was running it every morning. I can't blame him though because I would be, too.

starrynight84

I actually use meal replacement shakes for breakfast, but I do it "incorrectly". I have a Special K shake often in the morning with fruit or yogurt for breakfast because it's quick and has a lot of fiber. I haven't lost any weight doing this but I don't need nor want to lose any so maybe that is part of it. 

I would focus on smaller, more manageable changes. Diets never really work, IMO. Lifestyle changes do. I lost some weight years ago and have never regained it because I lost it through lifestyle changes instead of diets, KWIM?

polichik

I know that starting a lifestyle change can be overwhelming, but I think it helps to hold yourself accountable and plan in advance for times when your willpower is lower. IMO, if you really want to lose weight and be healthy, I wouldn't waste your time with something like these shakes that you know will be temporary. I'd suggest joining MyFitnessPal, which has REALLY helped me be honest about how many calories I'm consuming. I'd also suggest making a list of 3 easy breakfasts, 3 easy lunches, and 3 easy dinners that only take a minute or two to prepare and that are within your calorie goals. I'm most likely to go into "F it" mode when I'm upset or tired, so I keep some low sodium soups on hand JIC. Instead of drinking one of those artificial shakes, why not keep a supply of individual portioned plain lowfat Greek yogurt on hand? Buy almonds and dried fruit in bulk and measure them out into ziplock bags. Chop up veggies and portion them out, or buy precut stuff. If you spend an hour every Sunday doing food prep work, you can have healthy meals throughout the week with minimal effort. I think you really need to want this for yourself and to believe that you deserve to make this a priority, and it will happen. I tried dieting a dozen times before I really started to believe that it was worth making time for, and this time it stuck. When I started to see this as treating my body well and taking care of myself, it became less of a chore. You can do it!

alynne1113

I do a replacement for breakfast and lunch, however, I also eat 300 times a day heatlhy snacks like grapefruit, veggies, yogurt ect. I only do the two a day during the week when I am busy at work and too lazy to make a lunch. I still watch my calories since the shakes are very low and I don't want my body to go into starvation mode. I have lost 17 pounds, 10 of them before I did the shakes but I also go to the gym 4 times a week.

Misk1960

I have tried several different types of meal replacement shakes and have struggled with the taste but I have to admit that when I tried IdeaShape's shake it was really really good!  AndI am picky!  The thing I liked about IdealShape is that they answer your questions really fast on their facebook page and they didnt push it on me.  I noticed that they were pushing a "life change" instead of losing weight fast.  They provided healthy recipes too for meals and great ways to change up the shakes so you can stick with it.  Their shakes are the best I have seen as far as nutrition goes too!  

IdealShape seemed like the best to me.  I really liked the brain training cd's they have as well.  I think that my biggest obstacle is my mind!  Retraining it to think differently made sense to me..  I have been using it for a few weeks now and I got my daughter to try the shakes.  She is 22 and the worst at eating breakfast and getting the proper nutrients and vitamins she needs.  SHE HATES SHAKES!!!  But she loved the chocolate IdealShape.  SHOCKER!!!  

I am not experiencing fast weight loss but it is coming off and I can tell that this is something that I could stick with..  

I went to http://www.idealshape.com and studied their web-site for ingredients, and sucess stories.  I also went to http://www.carlameine.com for healthy meal plans and IdealShake recipes..  

I hope this helps!  I spent a lot of time researching meal replacement shakes.