Meal Replacement Shakes

Meal #4 should follow 2 ½ -3 hours after lunch, which in most schedules falls around 3-4PM. This meal is important; it will keep you from overeating at dinner.

We talked about making this meal fast. I also mentioned drinking a protein shake with some fruit. Well let’s keep things straight. Protein shakes are what I call emergency food. They are not good to use at every meal. Remember that shakes are processed. They have good nutrients; they are just broken down so it makes it easier for the body to absorb, and make the body burn less calories to break it down. Relying on ready to drink meals or replacement shakes has become part of almost all weight loss programs. But you should know which products are good and which are just canned sugar.

Worst Shakes
The worst and most popular product on the market is Ultra Slim Fast. The 8oz shake is 220 calories, 1 g fat, 46g carbs of which 35g are sugar, and 7g of protein. Avoid this product.

Decent Shakes
Ensure Lite 8oz shake is 200 calories, 3g fat, 33g carbs of which 18g are sugar, and 10g of fat. Zone Perfect 8oz shake is 260 calories, 8g fat, 29g of carbs of which 22g are sugar, and 11g protein. They have a higher amount of protein, and a little less carbs. The zone shake also offers more fat, which will help you feel full longer. The sugar content is still too high for weight loss.

Carb Watchers
Myoplex Low Carb 11oz shake is 120 calories, 3.5g fat, 2g carbs of which 1g is sugar, and 20g protein. Atkins 11oz shake is 170 calories, 9g fat, 4g carbs of which 2g are sugar, and 20g protein. These are for those who are watching their carb intake. They are really low in calorie, so you may need to pair them with a piece of fruit. The Atkins shake has more fat which will help you feel full longer.

Highly Active
PeopleMetrx 11oz shake is 170 calories, 2.5g fat, 20g carbs of which 8g are sugar, and 20g protein. This is one of the best, because it offers a decent number of calories with little fat and a good amount of protein. Even though the carbs are higher than in the myoplex or Atkins the sugar content is low. A great option for more active people who have moderate to high carb needs.

Be smart. Anything with too much sugar or too few calories can cause you to eat more and defeats the whole purpose of buying the product in the first place.