Shake diets

[Riverman]

Hi,

Back in October I decided to try a shake diet. This diet involves replacing two main meals a day with nutritionally balanced shakes and having a regular healthy meal in the evening. However, the number of meals per day is more like five but the remaining two of the five meals are smaller and more snack like.

I have been cycling for a number of years and have lost weight but regular droughts of cycling have seen me put weight on as I've never really sorted my diet out.

I have been quite surprised by the outcome of this diet. I have definitely lost weight, for example I started out at 14 stone and am now a healthy 12. However, what I was really surprised by was how much I've got used to cutting snacks etc out of my diet. Initially I was quite fearful I wouldn't be able to cope with intense feelings of hunger, however, it turned out such cravings never really materialised.

Infact, if anything I've felt a lot better. Over the last few years I've been suffering from what can sometimes be quite intense nausea. It seems to almost follow me around but becomes more intense when I have problems sleeping. I used to eat literally just to get rid of the nausea, which only served to undo all the hard work I'd been doing on the bike.

Whilst I've been on this diet, I've noticed the nausea I suffer has been significantly reduced. My stomoch seems to prefer being empty most of the time, although I've wondered whether this may be because I might have a slight gluten intolerance?

And lastly, almost out of co-incidence (as my last bike was written off a few weeks before I started the diet), the only exercise I've done has been dailyish 30 min sessions on the exercise bike.

One of the anxieties I had was that I'd put loads of weight back on when I stopped taking hte shakes and I will admit too that I had a brief hiatus from the diet for about a month over Christmas and New Year, however, I was surprised how resilient my body was to weight gain as my weight barely changed over that period.

I know there's no magic bullet to weight loss but I do think these kind of diets should be taken seriously. They can work for some people.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I don't know about you or anyone else of course,but my 2600cals a day would take some time to drink if it was blended up into a shake. Probably wouldn't be as smooth,or full of flavour,as thick and probably not as sweet. It wouldn't be appealing in general.

No offence to you(and this is not directed at you) but these types of products are laughable. Rather than learn about food,people just turn to watery calories and most skip exercise thinking that they will be ripped and beach ready in weeks. Lack of food knowledge or ignorance to it makes these shakes sell. I don't understand why an adult,would wish to consume something that resembles baby food.


I'm curious to know if anyone here has tried such diets,and what the results were.

 

[Globalti]

I was looking at some of this stuff in the shops yesterday and the very same thought went through my mind... why subject yourself to such misery and a cocktail of chemical ingredients when you can eat enjoyably and still lose weight? A bowl of cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, some fruit during the day and a light evening meal, moderate exercise and you're bound to lose weight.

 

[Riverman]

A bowl of cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, some fruit during the day and a light evening meal, moderate exercise and you're bound to lose weight.

I think one of the main benefits of these diets is to force a degree of structure into eating patterns. Whilst many people on here may laugh at that given how easy they find it themselves, the degree of obesity in this country is testament that it's not as easy as some people think.

I can only describe a typical persons diet as 'noisy'. These shakes help to calm that noise down with minimal effort. I personally found that I'd spend more time during the day thinking about what I was going to have for my evening meal, which is a very good habit to get into and one that should naturally continue, and extend to other meals once the diet programme is stopped.

Lastly, apologies as I forgot to mention that the aim of many of these diets is to put the body into a state of ketosis, so eating a bowl of cereal in the morning and a sandwich at lunch is not ideal.

why subject yourself to such misery.

I'm not joking when I say that whilst on this diet I've felt the best I've felt in ages. I think this preconception of these diets as misery can put people off sadly. I think they're ideal for people who are morbidly obese, and useful for obese people.

 

[MacB]

I've done a couple over the years, and a few other types, and been unimpressed by pretty much all of them, as a diet alone the Atkins has come closest to working well.

But we all differ - for me the more exercise I'm doing the less gutsy I am about eating and I tend to crave the healthier sorts of foods, as I find them more satisfying. Unfortunately the opposite is also true and I seem able to eat the most when I'm least active. Discipline wise I have no problems through the day but I'm also a bit of a night owl and prone to late night munchies. Never a good thing eating few calories in the day then a big bundle late at night.

Longer term I've had my greatest success with a combination of exercise and eating more(plus most of my carbs) in the morning and then tapering through the day.

 

[fossyant]

I wouldn't be taking that rubbish if you were commuting or training every day. It worked as you were just on the exercise bike.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I think one of the main benefits of these diets is to force a degree of structure into eating patterns. Whilst many people on here may laugh at that given how easy they find it themselves, the degree of obesity in this country is testament that it's not as easy as some people think.

I can only describe a typical persons diet as 'noisy'. These shakes help to calm that noise down with minimal effort. I personally found that I'd spend more time during the day thinking about what I was going to have for my evening meal, which is a very good habit to get into and one that should naturally continue, and extend to other meals once the diet programme is stopped.

Lastly, apologies as I forgot to mention that the aim of many of these diets is to put the body into a state of ketosis, so eating a bowl of cereal in the morning and a sandwich at lunch is not ideal.



I'm not joking when I say that whilst on this diet I've felt the best I've felt in ages. I think this preconception of these diets as misery can put people off sadly. I think they're ideal for people who are morbidly obese, and useful for obese people.

Did your cycling improve whilst in keto state?

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

...Whilst many people on here may laugh at that given how easy they find it themselves, the degree of obesity in this country is testament that it's not as easy as some people think...
The degree of obesity in this country is testament to the rampant commercialisation of our food and how lazy people are: pre-cooked baked potatoes so people can spend more time in front of the tv, excuse me "for busy people, with busy lives".

...Lastly, apologies as I forgot to mention that the aim of many of these diets is to put the body into a state of ketosis, so eating a bowl of cereal in the morning and a sandwich at lunch is not ideal...
Ketosis? I find it risible that this hokum is still being promoted as a credible science. Tens of thousands of years of evolution knocked into a cocked hat overnight by some snake oil salesman? Really?

Riverman, assuming your post is on the level and you have no hidden agenda, then this is not intended as a personal attack on you; far from it, I applaud you for actually doing something.

However, I would question the long-term viability of your weight loss and the medical/scientific basis for it. If I had a large sum of money I would wager that it is simply due to you consuming fewer calories than you expended, rather than nonsense like "ketosis".

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Am trying to lose another stone or so to get down to 12 and a half. Although not wishing to belittle Riverman's efforts, I too would be very sceptical of this approach, long term, if that is the intention.

I have had some major changes in my routine but much of the content of my diet hasn't changed much. I take Goji berries with muesli every morning which keeps me energetic, cycling or not. I first took them in a herbal tincture, a Neal's Yard one, with Damiana but now opt to have them in food form instead. These energy foods may be worth looking into..?

I also take Japanese Matcha (powder Green Tea) once a day in the morning which reduces cholesterol and again makes me feel more energetic than tea or coffee. It has weight loss properties and many more than the standard infusion Green Tea bags.

One other thing is Acai Berry, once a day with spring water, good for the heart and weight loss.

For me, and I can't talk for others, drinking alcohol only once or twice a week has made the most difference and whilst I still snack I find more and more that eating before a night ride, gym session, is enough to keep me going till the morn. As far as what I eat, well it hasn't really changed much and I don't intend it to.

Good luck, Riverman.

 

[Globalti]

Remings is right; cutting out beer makes the biggest difference. It really is superfluous and empty calories.

 

[ColinJ]

Remings is right; cutting out beer makes the biggest difference. It really is superfluous and empty calories.

I'm living proof of that!

Me + (100 miles a week on my bikes) - alcohol = -3 pounds of lard a week

Me + (Less than 40 miles a week on my bikes) + alcohol = +1 pound of lard a week

 

[smutchin]

I think this preconception of these diets as misery can put people off sadly. I think they're ideal for people who are morbidly obese, and useful for obese people.

How tall are you? At 14 stone, you'd have to be under 5ft 3 to be classed as "obese" (rather than merely "overweight") on the BMI scale.

d.

 

[smutchin]

I'm living proof of that!

I've lost nearly 10kg since September without cutting out beer. I'm not saying you're not right - I'd probably have lost even more if I'd cut out beer as well, but I don't do abstinence. Well, not unless it's enforced...

d.

 

[ColinJ]

I've lost over nearly 10kg since September without cutting out beer. I'm not saying you're not right - I'd probably have lost even more if I'd cut out beer as well, but I don't do abstinence. Well, not unless it's enforced...

d.

I managed the 3 pounds a week loss without changing what I eat, so I suppose I chose to lose the beer rather than the food! This time round, I'll slightly reduce my food intake and reduce the beer intake by about 75%, which I think is a better compromise.

When I finally get to my target weight, I'll start eating more rather than increase my beer intake again.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I find cutting out cheese, and also alcohol (Sunday eve - Friday lunchtime) works for me.

But I also find it really hard to get the eating balance right during the day when weight watching/dieting, so as to be able to ride home comfortably in the evening, especially once the commuting mileage in a week reaches over 100km.