Whey Protein Shakes
 

If I drink nothing but protein shakes for 3 weeks, will I lose fat weight without losing muscle weight? And how much would I lose in that case? I'm 5'8 and 150 lbs at the moment. I would love to lose 10 lbs in 3 weeks by following a protein shake diet.

That does not sound very healthy to me.

How many shakes are you going to drink? How many calories are you going to consume?

How about doing it sort of like slim fast--a shake for breakfast and lunch and then a sensible meal for supper.
Any weight that you lose that quickly on such a drastic plan will probably come back very quickly.

Just my thoughts.
Best wishes :)

Eating a diet of only one thing is almost certainly a bad idea. It doesn't matter if it's all meat, all fruit, all protein shake. It might be possible to lose those 10-lbs in three weeks.... HOWEVER... when you start eating other things you're going to almost certainly gain a good percentage of the weight back.

Look for sustainable dieting (ie. change your lifestyle). Any way of eating that you can't maintain is likely going to cause a yo-yo effect. Lost fast, gain some back, etc.

One shake has only 120 calories, so a shake for lunch and one for breakfast would be too little. I was thinking..if I drink 10 shakes a day, I'll get the protein and calories and lose weight.

What brand of shake? Can you send a link to it? Does it have fiber in it (if not, you can add fiber supp. to it)? Does it have vitamins and minerals?

I like what someone else said, maybe have the protein shake for breakfast and lunch, then a sensible dinner (maybe a salad with some lean protein).

Could you maybe eat fewer shakes and add some fruit to the shakes so you'll get some fruits in that way? (I like to add blueberries, strawberries, and/or blackberries to my protein shakes). So maybe drink a shake for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, (all made with added fruits), and then a big salad for dinner (or hearty chicken and vegetable, for instance, soup). I'd drink plenty of water and make sure to take a multi-vitamin (and choose a shake with vitamins and minerals).

What happens in 3 weeks when you start eating again???

Are you doing the shake thing because it's more convenient than trying to figure out what to eat and how much? In the short run you will probably lose. In the long run it won't stay off because you haven't changed anything that got you to the weight you are now in the first place.

All the questions about what brand of shake and how many and so forth are irrelevant. This is a HUGELY unhealthy and unsustainable way to lose weight. This isn't something any of us should be supporting.

Nor is a goal of 10 lbs in 3 weeks.

The honest and true answer to this question is that you will lose fat and muscle and water weight by drinking only protein shakes. What you will also do is deprive your body of needed nutrients that you simply cannot get by drinking 10 protein shakes a day.

And the minute you go back to eating real food, you will gain most of it back.

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Actually, there are physician-supported weight loss programs that do utilize protein type shakes, so for me (and it's just my opinion, YMMV), it's not something I would say shouldn't be supported (though I understand you saying that we shouldn't support someone saying they're going to drink only 10 protein shakes a day, that is why I suggested she also incorporate some fruits and vegetables...as well as a reallly good multi-vitamin). However, the program I'm referring to can be done safely, but only with the direction and close monitoring by a physician (and nurse). I went to a presentation at my health care center about such a program where I see my MD (and btw, people on the plan had to go in once a week to be checked and then bloodwork done on a periodic basis). There are reasons that some physicians put their patients on this type of eating plan (and then they gradually introduce the non-shake approach over a period of time ... then there is a period of maintaining that is monitored).

I know this is not what the OP was talking about, but I did want to mention that there are medically sound eating plans (temporary) that protein shakes can be utilized. Usually these patients are morbidly obese and cannot get the weight off themselves...and they are in greater danger staying at their weight than doing these types of programs (which are very expensive, but some insurance plans pay for them). They usually see very good results and it keeps them going because of seeing the results that they've never had before on their own.

Whenever possible, I support a long-term eating plan (not a "diet") that is healthy and utilizes regular food rather than protein shakes only. I am drinking a protein shake ("medical food") in the morning (or as a snack) at the advice of my doctor, that has a lot of great things in it... http://www.metagenics.com/products/detail.asp?pid=244 It uses soy protein instead of whey protein. I get the vanilla flavor and add like a cup of blueberries in it, some flax seed oil, usually water, the powder and then mix it up in my Magic Bullet.

Cheree - yes, but the poster is not talking about something she plans to do with her doctor. I'm not as familiar with the plans you're talking about but I believe they're more balanced (ie. more carbs and fat) than a traditional off the shelf protein shake. In my food tracker I have a couple of different whey powders that I've used. They range from 71% - 95% protein. The one at 71% has a touch more fat than the others (20%). The point is that someone doing something like this SHOULD only do so under medical supervision. Since most reputable doctors would only do this for someone with a true medical need. Not someone who just wants to drop 10 pounds really fast. You made these points yourself. Someone who drinks nothing but protein shakes for three weeks (assuming they make it) is almost certainly going to gain a good percentage back when they go back to their normal way of eating.

Oh, and since we're talking protein shakes. Last week for breakfast (Mon/Tues) I took:

55g protein powder (a 95% protein one)
20g oat flour (whizzed up oats in a blender that I keep handy)
5 oz mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, sometimes blueberries)

361 cals, 54g protein, 33g carbs, 10g fiber, 2g fat

In theory, if I liked it, I should probably have added some peanut butter or something like that in (ie. more fat). I balance my days, not specific meals, although I took some nuts with me for a snack later. Something like this is a better solution (as others have pointed out).

Having said all that, I eat lots of real food, and still manage to lose ~2lbs/week. So to the original poster - don't be afraid of real food.

Yep, and that's why I said in my post that the plans that I'm talking about are monitored by a physician. I just wanted to try to find out exactly what the OP was talking about and if she was dead set on doing the protein shakes only, even if for only 3 weeks (which I think is a bad idea to be honest), to at least incorporate some healthy guidelines (as much as possible). Some people here are going to go ahead and do whatever they want (even if it has the potential to harm their health), regardless of what we say.

How many grams of protein per day would that be --in 10 shakes??
Too much protein can be harmful to the kidneys.
And is whey protein a "complete" protein?

Could you even do this for 3 weeks? I don't think I'd last a day.
I can see drinking one or two a day, but 10??

I think sensible eating makes more sense - lol :)

From the 3FC rules:
Messages intended to promote potentially unsafe and/or controversial weight loss procedures or products (including but not limited to non-medically prescribed supplements and MLM products) are considered inappropriate and may (at the discretion of the forum team) be removed without warning.

The OP isn't talking about a medically supervised plan that provides all the proper nutrition, but about just doing nothing but drinking 10 protein shakes per day for 3 weeks.

IMO to provide information on how to do such a thing is not a good idea. It's not being supportive in any positive way.

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Studies have shown that this is true only if you are already prone to kidney issues.

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I don't have much time right now but...

There are 'protein' shakes that are part of medically supervised programs and I've read of such where you either do all shakes or most shakes and 1 real meal. The shakes are different than those you would find in the store. They are usually a bit heavy on the protein but are generally complete. There are complete shakes you can find, usually not in your grocery store, that may be valid to help replace some of your meals. I used to do it because they are quick and I was lazy. I still keep on hand various powders to make shakes but all of them are complete (one even includes powderized whole foods) and I wouldn't call any of them 'protein shakes'. I only use them when I want something quick and I don't want to eat something.

To replace all meals with shakes without being under a doctors supervision and since no shake on the market is meant to replace all your meals, it is dangerous and not recommended.

I just read an article..I guess I should have saved the link.
The author suggested one to two protein shakes per day as a "supplement" to regular meals, not as full meal replacments. This seems reasonable to me.
I also read a few articles about how excess protein affects the kidneys.
Yes, they said that people with kidney problems were more prone, but 1 in 4 people have unknown kidney problems. So, I say why risk it. Eat some real food :)

P.S. I just reread in Walter Willett's (of Harvard) book that high protein can also cause calcium to be leached out of your bones. Just something else to consider.

This is what I do, sorta. I buy protein powder and use it twice a day to get the extra protein I need.

I usually add some to my morning yogurt and then have a protein shake after my workout in the afternoon.

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I agree with the advise so far. But if your still stuck on it (maybe for convenience?), mix in fruit with your protein shake and have a couple pieces of bread throughout the day. Take your multi-vitamin and have an handful of almonds for fat. That will help it be more of a balanced diet... but I still wouldn't do it all day. Just for two meals.

I've read some of your other posts. I'm concerned that you sound very anxious to lose weight, you are 18 years old, 5' 8" tall and weigh 150.

What size frame do you have? Check this web site for guidance:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...ages/17182.htm

In other posts you say that you've had difficulty losing weight. Could it be that you are actually at a good weight for your frame?

Drinking nothing but shakes could help you lose weight quickly, but you will gain it all back as soon as you return to eating properly. It is not a healthy way to do weight loss. It's best to eat a well balanced diet, just less of it.

Perhaps you should consider an exercise program to help firm up giggly areas more then an extreme diet.

I'm just concerned because at your age is so easy to slip into bad eating habits that can affect you later in life. We've all been there-go on a new fad diet, lose 10-20 pounds, stop and gain 15-25 pounds back, it's viscious circle that the majority of us are trying to break now.

Sarah in MD

Sarah, it looks like the OP hasn't been back to 3FC since her last response here. I suspect she's not at the point yet where she's ready to be healthy. I hope she gets there soon and comes back for the support she needs.

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not so sure if that's a good idea you need food in there somewhere. I use a brand of whey shakes called," Pure Protein." But I use it as a snack, they're 170 calories, but they taste GOOD. I usually drink ONE a day. I drink ONE a day as a protein supplement (each has 50 grams of protein) and I am the type of person who hates meat. So drinking protein is easier for me than eating it.

But I wouldn't just drink shakes all day, what happens when you go back to eating?