Debbie -- I make my own protein shakes -- usually following a weight workout. Some OJ, frozen berries and protein powder!

I've also made protein shakes with coffee, skim milk and protein powder (choc powder)...

OR

coffee, diet hot cocoa mix and protein powder...

that's a great idea! I didn't even think of that. How many should you drink a day?

I personally don't drink more than one, and many days don't have one at all.

I got the "coffee" idea from the cafe at at the gym -- they sell a "mocha" protein shake, and I thought "hey, I can do that." So, my advice would be to look around at shakes people sell and see if you can do it at home! Lots of combinations out there!

YES!!! MOST DEFINITELY! I absolutely NEED to get the very, very most from my alloted calories. They MUST satisfy me. And nothing does that better then protein and fiber. Protein & Fiber. Protien & Fiber... Not only that, with veggies you get a lot of "mileage" for your money. You can eat a LOT of them. A good thing in my book. I like VOLUME. Volume's good ;).

And I find the things I avoid to be very important too. Crackers and "snacky" (sugar and high carbs) foods just make me crave more crackers and "snacky" food. Uh-uh. I'm looking to avoid that at all costs.

As far as percentages, I just aim to eat protein & fiber at every meal & snack and to stay within my calorie allotment. And it all works out fine.

I know this all seems overwhelming, but you will get it together. And this really can and will become a way of life for you. Best of luck. :)

What Robin said :yes:

I'm also all about calorie mileage. The great thing is, if you're dedicated to sticking to this, I PROMISE you'll find some way that works for you. You just have to keep trying things, and you'll hit on the magic combination of meal sizes, snack sizes, protein and carb and fat ratios that works for YOUR body. At that point, you can stick with that, and you'd be surprised at how much easier it gets (it's never easy, but once you know what your body likes in terms of those ratios and when you eat, it WILL be easier).

Keep experimenting. Maybe your body needs smaller meals more regularly. It probably needs more fruits and veggies and lots of lean protein (that's consistent among most of the big losers here). Maybe you need afternoon and morning snacks to keep your furnace going.

Keep here, keep asking questions, and keep going!

If you're looking for good pre-made protein shakes, try Kashi. It's really the best I've ever had, and VERY filling. The best part is that it lasts for hours.

Yup, yup, yup.

I found that I fit the classic pattern of needing to eat something small every couple of hours. I need a bit of protein and ... something. So I keep things around like string cheese and apples, trail mix with sunflower seeds and almonds, hummus and veggies, etc. I find if I make sure to eat lots of protein throughout the day, then I do much better in the evenings resisting the snack urge and not feeling hungry.

Also I find that the day *after* a hard workout is harder on me. I work out in the evenings after work, so when I wake up the next morning, I'm pretty hungry. I make it a point to have a good chunk of protein and a lot of veggies for a dinner after a workout and then to have a pre-bed snack of something with protein in it as well, which keeps me from waking up in the morning and wanting to gnaw on the wallboard. :)

It will take some experimenting to find what works for you ... as others have said. Don't give up and remember that if you're hungry (really hungry and not emotionally hungry) it's actually ok to have a healthy snack, even if it bumps you over your calories a little. Better to eat an extra 60 cals by snacking on an apple, than letting the hunger build and then blowing it all on a bag of chips or a snickers bar becuase you're starving and can't resist.

.