Meal Replacement Protein Shake

[ZKD]

I am currently cutting bodyfat. I am doing HST and reducing calories while consuming about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. I have been drinking a protein shake to replace my dinner while cutting. I've been using this powder. I never really put any research into that particular powder, though. I just started using it because my dad had some. Labrada has now discontinued the banana flavor which I was using, and I'm not too fond of the other flavors. So, I've decided to switch to another powder, and I'd like to have a little knowledge behind my decision this time.

I see that there are meal replacement protein powders. This would seem to me to be the logical choice since I am replacing a meal, but the meal replacement proteins that I have seen are higher in carbs than what I currently have. I think that the higher carbs would be worse for someone trying to cut fat. Am I right? Is there something different about meal replacement proteins? More precisely: Do meal replacement protein contain anything that I would not get from a "non-meal replacement" protein powder?

 

[jvroig]

It's all just branding and product positioning.

What should matter behind your decision is the calories and macronutrient ratio you get from the product, and see if it will match your needs.

Last I recall, meal replacement protein powders looked to me like a cross between "mass/weight gainers" (loaded with tons of carbs) and protein supplement powder (more protein, less carbs). If you could use the extra calories / carbs, then that's what you need. If not, get the brands/products with less carbs and more protein.

In the end, it's all just about looking at the label, reading the nutritional information, and determining which one gives you more of what you need and less of what you could do without.

I think that the higher carbs would be worse for someone trying to cut fat. Am I right?

The #1 priority is maintaining a reasonable caloric deficit. Even if you were stuck with the product with higher carbs, if you still hit your goals (say, 200 calories less than maintenance), then you're still good.

There is some benefit to a protein-biased macronutrient ratio, but the benefits may not be significant enough to warrant the effort and anxiety over them. Comonly cited is thermic effect of protein, but that's just another contributing factor to maintaining less calories than maintenance. Having tons more of proteins may also help in keeping muscle while cutting, there have been some methods centered around a very high protein macronutrient ratio diet while cutting (such as using PSMF - Protein Sparing Modified Fast). In the end, though, since you are already training and have a reasonable diet (which is the most you can do that will have the greatest impact), the rest are genetic factors - genetically lean people tend to keep more lean muscle, genetically "healthy" people tend to have more difficulty lowering BF%. This is not to say it is hopeless; far from it. Rather, even if you had the same diet and regimen as a friend of yours, the two of you likely won't have the same results due to genetic factors - you may or may not have as difficult time as him cutting.

In the end, just set your targets, layout your diet to reach those targets (calorie intake, protein/carb/fat ratio), then measure your progress every week and see if you are losing approximately 1-2 pounds a week. Adjust your diet as necessary from there.

 

[CDB]

What jv said pretty much covers it. For me personally, I'd design my own drink. Meaning get yourself a protein powder with a flavor you like and no carbs, and add oats/milk to the desired amount of carbs. It's usually cheaper that way. I have a meal replacement drink that's an almost perfect 40/40/20 of calories from protein, carbs and fat respectively that I use when I need it. It's just oats, flax meal, protein powder, cottage cheese and skim milk.

 

[jvroig]

For me personally, I'd design my own drink. Meaning get yourself a protein powder with a flavor you like and no carbs, and add oats/milk to the desired amount of carbs. It's usually cheaper that way. I have a meal replacement drink that's an almost perfect 40/40/20 of calories from protein, carbs and fat respectively that I use when I need it. It's just oats, flax meal, protein powder, cottage cheese and skim milk.

I tried that once (I mean mixing my own meal replacement drink), but it tasted like crap. From then on, it was all just real food. How's yours? Taste ok?

 

[CDB]

I tried that once (I mean mixing my own meal replacement drink), but it tasted like crap. From then on, it was all just real food. How's yours? Taste ok?

Not bad at all. I get ON mocha flavor protein powder and it seems to make anything taste okay enough to drink. Subbing in yogurt for the cottage cheese helps too.

 

[ZKD]

I never considered putting yogurt or cottage cheese in the shake. I like that idea. I just hate having to clean the blender every night. But if the shake is lacking in taste or substance, I think I'll just have to whip out the blender again.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[jvroig]

I get ON mocha flavor protein powder and it seems to make anything taste okay enough to drink.

I'll have to try that, all protein powders I've used so far all taste bad. Thanks for that tip.

 

[vialiarof]

Anyone have any good recommendations for protein mixes or meal replacement shakes?Im actually looking to put on a few pounds, and make sure Im protein and carbd in the process.

 

[HST-all-the-way]

Anyone have any good recommendations for protein mixes or meal replacement shakes?Im actually looking to put on a few pounds, and make sure Im protein and carbd in the process.

Yea mate depending on the calories u want in it or when u r taking it, but it is so much cheaper to make ur own and still make them taste good, just buy urself some whey protein isolate for fast release and for a slow release throw in some casein protein powder or if u dont want to buy casein, use milk instead of water and that slows the release time of the Isolate. Now for the carbs a cheap source of carbs to throw in would be oats even a banana as well, or u could op for the powdered carbs like Maltodextrin. Also make sure to put in some healthy fat, i use Flax seed oil and dont worry about if u think it will taste bad cos it doesn't..........

But make sure you know the nutrtional facts of the ingredients u r throwing in and u can make them for bulking up or even as meal replacement for when ur cutting by just having around half the amount u would use when ur bulking up. Just make it to suit ur goal ur trying to achieve.

Hope this helps