Meal replacement shakes - my experience

[Defren]

I decided to try the low carb meal replacement shakes. I do struggle with breakfast, and then again with lunch. I am on Metformin which does suppress appetite but even before I struggled with brekkie. Any way, the shakes I bought were from the Atkins diet shop page. Firstly, they are expensive. I got a mixture of 10 shakes, five ready to drink, 5 you have to mix with water, and got coppers change from £25.00. Today I tried the first one at lunch time. Taste wise, they are b****y awful. I had ready to drink banana, you could taste the banana, but the after taste each mouthful was awful. Not the most pleasant experience, believe me. The effect on my BG was very good. I was 7.1 before the shake and then two hours later 6.5. They did help me in-so-much as I didn't have to eat when I didn't want to, and the after 2 hour test is good, but the taste puts me off. The shake today was 3g of carbs.

I will continue with them until they are used up, but won't buy any more. There has to be more appealing meal replacement shakes than these, I will keep looking and trying.

 

[NutritionalScientist]

What are the ingredients?

 

[starlight1]

thanks for letting us know about the atkins shakes, i was thinking of buying some today. Now that i have read your post i wont buy any, thanks for saveing me money and a bad taste in my mouth. x starlight :clap:

 

[Defren]

What are the ingredients?

Oh 'eck you don't want much do you, there are loads :mrgreen:

Filtered water
Diafiltered skim milk
Ohyeah* Proprietary protein blend (milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, calcium, caseinate)
less than 2% of: Sunflower, Safflower and/or conal oil, natural and artificial flavours cellulose gel, cellulose gum, carrageenan, sucralose, salt, vitamin and mineral blend, (potassium citrate, magnesium phosphate, zinc, amino acid, tocopheryl acetate, bioten, vitamin and palmitate, niacinamide, phytomenadione, potassium iodide, D-calcium, pantothenate, chromium chiloride, copper, amino acid, cyanocobalamin, sodium, molybdate, sodium selenite, folic acid, cholecalciferol, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine, manganese sulphate) lactase, acesulfame, potassium datem, yellow 5, yellow 6. contains milk, gluten free.

Had to get my daughter to read this out, it was so small I couldn't see it :mrgreen: Need a trip to Specsavers.

 

[Defren]

thanks for letting us know about the atkins shakes, i was thinking of buying some today. Now that i have read your post i wont buy any, thanks for saveing me money and a bad taste in my mouth. x starlight :clap:

If the taste was better I would bite my tongue about the price, but they really do have a horrid after taste. Glad I could help.

 

[catherinecherub]

Have read the ingredients. :thumbdown:
The power of advertising springs to mind. Atkins, low carb and there you have it, it must be OK. Low carb junk food as opposed to nutritional alternatives.

I would go for some yoghurt, berries and ice cubes blended together as you will know what the ingredients are.

 

[borofergie]

+1 catherinecherub

Are they even low-carb? Part of the problem with the "Atkins" brand is that they seem to have bought into the whole "net carbs" rather than total carbs thing (so they deduct sugar alcohols from the total). This always made me nervous when I was eating them.

If you want to eat shakes, there are plenty of low-carb protein shakes on the market. But one of the benefits of a low-carb diet is that you can eat real food, so why punish yourself with shakes?

 

[borofergie]

+1 catherinecherub

Are they even low-carb? Part of the problem with the "Atkins" brand is that they seem to have bought into the whole "net carbs" rather than total carbs thing (so they deduct sugar alcohols from the total). This always made me nervous when I was eating them.

If you want to eat shakes, there are plenty of low-carb protein shakes on the market. But one of the benefits of a low-carb diet is that you can eat real food, so why punish yourself with shakes?

Oh, I've just remembered!

The pre-made Atkins shakes taste lovely and are proper low-carb (at least the Chocolate one does). It's the chocolate bars that are full of polyols.

I'm going to buy some at lunchtime!

 

[NutritionalScientist]

borofergie - I imagine they are pretty low carb from that ingredients list! Can't see any sugar alcohols. Agree though, if someone wants shakes for convenience there are plenty of low carb shakes arond that taste great!

Have read the ingredients. :thumbdown:

I would go for some yoghurt, berries and ice cubes blended together as you will know what the ingredients are.

Agree with the above... although if you're wanting to be REALLY low carb you might want to lose the berries? Total Greek Yoghurt plus chocolate flavoured whey protein powder is about the tastiest snack ever!!! :thumbup:

 

[borofergie]

Agree with the above... although if you're wanting to be REALLY low carb you might want to lose the berries? Total Greek Yoghurt plus chocolate flavoured whey protein powder is about the tastiest snack ever!!! :thumbup:

I used to be all about the Whey Protein Shakes Martin, until I read that eating Whey spikes your insulin (above the normal "spike" you'd always get from eating the same amount of protein).

I must admit, I haven't got around to researching that yet, but it's been enough to discourage me from digging into the huge tub of PhD Cookies and Cream Whey Protein that is sitting gathering dust on my kitchen window sill.

It's a pity, because I used to really enjoy Protein shakes as a great low-carb snack. Certainly most of the Atkins people seem to be against incorperating them into the "induction" phase of the diet.

 

[Defren]

+1 catherinecherub

Are they even low-carb? Part of the problem with the "Atkins" brand is that they seem to have bought into the whole "net carbs" rather than total carbs thing (so they deduct sugar alcohols from the total). This always made me nervous when I was eating them.

If you want to eat shakes, there are plenty of low-carb protein shakes on the market. But one of the benefits of a low-carb diet is that you can eat real food, so why punish yourself with shakes?

This is the problem, I am not punishing myself. As the days go by I am finding it harder and harder to eat. It will be the Metformin reducing my appetite, but at the moment it is at zero all day. Yesterday, I couldn't even manage a shake at lunch time, and so decided to make meatloaf for dinner thinking the smell of the frying onions and garlic would stimulate my appetite, no such luck, in fact I felt sick. I didn't buy the shakes for that necessarily, but I have always had a problem eating breakfast and thought this would help. So not a punishment, just trying alternative ways to manage my diabetes.

 

[NutritionalScientist]

Agree with the above... although if you're wanting to be REALLY low carb you might want to lose the berries? Total Greek Yoghurt plus chocolate flavoured whey protein powder is about the tastiest snack ever!!! :thumbup:

I used to be all about the Whey Protein Shakes Martin, until I read that eating Whey spikes your insulin (above the normal "spike" you'd always get from eating the same amount of protein).

I must admit, I haven't got around to researching that yet, but it's been enough to discourage me from digging into the huge tub of PhD Cookies and Cream Whey Protein that is sitting gathering dust on my kitchen window sill.

It's a pity, because I used to really enjoy Protein shakes as a great low-carb snack. Certainly most of the Atkins people seem to be against incorperating them into the "induction" phase of the diet.

Whey will raise insulin yes, due to its leucine content which is slightly higher than for say Beef. Although I wouldn't always consider this as a bad thing... it can even be used to get BS under control.. as there is no carb load along with the insulin. The reason Whey is not used on the induction phase is because it can keep you from getting into Ketosis. Whey is easily digested and glucogenic amino acids can be deaminated into glucose. Much better for a diabetic to glucose in this way than from a load of carbohydrate.

 

[xyzzy]

Agree with the above... although if you're wanting to be REALLY low carb you might want to lose the berries? Total Greek Yoghurt plus chocolate flavoured whey protein powder is about the tastiest snack ever!!! :thumbup:

I used to be all about the Whey Protein Shakes Martin, until I read that eating Whey spikes your insulin (above the normal "spike" you'd always get from eating the same amount of protein).

I must admit, I haven't got around to researching that yet, but it's been enough to discourage me from digging into the huge tub of PhD Cookies and Cream Whey Protein that is sitting gathering dust on my kitchen window sill.

It's a pity, because I used to really enjoy Protein shakes as a great low-carb snack. Certainly most of the Atkins people seem to be against incorperating them into the "induction" phase of the diet.

Whey will raise insulin yes, due to its leucine content which is slightly higher than for say Beef. Although I wouldn't always consider this as a bad thing... it can even be used to get BS under control.. as there is no carb load along with the insulin. The reason Whey is not used on the induction phase is because it can keep you from getting into Ketosis. Whey is easily digested and glucogenic amino acids can be deaminated into glucose. Much better for a diabetic to glucose in this way than from a load of carbohydrate.

Cool someone who knows more than you boro :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[borofergie]

Cool someone who knows more than you boro :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't really know anything about anything Steve, I just talk a good game...

 

[xyzzy]

Cool someone who knows more than you boro :lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't really know anything about anything Steve, I just talk a good game...

No you do a power of good on this site Stephen keep it up :clap:

PS

Love you too Sid your way works as well :clap:

 

[borofergie]

Love you too Sid your way works as well :clap:

:thumbup: