3 ways protein shakes and smoothies help you lose weight



Almond Joy Protein Shake



Meal replacements can work to help you lose weight.  Look at the success of Nutrisystem, Slim Fast, and Medifast.  Drinking a shake or smoothie instead of eating a meal and limiting your calories can pay off with weight loss. 

Here are three ways meal replacements help you lose weight.

1. Having a protein shake or a smoothie for a meal helps by controlling your calories. The individual serving size helps you know when to stop eating. 
2. They also eliminate the stress of trying to plan all of your meals.  Figuring the calories of each component of what you are eating can be complicated and tiresome. 
3. Meal replacement shakes and smoothies also are convenient.  You can take one with you wherever you go.  They provide a quick meal, even more handy than a restaurant drive-thru.

There is a catch, however.  Store bought meal replacement shakes and smoothies are loaded with sugar, fat, and artificial ingredients.

For example, here are the ingredients in a Chocolate Slim Fast shake:

FAT FREE MILK, WATER, SUGAR, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), CANOLA OIL, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, FRUCTOSE, GUM ARABIC, CELLULOSE GEL, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MALTODEXTRIN, SOY LECITHIN, CELLULOSE GUM, CARRAGEENAN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SUCRALOSE AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (NONNUTRITIVE SWEETENERS), SODIUM CITRATE, CITRIC ACID, VITAMINS AND MINERALS: MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, VITAMIN E ACETATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, BIOTIN, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, PHYLLOQUINONE (VITAMIN K1), SODIUM SELENITE, CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12), CHOLECALCIFEROL (VITAMIN D3). SWEETENED WITH NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS AND NONNUTRITIVE SWEETENERS. CONTAINS MILK AND SOY.



SUGARS:  There are 4 1/2 teaspoons of sugars in one shake.

FAT:  There is 1 teaspoon of canola oil and 1/2 a teaspoon of hydrogenated fat!

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS:  A shake contains both the sweetener in Splenda and Aspartame which have shown to cause cancer in lab animals.

Commercially bought meal replacement plans can also be expensive.

So make your own!

This week, I will be sharing 6 recipes for protein shakes and smoothies!  

• Today-Mixed Berry Protein Shake and tips to help you make meal replacements a success!
• Monday-Oatmeal Cookie Protein Shake. 
• Tuesday-Coconut Pineapple Smoothie
• What Matthew Ate Wednesday-See what my vegetarian four year-old is eating.  Also, I will post a recipe for Chocolate Cherry Protein Shake.
• Thursday-Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake
• Friday-Peach Raspberry Smoothie.

I will also give you helpful tips that will help make your diet a success!