Meal Replacements vs. Real Food

It is only Tuesday and I already feel like the week should be ending! Let me put it another way… I am exhausted! And this heat is not helping at all!

Today was another “no food” day for me with the two solid meals being breakfast and dinner. I had scrambled egg whites and toast for breakfast and 2 pieces skinless chicken, salad and a peach for dinner. My during-the-day menu consisted of two Myoplex Lite shakes and two protein bars. Jeni, please don’t be mad!!!

If it helps, though, I was very good with my exercise routine. Did upper body training in the morning AND went for a run at around 7 pm. I am so proud of myself for that!

The contours of my legs are starting to shape up. My abs are trying to peek from under the belts of fat covering them and my face has changed tremendously. And all of this in just 6 weeks. I am loving this regime!

Melissa

Jeni:

Well done, Melissa!

Weight training in the morning and a run in the evening is quite an achievement. (Although, just for the record, you should do them the other way around, strictly speaking – cardio in the morning, if you can before breakfast and weights in the late afternoon.)

As we discussed in Friday’s post, what I call “artificial food” (protein bars and meal replacement shakes) are cool to have the whole day from time to time and they will help you get small, fast. But remember the FROM TIME TO TIME bit. It is very important. I would say, maximum twice a week and not every week!

Plus, keep check of calories when you are doing that. It is quite a danger, as many people assume that since they are not eating or chewing something, they are not adding calories to their diet. You, of course, know that drinks can be extremely “expensive” in terms of calories (coke and Red Bull are prime examples) and your “no food” diet today came up to 800 calories excluding breakfast and dinner! (Just the meal replacement bits.)

And if any of you, readers, decide to go that route – have 1 or 2 solid meals a day and use meal replacements the rest of the time to speed up weight loss, beware of the “transitional phase”. That’s when you (eventually) start eating food again. You might find the pounds creeping right back, cause your body is not used to getting calories this way anymore. In fact, this is the major issue people have with plans like The South Beach Diet. They lose loads of weight in phase 1, but when then change their eating to move to phase 2, they either gain or stop losing. And if you have ever read The South Beach Diet, you will know that phase one is not a very happy space… no alcohol, no starch… not even fruit is allowed in this space.

Has any of you ever tried surviving on meal replacements?

Ciao!

Jeni