Question:
Here lately (last 2 months) I have been busy and so most days

will eat 2-3 protein shakes (Champion whey banana scream - 1 1/2 scoops = 32 Gm Pro/4.5 Gm carbs) and one normal meal (supper consisting of small piece of meat and 2-3 bites of veg) and the other 2-3 meals will eat Balance bars. (I typed this question last night and it did not enter on the board.) Anyway, I got to wondering if this was healthy, and/or if this was a bad practice. I have not been losing weight rapidly (I think I lost 22 lbs in about the last 2 months), and wondered if I was eating real food if it would possibly speed up. I looked up the carb count in the Balance bars (15 Gm Pr/22 Gm carbs per bar) and the carbs in this bar are kinda high, but if I consistently do 3 shakes a day and 1-2 Pro bars my carb count would be lower and I think I might lose better. (I am not unhappy with my weightloss, as I know everyone loses at their own pace, and I NEVER could have lost 65 lbs on my own in 5 months). I take all my vitamins, (calcium, multi,B-12 subling liq 2 x wk,fish oil,garlic, B-6,iron and vit C together). I work nightshift so my day starts at 4-6pm and ends about 8-9am. I drink/eat Protein shake/bar upon waking up (4pm), then do supper about 7pm, drink another shake before I leave for work at 11pm, have Pro bar for break at 2am, protein bar at 5am, and another shake/bar sometimes at 8am before going to bed. I drink at least 100-125 az H2O daily. This started since shakes/bars are so portable, and are easy to take to work/amusement park. I have been going to 6 Flags Ky Kingdom about 1-2 x a wk, and going swimming (and doing excercises in pool) 1-2 x a wk. Also 4-5 days a wk I walk 16-20 blocks after work (45-50 minutes about 6:15am) with my overweight dog, and my son rides along on his bike and it is our talking time. Do other people eat Protein bars/shakes as often as I do, and do you all think this is healthy? I don't want to be jeapardizing my health, but at this stage in losing, food doesn't really have a lot of appeal to me. I'm not saying that I don't want to eat or anything, but nothing tastes good, and food right now is just nourishment for my body. I know with summer coming on, I will really be liking more salads/fresh veggies, but I am not big on cooking up a lot of meat to eat whenever I need a meal. Do others of you eat shakes/bars for meals often? Should I just stick mainly with the shakes since they are lower in carbs? I read an article in Lifetime magazine yesterday that said eating the Pro bars is dangerous since they are loaded with vitamins, and you could overdose on vitamins, (but since we have RNY I know we malabsorb a lot). Sorry to be so long winded, but I wanted to give as much info as possible so there wouldn't be any (hopefully) unanswered questions about where I'm coming from on this. Any comments or info would be greatly appreciated. I hope this posts this time. :)    — bufordslipstick (posted on July 2, 2004)

July 2, 2004
I must admit that I too enjoy the protein bars. I only eat the ones with 4 grmas of sugar per serving or less, so I stay away from the Balance bars. I do have the Doctor. Carbrite Diet bars--190 calories for 21 grams of protein; the Atkins bars; The Dexatrim All in One (my current favorite); part of a Chef Jay Tri-o-plex Bar are my usual treats. Genisoy makes a Soy crunch (not sure of the name) which is good and low in sugar. As you said, they are so portable and taste good--once you get used to them, lol.
   — Margaret S.

July 2, 2004
You will get better advice form a registered dietitian, if you have access to you. My first concern is the lack of variety in your diet. Even though you are getting plenty of vitamins, there are many nutrients (known as phytochemicals) that we need, but do not get from supplements. We must get those through a variety of foods (vegetables, fruit, whole grains, protein sources). You won't get those through shakes and bars. You really do need to eat more regular food.
   — Vespa R.

July 2, 2004
What are the calorie counts in those bars? The ones I've seen are very high in calories, and it's questionable if we get the full benefit of the protein from them. By eating 2 a day, you may be eating a huge amount of calories. I think they're great when you're on the run, but not as a regular lifestyle. Try dropping the bars for a few days, and see if it gets your weight loss moving again. Also, are you taking iron? You NEED to take iron! It's usually the first thing to go with us bypassers, including men & post-menopausal women.
   — Leslie F.

July 6, 2004
Thanks for all of the answers. The balance bars have about 200-230 calories in them. I read on here last wk that even though thay have 22 carbs in them (individually), I can subtract the 18 gms sugar and 1 Gm fiber counting the carbs as 4 gm instead of the 22. The question on the board said something about the sugar (alcohols) and fiber making the blood levels stay even or something. I hope this is making sense. I am taking iron 2 tabs with Vit C during my nightly workshift. What are some portable high protein foods that I could take to the amusement park or work w/out having to carry a lot of food? Maybe beef jerkey.........My work is dirty, and we only have a 10 minute break. I will try eating more protein foods at home to see if I lose better. Would I lose better on 3 shakes and 3 real food meals every day??? Thanks for all of your input.
   — bufordslipstick

July 7, 2004
Everyone may have different opinions about this, but there's a lot of controversy about sugar alcohols and how much your body actually absorbs (especially malitol, which is the most frequent sugar alcohol I've seen in products). I only subtract fiber from counts to get the net carb content. I also know that I can't eat many protein bars and continue to lose. It's a shame, because they are so convenient. I still will eat 1/2 of a bar if it's been a while since I have eaten, and I start to feel like I need to eat (and it's the only food I have around). I've tried to find convenient alternatives that don't contain as much sugar, like nuts, beef jerky, tuna, cheese, etc. Some people have problems with fat, but I don't (I actually think a moderate amount of fat keeps my digestion working well). Many times we just have to find what works for us. I hit a plateau in April/May that had me really frustrated and cutting back on the bars (along with other changes) helped me get back to losing. Good luck!
   — Debra R.