Replacing 1-2 meals with meal replacement powder?

A

anti_starlet

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Okay, I'm a female, 19 yrs, 5'3", 114lb (BF%: 27, apparently) hoping to lose some weight from my thights and hips and start building muscle. I've been looking at some of the weight loss and nuitrition pages on this forum and now understand that I need to be at a calorie deficit, eating 5-6 meals a day :)
However, I'm not sure if I'll be able to eat these meals at times such as 11:00 and 15:00 as I am a student and am often in lectures at these times, five days a week (yes, I'm doing a science degree :p) so would I be able to replace this meal with meal replacement powder or is this is just useless junk that companies try to flog to us to make a quick buck? :confused:
I'm planning to go to the gym at least 3 times a week, doing both cardio and weights.

Thanks for any help you can give me :)
 
I'm not sure how the 'experts' will answer this but, personally speaking, there are times when I take a supplement drink when I don't have time or I'm just not hungry/don't want to eat.

I have found a new one (for me), it'll be interesting to see if it's any good or not (any input?):

EAS Advant Edge
110 Calories
3g Fat (.05 g sat fat/0trans fat)
10mg Cholesterol
230 mg Sodium
520 mg Potassium
3 g Total Carb (1 g Fiber/1 g Sugars)
15 g Protein

25% Vitamin A
25% Calcium
40% Vitamin E
20% each of Thiamin, Niacin, Biofin, Selenium, Vitamin K
B6, Iodine, Zinc
40% Folate
45% Phosphorous
35% Magnesium
15% Magnese
45% Vitamin C
8% Iron
25% Riboflavin
30% Vitamin B12
20% Pantothenic Acid
6% Copper
30% Chromium
*Based on a 2000 calorie diet

A bit high in sodium perhaps, but 15 g of protein
 
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Eat real food, it's far superior. The whole large-number-of-small-meals-a-day-to-keep-my-metabolism-up-and-lose-weight thing is something I don't buy. The idea for that was taken from the fact that bodybuilders eat 5-6 meals a day, but here's the thing: the bodybuilders are eating 5-6 full meals a day, 7000+ calories total for most, and they're working out every day as well. Their metabolisms are high not becuase they're eating frequently, it's because they're lifting huge weights all the time.

What matters is the OVERALL number of calories you take in on average every day. Gaining weight is not an extremely rapid process, and our bodies' internal functions don't work with the day as a unit, so the on average part is essential.
 
bran said:
Eat real food, it's far superior. .....Their metabolisms are high not becuase they're eating frequently, it's because they're lifting huge weights all the time.
Click to expand...

I agree and disagree with you. Of course eating 'real' food is best. But about the lifting "huge weights all the time" I'm not sure I completely agree with. Isn't lifting heavy what matters most when building muscle? What heavy is for one person may not be for another. Not to mention even if I were to lift "huge weights all the time" 7000+ calories would still be too much for someone like me who is only 5'1" 114 pounds. Right?
 
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Try not to have more than 2 liquid meals a day and you'll be ok. But REALLY try to make your other meals nutritious...tons of veggies and quality protein, and only complex carbs. MRP's can be a little void of vitamins, and especially fiber.

As far as lifting while trying to get lean...you should lift heavy weights during a cutting phase. Why? because heavy weight, lower reps, will help retain the muscle mass you already have. its really easy to lose muscle mass while also losing fat. so you lift heavy to trick the body into retaining muscle and only burning fat (assuming your diet is also on target).
 
bran said:
The whole large-number-of-small-meals-a-day-to-keep-my-metabolism-up-and-lose-weight thing is something I don't buy. The idea for that was taken from the fact that bodybuilders eat 5-6 meals a day
Click to expand...

The whole "large number of small meals a day" was taken from blood glucose level studies done on normal people. The goal is to keep your blood glucose level as even as possible throughout the day, to prevent insulin spiking, which tends to signal the body to store fat.
 
It also keeps food in your stomach, which means you don't feel like you're starving.

if you think about it, that's why most people snack...its the 'between 3 square meals' where people usually go over their caloric needs, causing them to put on fat.

make snacking work for you.
 
thanks very much for all the replies, i'll definitely take what you said into consideration. I just got an electric steamer for Christmas so no excuse for not eating veggies and protein now! :D
 
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