Any dieticians here? (Trying to lose weight but worried bout protein shakes sabotage)

[Aaron p]

Yeah so as the title suggests I'm concerned that my meal replacement protein shakes are inhibiting my weight loss. 

My metabolism is quite slow and I'm a good smidge overweight. But I'm 5ft9/10inch tall and I'm broad and naturally muscular so I carry it well.

I'm using the meal replacement protein shakes at morning and night instead of breakfast and late night snack (like crisps). 

I do low physical activity but trying to do more. Doing walks 1-3 times a week and doing moderate weight lifting sessions focusing on lower weight higher reps.

 

A good diet day for me would look like this:

1 meal replacement protein shake (with creatine) @10am > 4 eggs and a banana @3pm > white chicken breast + some beans at maybe 6pm > 1 meal replacement protein shake around 10pm or 11pm.

 

Drinking water lots through the day.

 

Steering minimise carbs (bread, rice, pasta) and trying to mix some fruit and veg in there.

 

 

(I allow myself a cheat meal once or twice a week). I don't want to try lose weight rapidly I'm more focused on long term maintenance and not starving myself (i.e. I enjoy it and feel relatively full). I'm 15.5 stone currently, but as I say I'm very muscular naturally so I carry it well.)

 

Is my plan alright? (I'm also avoiding things heavy in fats and calories like nuts.) I like sugar free malt wheat Tesco cereal.

[josemar]

What are the calories in your meals? 

People normally use meal replacement shakes when trying to gain weight, I doubt they are less calories than lets say 2 boiled eggs for breakfast

[Aaron p]

1 hour ago, josemar said:

What are the calories in your meals? 

People normally use meal replacement shakes when trying to gain weight, I doubt they are less calories than lets say 2 boiled eggs for breakfast

@josemar here's the side of my meal replacement protein powder cases:

- 2 scoops is 222kcals and I use one scoop per shake so each shake is *111kcals.

- 1 bowl of Tesco malt wheat cereal is about 300kcals.

- 3 eggs is about 280-290kcals

- 4 eggs is about 350-360kcals

- 1 Med banana about 100kcals

- 1 large breast of chicken 375kcals

- 1 can beans 325kcals.

[josemar]

Ok, so just under 2000 calories a day? You didn't say how long you've been following this diet, and any weight loss? If there's no weight loss, may want to look into the cheat meals, easy to put away 5000calories, which is more than 2 days worth.

Weigh yourself once a week  in the morning at the same time.

[Aaron p]

12 hours ago, josemar said:

Ok, so just under 2000 calories a day? You didn't say how long you've been following this diet, and any weight loss? If there's no weight loss, may want to look into the cheat meals, easy to put away 5000calories, which is more than 2 days worth.

Weigh yourself once a week  in the morning at the same time.

@josemar yeah good idea

[Aaron p]

1 hour ago, Michael569 said:

The plan might work and get you some initial weight loss but it is hard to tell whether it will be sustainable and whether it is the best approach. 

Once you start restricting carbohydrates, your body will be getting rid of water because muscle glycogen is chemically attached to H20.This is responsible for quick weight loss people get on keto. Its not subcutaneous fat, it is water. 

You will of course lose weight as long as you exert more calories than you consume so in the grand scheme of things you'll lose weight, it doesn't matter what you eat as long as it is in caloric deficiency....

...but...there are caveats

• the diet suggested above is heavily reliant on meal replacement shakes which might work early on but the question is "are you prepared to stay on meal shakes forever? What happens when you go off them in 3 months? 
• the approach is restricting normal food. The food you eat isn't just about calories and macros. You are getting tons of other components like phytochemicals, polyphenols, fibre, essential fatty acids etc. My concern would be that overly restricting natural foods could, for example, restrict your fibre intake which might have negative effect down the line such as microbiom disruption, metabolic damage, increased radical oxidative damage from reduced intake of antioxidants etc etc. 
• Also, and I hope this won't sound judgemental, forgive me if it does. But it seems to me like you're not approaching the issue with the solution, that it is more like you are trying to "cheat" weight loss with meal replacements. It might not be a sustainable long term approach and its like you are not allowing yourself to go through that mental transition of learning deeper about nutrition and the nuances of weight loss, instead it feels as tho you are kinda throwing out the baby with bathwater and getting rid of it all. I can also tell from the need to have cheat meals which tells me that part of your mind considers this too restrictive and needs a break every couple days. Again hope this doesn't seem like I'm critising you, I'm not but sorry if it comes across that way, I think it needs to be pointed out tho. 

So yeah in a conclusion it might work and probably will early on but just be careful to manage carefully so that you aren't restricting normal food too much and don't cause yourself issues down the line through restriction of fibre and other things. 

@Michael569 I very much welcome constructive criticism, it's the only way I learn.

A lot of this seems interesting, could I send you a pm

[D2sage]

Keto diet.

Or consume chia seeds <<-- fiber rich and expands in your stomach to make you feel full so you dont overeat

Edited May 21 by D2sage

[PsychedelicEagle]

Use the Cronometer app and track all your food intake. Use a food scale to weigh everything you cook and everything you ingest. Weight yourself constantly and adjust accordingly.

Favor fiber over protein. We only need 0.8 g of protein/kg of bodyweight (see Valter Longo's research). Individuals who aren't physically active, in particular, should remain closer to the 0.8 g target. The more you exercise the more protein you can include. Be aware that protein sources in nature are often coupled with high amounts of fat (e.g., nuts, as you mentioned, but also meat, eggs, and dairy). The exception are legumes (and grains, although these contain more carbs).

Natural carbohydrates are our best friends for losing weight. Whole foods naturally high in carbs are basically fruits, which are low in fat and high in fiber, therefore having a low caloric density. E.g., strawberries, watermelon, etc. Just some ideas -- I'm saying this because people often try to avoid carbs as much as possible when in fact the other macros (protein and fat) are also significantly if not most prominently contributing to weight gain.

Edited June 12 by PsychedelicEagle

[Aaron p]

@D2sage 

On 21/05/2025 at 5:42 PM, D2sage said:

Keto diet.

Or consume chia seeds <<-- fiber rich and expands in your stomach to make you feel full so you dont overeat

Nice chai seeds, fiber, awesome.

 

3 hours ago, PsychedelicEagle said:

Use the Cronometer app and track all your food intake. Use a food scale to weigh everything you cook and everything you ingest. Weight yourself constantly and adjust accordingly.

Favor fiber over protein. We only need 0.8 g of protein/kg of bodyweight (see Valter Longo's research). Individuals who aren't physically active, in particular, should remain closer to the 0.8 g target. The more you exercise the more protein you can include. Be aware that protein sources in nature are often coupled with high amounts of fat (e.g., nuts, as you mentioned, but also meat, eggs, and dairy). The exception are legumes (and grains, although these contain more carbs).

Natural carbohydrates are our best friends for losing weight. Whole foods naturally high in carbs are basically fruits, which are low in fat and high in fiber, therefore having a low caloric density. E.g., strawberries, watermelon, etc. Just some ideas -- I'm saying this because people often try to avoid carbs as much as possible when in fact the other macros (protein and fat) are also significantly if not most prominently contributing to weight gain.

@PsychedelicEagle ok so im gathering that I need to pay attention to my fiber intake. Legumes seem good. Legumes and chai seeds...

Also I was using the app snapcalorie to monitor my caloric intake. It's good, you photograph your meals and give a brief description and it uses ai to calculate the amount of kcals...seems good so far. 

I got some canned spinach in salt water and tried to eat it but it looks and tastes like weird baby food. I'll maybe get a taste for it. But legumes and chai seeds... interesting...

Ty guys, appreciate all the advice 🫶🏼

[ShardMare]

Its all about calories at the end of the day

Focus on the micros not so much on protein. Beans are not bioavailable, dont contain much nutrition. Although they contain lot of fiber. Fiber is unhealthy we cannot digest it. It just creates gas. Although u can lose weight with it.

Not enough animal fat i think. 

Only drink water when ur thirsty, listen to urbody. Otherwise u flush out minerals.

Grains are not that healthy for the gut. Fruits are ok tho

[PsychedelicEagle]

22 hours ago, ShardMare said:

Fiber is unhealthy we cannot digest it.

True, only the 50 trillion bacteria in our gut can.

Fiber is arguably the most overlooked macronutrient of our times.

 

[sholomar]

A good diet plan. It's ultimately calories in/out despite what people say about what types of foods to eat. Of course keeping carbs moderate at best is better than a super high carb/fructose diet. Your inclusion of eggs is excellent for the choline which helps prevent buildup of liver fat, acting as a methyl donor, among other benefits. 

Consider adding in a cheap daily multivitamin, say great value brand mature multis, and foods sugar free greek yogurt is a good choice, with milled flaxseed mixed in is delicious adds fiber and beneficial fats, and mixing in peanut powder with the vanilla greek yogurt is addicting but adds some protein. 

I don't eat bowls of cereal for breakfast, I eat bowls of frozen blueberries or mixed berries, with low calorie almond milk and a vanilla type protein powder mixed in... this protein powder is quite delicious... 

https://www.sixstarpro.com/products/100-whey-protein-plus-frosted-flakes?variant=44209294475508

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Wild-Blueberries-40-oz-Frozen/700604894

Canned low sodium chicken is a staple of mine also....

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Less-Sodium-Chunk-Chicken-Breast-with-Rib-Meat-in-Water-Fully-Cooked-12-5-Ounce-Can/42613740

A healthy meal I like to make....

https://ibb.co/6x79knZ

Edited June 21 by sholomar

[Aaron p]

Okay homies check it out. Progress report. I have lost just under one stone 🔥👌🏼 mega progress. 

Basically I've just been using the app snap calorie and weighing myself every day. I found that I enjoy drinking water from my water bottle if it has ribena dilutenant in it. So I just do that and I drink a lot more water. 

I've been avoiding dairy (taking skimmed milk where possible over semi-skinned or full fat) avoiding things like cheese and butter. 

I've been careful to not drink my calories at all. 

 

In terms of what food I'm filling up on I'm now filling up on chicken thighs, lentils and maybe rice every now and again. Red and green lentils are the bomb. I just make a massive batch and put them in the fridge. Sometimes if I'm hungry I don't even heat them I just scoop 1 cup full up and toss them into my mouth one mouthful at a time and fucking swallow them whole with water gulp gulp gulp. I see it as nearly medication rather than food. Fills me so well it's unbelievable. 

 

This in combination with the meal replacement protein shakes and boiled eggs (I make about 20 to 30 at one time and refrigerate them) is actually resulted in weight loss and muscle gain. I'm naturally quite large and broad so the protein that I'm consuming is resulting in me getting more muscular. I noticed something strange, I've lost nearly a stone but I also have stretch marks around my belly developing. I think this means I'm actually getting more muscular. 

This is super funny because I must be getting more muscular than I realize to be losing weight and getting stretch marks at the same fucking time lol wtf. 

 

Anyway yeah I've got a before picture and I'm just waiting until I hit about 14st 7lbs to take an after pic. So I need to take off another stone and a bit.

I think chicken thighs are way better than chicken breasts because you can just lift them with the bone and eat them not to mention their slightly more fatty making them more delicious while still being a very healthy option. I also learned that just fucking douse the chicken in seasoning and just absolutely cover it cuz it adds zero calories but adds 100% flavor. Shits fire 🔥

And for snacks I'm just eating pickles and strawberries... They are so delicious and so low on calories it's incredible. Some fat-free Greek yogurt is okay sometimes too. 

 

 

Guys I think I'm going to be sexy in a couple months, I've already got the face. Also because I've got the natural broad build and I am continuing to take a lot of protein I think I'm going to become pretty lean. If I keep going like this I think I'm going to look like how Zac Efron looked in that movie Baywatch

[Schizophonia]

I would just do a cycle of steroids, DNP, Ozempic or something like that lol

Or I would just have one meal a day, healthier obviously and there is the benefit of simplicity.

Edited June 26 by Schizophonia

[Aaron p]

On 26/06/2025 at 11:29 AM, Schizophonia said:

I would just do a cycle of steroids, DNP, Ozempic or something like that lol

Or I would just have one meal a day, healthier obviously and there is the benefit of simplicity.

Recipe For disaster, beyond the health compromises... The gynecomastia would come after me and slap my ass in the face. Fuck that, my tits are big enough. Bro I'm broad as fuck already, if I started hitting heavy workouts, protein shakes AND steroids, I'd look like some kind of genetic experiment gone too right (I'd look way too muscular). I'd be fucking ginormous (not good). Plus when you come off the roads you basically lose the muscle, do you not? Plus I hate weights. I prefer walking.

Edited June 27 by Aaron p

[Schizophonia]

3 hours ago, Aaron p said:

Recipe For disaster, beyond the health compromises... The gynecomastia would come after me and slap my ass in the face.

By steroids I thought about testosterone.

Testosterone rarely cause gynecomastia.

Quote

Fuck that, my tits are big enough. Bro I'm broad as fuck already, if I started hitting heavy workouts, protein shakes AND steroids, I'd look like some kind of genetic experiment gone too right (I'd look way too muscular). I'd be fucking ginormous (not good).

Ditto, testosterone isn’t enough for that.

Quote

Plus when you come off the roads you basically lose the muscle, do you not? Plus I hate weights. I prefer walking.

Prolonged exposition to high dosages of testosterone definitely improves body composition even after stooping, I saw a study about it and it seems it’s true for myself.

Btw nevermind I half sayed that for kidding.

Edited June 27 by Schizophonia

[Aaron p]

@Schizophonia can you link any resources about the body comp thing man

 

But bro, the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the GPT, says this: 

 

Edited June 27 by Aaron p

[Aaron p]

@Schizophonia gpt also says this homie:

 

---

AI START

---

Yes, it is very likely — in fact, it is almost guaranteed — that taking testosterone injections will cause a significant suppression of your body’s natural testosterone production while you're on it. Here's the breakdown:

 

---

🔬 What happens when you take testosterone?

 

The body senses a high level of testosterone in the blood.

This triggers a negative feedback loop: the hypothalamus and pituitary shut down the signal (GnRH → LH & FSH) that tells the testes to produce testosterone.

Result: Testicular production shuts down, sperm production often drops, and the testicles may shrink.

---

🧠 Is the suppression permanent?

 

Short-term use (e.g. a few weeks/months): Natural production can bounce back, especially in young men, but not always fully.

Longer use (months to years): The risk of long-term or even permanent suppression goes up.

Some men never fully recover baseline testosterone without medical intervention (like Clomid or hCG).

Recovery time: After stopping testosterone, it can take months or longer for the body to attempt a restart — and it may not fully succeed.

---

 

🔥 Summary:

> Taking testosterone injections almost always suppresses your natural testosterone production.

Recovery is not guaranteed and depends on your genetics, age, dose, duration, and whether you use post-cycle therapies.

---

AI END

---

 

So looks a bit risky still man, ill probs pass on this one. Feel free to link the resources though I know gpt can have wrong or overly careful results sometimes.

Edited June 27 by Aaron p

[Schizophonia]

9 hours ago, Aaron p said:

@Schizophonia gpt also says this homie:

 

---

AI START

---

Yes, it is very likely — in fact, it is almost guaranteed — that taking testosterone injections will cause a significant suppression of your body’s natural testosterone production while you're on it. Here's the breakdown:

 

---

🔬 What happens when you take testosterone?

 

The body senses a high level of testosterone in the blood.

This triggers a negative feedback loop: the hypothalamus and pituitary shut down the signal (GnRH → LH & FSH) that tells the testes to produce testosterone.

Result: Testicular production shuts down, sperm production often drops, and the testicles may shrink.

---

🧠 Is the suppression permanent?

 

Short-term use (e.g. a few weeks/months): Natural production can bounce back, especially in young men, but not always fully.

Longer use (months to years): The risk of long-term or even permanent suppression goes up.

Some men never fully recover baseline testosterone without medical intervention (like Clomid or hCG).

Recovery time: After stopping testosterone, it can take months or longer for the body to attempt a restart — and it may not fully succeed.

---

 

🔥 Summary:

> Taking testosterone injections almost always suppresses your natural testosterone production.

Recovery is not guaranteed and depends on your genetics, age, dose, duration, and whether you use post-cycle therapies.

---

AI END

---

 

So looks a bit risky still man, ill probs pass on this one. Feel free to link the resources though I know gpt can have wrong or overly careful results sometimes.

Yes it’s true.

Testosterone level comes back normal one to two week after stopping.

Immediately if you used HCG.

[Aaron p]

Progress update, ive been eating chicken thighs, broccoli, cauliflower, boiled eggs and ***red lentils*** and ive lost 1st 4lbs in like a month. Super happy, actually shocked at how easy it is when you just get the super effective magic pill and exploit it. For me the magic pill is red lentils, i eat a cup of them every day for breakfast, 1 chicken thigh , a couple eggs, a protein shake and some vegies and the weight is dropping off me like a used condom. 1 cup of red lentils is like 230 kcals and it fills you for like 7 hours, especially when washed down with a diet whey meal replacement protein shake. 

>Guys, red lentils are the 5meo of weight loss< 

They're so easy to cook as well, you just cook a shit ton, freeze half of it and eat a cup a day, all the energy you could ever want.*