my thoughts on protein shakes.

this is probably going to be WAY more information on protein shakes than any of you care about.  oh well.  i like getting my thoughts written down.

when i first wake up i drink a full glass of water.  this is so essential when your body has been deprived of water for t he last 6-8 hours while you were sleeping. i wake up at 7:00 and get brady off to school.  

most mornings i have a protein shake to start out the day at about 8:30.  I try to eat another snack with a complex carb and a protein about 2-3 hours later, and so on.  

i LOVE protein shakes.  you probably don't hear that very often. but here's why:  i do NOT like cereal, and most of the time i am so busy trying to get everyone else ready and going in the morning that i forget to eat.  if i make up a shake i can drink it and tote it around with me. it fills me up with very few calories and helps me stay on track with my daily goals.  i don't count calories anymore.  i pretty much know after two months of counting calories how much each small meal should be.

i try to eat like this:

8:30- protein shake
10:30-11:30- small snack (such as small apple with 10 almonds)
1:30-2:30- small lunch or another protein shake
4:30ish- small snack
6:30/7- dinner (this is the biggest meal of the day by far, but I have been trying really hard to eat smaller, appropriate portions and not go back for seconds, unless it is salad or vegetables
9-10- small 3 oz. protein right before bed (i'm not always good at remembering this one)


usually i don't like my shakes to be very sweet. i also like them to be on the thinner side, so i usually double the liquid called for and drink a 20 oz. smoothie. i find that this also helps me get more water in early on in the morning and it fills me up longer.

i've been using melaluca protein powder for the last year and like it pretty well.  when i can afford it i plan on using some from shakeology as well. their quality and ingredients is superior to anything else i've seen.

in the past i have also used whey protein by jillian michaels and protein powder from arbonne.  i lost 40 lbs. using both of those. arbonne after having brady, and jillian after having olivia.  i think i get a better product and better price with melaleuca and am no longer a consultant from arbonne, so i can't buy theirs.  i would still be buying theirs if i was still a consultant.

so, to sum it up.  i like protein powder.  i like that i can throw in any frozen or fresh fruit i want.  i like that i can toss in some veggies and a couple handfuls of kale or spinach, or even romaine.  i like that it is filling and fast and i can drink on the go.  i like that it's helping me with my weight loss goals.