Protein bars as meal replacement

I try to eat 6 times a day.  I find that if 2 of these are protein bars/shakes and the other 4 are meals it works for me.  I  try  to use the Cliff Builder Bars or Power Bar Plus ones as they have 20 or more grams or protein and make me feel full for longer.  Eating more small meals and with protein will keep up your energy and stops me from eating junk.

I'm sure you know this, judging from your question, but keep in mind even if you are able to drop 10 pounds quickly through some serious calorie limitation, you're not going to be able to sustain it for very long, and you'll risk overeating as soon as you try to return a more regular diet.

like most people on this site i try to eat every 3 -4 hours or so, i have used pure protein bars for inbetween meals or a protein shake with fat free milk, berries, oats, bananas, and sometimes peanut butter and it holds me over for some time..it took me awhile to get used to eating this way, afterall it was my eating habits that got me to over 260 lbs !!!!

Good luck !!!

Since I added swimming recently in the routine (doing this almost every weekday), I am getting hungry very quickly

Coffee and .5x cliff bar at 8am.

1xbanana at 10am

starving at noon!

Damn it! I am trying to loose weight.

I'm convinced there is something in chlorine that stimulates the appetite.

I'm no nutritional expert and everyone's body reacts differently to foods.... but, just purely counting calories is only part of the equation IMHO.  What kind of calories you ingest AND what your body does with them is the rest of it.

Cliff bars have a high amount of sugar/carbs to them.  This is great for certain times like post race food for myself, but other times, it's basically spiking my insulin levels such that my body is storing as fat what it's not burning up.  Also, I love bananas too, but they are a high glycemic impact food, again spiking blood sugar levels which in turns triggers insulin levels.  So for me, after a race is fine... but that's about it while still in a weight loss phase myself.  Again, your reactions could be totally different than the next person, but the swings in blood sugar levels and not having a balance of proteins are likely causing the hunger to kick in like it is.

Maybe try whole grain oatmeal (with low amounts of sugar) instead of the banana and a hard boild egg or two instead of the cliff bar and see what happens at noon. Some also find that taking 2 or 3 fish oil pills in the morning can also help curb appetite through a good part of the day.

Just a few thoughts... good luck!

For weight loss, nutrition and feeling good, I eat "Coaches Oats" (Costco) in the AM.  It holds me longer.  Maybe a couple of eggs mid-morning.  I also use xxxxxxx 3 primary products - Spam (powered multivitamin) in the morning, xxxxxxx Isalean Shakes every few hours,  and Cleanse for Life with Isaflush nightly.  I have a low-carb, low-fat meal in the evening about 5.  It works and I never really feel hungry.

The xxxxxxx stuff is top quality without a massive price tag.  I got turned onto it by seeing satisfaction from a Ironman athlete, several fitness instructors, a female trithlete, a policeman and a fireman - all in good shape.  And then from several "normal" people who are trimming down.  xxxxxxx also has a yummy protein bar but are a little more money than over the counter alternatives.

If you're interested in the products, I can get you in touch with my distributor.

Mike

weird that the product name was messed up like that...I'm not spamming anything, just sharing with you what I've used. I started @ 281 on Jan 31. Now @ 266.

i  s  a  g  e  n  i  x

7 am glass of oj and piece of [peanut butter toast

9 am fiber1 bar

11 am lunch

1 pm Nature Valley bar

3 pm trail mix

6 Dinner before dinner I drink 2 huge glasses of water to make me feel full

8- handful of almons

I have found that if I try to drastically lower the amount of food I eat, I don't lose any weight, I am not sure if my body gets nervous about not enough coming in or what.

Now the times I posted are not dead on but pretty close

Eat real food not protein bars which are highly processed. Many have sugar which spikes your insulin and leaves you hungry and craving more sugar in a couple hours.

Lots of other low cal options other than salad but salads fill you up and are low in calories. Think of easy food that you like that are real food...veggies, fruit and protein are best to eat.

Swimming often makes you hungry as it lowers your body core, being cold brings out the fall time to store fat now to survive the winter thing our body does. After you swim take a hot shower, hot tub, go in the sauna to raise your core body temp and you won't be as hungry.

Good advice on post-swim. Thanks KathyG.

I was never a big fan of heavy dressing (some folks at my office use ladles of it in their 'salad'). But would some dressing be okay? Generally no more than a tablespoon in a full salad for me.

What is the consensus on peanut butter sandwich for lunch? I estimate about 350-400calories (200 on bread and 150-200 on PB) but its good cholestrol and some protein. Yay or nay?

Find salad dressing you like that is low in calories. I like some of the Paul Neuman low calories ones.....so full serving of my favorite is 30 calories.

If you have PB sandwich...don't use regular PB but natural often needs to be in fridge...Smart Balance is good otherwise it is like eating shortening. Also what kind of bread do you pick? 100% whole grain that is low in calorie is better option than 200 calories of bread. They have 100 calorie type sandwiches rolls that are very thin that we have and my kids make for school lunches.  Just look at what you choose as there are better choices.

Natural no sugar added applesauce and cottage cheese is quick easy small meal and both come in individual packs.

Meticulousness and dedication of BT folks always sets a new level in my world. You guys are better than any health website(s) put together. 

I will cater to cottage cheese for between meals. Thats a good choice. About PB sandwich... its a large slice of bread thus so many calories. But to counter it, I slice the sandwich in half and eat it over couple of hours. Helps me spread the calories a little. 

Ps - I am using natural PB rather than skippy or shelf brand. 

Best low cal salad dressing ever isn't an official dressing at all -- look for balsalmic glaze in the condiment aisle -- 17 calories for a tablespoon, and you don't even need that much.  It's thick so clings to your greens better and is very tasty.

Protein bars are not a good meal replacement, as Kathy said, way too much sugar.  Fill up with veggies as much as possible.  Hard boiled eggs are a good breakfast source of protein, or even better, I make "egg cups" in a muffin tin that are 2 scrambled eggs with a little cheese, peppers and spinach or broccoli or asparagus (and have enough for a week with one hour of cooking).  Sticks to your ribs!  The banana is also high sugar.  Try adding some greek yogurt to that banana for more protein.  Hummus and peppers and celery is a great high protein snack as well.  I've found that my weight loss has improved as I've spread out my eating more and focussed it on more high-protein and veggies.  Good luck!