Day Forty-Five

Dear Katie and all of my wonderful followers/readers,

The protein shakes are back on! So given my success last week, I am retracting my declaration to swear off all protein shakes. I did not reveal how I altered a few things regarding the shake in-take last week. So here is the scoop.

First of all, I stopped making them for dessert. And then I reduced the size of the shakes and I cut out the fruit. For instance, I would have one for breakfast. I did this once and then I had one as the afternoon snack and then one day for lunch. The lunch was the toughest because I was famished by dinner and that was the night I ate popcorn and the small bowl of Fiber One.

How did I have so many and still lose weight. I changed the recipe. I reduced the sugar, and the size. Here are the components and doses:

1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (Trader Joes)
1/4 cup of milled flax seed (Red Mill)
1/4 cup of oats (Red Mill Thick)
1 scoop protein powder
8 0z of Naked Juice (but the high protein versions w/30 grams)
4 0z of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla
hand full of ice (1/2 cup)

sometimes some blueberries
sometimes 4 oz of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla

The Almond Breeze would reduce the thickness so it made it easier to swallow through a straw. The thickness factor does slow down your consumption rate, which in my case is needed.

I think the key here is the reduction of the juice carbs and less yogurt and the fact that the portions (calories) were much smaller. The high protein Naked juice is chalky but since there is a ton of graininess anyway, due to all the fiber (the oats and flax seed), I did not mind it.

All the fiber really helped "move" things along. Who needs Metamucil? The changes kept the shakes thick and filling. And it helped with the sweet attacks.

I have been using a chocolate protein powder from EAS. Not my favorite. In these fruity shakes I prefer vanilla, but I have always been a vanilla guy. When I drank the protein powders on their own, I found "Champion Whey" to be the best tasting. I found it at Nutrition Express, a supplemental on-line store But I don't want to pay $80 bucks for a 5lb jar. So buying EAS Vanilla will be a permanent store item once I run out of the chocolate which will be soon.

I will be back tomorrow.

BFST--1 cup bowl of fiber one and my Almond Breeze
LNCH--Spicy Combo Sushi w/brown rice. I have been asking for extra wasabi and ginger and reducing my low sodium soy sauce to just a couple of drops per pc as opposed to drenching them.
DNR--Suz make a Corned Beef with carrots and brussel sprouts.
DSRT--one of my famous shakes. (wont do this again this week for dessert)