Why avoid liquid meals (aka weight gainers)?

**ascendant** · 04-27-2006, 11:50 PM

The general consensus seems to be that if you can take in whole foods, they're preferred over shakes. I just don't know where the reasoning comes from for this though?

For one of my meals, I mix 4 scoops of Cytogainer into 2 cups of water. I bartend part-time, so I don't have the option oftentimes of sitting down to eat and the shake is all I can do while bartending.

The Cytogainer contains high quality whey protein and maltodextrin, but a form that is low on the GI, so it would seem to be a fairly sound meal. All the other ingredients except the sucralose seem ok, so I'm just wondering why it is that most people think liquid meals are a bad call?

Also, if liquid meals are a bad choice, why is it just about everyone downs shakes as their PWO meal? If someone can make sense of this for me, I'd really appreciate it.

**Kale** · 04-27-2006, 11:51 PM

I have five shakes and day and it sure isnt hurting me !!!!

**marcus300** · 04-27-2006, 11:55 PM

I try to get as much good clean food as i possible can in but when i cant eat anymore i drink it,

**lc1987** · 04-28-2006, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by ascendant

The general consensus seems to be that if you can take in whole foods, they're preferred over shakes. I just don't know where the reasoning comes from for this though?

For one of my meals, I mix 4 scoops of Cytogainer into 2 cups of water. I bartend part-time, so I don't have the option oftentimes of sitting down to eat and the shake is all I can do while bartending.

The Cytogainer contains high quality whey protein and maltodextrin, but a form that is low on the GI, so it would seem to be a fairly sound meal. All the other ingredients except the sucralose seem ok, so I'm just wondering why it is that most people think liquid meals are a bad call?

Also, if liquid meals are a bad choice, why is it just about everyone downs shakes as their PWO meal? If someone can make sense of this for me, I'd really appreciate it.

people take protein shake for pwo because liquid absorbs into your body faster than whole foods. also i beleive people preffer whole foods because it helps them get full. if you drink shakes all day do you thik it will satisfy you?
my only concern is that when i post my diet on this site, i try adding shakes with my whole meal for extra protein but some people say it's too much whey. i do not see the difference to be honest except you are just having protein shake as a meal which is a problem for me because i am always hungry. hope this helps.

**Giants11** · 04-28-2006, 07:59 AM

Here's what I said in another thread yesterday:

Thermic Effect of Food

And he is correct this is a main benefit of whole foods. Also whole foods offer far more in the way of satiety, because it takes much longer to digest them. Which also gives you the benefit of a constant flow of Amino's in the blood stream, which also.......Etc.....You get the point. Whole foods will always be supierior.

**lc1987** · 04-28-2006, 10:18 AM

that's what i do man i down shakes if i'm at work i go to the back and down it as fast as i can so the manager won't see me lol. they're kinda strict. i also add flax into my shake because it's not considered a meal if you are only gonna have 120 cal. but shakes do not fill me up no way i use it for emergency purposes only.

**chest6** · 04-28-2006, 10:28 AM

ditto. I usually rely on them moreso while at work. I'll try to squeeze in a bag of tuna instead but sometimes its hard

**ascendant** · 04-28-2006, 10:57 AM

well as far as it not filling you up, i have no problems with that cause i'm bulking and it's hard enough for me to pound down all the calories i need. as far as it digesting fast, i eat again within 2 1/2 hours after i finish the shake at most, and saying as my burps still smell like the shake at that point, there's still some sitting in my stomach at that point, so no concerns about it all having been digested already.

i guess all in all, adding shakes really just depends on your goals. saying as i have 5 solid meals a day and only 2 liquid, going by everyones info in here, i think i'll be fine. thanks guys.

**SwoleCat** · 04-28-2006, 12:09 PM

When dieting shakes go out the window.

~SC~

**biglouie250** · 04-28-2006, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

When dieting shakes go out the window.

~SC~

why is that?

**mitch911** · 04-28-2006, 12:55 PM

you would be slowing your metabolism down, and thats the last thing you want when trying to loose fat

**taiotosh7** · 04-28-2006, 01:05 PM

You ALWAYS want to have real food. That's why they call them supplements because they are supplementing the real thing. Where as bodybuilders need extra calories, proteins, carbs, ect. it is more convenient to consume a shake to get in what extra you will need on top of food. Also it would be hard to get in 30g of staight whey protein right after a work out through good quality food every day.....I'd say more for convenience, but some people get more cals and protein from shakes than they do real food, that is the concern

**SwoleCat** · 04-28-2006, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by biglouie250

why is that?

I should have noted that this is what I personally do, my bad.

~SC~

**BITTAPART2** · 04-28-2006, 02:56 PM

everyone responds differently, i get tired of this anti-shake BS. I am one of those whis have used shakes w/ much success. bulking I will drink the dogsheit out of them but I make sure and get 4 whole food meals in w/ shakes in between. I need around 5k cals ED while bulking for my size and to get that all from whole food sources is a crazy amount of food. even when dieting I drink isolate protien mixed w/ water all the time.

**Kale** · 04-28-2006, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by BITTAPART2

everyone responds differently, i get tired of this anti-shake BS. I am one of those whis have used shakes w/ much success. bulking I will drink the dogsheit out of them but I make sure and get 4 whole food meals in w/ shakes in between. I need around 5k cals ED while bulking for my size and to get that all from whole food sources is a crazy amount of food. even when dieting I drink isolate protien mixed w/ water all the time.

I am with you bro !