Food vs shakes

Jin · Feb 10, 2019

1) a calorie is a calorie. Doesn’t matter if it’s from pop tarts or oats.

2) food is superior to supplements/shakes.

These are two opinions often expressed on this board and they are incongruous.

So, which is it?

notsoswoleCPA · Feb 10, 2019

I find that food satisfies my appetite more than supplements/shakes do. My own experience with this was back in 2016 when I had two pre-molars removed and began a 6+ month process of healing for dental implants. It was just too hard to eat my usual diet since I was limited to soft foods. As a result, I made a lot of protein shakes and smoothies to fill the bill with the calories. Even though I was hitting my calorie goal per day, I found I was always hungry on the shakes versus if I had been able to eat regular food.

Even now, I still supplement with protein/meal replacement shakes to hit a certain protein target for the day. I don't know about anyone else here, but I have a hard time eating 200+ grams of protein from whole foods on a daily basis. As a result, I find myself forcing food down and I don't like doing that either.

Unfortunately, I can't say how food vs supplements/shakes helped my gains as I was in the infant stages of my training at the time. Even if my gains were hindered, it's hard to know how much of that hindrance was due to my body healing up the jawbone by fusing it to the titanium inserts. I've heard it preached many times throughout my life that the body has a hard time serving multiple masters, and healing from surgery along with recovery from workouts seems to top that list of multiple masters that the body hates serving.

Thatgoodfellow · Feb 10, 2019

I get most my calories from beer.

jennerrator · Feb 10, 2019

Well this is a personal preference...I eat clean and have clean shakes!

German89 · Feb 10, 2019

Jin said:
1) a calorie is a calorie. Doesn’t matter if it’s from pop tarts or oats.

2) food is superior to supplements/shakes.

These are two opinions often expressed on this board and they are incongruous.

So, which is it?

1. A calorie is a calorie. That's why I have lucky charms every day

2. I dont do protein shakes any more. Pointless.

Seeker · Feb 10, 2019

of course food should always matter more and one should never get to a point where relying on just shakes becomes a bad habit but having said that there is nothing wrong with adding a shake to your day. I enjoy them and in some situations they have become useful to meet a target. The food vs shake shouldn't even be a damn debate.

PillarofBalance · Feb 10, 2019

Generally speaking the shake isn't optimal for a trained bodybuilder/powerlifter type. Hitting protein macros is a part of the game and we all can do it. You do it for years and you just get used to it.

For a more beginner type, subbing shakes for food can lead to less calories being consumed overall and therefore less growth.

Jin · Feb 10, 2019

Seeker said:
of course food should always matter more and one should never get to a point where relying on just shakes becomes a bad habit .

I’m not saying you’re wrong but I don’t understand why this is so (besides micronutrients, fiber etc)

Uncle manny · Feb 10, 2019

I’ve always said real food is best but living in the real world there are times you don’t have access to a meal or time to eat it so a shake will do fine no big deal nothing wrong with that. As for calorie vs calorie, that’s a little bit complex/controversial. IIFYM was big years ago people fitting all kinds of crap in their diet hitting their macros making gains/losing weight. However, in the big picture after a while of eating garbage that fits, but isn’t nutrient dense, there can be physiological side effects.

Jin · Feb 10, 2019

PillarofBalance said:
Generally speaking the shake isn't optimal for a trained bodybuilder/powerlifter type. .

I promise I’m not trying to be a pest! Why isn’t it optimal?

Example: whey, carb powder(complex),fiber, OO

John Ziegler · Feb 10, 2019

in the bulking phases eat as much as you can then wash it down with the shake for good measure

jennerrator · Feb 10, 2019

Here we go again..different goals...different lifestyles...

Jin · Feb 10, 2019

John Ziegler said:
in the bulking phases eat as much as you can then wash it down with the shake for good measure

I do this.

This has nothing to do with my question

Spongy · Feb 10, 2019

Jin said:
I promise I’m not trying to be a pest! Why isn’t it optimal?

Example: whey, carb powder(complex),fiber, OO

Like you said in a previous post, micronutrients, etc... Different absorption times, different bioavailability, vastly different gastrointestinal response.

PillarofBalance · Feb 10, 2019

Jin said:
I promise I’m not trying to be a pest! Why isn’t it optimal?

Example: whey, carb powder(complex),fiber, OO

You would be hungry and broke and probably have the schitz.

I guess I should go back to the original question. You asking about subbing all food with shakes or just having a shake here and there in addition to?

Seeker · Feb 10, 2019

Jin said:
I’m not saying you’re wrong but I don’t understand why this is so (besides micronutrients, fiber etc)

well you pretty much just said it. Shakes aren't meant to be meal replacements. They are meant for supplemental use.. They are not as balanced nutritionally as whole foods

John Ziegler · Feb 10, 2019

jennerrator said:
Here we go again..different goals...different lifestyles...

& dont forget about sexual orientations :32 (16):

Jin · Feb 10, 2019

PillarofBalance said:
You would be hungry and broke and probably have the schitz.

I guess I should go back to the original question. You asking about subbing all food with shakes or just having a shake here and there in addition to?

I want to know what scientifically sound answer we give a newbie who asks “why is food superior to shakes?”

because I don’t have a good answer for that other than the aforementioned going broke and having the squirts.

Spongy · Feb 10, 2019

Jin said:
I want to know what scientifically sound answer we give a newbie who asks “why is food superior to shakes?”

because I don’t have a good answer for that other than the aforementioned going broke and having the squirts.

Micronutrients, absorption rates, bioavailability, and gastrointestinal response.

PillarofBalance · Feb 10, 2019

Jin said:
I want to know what scientifically sound answer we give a newbie who asks “why is food superior to shakes?”

because I don’t have a good answer for that other than the aforementioned going broke and having the squirts.

But you also said fiber micronutrients etc...

2 posts where people gave you the answer and you say other than

You wanna take this outside?

Food vs shakes

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