Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone has an opinion and, in turn, can give me some advice about these shakes.

My sister's friend sells Plexus and she and her mom did the whole deal and then my sister recommended her/it to my mom -- who is an avid Advocare Vitamin user anyway -- and of course my mom wanted me to try it with her since the friend's mom supposedly had success with the Plexus and was able to stop taking her thyroid medicine (mentionable because I have hypothyroidism). I was skeptical. Naturally. I have my own list of attempted and failed diets and I really didn't want to add another to my list, but mom seemed really hopeful and it was coming from a source that seemed very unlikely to lie to us.

Well, of course it didn't work for me and I wasn't willing to put up with the, "sometimes it just takes a few months to see the changes" crap that I was getting, so I told my mom I was done. She, however, besides her Advocare Vitamins, still likes to have the pink drink and some other boosters and now the Protein shakes.

I was talking to her about how I wanted to get some small packets of the protein powders I'm considering using to actually see if I like them before I commit to a bigger tub of the stuff. And after I said that, she told me she had these Plexus shakes that I could share with her... Looking at the nutrition facts, which I am attaching a photo of, it doesn't seem outright horrible but it does seem like it has too many calories and other things compared to the amount of protein it offers when I'm considering the Isopure Zero Carb powder because carbs are my nemesis. However, for the sake of research and having more information to back up my decision, I've brought my question to the forums.

Thanks for any assistance with this! (:

P.S. I have no idea why it keeps attaching the picture sideways.. -- never mind! Seems to right itself after posting!

Edited June 12, 201511 yr by theother_onefoot

Well for me, and I have done a lot of tste tests for Protein shakes, of various kinds ( see video section for details) i can say what would stick out for me, is the 15 grams of protein. I personally rely on the Syntrax products and they have 25 grams of protein per shake. not counting any milk or etc mixed in. ALso 2 grams of sugar is something i would not allow myself to have yet and im at almost the 6 month mark. When im doing maintenance then possibly.

I have never tried this particular one but it looks like it's a pretty good balance .. 100 calories for 15 gms Protein. it's over the 10% amount my nutritionist told me to look for and the sugar is low also. Are you already banded? or have you had weight loss surgery? I couldn't tell by your profile. check with your nutritionist if you have one but it looks relatively good.

I would say no to them. The best Protein is whey protein isolate because it has a higher concentration of protein. The photo you included lists Whey protein concentrate first so that is the biggest component. Also it is only 15 grams of protein and you can get a bigger bang for your buck from some other Proteins like Premier Protein (30g) or Isopure powder or liquid (40g).

@@Stevehud @@Sharpie I haven't had any form of WLS yet, I meet with my surgeon on the 19th to move forward.

But my body is really sensitive to carbs and sugars, something I've found out through my various restricted diets, which stinks since I've also got a bum thyroid working against me.. And part of my concern is also getting in enough Protein. For example, the Isopure has 210 Calories, but 50g of protein per 2 scoops. And no sugars or carbs.

Just as an FYI the human body cant absorb more than 30g of Protein at one time, so anything over 30 is going out with the dishwater if you get my drift. Its one of the reasons why excessive Proteins are the cause of increased kidney use. Now im not saying using isopure ( i love the pre-mades, well two flavors, but the mixes, i did not like) is bad, just dont count on that nd it is a lot of Fluid to protein ratio. two Syntrax scoops for example would also be 50 g of protein, but i use 1 scoop which is the recommended amount. But whatever works for you, is great The syntrax products also have zero sugar and zero carbs. btw.

This is a journey you most assuredly can make, if you want to.

And we will be glad to help.

after you have your surgery make sure you sit down with your nutritionist or your Dr. the amt of Protein should be 10% of the calories . Can be more but you might ask your Doc how much more. They advise to get in at least 60 grms protein a day and about 1200 calories . You won't get that much at first but after you start on real food you will be able to gauge it. I found muscle milk, pure protein and lean shakes by GNC are a pretty good ready made- I also do 5 grms or less of sugar. I have been banded 2 1/2 years and rarely use shakes . I sometimes use them if in a hurry.

@@Stevehud Thank you for the input!

Yes, I've read at least half a dozen articles about how the body can't absorb that much Protein at one time, so my intentions were to get the Isopure and just use one scoop which would be 105 Calories to 25g protein, still coming out over the plexus's 100 cal to 15g. But I was just quoting off of the isopure's marked label as my reference.

I know as far as the ready-to-drink shakes, I'm definitely going to try the Premier Protein one.

I know my mom is only trying to help out of concern, but the fad diet products just never seem to be a good match with me.

@@Sharpie I'd really like to try and build a habit of a Protein shake a day before I get to the all liquid phases pre- and post-op, and maybe even longer so I can keep calories to a safe range from putting weight back on.

That reminds me. For stalls, is it recommended to increase or decrease calories temporarily to get over the hump or am I just wrong on that completely?

honestly I was really sick of protein shakes by the time I got off of liquids . I was happy to eat regular foods. they say for a stall to up your protein .. I haven't had too many stalls but I increased protein and cut carbs. cutting too many calories will cause your body to get resistant to losing. Again once you have surgery you will get a guide from your surgeon and hopefully there will be nutritional counseling . my pre op diet did consist of protein shakes /or bars and one lean cuisine at dinner, it was around 1000 calories and I lost 10 lbs in the 2 weeks prior to my surgery.

I also don't do more than 30 mg of Protein at one time...the Isopure ready to drink's take me a while to drink as they are so large. I am on soft foods at this point but I like to do a Protein shake for Breakfast as it is fast and on the go. I will probably keep this habit also.

Just always read labels and figure that whatever you are consuming you want the most nutrition and protein you can. Good luck!

@@ShrinkingPeach What is the difference between the Whey Isolate and the Whey Concentrate that makes one better than the other?

Both forms contain whey protein, but whey isolate, which is made from whey concentrate, undergoes further processing which yields an end product with more protein per unit than whey concentrate.

I have never used Plexus, but I am in the Direct Sales industry so I thought i may shine some light. The lady I joined Le-vel with used to be a promoter with Plexus, to the point that she was making literally 50 thousand a month with them. She said that one of the reasons she walked away from the company and stopped using the products is because they changed the formula of how everything was made and it stopped working for people. She was with them for a very long time and loved them, but as soon as the formula was changed the products quit working and she walked away. So personally for me knowing that, I would think that something like Premier Protein would be a better option. I take a mix from Le-vel that has 15 grams of protein but its more nutrition not a Meal Replacement. Anyways just thought I would share.

@@702layla Thanks for that input!