bikrchk

I'm 1 year out and would not be able to consume "½ cup fat-free cottage cheese and a green salad with 3 ounces of canned light tuna" in one sitting. I could choose the cottage cheese OR the tuna, but would over-fill my sleeve. I use a scoop of chocolate whey in my coffee in the morning as "creamer" and usually take a solid bar of some kind between lunch and dinner. They allow me the flexibility to eat a better variety of foods rather than strictly a chunk of grilled meat or some tuna or 1 egg. I still choose protein first at meals, but supplements allow me to mix in other foods as well. Plus, I've found ways to take them where I enjoy the supplement its self and would miss it. The coffee makes a nice mocha latte and a PowerCrunch bar fills my need for a "cookie" with something that has some food value for me. If I get busy and miss a meal, at least I know I've met my minimums for the day.

I use supplements for several reasons, not the least of which is I can keep my calories in check and get a large boost to my protein count for the day. They allow me the flexibility in my diet to allow the occasional piece of bread or other non-protein food and I LIKE eating like a "normal" person who occasionally eats carbs. Tossing a shot of chocolate whey in my morning coffee costs me only 100 calories and gains me 23g of protein, plus, I think it makes it taste like Starbucks. COULD I get 75+g from food alone? Yes, but I don't want to live like that as I'd be eating pretty much nothing but chicken!

Did that with a chocolate chip cookie just this week at a tech conference! Had been actively searching for them, (it was 3 pm and I KNEW there was a table somewhere)! When I found it, happily munched down half a cookie and promptly tossed the rest feeling only slightly guilty for the indiscretion and victorious for not being a glutton!