I Drank a Diet Shake for Lunch Every Day for a Year. Here’s the Hard Truth About Why It Failed—And the Simple System That Finally Worked.

Introduction: The Chocolate-Flavored Lie I Told Myself Every Morning

My name is Dr. Evelyn Reed, and I’m a registered dietitian.

For years, my life has been dedicated to the science of nutrition.

I’ve counseled hundreds of clients, designed meal plans for athletes, and lectured on the intricate dance between macronutrients and metabolic health.

I lived and breathed the data.

Which is why my biggest professional and personal failure is so hard to admit: for an entire year, I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book.

It started, as these things often do, with a desire for optimization.

I was a newly qualified dietitian, my head crammed with textbook knowledge but my schedule overflowing with the demands of a new career.

I reasoned that if I could just streamline my own nutrition, I’d have more mental bandwidth for my clients.

The solution seemed elegant, modern, and scientifically sound: I would replace my lunch with a diet shake.

I chose a popular brand, one praised by influencers for its clean ingredients and high protein content.

Every morning, I’d blend the chocolate-flavored powder with almond milk, pour it into a sleek thermos, and feel a surge of virtuous efficiency.

I was hacking my health.

I was in control.

The first couple of weeks were a honeymoon.

The convenience was undeniable.

No meal prep, no decisions, just a quick, 200-calorie liquid lunch at my desk.

But soon, the cracks began to show.

The gnawing hunger would start around 2 P.M., a hollow ache that made concentrating on my work nearly impossible.

I’d watch my colleagues laugh over salads, sandwiches, and warm bowls of soup, while I sat alone, sipping my chalky, monotonous shake, feeling a strange sense of social isolation.

My afternoons became a battleground of willpower, fighting off cravings for the office snack jar, a fight I was increasingly losing.¹

The real crisis came about eight months in.

I had been feeling perpetually drained and irritable, my hair seemed thinner, and my focus was shot.

I chalked it up to work stress.

Then, during a routine physical, my bloodwork came back.

My doctor sat across from me, a concerned look on her face.

I was borderline anemic, with significant deficiencies in iron and B vitamins.³

That evening, I stepped on the scale for the first time in months.

I had gained seven pounds.

The number on the scale wasn’t just a number; it was a verdict.

I, the nutrition expert, had followed a “healthy” protocol and ended up heavier, nutrient-deprived, and with a relationship with food that was utterly broken.

I was obsessed with my next meal, haunted by cravings, and trapped in a cycle of restriction and compensatory snacking.

The very tool that promised me control had plunged my body and mind into chaos.⁴

That night, staring at my reflection, I had to ask the hardest question of my career: If my textbook knowledge had led me to this personal disaster, what fundamental truth was I missing?

This report is the answer to that question.

It’s the story of how I had to unlearn much of what I thought I knew and discover a new framework—one that has nothing to do with magic shakes or quick fixes, and everything to do with the surprising, counterintuitive science of building habits that last.

Part I: The Vicious Cycle: Why the “Perfect” Diet Shake Is a Trap

My failure wasn’t unique.

It was a predictable outcome of a system perfectly designed to create a cycle of hope, struggle, and self-blame.

Before we can find a real solution, we have to dissect the trap itself.

It’s a trap built on powerful psychology, widespread confusion, and a fundamental misunderstanding of how our bodies actually work.

The Siren Song of the Quick Fix

Humans are wired for instant gratification.

We want results now, and the diet industry is masterful at exploiting this deep-seated psychological need.⁶

Fad diets, especially those involving shakes, are marketed with a powerful, almost irresistible promise: transformation without the struggle.

They offer a simple, elegant solution to the complex, messy business of eating.

This allure is amplified by several psychological phenomena:

• Social Proof: We see fitness influencers on Instagram, celebrities on magazine covers, and even our friends on Facebook raving about their success with a new shake or diet plan. This creates a powerful fear of missing out (FOMO) and provides social validation that makes us more likely to try the trend ourselves, regardless of the scientific evidence.⁶
• The Halo Effect: Marketing often labels specific products or ingredients as “good” or “clean.” This creates a “halo” around the product, simplifying complex nutrition into a moral binary. Drinking a “clean” shake feels virtuous, making the diet seem easier to follow and more morally righteous.⁶
• The Promise of Control: Perhaps most powerfully, fad diets offer a set of strict, simple rules. In a world where food choices can feel overwhelming, this rigid structure provides a comforting illusion of control.⁶ My own decision to adopt a shake for lunch wasn’t just about nutrition; it was about imposing order on my life. The failure felt so personal because it wasn’t just a dietary slip-up; it was a loss of that promised control.

These psychological hooks are baited with marketing language full of buzzwords like “detox,” “superfoods,” and “metabolism-boosting,” which sound scientific but are often vague or misleading.⁶

The industry sells hope in a bottle, a narrative of effortless transformation that is incredibly difficult to resist.

The Great Shake Confusion: Meal Replacement vs. Protein Supplement

One of the most critical and dangerous flaws in the diet shake ecosystem is the rampant confusion between two fundamentally different products: the Meal Replacement Shake (MRS) and the Protein Shake.

This is the exact mistake I made, and it’s a trap that ensnares millions.

• Meal Replacement Shakes (MRS): A true MRS is formulated to be a nutritionally complete meal in a bottle. Regulations often dictate that they must provide a balanced profile of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and a significant portion of the daily recommended intake of essential vitamins and minerals.⁹ They are typically higher in calories, ranging from 250 to 400 calories per serving, because they are designed to actually replace a meal.¹¹ Brands like Huel or Soylent fall into this category.
• Protein Shakes: A protein shake, on the other hand, is a supplement, not a meal. Its sole purpose is to provide a concentrated dose of protein (like whey, casein, or pea protein).¹³ These shakes are typically low in calories (100-150 calories) and lack the balanced array of fats, carbs, and micronutrients necessary to sustain your body.³ Their labels often carry explicit warnings, like “Do not use for weight reduction,” precisely because they are nutritionally incomplete.³

The problem is that marketing, and the general diet culture, often blurs this line.

People buy a low-calorie protein powder, see it being used by fitness models, and assume it’s a healthy meal swap for weight loss.

This is a recipe for disaster.

I was using a 150-calorie protein shake as a substitute for what should have been a 400-500 calorie balanced lunch.

I was, in effect, starving myself of both calories and critical nutrients, all while believing I was making a healthy choice.

This misunderstanding is a recurring theme in online forums, where users ask why they feel terrible or why their protein powder warns against using it for weight loss, revealing a profound and widespread knowledge gap perpetuated by the industry.²

The Downward Spiral: More Than Just Hunger

The consequences of this misuse go far beyond simple hunger.

It triggers a cascade of negative physiological and psychological effects that make long-term success virtually impossible.

• Nutrient Deficiencies: Relying on processed shakes, even fortified ones, can never replicate the complex, synergistic benefits of whole foods. Whole foods contain thousands of phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fibers that work together in ways we are still just beginning to understand. A synthetic vitamin blend added to a powder is a poor substitute.¹⁴ My own iron and B vitamin deficiencies were a direct result of replacing nutrient-diverse whole foods with a singular, processed supplement.³
• The Satiety Gap: Our bodies are not designed to “drink” meals. The physical act of chewing, the bulk of solid food in our stomach, and the slower digestion of complex carbohydrates, fats, and proteins all send powerful satiety signals to our brain, telling us we are full.¹⁶ Liquid calories bypass many of these mechanisms. They are digested quickly and provide little of the physical sensation of fullness, leaving you feeling unsatisfied and prone to cravings later in the day.² This isn’t a failure of willpower; it’s a biological reality. You are fighting your body’s fundamental signaling system.
• Metabolic Harm and Muscle Loss: When you drastically cut calories, as one does when replacing a 500-calorie meal with a 150-calorie shake, your body goes into survival mode. It perceives a famine. To conserve energy, it slows down your metabolism—the rate at which you burn calories. Worse, to find fuel, it can begin to break down metabolically active muscle tissue, not just fat.¹⁴ This is a catastrophic outcome for weight management, as muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. Losing muscle makes it progressively harder to lose weight and easier to gain it back.¹⁹
• The Yo-Yo Effect: This entire process culminates in the dreaded “yo-yo” cycle. The restrictive shake diet becomes physically and psychologically unbearable. Eventually, you “fall off the wagon.” But because you haven’t learned sustainable eating habits, you return to your old patterns. However, you now have a slower metabolism and less muscle mass. The result is rapid weight regain, often leaving you heavier and in a worse metabolic state than when you started.⁴

This downward spiral is not an accident; it’s a feature of the quick-fix diet system.

The user, armed with unrealistic expectations and a flawed tool, is set up for failure.

When they inevitably fail, they internalize the blame, thinking, “I have no willpower.” The truth is, they were put in a fight against their own biology that they could never win.

The most important thing I learned from my failure was this: I didn’t fail the diet; the diet failed me.²¹

And it was designed to.

Part II: The Epiphany: You Can’t Boil a Frog by Dropping It in Hot Water

At my lowest point—frustrated, nutrient-deficient, and disillusioned with my own profession—I did something radical.

I put away my nutrition textbooks and started reading about behavioral science.

I wanted to understand why I had made such irrational choices, even when I knew better.

And in the pages of a book about habit formation, I found a simple metaphor that changed everything.

It’s the story of the boiling frog.

You’ve probably heard it.

The old adage says that if you drop a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will immediately sense the danger and leap O.T. But if you place the frog in a pot of tepid water and then slowly, gradually turn up the heat, the frog will acclimate to the rising temperature and won’t perceive the danger until it’s too late.²²

The story is usually told as a cautionary tale: “Don’t be the frog.” But as I read it, a powerful, counterintuitive idea struck me.

When it comes to building positive, lasting habits, we want to be the frog.

We want to apply the principle of gradual change so skillfully that our own internal resistance never gets triggered.

• Dropping the Frog in Boiling Water: This is the essence of every fad diet I had ever tried or seen. It’s the “New Year, New Me” blitz. We decide overnight to slash our calories, eliminate entire food groups, start exercising for an hour every day, and replace our meals with chalky shakes. We drop ourselves into a pot of boiling water. The shock to our system is immense. Our body rebels with intense hunger, our mind rebels with overwhelming cravings, and our life rebels against the sheer misery and inconvenience of it all. And so, just like the frog, we leap out. We quit the diet after a week, reinforcing the belief that we are failures.²³
• The “Slow Boil” Approach: This was my epiphany. What if, instead of shocking my system into submission, I could gently guide it? What if I made changes so small, so incremental, that my body’s ancient, change-resistant survival mechanisms didn’t even notice? This is the “slow boil” method. You start with the water at a comfortable temperature—your current lifestyle. Then, you turn up the heat by just one degree. You make one change that is almost laughably small. So small, you can’t possibly fail. You let your system acclimate to that new temperature until it feels normal. Then, and only then, do you turn it up another degree.

This reframing was a seismic shift in my understanding.

My problem wasn’t that I had chosen the wrong shake or the wrong calorie count.

My problem was that I was using the wrong method of change.

I was trying to force a revolution when what I needed was a quiet, patient evolution.

The goal was no longer to find the perfect diet.

The goal was to master the process of turning up the heat, one degree at a time.

The focus shifted from the what—the specific food, the shake, the exercise—to the how: the gentle, sustainable process of implementation itself.

Part III: The “Slow Boil” Method: A Sustainable Framework for Health

This new paradigm required a complete overhaul of my approach.

It wasn’t about finding a better product; it was about building a better system.

The “Slow Boil” Method is built on three core principles that work with your body and psychology, not against them.

This is the framework that finally allowed me to build lasting health, and it’s the one I now teach to all my clients.

Principle 1: Reframe the Tool, Don’t Ditch It (Set the Right Water Temperature)

The first step in the “Slow Boil” method is to start with a “water temperature” that is sustainable.

This means abandoning the all-or-nothing thinking that demonizes certain foods or glorifies others.

Diet shakes aren’t inherently evil; they are a tool that has been chronically misused.

The key is to reframe their purpose.

They are not a long-term strategy or a crutch for daily living.

They are a strategic convenience.

Before you can use a tool correctly, you must understand what a good one looks like.

Based on extensive research and dietitian consensus, a high-quality, effective shake—whether for meal replacement or protein supplementation—must meet specific criteria.

This is how you ensure the “water” you’re starting with is safe and won’t scald you from the outset.

What to Look For in a Quality Shake:

• Substantial Protein and Fiber: Protein and fiber are the two most important nutrients for satiety—the feeling of fullness.¹⁰ A shake intended to replace a meal or serve as a filling snack should contain at least 15-20 grams of protein and a minimum of 3-5 grams of fiber. Anything less will likely leave you hungry and prone to snacking shortly after.¹¹
• Appropriate Calorie Content: This is a critical point of failure. A 150-calorie shake is a snack, not a meal. If you are using a shake to replace a meal, even occasionally, it needs to provide enough energy to be a true substitute. Look for shakes in the 300-400 calorie range. Using a low-calorie shake as a meal replacement is a form of severe calorie restriction that can backfire by slowing your metabolism.¹¹
• Clean and Simple Ingredient List: Turn the bottle around and read the label. The best shakes have short ingredient lists with names you recognize.¹⁵ Look for whole-food sources (like pea protein, brown rice protein, or grass-fed whey) and be wary of long lists of artificial sweeteners, fillers, gums, and excessive added sugars (often disguised as dextrose, corn syrup, or cane sugar).¹¹ A shake should be a source of nutrition, not a chemistry experiment.

By choosing a shake that meets these criteria, you are setting yourself up for success.

You are using a well-designed tool for its intended purpose, rather than a flawed one that works against you.

Principle 2: Turn Up the Heat, One Degree at a Time

This is the heart of the method.

It’s the active process of building habits so gradually that your mind and body don’t rebel.

The goal is to make consistency feel effortless by making the initial step ridiculously easy.

This builds momentum and self-efficacy, creating a positive feedback loop that replaces the negative cycle of fad dieting.⁴

This principle is about small, incremental actions.

Forget overhauling your entire diet overnight.

Instead, pick one—and only one—tiny change to focus on for a week.

• Instead of vowing to “eat healthy,” your goal for this week is to add one serving of vegetables to your dinner. That’s it. You can still eat everything else you normally would. Just add a side of steamed broccoli or a handful of spinach to your pasta.²⁵
• Instead of cutting out all sugar, your goal is to swap one sugary drink per day with water or unsweetened tea. If you normally have a soda at 3 p.m., replace it. The rest of your sugar intake can remain the same for now.²⁵
• Instead of committing to an hour at the gym, your goal is to go for a 10-minute walk after lunch. This is so manageable that it’s hard to make an excuse not to do it. The goal isn’t to burn a massive number of calories; it’s to build the habit of movement.²³

This approach, as described in the successful journey of a woman named Dawn, allows you to test out strategies and see what fits into your life without the pressure of perfection.⁴

If adding a vegetable to dinner is easy, it becomes a new baseline—the water is now one degree warmer.

Next week, you can try another small change.

This process of gradual acclimation is the secret to making healthy behaviors stick.

You are rewiring your brain and shifting your identity one small, successful step at a time.

Principle 3: Build a Whole-Food Foundation

No tool, trick, or supplement can ever replace the foundational importance of a diet based on whole, unprocessed foods.

This is the bedrock of long-term health.

While a well-formulated shake can be a useful tool, it is a supplement to, not a replacement for, a healthy diet.¹⁵

Whole foods provide a complex matrix of nutrients that cannot be replicated in a lab.

• Micronutrient Synergy: Vitamins and minerals in whole foods exist alongside enzymes, co-factors, and thousands of plant compounds (phytochemicals) that enhance their absorption and efficacy. An isolated vitamin C tablet is not the same as the vitamin C in a whole orange.¹⁴
• The Power of Chewing: The physical act of chewing is a crucial first step in digestion and satiety. It signals to your brain that food is coming, preparing your digestive system and helping you register fullness more effectively.¹⁶
• Fiber and Gut Health: Whole foods, particularly plants, are rich in diverse types of fiber that feed your gut microbiome, which plays a critical role in everything from digestion and immunity to mood and metabolism. Most processed shakes lack this diversity.

Building this foundation doesn’t require obsessive calorie counting or restrictive rules.

A simple, visual, and highly effective “slow boil” habit is to use the “Plate Method”:

• Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, bell peppers, cauliflower).
• Fill one-quarter of your plate with a source of lean protein (chicken, fish, beans, tofu).
• Fill the final quarter with a complex carbohydrate or whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato, whole-wheat pasta).²⁶

This simple visual cue automatically helps balance macronutrients, control portions, and prioritize nutrient-dense foods without the mental burden of tracking every gram.

It’s a sustainable principle that can be applied to any meal, anywhere, forming the stable, whole-food foundation upon which all other tools—including the strategic use of shakes—can be successfully built.

Part IV: Your Strategic Toolkit: Choosing the Right Shake for the Right Job

Once you’ve embraced the “Slow Boil” framework, diet shakes are no longer a failed magic bullet.

They become part of a strategic toolkit, to be deployed for specific jobs under specific circumstances.

The question is no longer “What is the best diet shake?” but rather, “Which type of shake is the right tool for this particular task?”

The True Meal Replacement Shake (MRS): Your Emergency Go-Bag

Think of a high-quality Meal Replacement Shake not as your daily lunch, but as your nutritional emergency kit.

It’s for the day you’re running through an airport with no healthy food in sight.

It’s for the afternoon packed with back-to-back meetings where the only alternative is a vending machine or skipping a meal entirely.

In these scenarios, a well-formulated MRS is a far superior choice.

It provides controlled calories, balanced macronutrients, and essential vitamins, preventing the hunger-fueled bad decisions that can derail your progress.¹⁰

Here is a strategic comparison of some top-tier MRS options, evaluated against the criteria we established.

This is not a ranking, but a guide to help you choose the right tool for your specific emergency needs.

Brand	Calories (per serving)	Protein (g)	Fiber (g)	Added Sugar (g)	Protein Source	Key Features	Price (per serving)
Huel Black Edition	400	35	6-7	4	Pea, Fava Bean	Vegan, High Protein, 27 Vitamins & Minerals	~$4.58
Soylent Complete Meal	400	20	6	0-1	Soy Isolate	Vegan, Budget-Friendly, 28 Vitamins & Minerals	~$3.75
Hlth Code Complete Meal	400	27	9	2	Whey, Collagen, Egg	Keto-Friendly, High Fat, Digestive Enzymes	~$5.00
Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal	150	20	6	<1	Sprouted Plant Blend	Organic, Vegan, Probiotics, Lower Calorie	~$2.24

Data compiled from sources.¹¹

Prices are approximate and subject to change.

The Protein Supplement: Your Muscle-Repair Assistant

A protein supplement has a very different job.

Its role is not to replace a meal, but to assist one.

It’s for the person engaged in regular, strenuous exercise who needs extra protein to repair and build muscle tissue.²⁰

It’s also a fantastic tool to boost the protein content of an otherwise low-protein meal, making it more satiating and balanced.

For example, adding a scoop of protein powder to your morning oatmeal or a fruit-heavy smoothie can transform it from a carb-heavy snack into a more complete mini-meal.¹³

When selecting a protein supplement, the focus is on protein quality and purity, with minimal extra calories, carbs, or fats.

Brand	Calories (per serving)	Protein (g)	Added Sugar (g)	Protein Type	Certifications	Price (per serving)
Iconic Protein Shake	140	20	0	0	Milk Protein Isolate	Grass-Fed, Gluten-Free, Ready-to-Drink
Vega One All-in-One	150	20	<1	1	Pea Protein	USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Vegan
Thorne MediClear-SGS	190	20	5	5	Rice/Pea Blend	NSF Certified, Supports Metabolism
Orgain Clean Protein	150	21	0	3	Grass-Fed Whey	Organic, No Artificial Sweeteners

Data compiled from sources.¹¹

Prices are approximate and subject to change.

The DIY Smoothie: The Ultimate Control

For regular use, the superior option will always be the one you make yourself.

A homemade smoothie offers the ultimate control over ingredients, quality, and cost.

It allows you to leverage the power of whole foods while still enjoying the convenience of a liquid meal.

This was the final, crucial step in my own recovery—learning to build a better shake myself, one that truly nourished me.

After much experimentation, I developed a simple, foolproof template for building a nutritionally-balanced and delicious smoothie.

I call it the “1-1-1-1-1 Formula.”

• 1 cup Liquid Base: Unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, or water.
• 1 scoop Protein Powder: Choose a high-quality, low-sugar powder from the list above.
• 1 large handful Greens: Spinach is virtually tasteless, while kale adds more nutrients and fiber.
• 1/2 cup Frozen Fruit: Berries are low in sugar and high in antioxidants. Banana adds creaminess.
• 1 tablespoon Healthy Fat/Fiber Boost: Chia seeds, flax seeds, or a tablespoon of almond butter.

This formula, recommended by dietitians like Christina Fasulo and Kacie Vavrek, ensures you get a balance of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients from whole-food sources, making it a genuinely healthy and sustainable option when you need a quick, nourishing meal.¹⁴

Conclusion: From Being the Frog to Controlling the Temperature

My year-long misadventure with a diet shake began with a quest for control and ended in chaos.

I was the frog, slowly being boiled by an industry that profits from confusion and a diet culture that celebrates quick fixes over sustainable health.

I was so focused on finding the perfect product that I completely missed the importance of the process.

The epiphany of the “Slow Boil” method was transformative.

It shifted my focus from the impossible goal of shocking my body into submission to the achievable goal of gently guiding it.

It taught me that true, lasting control doesn’t come from rigid rules and deprivation, but from patience, consistency, and the quiet power of small, incremental change.

Today, my weight is stable, my energy levels are high, and my relationship with food is peaceful and joyful.

I eat a diet rich in whole foods.

Occasionally, on a truly hectic day, I’ll have a high-quality meal replacement shake, using it as the strategic tool it was always meant to be.

More often, I’ll whip up a DIY smoothie using my 1-1-1-1-1 formula.

I am no longer a “dieter.” I am the architect of my own health.

The “best diet shake,” I have learned, is a myth.

It’s a phantom we chase while the real solution lies within our grasp.

The power isn’t in a bottle or a powder.

It’s in the understanding that you don’t need a miracle; you need a method.

Stop trying to find a diet you can survive.

Start building a system of habits you can live with.

Stop dropping yourself into boiling water.

Instead, learn to control the temperature.

That is the only secret that has ever truly worked.

Works cited

1. loseit – Lose the Fat – Reddit, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/
2. Do meal replacement shakes work? : r/loseit – Reddit, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/rsm6qh/do_meal_replacement_shakes_work/
3. Protein Powder says, “do not use for weight reduction” : r/loseit – Reddit, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/1bclb6y/protein_powder_says_do_not_use_for_weight/
4. Dawn’s Story: From Dieting to Healthy Eating Habits | Cigna, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.cigna.com/knowledge-center/hw/dawns-story-ud3810
5. International No Diet Day and My Story With Dieting | Xen and the …, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.theartofmindfuleating.com/international-no-diet-day-and-my-story-with-dieting/
6. The Psychology of Diet Trends: Why We Keep Falling for Fad Diets …, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.quick.md/quick-tips/the-psychology-of-diet-trends-why-we-keep-falling-for-fad-diets/
7. The allure of fad diets, and why they fail – Penn Today, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/Penn-nutritionist-psychologist-allure-fad-diets-and-why-they-fail
8. How Fad Diet Psychology Can Cost You Your Health, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-modern-brain/202106/how-fad-diet-psychology-can-cost-you-your-health-0
9. Do weight loss shakes work? | How to lose weight fast – Second Nature, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.secondnature.io/guides/nutrition/weight-loss-shakes
10. Meal Replacement Shakes: Are They Good For Your Health? – WebMD, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-meal-replacement-shakes
11. RDs Recommend the 8 Best Meal Replacements for Weight Loss in …, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition-products/best-meal-replacements-weight-loss/
12. The 8 Best Meal Replacement Shakes Of 2025, Reviewed By A Dietitian – Women’s Health, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a32682832/best-meal-replacement-shakes/
13. Thoughts on protein shakes? : r/loseit – Reddit, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/18fu1ct/thoughts_on_protein_shakes/
14. Is it healthy to replace a meal with just a shake?, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/our-stories/is-it-healthy-to-replace-a-meal-with-just-a-shake
15. Meal Replacement Shakes: What You Need To Know – Cedars-Sinai, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/meal-replacement-shakes.html
16. If anyone has tried turning most of their meals into shakes, how did you do it? – Reddit, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/1bf2bm7/if_anyone_has_tried_turning_most_of_their_meals/
17. Are meal replacement shake any good? : r/EatCheapAndHealthy, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/1c09qrt/are_meal_replacement_shake_any_good/
18. Why Weight Loss Shakes and Fad Diets Fail – PittsburghFIT, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.pittsburghfit.com/blog/why-weight-loss-shakes-and-fad-diets-fail
19. Do Protein Shakes Help You Lose Weight or Just Add Calories? – Verywell Health, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.verywellhealth.com/are-protein-shakes-good-for-weight-loss-11689777
20. Are you getting too much protein – Mayo Clinic Health System, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/are-you-getting-too-much-protein
21. You Didn’t Fail – Your Diet Failed You — Rachel Molenda | Sacred DJ & Creator of REUNION Dance Party, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.rachelmmolenda.com/blog/didnt-fail-diet-failed
22. The Problem With Building Good Habits – Stephan Joppich, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://stephanjoppich.com/problems-with-building-good-habits/
23. Boil Yourself Like a Frog: a Metaphor for Sticking with Healthy Habits, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://becomingbetter.org/boil-yourself-like-a-frog-a-metaphor-for-sticking-with-healthy-habits/
24. Mayo Clinic Minute: Meal replacement reminders – YouTube, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRHHBLshdO0
25. Fad Diets: Are They Sustainable? | Center for Women’s Health | OHSU, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.ohsu.edu/womens-health/fad-diets-are-they-sustainable
26. Sustainable eating habits for better heart health | Saint Agnes Medical Center, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.samc.com/newsroom/blog-articles/sustainable-eating-habits-better-heart-health
27. Protein shakes: Good for weight loss? – Mayo Clinic, accessed on August 6, 2025, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/protein-shakes/faq-20058335