Ben’s Profile Journey: Meal Replacements and Meal Replacements Replacements

Hi, Ben here, and I’m embarking on a mission to not be fat when I turn 42. To do that I’ve partnered with Profile by Sanford and I want to take you with me on my journey.

One of the staples of my Profile journey, especially while I’m in the Reduce/Reboot Phase, is the meal replacement. My daily plan consists of a eating six times a day. Most of the times I eat it’s one of the Profile meal replacement. I have one for breakfast, another around 9:00 AM, one with some vegetables at lunch and one after dinner before bed.

The main meal replacement is a shake. I get them from the Profile store and they come in packets that I mix with water. Simple, just like I like things, the easier it is the better job I do of talking myself out of skipping one.

The shakes come in a several flavors. I stick to the chocolate ones; mocha, mint, and my current favorite hazelnut. I’ve started putting that one in my first cup of coffee in the morning. There’s also a vanilla one; great to mix with an orange PowerAde Zero. There’s also some berry flavored ones. Those are good, but I’m really partial to the chocolate.

But I know, and Profile does too, that sometimes variety is a key to staying on plan. So I like to mix it up with some of the other meal replacements they have. All of them, the shakes and the others, are formulated to keep the body in ketosis and be nutritious.

There is a series of soup meal replacements available. The one I love the most is the tomato soup. Just like the shakes, I mix a packet with hot water and drink. I feel like I’m eating a full meal when I have it with my vegetables at lunch. There is also a chicken noodle that is pretty good, a minestrone that is a great change of pace, and vegetarian chili. I really like the chili, it makes a great part of my lunch.

But soups are really just savory, hot shakes. When I feel like I need a break from the liquid meals I break out the Profile Pancakes and oatmeal. Both of these are really great on weekend mornings in my house.

During the week it’s not practical for me to sit and eat a “TV Commercial” type breakfast. Let alone prepare one. So the shakes are a godsend because I’m actually eating something in the morning. Before the program I’d rarely even eat breakfast; maybe a spoonful of peanut butter sometimes. That meal skipping was a part of the lifestyle that got me over 300 pounds, I’d not eat, my body would freak out and demand to be fed after awhile and I’d end up binging on whatever I could shovel into my food-hole.

But, on the weekends when mornings slow down enough for the whole family to eat breakfast together (in front of the TV in the living room) being able to have pancakes with my kids is great! I can make their pancakes, and then mix up mine and feel like I’m part of things. Usually I’m fine eating my own thing while they eat something else, but having a break in that routine helps stave off thought of giving up.

The pancakes and the oatmeal are just like the other meal replacement. Mix a packet with water and enjoy. Well, I guess I cook the pancake batter. Throw in a piece of turkey sausage and black coffee, and I have a regular breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) that is part of my Profile plan.

There is also a sloppy joe meal replacement that, again, makes for a nice change. If I feel like I need a sweet dessert there’s also pudding and cheesecake mixes. The variety of the meal replacements makes it so much easier to stay on plan and fell less like I’m giving up a bunch of stuff and more like I’m just learning a new way to eat. Which is at the core of what I’m doing with Profile. I can’t just lose weight; I have to learn to eat so it stays away.

Keep up with Ben's journey by bookmarking Ben's blog. Got a question or comment? Connect on Twitter or email at ben@hot1047.com.

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