Weight Gainer = Weight Loser?

Question
Hello,
 I questioned you about a month ago about adding supplements to a smoothie. I love smoothies, but  the fruit seems to be breaking my face out.  Plus, I'm not an early bird, so I don't always have time for it. I have another possibility to replace the smoothies. I remember about ten years ago when I was a skinny minnie and wanted to gain weight I bought weight gainer powder. I remember the employee at GNC said that some people use it to lose weight as a meal replacement.  And that's what happened; I was so full I lost more weight because I ate less! Ten years later I wouldn't mind losing ten lbs, but my question is instead of doing a smoothie for breakfast, can I do a weight gain shake instead as a meal replacement? If so, will that alone have enough nutrients in it where I do not have to add anything to it?  That'll be easy for me.

Thank you,
CJ

Answer
Hi CJ,
So what is it about the fruit breaking you out? I've never heard of fruit doing that unless its a berry allergy or something of the sort.

In regard to using the weight gainer as a meal replacement. Yes it can work, but I don't necessarily recommended it. The reason is these types of supplements are considered mass builders. They are used by bodybuilders and athletes who need to consume a certain number of calories but can't always do so through whole food. Some pro bodybuilders consume upwards of 5000-6000 calories so you can imagine how hard it would be to get that much food down. rumor has it Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumed 10,000 calories a day in his prime.

The mass gainers (weight gainer)is basically a carb bomb. One serving will give you almost a days worth of carbs. This is fine if you're lifting and training for the Olympia, but everyone else is best to space out their carbs over 5 meals.

A close alternative might be an actual meal replacement product like Met-Rx. One packet gives you about 250 calories, 17 grams carbs, 38 grams protein. I like meals (especially breakfast) to be a little more calorie dense, but this is acceptable, and it is way better than nothing.
Once upon a time Prosource made a really great meal replacement but I just checked their site and don't see it anymore. It was by far the best on the market after InStone went out of business. But now they're both gone. Ok I'm rambling...

My recommendation is you make your own (recipe follows) the night before. Blend it up, put it in a shaker cup in the refrigerator and its ready in the morning. Just give it a few shakes as its sat all night.
1 scoop whey protein (any flavor)
1/2 cup dry instant oats
1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites (from the carton, not from eggs)
1 Tbl natural peanut butter, almond butter, or flax oil
1 banana (optional)

Here is the breakdown on the nutritional profile (all estimated)
Calories: 451
Protein: 35 grams
Fat: 18-20 grams
Carb: 30-45  

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