Exercise, Nutrition, WLS, and Cooking Q & A - 2/7/2014

I'm obviously still in the weight loss phase of my plan and I'm curious about the Quest Bars I keep seeing mentioned.  I've sworn off of processed foods other than my protein shakes that I have once or twice a day.  I'm wondering what you think of them in the weight loss phase?  A good addition or should I focus on real foods for now and move to the convenient bars later and see what impact they have?

Sorry it took me so long to respond to this. I did not get an email notification about it.

I love the Quest Bars. Some people say they trigger residual hunger, but that hasn't happend to me. Quest has a natural line which while still processed, they do not have very many ingredients and they taste good too. What I really like about them is that they pack a LOT of fiber and with VSG we never come close to what we should get. I would not think of them as a meal replacement. I would use them more like a supplement and I would also be very strategic about how you incorporate them. For instance eat a bar 30-60 mins before a work out or first thing in the morning if you are in a hurry. Yes they are convenient but that is not the reason to eat them. They have more or less 20 some grams of protein and around 3 net carbs. All of the other carbs are fiber and fiber is good. Fiber also does not get digested so that's why you can safely subtract those carbs from the total carb count. I would suggest going into GNC or Vitamin Shoppe and picking up a couple. I love the Chocolate Chip Cookie dough and the new cookies and cream is pretty good too. If you really like chocolate they have a double chunk chocolate that is pretty good. I have tried most of their flavors and they are all pretty good particularly compared to other protein bars.

They do pack quite a few calories so if you are shooting for that 600-800 range, they are going to take up about 200 of your budget, so again, make sure you are strategic about how you use them. They are not a replacement for candy or cookies, they are a way to get a decent amount of protein and a lot of fiber.

Always focus on real foods, they need to be the majority of your diet. A lot of your strategy needs to be built around your exercise routine. Remember to eat before and after a workout.

Just wanted to butt in on the squat question for someone of, ahem, an older age! The best way for you to do them is to get an excersise ball put it at your mid to lower back pushed up against the wall and squat up and down. Keeps you in good form and takes the pressure off the knees. I learned this from my trainer. If you can't get a ball the next best thing is to get a chair and pretend you are going to sit to train you the correct form of a squat. Just food for thought! 

I think that is fine when you are first starting out but any kind of support like that over a longer period will rob you of the point of doing them which is using all of the muscles together for strength and stability. But yes, a good way to start out.