Beachbody workout plans are some of the most elaborate and famous on the market today, and for good reasons, too. Similarly, Shakeology is a great nutrient dense meal replacement filled with protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. However, does Beachbody work without Shakeology?
Beachbody does work without Shakeology. However, you need to have a healthy meal plan to reach your weight loss goals. Since Shakeology is nutrient dense, it’s a powerful meal replacement that can boost the effects of a Beachbody workout program by helping you eat less and giving you vital nutrients.
If you are not sure whether Shakeology is right for you, keep reading to learn more about Beachbody, Shakeology, and if you can lose weight without drinking Shakeology.
Can You Use a Beachbody Fitness Program Without Shakeology?
You can use a Beachbody fitness program without Shakeology. Shakeology is an excellent way to add protein and micronutrients to your diet, but it’s not necessary. Unless you have a strict eating regimen, Shakeology is recommended.
Shakeology is a great supplement, but it can’t replace a healthy diet and exercise. As the name suggests, supplements are there to add an extra dose of nutrient to your diet..
According to KnowYourOTCs, supplements help maintain health, boost physical and mental performance, and fortify your immune system.
But you don’t need to use supplements to achieve a beach body (pun intended). I’ve seen people eat junk food after a hard workout, and they still gained muscles.
However, you can get way more muscle if you eat a healthy, high-protein diet and exercise with effort.
This is where Shakeology comes in. One serving of Shakeology contains about 17 g (0.017 kg) of protein, which is the perfect amount for a pre or post-workout shake. It helps your body recover and start muscle protein synthesis.
Learn more about what Shakeology has to offer from my review here: Complete Shakeology Review: Worth Your Money?
Can You Lose Weight Without Shakeology?
You can lose weight without Shakeology. As long as you’re in a caloric deficit, you’ll lose weight. However, Shakeology is an excellent way to maintain health and muscle mass. A shake can be a practical snack or replace a meal to cut down on overall calories consumed.
I understand that losing weight is difficult. I’ve been there, done that. I know that irresistible urge you get when you open the fridge and want to eat the first thing you see.
However, it’s not a healthy habit. Let’s compare a Snickers bar to Shakeology. One tasty Snickers bar contains the following:
- 250 calories
- 12 g (0.012 kg) of fat
- 33 g (0.033 kg) of carbs
- 1 g (0.001 kg) of fiber
- 4 g (0.004 kg) of protein
In the other corner, we have Café Latte Whey Shakeology. One serving contains:
- 160 calories
- 2 g (0.002 kg) of fat
- 18 g (0.018 kg) of carbs
- 6 g (0.006 kg) of fiber
- 17 g (0.017 kg) of protein
You can already see that it has 90 fewer calories, 6 times the fiber, and more than 4 times the protein.
Not to mention, Shakeology is a nutrient dense shake that includes the following nutrient groups:
- Protein
- Superfruits & Antioxidants
- Prebiotics & Probiotics
- Adaptogens
- Supergreens & Phytonutrients
- Vitamins & Minerals
Replacing your daily chocolate bar or bag of chips with a shake is one of the healthiest food habits you can create. I’m a complete chocoholic, so I’m speaking from experience.
If you cut down on saturated fats and simple carbs to achieve a caloric deficit, you’ll see results.
Combine it with a few hours of resistance exercise and maybe an hour or two of cardio each week, and you’re on your way to drop all the excess body fat.
Check out the Best Beginner Workouts Here
Do I Need Shakeology?
You don’t need Shakeology. Shakeology is only recommended as a nutritional supplement or meal replacement. It’s a convenient product that adds enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, antioxidants, and other good stuff to your diet.
But if you want to live a long, healthy, disease-free life, you need to follow a healthy diet.
Shakeology can help you achieve that goal. Superfoods are an excellent addition to your diet because they are nutrient-dense and full of antioxidants, which prevent diseases.
Shakeology contains several powerful superfoods, such as:
- Camu-Camu.
- Goji Berry
- Luo Han Guo
- Schisandra
- Bilberry
- Acerola Cherry
- Rose Hips
- Cocoa
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are several other healthy ingredients, depending if buy the Shakeology Vegan or Whey based formula.
If you are a vegan, you’ll be happy to hear that there are many flavors like chocolate, cookies & cream, vanilla, and others. The plant-based shakes are full of the good stuff that can support a healthy diet.
And if you aren’t vegan and can tolerate whey, I recommend that you get whey-based shakes instead because of some additional health benefits that come from whey.
The main difference between the Vegan and Whey Shakeology flavors is the protein source.
All in all, Shakeology is recommended for all health-conscious individuals. If your goal is to get fit and stay fit, a healthy diet with high-quality supplements must be your primary focus.
You can reduce cravings by drinking Shakeology and delaying or skipping a whole meal but don’t overdo it.
For example, I love to exercise in the afternoon, have a shake, and then delay or even skip dinner if I’m not feeling hungry. It works, so give it a shot!
Does Shakeology Work Without Exercise?
Shakeology works without exercise due to restricting what you eat. However, you’ll get better results when you combine diet and exercise. Exercising and healthy eating are the perfect combination to achieve a healthy, lean body.
Just like you can drink other meal replacement shakes without exercise, you can drink Shakeology. Shakeology is just healthy food that’s in liquid form.
The primary way that Shakeology can help an individual who doesn’t exercise is by changing dietary habits.
If you’re used to having one or two unhealthy snacks like ice cream every single day, replace them with Shakeology. You’ll skip at least 300 calories that come from sugars and unhealthy fats.
More importantly, the majority of those calories come from protein. Additionally, the probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, and enzymes in Shakeology significantly reduce bloating by improving digestion.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a snack that contains a significant amount of just one of those things.
So you don’t need to hit the gym if you want to drink Shakeology. However, let me explain why exercise can help you achieve your goals.
Exercise Preserves and Builds Muscle
Muscle tissue is significantly more metabolically active than fat. In other words, the more muscle you have on you, the more calories you burn. And that stays true even when you rest and sleep.
If you’re cutting calories to lose weight and don’t exercise, your body will reduce your muscle tissue instead of fat tissue.
From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes a lot of sense. Your body wants to lose calorie-consuming muscles instead of fat that acts as storage.
By doing resistance exercise, you’re giving your body a reason to keep your muscles. It’s like you’re telling your body, “Hey, I need those muscles to hunt and gather!”
Exercise Reduces Stress and Boosts Mood
To be honest, I started doing Beachbody on Demand workouts for this reason alone. The rush of endorphins that your body gets has the following effects:
- Less stress
- Lower anxiety
- Improved and more stable mood
- Pain-relief
- Better sleep quality
- Increase in self-esteem
Exercise Boosts Health
Your heart and lungs are the primary benefactors of a good workout. They provide your muscles with nutrients and oxygen needed to do a 300 pound (136 kg) deadlift or 30-minute jog.
But other organs also get the opportunity to work overtime, which is a good thing. Your immune system gets a healthy kick, too, from regular exercise.
And since exercising causes you to sweat a lot, you’ll get rid of many unwanted toxins in your body.
Drinking Shakeology before, during, or after an exercise is good because it helps you stay hydrated.
You should drink water too, but it shouldn’t be your only drink during a workout because it’s (confusingly) not the most hydrating drink.
Shakeology slows down the absorption of water in your system, which means your body won’t get rid of it as soon as you drink it.
Exercise Burns Calories
Of course, exercise is a great way to get rid of additional calories. It’s okay to have a cheat meal once or twice a week, provided that you burn it off when exercising.
An average 1-hour exercise can quickly burn about 400-500 calories. That’s about 3 Shakeology shakes or 2 Snickers bars for those keeping count at home.
However, not all exercise is equal. If you’re following a Beachbody meal and workout plan, stick to it as close as possible.
Unless you’re a professional athlete, you most likely won’t get overtrained.
Final Thoughts
Beachbody workout plans are fantastic to help you stay fit and healthy. However, abs are made in the kitchen. You can’t outrun a bad diet.
If you struggle with cravings and have multiple snacks throughout the day, Shakeology can stop that habit.
Shakeology works without exercise because it teaches you to eat smart and craft a high-quality diet plan. Still, it’s always best to combine Shakeology with exercise.
Beachbody has many workout plans, so you can find one that suits your needs.
Boost your health, lose weight, and achieve your fitness goals by following a high-quality workout and meal plan.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SHAKEOLOGY HERE
… OR …
LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT WORKOUT OPTIONS HERE
Our Top Recommended Meal Replacement Shakes
NAME | DESCRIPTION |
#1
Shakeology | Shakeology is our most recommended meal replacement shake because it's a nutrient dense shake that includes:
Thus, making it perfect for weight loss, increased energy, digestive health, reduced cravings, and overall better health. Plus, Shakeology has stood the test of time as it has been around since 2009 without compromising its whole food ingredients. Instead, Shakeology has improved their flavors in taste and potency, and has even added vegan and gluten free options. Learn More About The Clinically Tested Shakeology Shake Here |
#2
Ample Meal | Ample Meal is an interesting meal replacement as it focuses more on healthy fats. Ample Meal includes:
With Ample Meal, you can get a nice fulling 400 calorie meal with 2 scoops or do a single scoop of 200 calories if your goal is weight loss. Similar to Shakeology, it’s free of all the artificial junk that most meal replacement shakes have today. |
#3
MacroMeal | MacroMeal is another interesting meal replacement shake as it contains a blend of fast, medium, and slow digesting protein that delivers sustained energy. MacoMeal also includes the following core ingredients:
Although not technically a meal replacement as it’s low in carbohydrates, people have found it to be filling because of the MCT oils and slow digesting proteins. |
Sources
- Dietary Supplements: Make Sure You Get the Benefits
- National Library of Medicine: Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute: Protein Consumption and Resistance Exercise: Maximizing Anabolic Potential
- Wikipedia: Superfood
- Better Health: Antioxidants
- Healthline: 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Whey Protein
- Paris School: Fat vs. Muscle
- Healthline: Why Do We Need Endorphins?
- Time: Why Drinking Water All Day Long Is Not the Best Way to Stay Hydrated
- Healthline: Abs Are Made in the Kitchen: Foods to Eat and Avoid
