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Shake Replacement Diet

Meal replacement shakes became popular in the 1990s, in spite of claims from dietitians and nutritionists that they were unhealthy and would cause problems such as anorexia. By 2009 they had made a comeback, with numerous brands of protein shake on the market.

  1. How Shake Replacement Diets Work

    • One or two daily meals are replaced with a shake drink. In addition, you should eat a low-calorie evening meal and one or two healthy snacks, such as fruit or a diet bar, for a total daily calorie intake of around 1200-1400. Because your calorie intake is less than your body's minimum requirement, it will start to burn fat stores and you should lose around 1-2 pounds per week.

    Benefits

    • Reputable meal replacement shakes contain all the nutrients that your body needs each day, from each of the six key food groups, as well as approximately 5 grams of fibre. They are quick and convenient, with little or no preparation involved, and there is no need to calculate calories, as this has already been done for you.

    Considerations

    • This type of diet can be unsatisfying and boring, making it difficult to stick to. Shakes are also fairly expensive to buy. Some dietary experts, such as Dr. Hillary M. Wright, MEd, R.D., a nutritional counselor at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, believe that, because this type of diet does not retrain your eating habits, you are likely to return to bad habits and regain weight afterward. Meal replacement shakes are unsuitable for people who are lactose-intolerant, since they contain skimmed milk.

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