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Weight Loss Meal Replacements

Meal replacements come in the form of shakes and bars. They are a convenient option for people who would like to control their caloric intake without spending extra time preparing special meals or staying with a complicated diet plan. But even meal replacements require a little time and effort up front. You need to choose the right replacements to get the best results.

  1. Do They Work?

    • Scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Organization of Australia conducted a study comparing a group of subjects on a low-fat diet with a group of subjects who had meal-replacement drinks for two meals a day and then a low-fat dinner. Both groups lost equivalent amounts of weight, but the meal-replacement group gave more favorable feedback about convenience and ease of compliance with dietary restrictions.

    Shakes

    • A ten-year study conducted by Harvard Medical School researcher George Blackburn, M.D. found that people who lost weight by replacing two meals a day with Slim-Fast kept it off by continuing to replace one meal a day with Slim-Fast. They compared these trimmer people to another group in the same Wisconsin town who followed the normal eating habits of the area. This last group gained 25 pounds. This seems to testify to the staying power of this popular meal-replacement drink.

    Bars

    • Because of the vast number of meal-replacement or protein bars on the market, it can be difficult to know which ones to choose. Ilana Katz, MS, RD, LD, suggests choosing a bar based on your individual goals: weight loss, muscle building, weight maintenance, etc. Beware of multiple additives in bars. Some are packed with sugar and preservatives. Katz suggests Myoplex Lite bars as a meal replacement for weight loss, as opposed to the Myoplex Deluxe, which have over 300 calories and 22 grams of protein. She says this is primarily appropriate for highly active people. She warns against using bars high in sugar, sugar alcohol, and saturated fat more than once a day, as they could lead to weight gain and intestinal issues.

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