The meal replacement diet: pros and cons and how does it work?

Posted on sustenance and tagged Nutrition, Weight, Diet, Meal Replacement, Food, Calories

If you're curious about meal replacement diets, it helps to understand how they work. Here are the key pros and cons you should know.

The year is 1977. The first SlimFast meal replacement diet comes onto the market and is quickly becoming one of the most popular diet products. With celebrities like Kim and Khloe Kardashian claiming that similar products have contributed to their flat bellies, it's not surprising that millions of people are buying the meal replacement diet products. But how does it work and what are the pros and cons of using these replacement meals?

What are meal replacement diets?

It's exactly what it says on the packaging: a literal meal replacement that should help reduce our calorie intake in order to lose weight with very little effort. Most diets of this type recommend around 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day and have evolved from soups and shakes to various other meal replacements. Today, you can exchange a main meal for smoothies, cookies, bars, and chips.

How do meal replacement diets work?

Most branded meals replace two of your usual meals with a meal replacement, such as shakes, cookies, or bars. Your main meal consists of a meaningful dish of your choice. In between the three main meals, you can eat a few 100-calorie snacks to satisfy hunger. Meal replacement diets also encourage at least 30 minutes of exercise per day and drinking plenty of water. Supposedly packed with your daily vitamin intake, you don't have to worry about any deficiencies. Most brands now also offer group support via social media, where you can be motivated and encouraged by others.

Meal replacement diet: The benefits

• Minimal effort for a hectic lifestyle
• Flexible and convenient
• The counting of calories is better controlled.
• Diverse selection of meal replacement products.
• Addition of nutritional supplements to meet most dietary needs.
• Years of experience and success for companies like Slimfast.
• Nibbling between meals is recommended.
• Social media support groups to motivate you
• The diet was brought up to date with science-based keto diets.

Meal replacement diet: The drawbacks

• Less nutritious than wholesome healthy meals: They lack natural vitamins, minerals and proteins that support the body and mind.
• Can't provide all the antioxidants your body needs.
• Questionable sustainability of long-term use of this diet. The most successful diets are balanced by a range of natural whole foods rather than replacement meals.
• Not many replacement meals cover all dietary requirements, such as celiac disease.
• Once you've finished the meal replacement diet, there's a chance you'll gain weight again.

The Meal Replacement Diet: Does It Actually Work?

With millions of people around the world turning to a meal replacement diet for weight loss, it's impossible to say that the diet isn't working. Here's the science behind it: By reducing your calorie intake, moving 30 minutes a day, and swallowing plenty of H2O, you'll lose weight more easily.

What we should question is the sustainability of this diet. For a short-term solution, the success is undeniable. But for a long-term weight loss program, instead of resorting to a quick solution, it is always advisable to choose a complete and balanced diet that makes natural foods a way of life. Read our Guide to the Mediterranean diet for the secret to a smaller waist (and a longer life) through a sustainable diet.

Posted on sustenance and tagged Nutrition, Weight, Diet, Meal Replacement, Food, Calories.