Are Meal Replacements The Best Way To Lose Weight ?

Many of us think that meal replacements are the best way to lose weight because they help shrink your stomach.

Meal replacements, like Slimfast or other similar very low calorie diets, usually come in the form of a high-protein, low-fat drink. Meal replacement plans are designed to be followed for a short period of time – weeks or sometimes even days – and they encourage fast weight loss. These plans, which usually provide around 600 calories per day, replace normal foods and are intended to kickstart your diet by providing concentrated nutrients in one low-calorie ‘meal’.

The plans may be used in different ways. Some use the meal replacements for up to a week without any food, whilst others use them for several weeks replacing 1 or 2 meals a day and eating a normal meal in the evening. Whilst they may be useful to those who are clinically obese or who can’t lose weight on conventional diets, it is important that these plans are never used for longer than 4 weeks. They are designed to help kickstart your diet only and don’t provide enough calories for long-term nutrition.

The Department of Health has expressed concern over the safety of these diets for people with heart and kidney disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and gout. They also advise against use for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, infants adolescents or elderly people.