In your attempt to lose weight, you have probably come across multiple solutions, including meal replacement shakes. Unfortunately, the weight loss journey has many hits and misses, and before you start using the products in the market, you should know how they work.
You can lose weight fast with meal replacement shakes if you choose one with the lowest but sustainable calories. You should also replace two meals and eat a third healthy meal daily. You should also exercise. Avoid shakes that have artificial sugars, additives, and high carbohydrate levels.
Studies show meal replacement shakes initiate faster weight loss than regular low-calorie meals. However, you need to know how best to use meal replacement shakes to maintain a healthy diet and aid with weight loss.
How Meal Replacement Shakes Work.
Meal replacement shakes are rich in protein and superfoods. This ensures you get the nutrients you need and limits your calorie intake. Like other weight loss products in the market, the ingredients and calories in meal replacement shakes are key in helping you lose weight.
Calorie levels.
Meal replacement shakes do not just focus on the number of calories but also the source of the calories. The calorie levels in meal replacement shakes vary, but they are usually 150 – 250 calories.
You should pay attention to the calories in the partial meal replacement shakes because a 150-calorie shake might work for someone else. You need more calories if you are involved in exerting activities, especially if you take the meal replacement shake for lunch.
You may get away with taking a lower-calorie shake for dinner, but it may not work as a lunch replacement meal. You may be forced to take a snack or eat a high-calorie meal because of hunger pangs, which may interfere with your weight loss program.
Fortunately, meal replacement shakes compensate for the low calories with more nutrients, which ultimately add more value to your health even as you lose weight.
Carbohydrates.
When you look at all the weight loss diets, carbohydrates are the culprit behind fat storage and weight loss. However, this doesn’t negate the fact that carbohydrates are important.
Meal replacement shakes do more than control your calorie intake. They also ensure you have the energy to keep functioning without eating excess calories. However, the carbohydrates should be at most 25g per serving. Additionally, it should have 3g – 5g of fiber per serving.
If your interest is in a healthy but filling meal replacement shake, you should seek one that contains natural carbohydrates. These are fiber-rich and will give your cells the glucose they need to fuel the body. Fortunately, these carbohydrates have no impact on your waistline.
Healthy Fats
Meal replacement shakes contain monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These provide the body with sustainable energy and also improve heart health.
The fats make up for the low calories in meal replacement meals because they allow you to keep working without feeling faint. You can even exercise comfortably without your body showing signs of calorie deprivation. You will lose weight fast when you add exercise to your new diet plan.
A good meal replacement shake should have at least 5g of fat per serving.
Protein
Protein is a vital macronutrient for weight loss. Meal replacement shakes should have at least 15g per serving. There are several reasons why you should focus on a high-protein diet when attempting to lose weight.
- A high-protein diet boosts metabolism.
- It reduces your appetite.
- It increases your satiety levels.
- It reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin.
- It also works on appetite-inducing hormones, such as peptide YY and GLP-1.
Since meal replacement meals reduce hunger pangs and at the same time increase satiety, you will no doubt eat less, even if you only replace one or two meals per day.
Vitamins And Minerals.
A meal replacement meal is not complete without vitamins and minerals. Each brand has varying amounts, with some having more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. The vitamins help to improve your overall health, including your bone health, which is critical when you start shedding excess weight.
When buying meal replacement shakes, you must remember that these are partial replacements and should only replace some of your meals. You should determine which meals you wish to replace with the shake and the calorie levels needed.
You still need to eat at least one healthy meal. Meal replacement shakes are nutrient-rich but may only contain some of the nutrients you need.
For example, you may need an additional source of vegetables and a higher-calorie meal, at least higher than the protein shake. You still need to watch what you eat beyond the meal replacement shake.