What Is A Meal Replacements Diet?

You have a significant weight problem, but you're not ready to consider radical weight-loss surgery. A meal-replacement diet plan offers a possible alternative. Many people achieve weight loss very quickly with meal-replacement plans. However, it's important to consider the pros and cons of a meal-replacement plan. If you decide to go ahead, consult with a medical professional beforehand.

Definition

The term "meal replacement" applies to a wide variety of products, ranging from prepackaged shakes, powders mixed with liquid such as milk or juice, chewy or crunchy bars, frozen foods and shelf-stable foods, according to the "International Journal of Obesity." These vitamin-enhanced products replace one or more conventional meals or serve as substitutes for high-calories snacks. Meal replacements are available through specialized weight-loss clinics or centers, or over the counter.

Medically Supervised Meal-Replacement Diets

Medically supervised diets are available as liquid replacements or as a combination of liquid replacements and prepackaged entrees and snacks. Many patients also take vitamin supplements. Daily calorie intake ranges from 600 to 800 calories, according to MayoClinic.com. Patients may undergo a medically supervised diet before weight-loss surgery or as a substitute for surgery, according to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Commercial Meal-Replacement Plans

Commercial meal-replacement diets often replace one or two meals, while instructing customers to eat a "sensible" regular meal in addition to the meal-replacement products. Some meal-replacement plans consist entirely of prepackaged foods designed to replace everything you eat, including snacks. Such plans may provide a short-term means to achieve portion control while you're losing weight, MayoClinic.com states. However, some meal-replacement products provide a high-calorie punch without much nutrition, which makes them more suitable for someone who wishes to gain weight, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.

Results

Many patients on medically supervised meal-replacement diets lose 50 to 60 lbs., and some patients lose 100 lbs. or more, the University of California at Irvine Health Affairs Weight Management program claims. Even without medical supervision, weight loss of 25 to 40 lbs. is not uncommon. Results of a study published in "Obesity" showed that participants who followed a meal-replacement diet lost more than 7 lbs. on average over 3 months, while study participants who followed a conventional 1,200 to 1,500 calorie per day diet plan lost an average 1 1/2 lbs during the same period.

Cautions

Study results published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" showed that women who used meal replacements lost 3 to 6 lbs. of body fat without significant muscle loss and maintained the weight loss for more than a year, iVillage Health reports. Nonetheless, many people who lose weight with meal-replacement plans often regain the weight unless they make changes in their overall eating patterns. Very low-calorie meal-replacement plans require strict medical supervision to avoid possible complications, MayoClinic.com warns.