The Efficacy Of Meal Replacements Vs. A Standard Food Based Diet For Weight Loss

Eating right is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you are trying to lose weight, choosing healthy foods is a critical part of that plan. Meal replacements are an option if you do not know how to choose or cook healthy foods in reduced portions. The American Dietetic Association defines meal replacements as liquid drinks, meal bars or portion-controlled meals. These products have controlled energy and macronutrient content, which makes choosing what to eat easier.

How Weight Loss Occurs

Weight loss occurs as a result of a negative caloric balance. Calories out must be more than calories consumed. To lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, you need a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day. The National Weight Control Registry, which follows people who have successfully maintained significant weight loss, states that 98 percent of registrants modified their diet and 99 percent of registrants increased physical activity.

Meal Replacements for Weight Loss

By substituting a meal with a meal replacement, a caloric deficit should occur, assuming calories are controlled the rest of the day. A recent study in the journal "Appetite" discovered that if people replaced one meal a day with a meal replacement, then a sufficient reduction in calories would occur resulting in significant weight loss. Utilizing meal replacements may lead to greater success. Individuals who follow a structured plan with meal replacements lose more weight at both 12 weeks and one year and have a lower drop-out rate than those who follow a standard food-based diet.

Standard Diet Options

A standard food-based diet entails following your normal diet but restricting fat and overall calories. The key to successful weight loss on this type of diet plan is reducing portions and choosing nutrient dense foods in order to create a negative caloric balance. Only by doing this would you be able to create a sufficient deficit to result in significant weight loss.

Long-term Efficacy

Deciding whether you should use meal replacements for weight loss versus sticking with a standard food based diet requires knowledge of what will work best for you. Both methods produce results assuming you create a caloric deficit. However a standard diet may give you the tools necessary to eat this way long-term. Once you stop meal replacements and go back to standard food, you will need to learn how to eat smaller portions and cook healthier meals to continue and maintain weight loss. However meal replacements may be an effective strategy for those who struggle with selecting healthy foods and portion control.