How Much Weight Can I Lose With Meal Replacement Shakes?

How Much Weight Can I Lose With Meal Replacement Shakes?

Last Updated on September, 2024

There are so many ways to lose weight these days, and Meal Replacement Shakes have entered the scene recently.

Many people are more than ready to just replace one or two of their solid meals per day with a Healthy Meal Shake in order to shed some pounds.

But the question is, Can Meal Replacement Shakes Really Help You Lose Weight?

And If So, How Much Exactly Can You Lose?

The answer is a bit complicated.

But Don’t Worry, I’ve got you covered.

In this article, I’ll let you know everything there is about Meal Replacement Shakes and their ability to help you lose weight.

So what you have to do is just go through this article. And by the end, you’ll have all the answers you came here searching for.

What is a Meal Replacement Shake?

a human holding Meal Replacement Shake

Meal Replacement Shakes, as the name suggests, are just Meal Replacements.

These are specifically designed to replace your Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner. If you want, you can also skip two meals per day

While skipping your meals, you don’t need to worry whether or not these Shakes will meet your nutrient needs. Because Many Meal Replacement Shakes (Not All) in the Market is able to provide you with the Nutrition of a Full Meal.

Even though Meal Replacement has Tons of Nutrients in them, they are often considered as a Low-Calorie Meal.

Drinking Meal Replacement Shakes not only provides you with the Nutrients of a Whole Food. But also enough Fiber, Healthy Fats, Carbohydrates, Vitamins, and Minerals.

Since it contains all of them.

Meal Replacement Shakes come in 02 forms.

First, in Powdered form, which you’ll need to mix with either Water or Milk.

Second, as ready-to-drink in a bottle

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Healthy?

a human having Meal Replacement Shake

YES, They are!

Meal Replacement Shakes are relatively healthy and safe to drink because they’re made out of healthy ingredients.

But you need to keep in mind that you cannot live with Meal Replacements day in day out.

It is not advisable for you to replace all 03 of your full meals. Doing so could lead to permanent health issues. So, substituting one or two meals is the sweet spot.

Even Meal Replacement Shake companies themselves recommend you to only replace their Shakes with just two or even one whole meal each day.

The simple fact behind this is, no Meal Replacement can substitute the dietary fulfillment that comes from eating fresh fruits, veggies, and whole foods. 

Plus, some Shakes also tend to contain artificial flavors and added sugars that may not be great for some individuals.

So Before getting your hands on a Meal Replacement Shake, you should make sure to check its Nutrition Facts on the back of the package. (You can see the recommended amount below).

Those are all that determine whether the Meal Replacement is healthy or not and whether it can keep you feeling full until your next meal.

Anyways, no matter what Meal Shake you go with, keep in mind that you should not replace all of your Meals with these Shakes.

Will Meal Replacement Shakes Help Me Lose Weight?

a human holding Meal Replacement Shake

As I mentioned earlier, Meal Shakes contain fewer calories. This is good news for you!

Because cutting calories is able to help you if you’re thinking of Losing weight, even more so than increasing exercise.

Since Meal Shakes are low in calories, replacing meals with them will promote weight loss.

Even Studies suggest that replacing a maximum of two meals with Meal Shakes can speed up weight loss. (1)

You can also expect to maintain all the weight you’ve lost with a Meal Replacement. Without having to worry about gaining them once getting back to eating whole meals.

Also, make sure you buy High Protein Meal Replacements to go with your weight loss journey. High Protein Diets are known to increase lean body mass, reduce body weight and enhance weight management.

Now you know whether or not Meal Replacement Shakes will help to lose weight.

The next question is, How Much Exactly Can You Lose?

How Much Weight Can You Lose With Meal Replacement Shakes?

This largely depends on your Eating Habits.

While you’re on the Meal Replacement Diet, you should avoid consuming highly processed food and snacking. Basically, you’ll have to give up all your unhealthy eating habits. Only then you can achieve your healthy weight loss goals.

If you tend to eat unhealthily, you will lose weight much slower or not lose anything at all.

If you’re getting Meal Replacement Shakes solely to lose weight, then you will have to change your diet along with it.

Will Meal Replacement Shakes Lead to Weight Gain?

weight gaining man holding Meal Replacement Shake

YES! there’s a possibility.

If you are getting Meal Replacement Shakes just to drink them as snacks between meals, there is a chance where you could gain more weight.

Using Meal Replacement Shakes as snacks between meals is not a good idea because it can lead to YOU consuming more calories than your body needs, which can promote weight gain instead of loss.

Recommend to read: The Best Time to Drink Meal Replacement Shake

How to Choose the Best Meal Replacement Shake For Weight Loss?

When Shopping for Meal Replacement Shakes, look for something that has the perfect ratio of macronutrients, carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Look for a Meal Replacement that has:

  • 150-250 calories or more
  • 5 grams of fat (per serving)
  • 15 grams of protein (per serving)
  • 25 grams of carbohydrates
  • 3-5 grams of fiber (per serving)
  • It should also be free of added sugars and artificial ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup
some best meal replacement shakes for weight loss

You should also know that Meal Replacement Shakes use several types of proteins. Whey Protein is one of them, and it is known to improve satiety. 

So if the Meal Shake you’ve decided to go with includes this ingredient, it is an added bonus.

If the Meal Replacement you’ve bought checks all these boxes, you can drink it without any problems.

If you haven’t yet decided which Meal Shake to go with, I highly recommend checking out Ample. This Shake checks all of the boxes I’ve mentioned above and is, in my opinion, one of the Top Tasting Meal Replacement Shakes on the Market.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Meal Replacement Shakes

Meal Replacement Shakes provide a lot of Health Benefits. However, they’re not perfect. So, before you get your hands on one, you must know as much info about them.

Here are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Meal Replacements that you should know.

Advantages

Meal Replacements are Low in Calories: These Shakes are calorie-controlled, and if you’re on a weight loss journey, this can be great as it can help you lose weight faster. Plus, you don’t have to keep an eye on your calorie intake often.
They Might Help You Avoid Unhealthy Meals: Meal Shakes will reduce your temptation to go on and eat unhealthy processed foods because they’re convenient and, most importantly, portable. Plus, they’re also much healthier than fast foods.
You, Will, Be Free From Cooking: These Shakes are a great way to get all the nutrients and calories you need without cooking. Plus, losing weight requires you to prepare healthy meals, and Meal shakes are a great alternative to those because you don’t have to cook anything.
These Shakes Contain a Good Amount of Fiber: Most Meal Shakes are typically high in fiber. This will help you with healthy digestion, which will prevent you from having constipation and getting bloated.
They Provide a Lot of Nutrients: Meal Replacement Shakes can help you provide nutrients that you would otherwise get from whole foods.

Disadvantages

They can Contain Unhealthy Ingredients: Some Shakes (not all) tend to contain Artificial Flavors, added sugars, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, corn syrup, and chemical preservatives. So, before buying, make sure to look at the labels carefully.
Some Shakes Can be Very Low in Calories: Meal Shakes with calories as low as 100 are flooded in the market, stay away from them as they will never be a filling meal.

FAQs

Studies have shown that the use of meal replacement shakes can lead to an average weight loss of 0.77% of initial body weight per week.

Consuming up to two meal replacement shakes per day as a replacement for full meals may support weight loss, while consuming more than two is generally not recommended.

Closing Thoughts

Meal Replacement Shake is a great way to achieve fat loss, But it’s up to you to incorporate Meal Replacement Shakes that are right for the job.

With the Proper Shake in hand, you can safely substitute one or two meals and expect to shed body fat and weight.

If you have no idea on how to pick the right shake for the job. I suggest you take a look at our guide on the best weight loss shakes available in the market. Any of the shakes there will help you shed pounds in a healthy way with zero problems.

If you’re looking for long-term results, it is essential that you pair the diet with balanced nutrition and exercise routines.

REFERENCES:

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22411370/

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Jennifer Pantall
Jennifer Pantall is a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner. She loves tennis and has one daughter with a lovely husband whom she adores. Jennifer also loves to spend time outdoors playing with her dog or walking in nature. You can find more about me here.

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