When you want to lose weight, it can be easy to pick up some meal replacement shakes and have these instead of certain meals as a quick and easy fix. However, it’s important to understand how to make meal replacement shakes work well for you in order to make sure that you are getting the best results from them.
For many people, the hardest part of losing weight is having to be careful about what you eat and track the calories and nutrients that you are getting each day, which is why meal replacement shakes can come in handy since all you need to do is measure the right amount of powder and water or plant milk, mix up your shake, and you’re ready to. Pre-made meal replacement shakes can be even more convenient because all you need to do is open the carton and drink it! However, don’t fall into the trap of believing that meal replacement shakes are a magic fix for your weight loss. If they were, then we’d all be at our ideal weight!
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you are considering using meal replacement shakes to lose weight, to help you stay motivated and get the best results.
Choose High-Quality and Nutritious Shakes
When you want to lose weight, there is much more to it than simply reducing the number of calories that you consume. While technically, you would lose weight if you only ate one chocolate bar per day, you’re really not going to feel great. This isn’t healthy weight loss and is more a result of your body being starved of the nutrients it needs and so tapping into your fat storage for them.
While being in a calorie deficit has the same effect, making sure that the calories you consume are providing your body with the right type and amount of nutrients will make sure that you still have plenty of energy, and stay healthy throughout the process, which is the main aim for most people.
If you are looking for low calorie diet shakes, Shake That Weight is a good option. Their low calorie diet shakes can be used by people on a very-low-calorie diet or by those who simply want a convenient option while staying in a calorie deficit. Their shakes are packed with all the nutrients that you need from your meal.
Choose a Range of Flavors
While some people might not be too bothered about the options and tend to stick with what they know anyway, others can get very bored after a while if they’re having the same thing every day. If you want to lose weight, then the last thing that you want is to feel demotivated simply because you never want to look at a strawberry shake again. Getting a few different flavor options can make this easier for you since there is more variety and you’re not having the same thing over and over again until you get bored of it. And, as long as you have accounted for the extra calories, you might want to consider adding some things to your shakes like blended fruit or cacao powder to change up the taste a little bit.
Track Your Calories
The only way to successfully lose weight is for your body to burn more calories than it is taking in, and this is the basis of pretty much every diet plan out there, no matter how they go about helping you reduce your calorie intake. However, meal replacement shakes can lull you into a false sense of security where you might begin to believe that as long as you’re having a shake for breakfast and lunch, it doesn’t really matter what else you eat for your dinner, or even what you snack on throughout the day. The good news is that since most weight loss shakes are low in calories, you’ve probably got a lot of calories to play with when it comes to what else you’re eating.
Using a calorie tracking app where you enter everything that you’re eating, including the shakes, can help you get clear on how much you should be eating throughout the day to lose weight based on factors like your height, weight, and activity level. Along with this, tracking your calories makes it easier for you to figure out what a certain number of calories actually looks like on your plate, which can make choosing ingredients and portioning food easier for you in the future.
Don’t Expect Miracles
While meal replacement shakes are one of the best options to choose from if you are in a position where you want to lose a lot of weight as quickly as possible, it is important to remember that this is not a sustainable way to lose weight over the long term. If you need to lose weight for a surgical procedure, for example, or have an event coming up that you want to be a bit lighter for, meal replacement shakes can be an ideal option for going on a very low calorie diet with the support of your doctor. However, it’s important to know when to stop and switch to a more balanced way of eating.
You can still include your meal replacement shakes for the convenience but using them as a part of a balanced and healthy diet, or a regular calorie deficit, will help you lose weight and keep it off over the long term. While you’ll lose weight slower like this compared to seriously restricting your calories, you will be happier, more satisfied, and more likely to stay at your new weight.
Understand It Might Not Be For You
It can be disappointing to try a meal replacement shake plan only to find that you’re just not getting the type of results that you had hoped for. While it’s a good idea to consider whether you’re being realistic with your expectations, it’s also important to remember that meal replacement shakes might not be an option that work well for everybody. If you are a bit of a foodie and like a lot of variety in your diet, for example, meal replacement shakes are probably going to be something that you get very bored with, very quickly. Along with this, some people who have health problems might not respond well to being on a very low calorie diet with meal replacement shakes, and you might not lose anything, or even retain water weight, which will cause you to appear heavier on the scales. Speak to your doctor if you are unsure what kind of diet plan is going to work best for you.
Don’t Obsess Over the Scales
Obsessing over the scales is one of the worst mistakes to make if you’re using diet shakes or any other kind of plan to lose weight. Our weight fluctuates every day based on how well we’ve slept, what we’ve eaten, our hormones, and many other things, and is not always the best indicator as to how much actual fat you have lost. Don’t forget to take measurements of your body and consider how you feel in clothes; this can often tell a very different story to the scales.
Meal replacement shakes can be a convenient option for losing weight, but there are several factors to consider before you start.
