Eating to Lose Weight with a Meal Replacement Program
At first glance, a meal replacement program might not seem like the best way to lose weight. Perhaps it seems unappetizing or like a gimmick. However, meal replacement programs have actually been found to be highly effective in helping many individuals from all walks of life to lose weight. Here’s what you need to know about meal replacement programs.
Meal Replacement Plans 101
Meal replacement weight-loss plans replace between one and three of your regular meals and, in some cases, snacks with high-protein, low-carb shakes or bars. They help you decrease the number of calories you eat so you can lose weight. Keep in mind that adding meal replacement bars or shakes to your current eating diet doesn’t promote weight loss, as this isn’t how they are designed to be used.
Meal Replacement Plans Work When Used As Directed
The journal Obesity published a review concluding that meal replacements are an effective weight-loss intervention. According to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, replacing one or two daily meals or snacks with meal replacements can be an effective weight-loss and weight-maintenance tactic. In fact, it might come as a surprise that research indicates that meal replacement plans may promote more significant weight loss than standard eating plans.
How Meal Replacements Help With Weight Loss
Convenience
Ready-to-go meals and snacks mean less time shopping, preparing, cooking, and cleaning up. Meal replacement systems, especially those offering bars and shakes, may also be ideal if you are busy and tend to eat on the go a lot.
Structure
It’s common for many Americans to skip meals or lead hectic lives, causing them to not pay much attention to what or when they eat. Meal replacement plans can help you adopt a structured eating plan that will keep you on the right path to weight loss. With such a system, there are fewer mealtime decisions to make and automatic portion control.
Improved Nutrients
High-protein meal replacement systems help you get plenty of satisfying and muscle-promoting protein without blowing your daily calorie allowance.
Meal replacements offer better nutrition than your usual choices if you are used to grazing on nutrient-lacking snacks or frequently munching down on fast food. For example, a weight-loss study of people with diabetes reported that people using meal replacements improved diet quality than those on a standard weight-loss diet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Optifast
How do Optifast® Products Taste?
Most individuals find Optifast products satisfying and pleasant. However, it’s not uncommon to prefer one flavor over others. These products were designed to replace food entirely for a limited time. As such, they are much different, both in taste and nutritional quality, than many commercially available nutritional formulas and products.
Will I Be Hungry on the Optifast System?
Your feeling of hunger and the impulsive desire to consume food are real concerns. Controlling hunger is a primary goal so you can increase your chances of success and stick with the program. Controlling hunger involves both preventing and managing hunger sensations if they occur. Our program staff can suggest various techniques to accomplish this goal. However, you’ll be happy to learn that for most Optifast participants, hunger sensations typically go away within a few days to two weeks after beginning this program.
Learn More about Optifast and Weight Loss Options at The Weight and Wellness Institute
At The Weight & Wellness Institute, we know how challenging and frustrating it can be to lose weight. Our goal is to offer several valuable tools to our clients, and one of these tools is Optifast. Our professionals believe this to be the superior meal replacement weight loss system, and we are proud to offer Optifast prescriptions to our qualifying clients.
Contact us today at 401-895-9937 or request an appointment online to learn more about the Optifast weight loss system.