Sunday, December 26, 2010

Is It OK to Have Meal Replacements?

Meal replacements are portion-controlled food or drinks that contain anywhere from 100-300 calories, designed to help you lose weight. They can come in the form of shakes, soups, prepackaged entrees or snack bars.

Many people have had success using them, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). In fact, people who use them have significantly greater weight loss than those using standard low-calorie diets, says the ADA. But there are definitely pros and cons.

The pros:

They’re convenient. Usually easy-to-prepare or grab-and-go, replacements like shakes and bars make a good substitute for times when you’re on the run.

They require no cooking skills. Prepackaged entrees make putting together combinations of vegetables, sauces and starches – with appropriate amounts of fat and calories – easy. You never have to get out a cookbook or measuring spoon.

The cons:

They can cause you to overeat. Some people get lured into thinking that since they are eating healthy combinations of ingredients, they can eat more, and they end up overdoing the calories. Others find the replacements leave them feeling hungry or unsatisfied, possibly resulting in bingeing later.

You can end up swapping one problem for another. Some meal replacements replace fat with sugar, or sugar with fat. Watch the ingredients list to make sure you’re not forgoing one problem food to find you’re over-eating another.

You don’t learn how to eat in the "real world." It’s best to learn how to eat regular foods that you will encounter at restaurants, friends’ homes and other places.

Meal replacements were made to help limit food intake. You might want to use them in moderation until you know they work for you. For more information on this, check out Are Meal Replacements Right for You?

Reprinted from 101 Weight Loss Tips for Preventing and Controlling Diabetes by Anne Daly, Linda Delahanty and Judith Wylie-Rosett. Copyright by the American Diabetes Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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