Do Meal Replacements Work?

Also, a thorough review of six studies demonstrated that meal replacement beverages may be more effective than traditional, low-calorie food-based diets. The review found that dieters using daily meal replacement beverages lost 7–8% of their body weight compared to 3–7% on a traditional, low-calorie diet ( 9 ).

Do meal replacements work for weight loss?

Research has found that meal replacement shakes can help with weight loss. One study tracked two groups of people as they tried to lose weight over the course of 3 months. At the end of the study, the group that did not use meal replacement shakes lost only 1.5% of their initial body weight.

Can you survive on meal replacement shakes?

Following a protein shake diet encourages weight loss by curbing appetite and reducing the total calories a person consumes in a day. Although these diets can be effective in the short term, healthcare professionals do not recommend living solely or primarily on meal replacement shakes.