Meal Replacement Dieting: Which Style Is Best For You?

Meal replacement is a popular form of weight loss dieting that allows dieters to lose excess weight quickly, while maintaining vital nutritional health. As any general doctor can tell you, losing weight is relatively simple- you simply eat less and exercise more. While this generic doctrine absolutely works, it can be harder to put into practice than it seems, and losing weight while maintaining proper health and nutrition is downright difficult without the services of a professional dietician. That’s why pre-prepared meal replacements are so useful. They make healthy dieting easy- and that makes losing weight a whole new game.

Meal Replacement Plans

These easy to follow, healthful plans come in either DIY or Dieter Support systems. The DIY plans take a little more planning and effort on the dieter’s part, and can be a tad harder on your will power, but many like the DIY plans because they are far more flexible than the Dieter Support systems. In essence, DIY plans offer dieters nutritionally complete shakes, bars, and snacks which act as meal replacements for one or more meals of the dieter’s choice. Most people choose to replace breakfast and lunch, then eat a simple, low-fat dinner. Of the various options, each has their own pros and cons.

DIY Tools

Shakes are quick, easy, and refreshing. Because they take up space within the stomach, they help make dieters feel full, lessening the desire for other food. They are particularly easy to digest, so they make a perfect choice for anyone with a quirky digestive system- or anyone experiencing digestive troubles due to the abrupt change in their eating pattern. One thing they can’t replicate, however, is the feel of eating. Many dieters who use shakes miss the sensation of actually biting down into something and chewing. That’s where meal replacer bars and snacks can fill the gap.

Bars and snacks give dieters the all important sensation of actually eating something. Though seemingly small, this psychological effect can make all the difference when you’re trying to break your habit of over-eating, or eating the wrong types of food. Bars come in all kinds of flavor and ingredient combinations, from cereal and granola bars to brownie flavored, high protein “candy” bars. Snacks go one better by offering healthy versions of nutritional “no-no” foods like cookies, muffins, crackers, cakes, and pretzels. Snack meal replacements allow dieters guilt-free indulgence. The drawback is that these solids aren’t as filling as a nice big shake, so over-eating is still a factor.

Dieter Support Systems

Dieter support systems such as medifast or nutrimed let the experts do all the planning for you. They offer full guidance nutritional replacement dieting, plans for special conditions such as gluten or lactose intolerance and diabetes, and online motivational support networks. For some dieters, the loss of flexibility is more than made up for with the ease of having a fully planned diet and people ready to answer questions and give moral support as needed. Whatever your diet needs or style, meal replacement dieting offers easy, personal solutions to help you achieve and maintain the health and fitness level you deserve.