How To Make The Most Of Your Meal Replacement

If you have been looking into weight loss and the game of getting in shape you have probably noticed there are a series of meal replacement shakes that can help.

These shakes come with great promise to speed up your metabolism and provide you with all the required energy that is needed in order to be successful in the gym and in your weight loss goals.

Trouble is – this might be a little bit of a stretch.

Even when we look at the best meal replacement shakes like those from Evolution Slimming or Bauer Nutrition, both still only contain protein and some vitamins/mineral complex.

This is by no means a complete meal – so can we really call this a meal replacement?

Surely we are missing lots of nutrients needed in order to have energy and enjoy your weight loss and training experience. In this very simple guide, we are going to walk you through the best methods you can implement in order to make the most of your meal replacement.

Why Adding to Your Meal Replacement is Important

Before we get into the methods for making your meal replacement better it is always important to understand why we should even bother.

Not Complete Sources of Calories

First, meal replacements are not complete sources of calories. Whenever we look at true foods like fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts – most, if not all will contain a wide variety of macronutrients and micronutrients.

Yes, generally a specific food will move more toward a specific nutrient like carbs or protein – but they will still contain a moderate dose of other calories as well.

When we look at a meal replacement they are generally only built of protein and some vitamins. In our opinion, this is not a complete source of calories and as such, should be paired with food.

Don’t Provide Feeling of Fullness

Second, meal replacement shakes do not help you to feel full. When you chew food – real food, your body starts to absorb some of the nutrients right in the mouth and will even release satiety hormones to help you feel full so that you do not overeat. Some of these hormones that are released lower in the gut are called ghrelin and leptin.

These hormones will not be at work as much when you are only drinking something – even if they have a caloric value. Lots of time it is the sensation of chewing and absorbing a bulk source of food that will help these hormones to activate and tell your body that you are full.

Of course, all of this is in an effort to ensure that you do not overeat. After all, if you are trying to lose weight you don’t want to be hungry all the time and more prone to overeating.

These are the two main reasons why if you are looking to effectively lose weight you may want to include other foods with your meal replacement shakes. Like we said, even the best products like Evolution Slimming will still contain a dose of nutrients that is less than your average serving of food.

How To Make The Most Of Your Meal Replacement

The most effective way to ensure that your body is making the most of your meal replacement is to pair it with good food and an even better workout program – but what food is best and how should you exercise?

Eat Lots of Berries

Berries are truly the king of the fruit kingdom. Not only do they contain a very good serving of complex carbohydrates, but they are also plentiful in antioxidants to limit oxidative stress and are low in calories. This is the perfect combination for adding some well-needed carbs and calories into your shake – and they will even improve the taste!

Oatmeal

Oats are one of those foods that none of us really like to eat, but really should be. Oatmeal contains a massive source of many nutrients and is a healthy part of anyone’s diet. Not only do they contain good complex carbohydrates, but they are also plentiful in amino acids and very high in fibre. This means oatmeal will help to feel more full, plus keep you regular.

Nuts / Seeds

This is more of a general recommendation for anyone who is using a product like Evolutions Slimming or Bauer Nutrition to replace meals. Yes, the products are good but they are low in calories and do not provide very much of any of the nutrients needed from fatty foods like nuts, seeds and fish – which are essential in your diet and for hormone balancing.

To solve this, simply bring a couple handfuls of nuts with you each day and watch as you begin to grow stronger, increase energy and enjoy your weight loss experience even more.

Workout At Lower Intensities to Start

You’re going to find a huge array of conflicting opinions on how you should workout online – but the truth is when you are restricting your calories the best method to have reliable fat loss and weight loss is with low-impact conditioning and strength training.

There is no need to jump into crazy HIIT workouts – your low caloric consumption just won’t provide you with enough energy to thrive here. However, training at your own pace with a lower intensity and a focus on muscle development can help to ensure you are still losing weight and slowly building muscle.

Train 3-5x a Week

High frequency of training can be one of the biggest detriments to beginner athletes. I am going to assume that since you are trying a meal replacement like Evolution Slimming that you are looking to lose weight – but you are just starting.

Don’t be silly and jump into a workout every day. Your body needs rest – especially since you are just starting off. Instead of jumping into a workout on every day, split up your training sessions over a couple of days a week, 3-5x a week should be more than enough to see the benefits of strength training and low-impact cardio.

Making Meal Replacements Count

When it comes to weight loss, using a meal replacement can be a very good step in the correct direction. The only main aspect you need to consider is that they are not complete sources of nutrition and you should be using other sources of food like oats, berries and nuts to increase the calories and provide the essential nutrients you need.

This is not a game of starving yourself to lose a pound every day.

Your best bet at succeeding in weight loss is to have a consistent effort over the course of many weeks if not months to years. Use a great product like Evolution Slimming so that you can be sure you have the right ingredients, but be sure to use real foods along with it to ensure success and vitality.

Gabriello Ianniruberto

Gabriello is a writer and strength expert best known for his science-based and practical approach to Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Strength. After serving in a directors position for The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Gabriello moved towards writing to help more people understand the importance of living a healthy life. Gabriello’s writings have been published in several languages on some of the largest health and fitness websites helping people learn, grow and understand the complex components of optimizing human performance in a simplistic way.

Gabriello also takes on specialized, high-performance athletes who are in need of strength, mobility and conditioning programming to optimize their fitness through his Earned Fitness program.

The website healthychoice.reviews and the information in this article is for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Make sure that anything you buy is compliant with your government's laws where you live. Your access is subject to our full disclaimer.

Healthy Choice.reviews is a reader-supported site. Purchases made through links may earn a commission. Read more.