Why Meal Replacement Shakes Can Help Women Lose Weight

Weight loss is a holistic process, meaning that you need to have multiple areas of your lifestyle optimised. Exercise, diet, sleep, stress management, and metabolic health. Hourglass Fit is designed to help you to improve your metabolism while also helping you to be more disciplined with your diet. There are also ingredients that can help with stress management and, ultimately, sleep.

But Hourglass Fit works best when it is combined with other lifestyle improvements. That’s where meal replacement shakes can come in. This article will be taking a look at how meal replacement shakes can help you to lose weight and how they can be combined with Hourglass Fit to help you burn fat and improve your diet.

What are Meal Replacement Shakes?

The name meal replacement shake is pretty descriptive. It is a powdered meal that comprises protein, fats, and carbohydrates. You use it to replace regular meals such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The idea is that you can replace meals that you struggle with (either due to portion size or practical issues such as lack of time for preparation), and it offers a low-cost, low-calorie meal that is ready in seconds.

Meal replacement shakes don’t have to be used for weight loss, they can be integrated into weight gain or weight maintenance plans, but weight loss is what they are best suited to.

Replace your typical 700-calorie lunch with a 400-calorie meal replacement shake, and you will be consuming 300 calories fewer each day. Over the course of 30 days, that represents 9000 calories, enough to burn over 1 kg of fat!

Meal replacement shakes are often made with high-quality ingredients such as oats, plant-based protein, and healthy fats. They usually contain all the vitamins and minerals you need to live a healthy lifestyle, and they are often very high in dietary fibre.

How to Lose Weight

Before we discuss why meal replacement shakes can be so effective for weight loss, it’s a good idea to explain how weight loss occurs. This is a quick and simple guide to weight loss:

Your body requires energy to function. It helps you to breathe, it allows your heart to pump blood around your body, and it even helps you to think. Walking, running, jumping, and any form of physical activity also require energy.

This energy comes from food, and it is measured in calories. Every day, your body will burn a certain number of calories based on your health and lifestyle. An active, young person will usually burn more calories than a sedentary old person.

The more food you eat, the more calories you consume. These calories are used to fuel your lifestyle. If you consume too many calories, your body will store the excess for future use. This stored energy causes body fat accumulation.

If you burn more calories than you consume, your body will use the stored energy (body fat) to balance out the equation.

Weight loss or gain does not occur over the course of one day, it takes weeks, months, and even years to occur. If you are looking to lose weight, then you need to create a calorie deficit. This is where you burn more calories than you consume over a number of days.

The larger the deficit, the more fat will be burned. But you can’t just starve yourself and hope for everything to work out. You still need to fuel your lifestyle.

Creating a small deficit means that you have enough calories to live an active lifestyle, yet you will still be able to burn excess fat each day.

There are three ways to create a small calorie deficit:

• Consume fewer calories (diet)
• Burn more calories (exercise)
• Consume fewer calories while burning more calories (diet and exercise)

The third option is the best, as it allows you to be a little less extreme with the diet and the exercise. To create a 500-calorie deficit, you would need to eat 500 calories fewer (option one), burn 500 calories through exercise (option two), or consume 250 calories fewer while burning 250 calories exercising (option three).

Why Meal Replacement Shakes Can Help Women Lose Weight

If you’ve read the section above, you should have a good idea of the science behind weight loss: Consume slightly fewer calories than you burn. This means reducing your calorie intake slightly while increasing the number of calories you burn through exercise.

Meal replacement shakes can help with the diet aspect of weight loss. Rootana, for example, contains just 400 calories per serving. If you were to replace your typical lunch (500-700 calories) with a 400-calorie shake, you have created a 100-300 calorie deficit.

If you also replace your breakfast (average 500 calories) with a 400-calorie shake, that’s an extra 100 calories saved. Some studies have actually replaced all three meals with meal replacement shakes and have seen significant weight loss [1]. But this isn’t practical or necessary.

But there is more to weight loss than just consuming fewer calories. You also need to have good mental health, you need energy to work and enjoy life, and you also need to stay motivated. Meal replacement shakes can’t provide you with all of this, but they can help to provide you with the energy to work and exercise, and they can make dieting a little easier.

Meal replacement shakes are often high in protein and in fibre. This means that you will stay fuller for longer because protein and fibre are satiating. A high protein diet is excellent for weight loss as it can help to preserve muscle tone, and increase your metabolism [2].

Meal replacement shakes also make dieting easier, they are quick to prepare, don’t require any confusing rules (looking at you Paleo dieters), and they are often plant-based. They can also help to prevent nutritional deficiencies, which are a common cause of obesity [3].

Three Excellent Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss

There are hundreds of meal replacement shakes out there. Some are amazing, some less so. In this article, we are taking a look at three of the best meal replacement shakes on the market. Rootana, Instant Knockout Complete, and Huel Black.

Rootana

Rootana is a new entrant into the meal replacement shake world, and it is already gaining a lot of attention thanks to its artificial sweetener-free formula, commitment to using top-quality ingredients, and its excellent taste.

At a Glance

Rootana contains 400 calories per serving, 16 grams of healthy fats, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 7.1 grams of fibre, and 21 grams of protein (based on original flavour). There are two flavours available (original and cacao), and you can purchase them from the Rootana website.

Pros

• No artificial sweeteners
• High in plant-based protein
• High in fibre
• An excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids
• Great taste

Cons

• Only two flavours are available so far
• Only available from the Rootana website

Ingredients List

• Oat Flour Powder – A complex carbohydrate with a very low GI score. Oat flour powder provides healthy fats and protein and is an excellent source of fibre. Oats have been shown to increase satiety, protect the heart, improve gut health, and aid weight loss. They also contribute to the flavour of Rootana and give it a lovely consistency.
• Pea Protein – The best plant-based protein source out there, pea protein is great for building muscle tone and raising your metabolism. It is also a sustainable food and is, therefore, better for the environment than most protein sources. Pea protein is a complete protein, meaning that it has all the amino acids necessary.
• Sunflower Seed Oil – An excellent source of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. Sunflower seed oil is also high in antioxidants, making it an excellent ingredient for protecting against cell damage and the effects of ageing.
• Golden Flaxseed – An excellent source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed also contains fibre, lignans, and protein.
• Coconut Sugars – Rootana uses naturally formed coconut sugars instead of lab-created artificial sweeteners such as sucralose or stevia. Coconut sugars provide a more neutral sweetness and have a lower GI than regular sugar.

Rootana Review

Rootana is an incredible meal replacement shake for weight loss. It is high in protein, high in fibre and is packed full of healthy ingredients. It tastes great, mixes well, and avoids the use of artificial ingredients. If you are looking for a top-quality meal replacement shake to take alongside Hourglass Fit, then this is the product for you.

Instant Knockout Complete

Many people are under the misapprehension that Instant Knockout was designed for men when in fact, it is perfectly suited to both men and women. A high protein, high fibre shake that works incredibly well at increasing satiety and making it easier to stay in a calorie deficit.

At a Glance

Instant Knockout Complete contains 400 calories per serving, 13 grams of healthy fats, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of fibre, and 35 grams of protein. There is only one flavour available, vanilla, and you can purchase it on the Instant Knockout website.

Pros

• Very high in protein
• Very high in fibre
• Fats come from MCT oil
• Highest quality ingredients

Cons

• Premium price for premium ingredients
• Only one flavour is available
• Only available from the Instant Knockout website

Ingredients List

• Plant-Based Protein Blend – This is a combination of pea protein and soy protein, both of which are complete proteins due to their full amino acid count. These two ingredients make up the majority of protein in Complete, but there are other plant-based protein sources found in the formula.
• Golden Flaxseed – As mentioned in the Rootana review, flaxseed is definitely a superfood. High in omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, fibre, and protein. Flaxseed can help to protect the heart, lower cholesterol, and reduce your risk of certain cancers [4].
• MCT – medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are a superior form of fats, and Instant Knockout Complete uses them as its primary source of fat. They have been found to be beneficial for heart health, and they can raise your metabolic rate more than regular fats and may help you to lose weight, particularly during the first two weeks [5].
• Oat Flour – As in the Rootana review, oat flour has been added due to its low GI score, high fibre content, and ability to increase satiety and reduce energy consumption. Oats are also great for improving taste.
• Organic Brown Rice – This protein source combines perfectly with pea protein, and you often see the two in the same formula. Brown rice protein is an excellent source of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
• Chia Seeds – Another excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, chia seeds also contain protein and fibre. They are packed full of healthy nutrients, and yet they remain low in calories.

Instant Knockout Complete Review

While Instant Knockout does only have one flavour to choose from and is only available from the IK website, it is a seriously good meal replacement shake for weight loss. Very high in protein and fibre, it combines excellently with appetite-reducing fat burners such as Cut or Hourglass Fit.

Complete uses the best ingredients out there, and this is reflected in the high cost per serving. Still, if you have the budget for it, you will be very pleased with the results.

Huel Black

The final meal replacement shake on our list is Huel Black. This shake is the weight-loss version of regular Huel, a UK-based meal replacement shake company. It is very low in carbs, very high in protein, and high in fat.

At a Glance

Huel Black contains 400 calories per serving. It has 18 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 8.3 grams of fibre, and 40 grams of protein. There are nine flavours available, and Huel can be bought on the Huel website.

Pros

• Very high protein content
• Gluten-Free
• No artificial sweeteners
• High in fibre

Cons

• Very low in carbohydrates
• Contains some pointless ingredients (such as Green tea extract)
• Notoriously bad flavours

Ingredients List

• Pea Protein – As mentioned in our Rootana and IK Complete reviews, pea protein is one of (if not the) best plant-based protein sources out there. Easily digested, containing a complete amino acid profile, and environmentally friendly, pea protein is a superb addition to any formula.
• Ground Flaxseed – High in omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and protein, flaxseed is perfect for people following a plant-based diet or anyone looking to improve their health.
• Brown Rice Protein – This has been added as a source of natural BCAAs, due to its high leucine, isoleucine, and valine content. Brown rice protein and pea protein combine well together and have a synergistic relationship.
• Tapioca Flour – Added due to its ability to improve the texture of Huel Black, and it is the main source of carbohydrates. Tapioca isn’t a great choice as it has little nutritional value. It is used instead of oats, which have numerous health advantages, but oats contain gluten whereas tapioca does not.
• Sunflower Oil – This is the main source of fats in Huel Black and is a great choice. As we have seen in our Rootana review.
• MCT Powder – This is a little bit deceiving. MCT powder is incredibly beneficial, and it is the jewel in the crown for IK Complete. But Huel Black only contains a tiny amount of MCT powder, whereas IK Complete gets almost all of its fat from MCTs. There is not enough MCT powder present in Huel Black to get any of the health benefits associated with it.
• Coconut Sugar – Like Rootana Huel Black uses coconut sugar as an alternative to sucralose or stevia extract. Coconut sugar is a great choice as it is completely natural, has a lower GI score than regular sugar, and isn’t overly sweet.
• Green Tea Extract – This could be a good ingredient, but it is of poor quality and is underdosed. Green tea extract contains a certain amount of EGCG. This is the active ingredient that is responsible for fat-burning results. A good Green tea will be around 50% EGCG, and the dosage would be around 500 mg. This means that you would get 250 mg of EGCG. Huel uses 20% EGCG and only has 130 mg (26 mg of EGCG). It’s just not that effective!
• Kombucha – Used to provide B vitamins, it does not contain caffeine or alcohol like the real kombucha. Kind of pointless, it would have made more sense to just add b-vitamins to the vitamin and mineral complex.

Huel Black Review

There is a lot to like about Huel Black meal replacement shakes. They contain 40 grams of protein per serving, which is crazily high! It is also high in fibre, making it highly satiating. The number of flavours available is great from a variety point of view, but due to the lack of oats and high protein content, the taste of certain flavours is frequently criticised.

Still, Huel Black will help you to lose weight if that is what you are looking to do. You may find it hard at first as the high protein/high fibre content will lead to some gastrointestinal distress, but once you get used to that, you will really start to see a difference.

Final Thoughts on Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss

We have looked at three top-quality meal replacement shakes, and we’ve discussed the best ways in which to add them to your weight loss diet. Hopefully, by now, you realise how effective they can be when properly integrated into your lifestyle. The trick is to use them in conjunction with a healthy diet and frequent exercise.

The mistake that many people make when using meal replacement shakes is to avoid making any other changes to their lifestyle. Meal replacement shakes are simple to add to your daily habits, and require little thought. This means that you can use that energy elsewhere, perhaps using it to sign up to your local gym, or take the dog for a slightly longer walk.

We’d recommend trying Rootana meal replacement shakes first, they are the most natural meal replacement shakes on the market, is packed full of protein, fibre, and micronutrients, and it tastes amazing. It is well worth a try.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are meal replacement shakes safe?

Yes, provided you use them sensibly, they will be highly beneficial to your health. There are no ingredients found in meal replacement shakes that are dangerous or illegal. The only issue you may have is if you have an allergy.

Are meal replacement shakes natural?

They are as natural as most foods; some meal replacement shakes are more natural than others. Rootana, Instant Knockout Complete, and Huel all prioritise natural ingredients above all else. Particularly Rootana. Oats, pea protein, vegetable oil, flaxseed etc are all natural ingredients.

Do meal replacement shakes use artificial sweeteners?

Almost all meal replacement shakes use artificial sweeteners as a way to flavour their product without contributing any calories. However, there are some such as Rootana and Ka’Chava that avoid them and use ingredients such as coconut sugars instead.

Can meal replacement shakes help me lose weight?

Yes, provided that you use it as part of a calorie-deficit diet. If you combine your meal replacement shake with a diet filled with junk food, then you are unlikely to lose weight. However, if you add a meal replacement shake to a regular diet, you are more likely to see fat loss results.

Can I combine meal replacement shakes with a fat burner?

Yes, Instant Knockout Complete works really well with Instant Knockout Cut, one of the best fat burners on the market. Similarly, you can combine Rootana with Hourglass Fit, a perfect combo for women looking to lose weight. Of course, using these products separately can also provide superb fat loss results.

 

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6327254/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/

[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-018-0143-9

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989356/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10348498/