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Drinking Down the Pounds
Weight Loss Methods Series
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
This is where the world of diet shakes and supplements comes in. According to products such as "Slim-Fast," use of diet shakes can not only help a person lose weight easily, but can also ensure that a dieting person meets their nutritional needs.
"By simply replacing a high-fat, high-calorie meal, such as a sandwich, chips and soda, with lower-calorie foods such as a vitamin and mineral replacement shake and a piece of fruit, patients can reduce caloric intake by 500 calories a day," says Dr. Harry L. Greene, vice president and medical director of Slim-Fast. "This is the equivalent to losing 1 pound of fat per week. In addition, the shake provides the vitamins, minerals and fiber normally found in a higher calorie meal – plus up to 40 percent of the recommended dietary intake of calcium."
Other popular shakes are Available at local health food stores, These shakes are a "high protein, low carbohydrate, nutrient dense" shake used as meal replacements in an attempt to lose weight.
The use of diet shakes and supplements meets most of the criteria of dieters wanting to spend less time thinking about their diet and ease in its use. As the shakes come ready-to-drink or in a mix-and-use powder, there is virtually no time or effort needed for preparation. The ready-to-drink preparations are packaged similar to soda, making diet shakes portable and convenient to be taken to work, an outing or on vacation. In addition, most diet shakes are available at local grocery or health food stores and can be purchased without a prescription. Implementing the shake into your daily routine is fairly easy. Simply substitute one diet shake or supplement for breakfast and one for lunch, add a piece of fruit or other low-calorie snack and eat a well-balanced dinner each day and you are on your way to drinking down the pounds.