Home » Blog » Weight Management Tips

Estimated reading time: 6.5 min

That extra weight after you vacation…

Do you need some extra help to lose weight after your vacation? A meal replacement for weight loss might be a good option for you. In this post I'll explore such option and I'll find the healthiest meal replacement shakes for men and for women. 

Although you have been trying to eat well during your vacation, all the extra dinning out, unusual sweets and even drinks have made you pay a price? Do you feel that all your previous efforts have been ruined and you don’t feel it’s worth it to start over?

It doesn’t need to be this way! I am not in favor of fast weight loss but there is a way that you can easily lose that extra weight you gained over your vacation.  

About Meal Replacement for Weight Loss

I am not a fan of using food replacements. My philosophy is that you need to eat to lose weight, since that’s the way to have your metabolism more active so it is easier to be in control of your weight.

But there is no such thing as magic for weight loss and therefore there is this basic principle that is always true no matter how we approach weight loss management: weight management depends on the equation calories in calories out.

So, if you want to lose some weight you have to be able to have less calories in than out. 

Since you can’t use willpower to lose weight and I don’t want you to be tempted to start skipping dinners (don’t do it here is why).

I wanted to give you a good option to be able to lose that extra weight you gained while relaxing over your vacation, so you can come back to your routine empowered. 

Even if you just need some extra help to lose weight at any time!

It is true that “the best way to lose weight is to LEARN the right way”, and that’s what my 32 Mondays program is all about and how I coach my clients. 

Having said so, I know that many people are in a situation where the metabolism is totally asleep so they struggle to lose weight. Protein shakes can be a quick boost to activate your metabolism and your motivation to start to lose weight while learning a long term weight loss management program.   

So, a while ago I searched for the healthiest meal replacement shakes and once I found the one I considered the best I tested it.

The Objective of the Test

My objective with the test was to try the protein shake brand that I was comfortable with and check if that could be an option as a meal substitute I could recommend.

The Test

I have to say that I always hated any type of meal replacement so it was hard for me to take the step to try the one I had selected. You might be thinking that I am weird, either because I don’t like protein shakes or because I am having it even if I don’t like them. Well, I have to try things and make sure are an option before recommending them to others, right?

Although I know that most people use meal replacement shakes for breakfast I had mine for lunch after a 20 minute of a strength training session and a 2 mile run on the icy snow (with my buddy Luna of course)!

As you can see I made sure I burned lots of calories so I had an important need for energy at lunch time. How else could I evaluate if the protein shake was good enough as a meal substitute?

I mixed the protein powder recommended by the brand I was testing with water, almond milk, strawberries and blueberries. I wanted to add some flavor and vitamins not adding too much sugar or extra calories.

The Result

The result was that I wasn’t hungry for 3 ½ hours which is quite good after exercising and it is usually what it takes me before being hungry after my “normal” meal when I have to grab my mid afternoon snack.

I have to say that I was a bit hungrier than usual, and therefore that’s something I had to work on before going ahead and recommend the protein shake to my clients. Now I recommend adding some extra fiber to help you feel full longer and not to work out too hard or in a very cold environment (when you burn too many calories) if you are planning to have a protein shake as your next meal. 

I notice the Stevia flavor in the brand I use, probably because I have a special sensitivity to any type of sweetener, even to sugar. So if that could also happen to you, I would recommend you to add more strawberries or blueberries. 

So, Could A Meal Replacement for Weight Loss Be an Option for You?

The answer is YES. 

I think they can work great for a short period of time of maximum 30 days. 

Use it to substitute one of your main meals: breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Add extra fiber to help you feel satiated 3-4 hours until your snack.

If you add fruit for flavor, use a low Glycemic Index fruit like berries. Here you can learn why downloading my FREE e-book.

MOST IMPORTANT: Use a reliable brand that includes all the nutrients you need to have a balanced nutrition and most important, that is LOW in GI (Laboratory Tested) so you don’t rise your sugar levels when having a protein shake as a meal replacement. (*) 

Yes, I use them from time to time. Specially when I am in a hurry, and I don’t have time to have a decent meal but I know I need my nutrients. If I don’t have time to even mix the protein powder I always have the ready to drink ones in my fridge to drink on the go.  

A Final Note

As I said before, one of the weight loss myths is that there is such thing as a magic weight loss formula or pill. 

Even if you use a meal replacement for weight loss you have to maintain your healthy portion sizes and learn why and how to have healthy filling meals. You can get the 32 Mondays healthy eating plan to lose weight so you can get some ideas to create your own.

You can prepare healthy weight loss smoothies using several combinations, like low GI fruits, almond milk or water, coconut water, vegetables etc. You can find many recipes everywhere. Just make sure not to add too much food so you end having too many calories and that the fruit has low GI.

(*) Yes. I do have a recommendation. After all the research I decided to use Arbonne shakes. Not only I think they are the best option in the market but also all the nutrition products are exceptional and I use many of them too. Arbonne is a network marketing company so the only way you can buy the products is through an independent consultant. Yes you can buy them through me: arantxamateo.arbonne.com for which I earn a small commission or I am perfectly fine if you use any other Arbonne Independent Consultant. 

And NO! This wasn’t a blog post to promote the Arbonne shakes! I genuinely think that a daily protein shake as a meal replacement for maximum of 30 days can help you lose the weight you gained over your vacation and/or to boost your metabolism so you start losing weight while you learn a proper weight loss management program that teaches you how you should eat for life.