At 26 and 52 weeks, meal replacement shakes for long-term weight loss maintenance were more effective when used for a full day, twice weekly to replace total daily energy, versus when they were used once daily. This difference disappeared at 78 weeks.
Overview
- What did they test? In this study, researchers tested the effects of using ~200-calorie meal replacement sachets as a once-daily meal replacement (7x/week) versus using them twice weekly to replace total dietary intake (4x/day) on weight loss maintenance over 26, 52, and 78 weeks in individuals who previously lost > 8kg following a professionally supervised weight management program.
- What did they find? Two-thirds of participants maintained >12 kg weight loss at 78 weeks. Individuals who followed the twice-weekly total meal replacement strategy achieved greater weight loss maintenance at 26 weeks and 52 weeks compared to those who adhered to the daily meal replacement, but these findings were not different between groups at 78 weeks.
- What does it mean for you? The majority of people who lose weight gain it back, and strategies to promote successful long-term weight loss maintenance are lacking. This study showed that fully replacing calorie intake two times per week with low-calorie meal replacement sachets was more effective than using a daily meal replacement for maintaining weight loss over 26 and 52 weeks in individuals who had previously lost>8 kg. These findings occurred despite both groups replacing a similar number of meals per week, which suggests there may be a benefit to intermittent energy restriction when compared to daily energy restriction. That said, there was no significant difference between the groups in overall weight loss at 78 weeks, suggesting little practical difference between the approaches. It's important to assess what works best for the individual.
What’s The Problem?
While many weight loss interventions have produced successful results over the short term and long term, the majority of people experience weight regain, and long-term weight loss maintenance has presented a significant challenge in the fight against obesity 1. There is a need for better tools and behavior strategies that assist with long-term weight loss maintenance.
When compared to food-based calorie restriction methods, utilizing a low-calorie meal replacement strategy has been more effective for promoting weight loss 2. Studies have shown benefit with a variety of meal replacement strategies, but those that have replaced greater than 60% of total energy are the most effective.
There is also evidence that utilizing intermittent energy restriction vs. daily energy restriction is equally effective and can potentially improve adherence to a low-energy diet over the long term. Many studies have shown success utilizing a 5:2 energy restriction strategy consisting of 2 very low-calorie days vs. daily energy restriction 3.
While there is evidence supporting these approaches for supporting weight loss, there is a lack of research employing these strategies to determine if they can promote long-term weight loss maintenance.
Purpose
Weight loss maintenance has proven to be one of the biggest challenges in obesity management. Meal replacement shakes and intermittent energy restriction are two strategies that have been shown to be effective for promoting weight loss. However, there is a lack of research employing these methods for maintaining weight loss over the long term.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of replacing a daily meal with a low-energy meal replacement vs. replacing two full days of each week with low-calorie meal replacement sachets on long-term weight loss maintenance in participants who previously lost > 8 kg.
