Lose Weight with Weight Loss Supplements True or False?

Walk through the aisles of any supermarket or pharmacist and you can be forgiven for thinking real food is going the way of the dodo!  

With dozens of weight loss supplements, meal and snack replacements lining the shelves and enticing you with their attractive packaging and often outlandish marketing claims, how on earth do you choose the good from the bad?

And should you be eating these things anyway or are they just dodgy substitutes for fresh food?

In general we advocate everything in moderation however we do caution substituting real food with pills, shakes or potions.  The occasional meal replacement  is fine but you will run into trouble if you rely on that for any length of time because it’s likely you will end up gaining weight once you go back to your normal diet – which defeats the purpose somewhat!

The other downside of meal replacements is that they don’t teach you what to eat which is not helpful if you want to make long term dietary changes.Weight loss supplements are usually a better bet - coming in the form of a vitamin pill, portion, shake, or even a high protein, sugar-free chocolate bar – and designed to work with food rather than replace it.

Some of the better weight loss supplements are the high fibre protein bars, shakes and naturally derived drinks which will keep you full without overloading your body with excessive calories making them a good option for weight loss.  But always remember to eat real food as well and not replace all your meals or snacks with shakes or bars.

Meanwhile, here are some easy and nutritious ideas to get you through the munchies while ensuring you stay on track with your weight loss plan:

	Get protein from boiled eggs. Eat as a high protein snack or add to a meal.
	Check out ricotta.  Add some vanilla essence and Splenda and you have a great morning tea snack!
	Snack on roasted soybeans.  Try ¼ cup roasted soy beans – an easy snack when you are on the go
	Cottage cheese.  Add, chives, and smoked salmon to ½ cup low fat cottage cheese. Delicious!
	Try a tin of tuna. Great as a snack!
	Bean dip. Grill some meat on the BBQ and dip in tasty bean dip. Yummy!

Happy snacking!  And remember you can lose weight and stay healthy with weight loss supplements as long as they are combined with a nutritious diet.