06 Aug Is a ‘Soup and Shake’ Diet the Future of Weight Loss?
Meal replacement ‘soup and shake’ diets have been discussed increasingly for use by the NHS to help tackle the UK’s obesity crisis. The soup and shake diet hit headlines again this week, linking the diet to reversal of type 2 diabetes in a third of patients. So, should you consider a meal replacement soup and shake diet if you’re trying to lose weight?
We are a team of qualified, experienced nutritionists who specialise in weight loss. If you’d like to find out whether a high quality, meal replacement ‘soup and shake diet’ could help you, book a complimentary 25 minute call with one of our team today.
WHAT ARE SOUP & SHAKE DIETS?
Soup and shake or soup and smoothie diets are both terms used to refer to meal replacement diets that are a popular choice of weight loss programme. It’s welcome news that the NHS have announced plans to tackle type 2 diabetes through dietary approaches, rather than relying on medication or surgery. Meal replacement diets have proven to be successful not only in supporting reduction of body fat, but also in putting type 2 diabetes into remission.
Our clinic team have been working with a quality meal replacement diet for over a decade. We’ve seen first hand the life changing results they can deliver. You can read the story of how our client Martina lost 55kgs on a meal replacement ‘soup and shake’ diet in the Daily Mail. Five years on, Martina is still maintaining her weight loss.
Here are Martina’s before and after images:
It’s important to ensure meal replacements are carried out in a healthy way and that high quality products are used. These diets are not all created equal. It’s also key to ensure those losing weight are comprehensively supported in optimising their health, lifestyle and mindset to ensure lasting success.
Find out more about the meal replacement diet we offer: Essential Diet
CAN THE SOUP AND SHAKE DIET REVERSE TYPE 2 DIABETES?
Yes, it can. A Diabetes-UK-funded study found that maintained weight loss can put type 2 diabetes into remission for at least five years. The results came from a three year extension from the organisations DIRECT study. This study showed that almost a quarter of participants who were in remission from the condition at two years in the original trial, were still in remission at year five. This was more than three times the control group who did not take part in the soups and shake programme. You can read more about the findings on the Diabetes UK site.
AM I ELIGIBLE FOR THE NHS SOUP & SHAKE DIET?
To be eligible for the NHS soup and shake diet, you need to meet the following criteria: aged 18 to 65 years, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the last six years and have a BMI over 27 kg/m². If you meet these criteria, you can discuss participation with your GP or healthcare provider. Just because you’re not eligible for the NHS soup and shake diet, however, doesn’t mean you can’t opt in to a similar programme.
CAN I BUY THE NHS SOUP & SHAKE DIET?
While you may not be able to obtain the exact meal replacement diet being offered on the NHS, you can buy products similar to those used in the soup and shake diet. While the NHS programme provides these foods to eligible participants, there are comparable products for public purchase. However, it’s important to note that buying these products independently doesn’t include the structured support and medical supervision provided by the NHS programme. Therefore, if you do not qualify for the NHS programme you may consider working with an expert nutritionist to guide you on your weight loss journey. We regularly recommend Essential Diet, working on an individual basis with our clients to guarantee optimum results. Contact us to arrange a complimentary call and find out if we can do the same for you.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT WILL I LOSE ON A SOUP AND SHAKE DIET?
How much weight you will lose depends on a variety of factors. Factors that can influence weight loss include your age, gender and wether you have any underlying health issues. Certain medications may also impact weight loss. That said, we expect to see weight loss of around 1kg per week. As a clinic, we offer a variety of different dietary strategies. We know there is no one size fits. Our clients lose an average of 3.8kgs with us in their first month on an Intelligent Weight Loss Programme.
HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN THE SOUP AND SHAKE DIET?
The soup and shake diet is a low-calorie, nutritionally-complete regimen that typically provides between 800-1200 calories per day. Your calorie intake will vary depending on your individual needs. Your intake of products and healthy fats will be adjusted based on your build. It’s important to ensure you consume enough protein to maintain your muscle mass and support optimal health.
There are typically different phases on a soup and shake diet. The phase you start your plan on will depend on what best suits you. Some of our clients prefer to start on a more focussed, lower calorie phase, where the most rapid weight loss is seen. Others prefer the flexibility of incorporating one whole food meal per day. This gives them the flexibility to eat with family or at restaurants.
This style of diet should always be carried out under the supervision and support of a nutritionist or doctor. Your practitioner will be able to tailor the diet to your needs, goals and lifestyle. They’ll ensure you carry it out in a healthy way and that all of your nutritional needs are met. Once you’ve reached your goal, your practitioner will guide you in transitioning off the diet. They will provide you with guidance as to how to maintain your weight loss long term.
A soup and shake diet can be a helpful way to lose weight and maintain long-term weight loss. In some cases this style of diet can also reverse type 2 diabetes. Next we’ll take a look at some of the important considerations you should take into account when embarking on a a soup and shake diet.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
What do you need to think about when embarking on a soups and shakes diet to lose weight? Here are some key considerations.
ENSURE OPTIMAL PROTEIN
Some meal replacement diets provide only the minimum requirement of protein, rather than what nutritionists consider to be optimal. Other meal replacements (like those we offer) provide optimal amounts of protein from high quality, natural sources. Protein intake is an important consideration for anyone wishing to lose weight. It’s essential for many aspects of health. It fills us up, keeps us satisfied and helps to prevent hunger and low energy levels. Protein helps prevent sagging skin by supporting collagen and elastin production and is integral to preserving muscle mass. This is important because protein deficient diets can result in muscle loss and therefore a reduction in metabolic rate (the rate at which we burn calories). This means that the chance of rebound weight gain is much higher. Check the nutrition information of any meal replacement product you consider to ensure they are based primarily on protein.
HEALTHY FATS
In the past it was believed that a low fat diet was the key to weight loss. Thankfully we now know better. It is essential to have an adequate intake of healthy fats in your diet, including omega 3. If you’re considering a meal replacement diet, make sure your plan includes an optimal amount of healthy fats. It may be a good idea to take a high quality omega 3 supplement. Very low calorie diets can often not provide enough fat so make sure you scrutinise any diet you consider carefully. Our meal replacement diet incorporate healthy fats from olive oil and high quality omega 3 supplementation.
MICRONUTRITION
Achieving and maintaining optimal levels of essential vitamins and minerals is vital. It’s not just about losing weight – optimising health and wellbeing and maintaining good energy levels are also a key. Some meal replacement products have added vitamins and minerals, while with others, you’ll need to take a separate supplement. Our team conduct a thorough initial consultation prior to starting our clients on a meal replacement diet. The supplements protocols we create for our clients are tailored to their unique needs. The products we use are only from the highest quality providers.
EXPERT HELP
Don’t try and go it alone. Seek support from a qualified nutritionist to make sure this approach to weight loss is right for you. An expert will ensure your plan, whether or not it is a soup and shake diet, is tailored to your individual needs. They should support you throughout the programme and make sure you transition off it in a healthy way. A qualified and experienced weight loss expert will ensure that you get the best results both short and long term.
BEHAVIOURAL COACHING
The diet itself is often only part of the solution. Many of our clients benefit from coaching to help overcome self-sabotaging behaviours, unsupportive habits and underlying causes of emotional eating. Our practitioners are not only qualified nutritionists, they are also trained in behavioural coaching too. We weave coaching into our consultations to ensure you’re supported with overcoming any self sabotaging eating behaviours. You’ll also be supported in establishing healthy habits that will help ensure long term success.
MAINTENANCE PLAN
To ensure successful long term weight loss it’s important that you have a clear plan in place to maintain your results. A comprehensive maintenance plan detailing how to structure healthy, nutritionally balanced meals is key. Meal ideas and practical strategies for handling events like holidays and Christmas are also important considerations. Many of our clients choose to join our Maintenance Membership after reaching their goal weight. This ensures they’re provided with ongoing support and guidance in prioritising their health and maintaining their happy weight long term. When you work with us we are not only committed to getting you to where you want to be. We’re committed to keeping you there.
DOES IT WORK FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Yes, it does. A study of 278 people across 10 GP practices in Oxfordshire saw half the participants following a meal replacement programme of soups and shakes for eight weeks. This diet saw them limiting their daily calorie intake to 810kcal per day for eight weeks, after which other foods were gradually reintroduced over four weeks. These participants saw a trained counsellor every week for 24 weeks, to help them stick to the diet plan and keep the weight off after the meal replacement plan finished. The remaining participants in the study followed the usual weight management advice and support from their GP. A further study involving a randomised controlled trial of 1,162 participants from 17 primary care practices across England showed the successful remission of type 2 diabetes at 12 months for those following TDR (total diet replacement).
DO WE RECOMMEND A SOUP AND SHAKE DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
We offer a ‘soup and shake diet’ style meal replacement diet at our clinic and find it to be a very effective approach to weight loss. That said, it’s important to remember that no one dietary approach suits everyone. It’s about finding the approach that’s right for you.
WORK WITH US
If you’re ready to overcome your health and weight challenges and establish supportive habits that stick long term, we can help. You can use this link to book in for a complimentary call today. This is an opportunity to talk through your challenges with a member of our team. Together you can decide together whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you. Or contact us to request a copy of our brochure and we will get back to you soon.
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