With a higher overweight and obesity rate in the United States, hoping to lose weight is one of the top 20 reasons why people are taking dietary supplements[1].
According to the National Institute of Health, about 15% of U.S. adults have used weight-loss supplements with women being twice more likely to use them than men[2]. This article will discuss the differences among weight loss supplements and how to utilize some of them in combination with intermittent fasting.
Dietary supplements may not be what they claim.
Weight loss dietary supplements come in a wide range of varieties including capsules, tablets, liquid drinks, powder, and bars. Most dietary supplement for weight loss contains herbs and plant extracts, dietary fiber, caffeine, and some minerals. These ingredients may have the effect of reducing food absorption, and appetite, enhancing fat burning, and increasing metabolism and thermogenesis[2].
A few commonly known ones are:
- White kidney bean extracts.
- Green coffee bean or green tea extracts.
- Caffeine.
- Raspberry ketones.
- Glucomannan.
- Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
However, using these dietary supplements without professional guidance or over-consuming a product may have potential health risks or adverse effects including
- headache,
- difficulty sleeping,
- nausea & vomiting,
- interaction with medications or interference with mineral absorption,
- affects the gastrointestinal system, e.g., constipation or diarrhea, bloating, and cramps.
Overall, studies have shown dietary supplements for weight loss are generally poorly studied and inconclusive on their effectiveness and safety with an additional cost of these products ranging from a few dollars up to hundreds[3].
Weight loss drinks, shakes, and bars
Meal replacement is another type of popular weight loss product. Meal replacement products come in ready-to-drink bottles, shakes, bars, and desserts. These are often used in weight management in combination with low-energy diet regimens.
Meal replacements can help achieve specific calorie targets easier when being used in combination with low-energy food such as non-starchy vegetables, plain tea, and black coffee. A few well-known ones are Optifast, Slimfast, Ensure, and Huel.
However, not all meal replacements are the same, with a mix of ingredients to provide protein, fat, and carbohydrate in different ratios, and some are added with vitamins and minerals to make them nutritionally complete and balanced. Most of them contain 200-500 calories and are high in protein which may help you lose weight and body fat.
Meal replacement products can occasionally be a convenient, healthy, and lower-calorie option to help you lose weight faster. Studies have shown that replacing one or two meals per day with a healthy meal replacement shake (high in protein, low in fat, and nutritionally complete) may speed up weight loss.
A quick guide to choosing a meal replacement product
With a range variety of meal replacement products on the market, choosing a healthy one can be tricky. Here are a few things to look for:
- 200-300 calories per serving
- Less than 5 grams of fat per serving
- 3-5 grams of fiber per serving
- 15-20 grams of protein per serving
- Fortified with at least 30% of daily vitamins or minerals
What about a protein shake?
A protein shake provides less nutritional value than meal replacement shakes. But when made with additional fruits or vegetables (adding fiber, vitamins, and minerals), a protein smoothie is still a good option as a snack or light breakfast to help increase protein intake while at the same time eating fewer calories than unhealthy choices.
Some healthy protein shakes ideas:
- Mixed berries almond milk protein shake
- Spinach, banana, vanilla protein smoothie
- A bottle of Quest shake paired with a piece of fruit
“Can I use weight loss products with intermittent fasting?”
Can you use a weight loss product with intermittent fasting?
The answer is YES, but only with those with proven benefits.
You don’t need any herb or plant extract supplements to do the magic. This is because most dietary supplements that claim to assist or provide benefits for weight loss are inconclusive in their effectiveness and safety.
Intermittent fasting alone with plans such as 12:12, 14:10, and 16:8 (a magic intermittent fasting plan leading to the most weight loss) can also effectively manage appetite, enhance fat metabolism, and improve metabolism. You are likely already getting enough caffeine from tea, and coffee to boost your metabolism at a much lower cost.
One of the intermittent fasting’s benefits lies in its ease. People can start and end their fasting windows without effort. Up to now, there are so many intermittent fasting apps available on the market that the ease has been further boosted because they are able to tell users what intermittent fasting plan to stick to based on their lifestyles, remind them to eat healthy things and how to stay hydrated through drinking alone, etc.
Should you rule out all of them? Well, we are not against all dietary supplements or weight loss products.
As I mentioned, some of them are convenient tools for weight loss and help you get adequate nutrients you might miss out on from fasting.
Here are some dietary supplements and meal replacement products you may combine with intermittent fasting:
| Supplement/weight loss product | Benefits |
| Multivitamin & mineral tablets Take during the eating window with food. | Ensure adequate intake of micronutrients |
| OMEGA-3 or fish oil supplement Take with food | Maintaining healthy blood lipid levels promote a healthy mood |
| Fiber supplement (e.g., Metamucil, Benefiber, psyllium husk) Take any time during the day | Slows food digestion suppresses hungermaintains healthy bowel movement |
| 1 meal replacement product + 1 cup of non-starchy vegetables Replacing the main meal | A lower-calorie alternative to less healthy meals convenient grab-go low-calorie meal |
| 1 protein shake and 1 piece of fruit As a snack or a light breakfast. | Ensure adequate protein intake throughout the day healthy snack with better satiety |
Bottom line
- Not all dietary supplements are effective to increase or initiate weight loss as they claimed.
- Intermittent fasting alone can help manage appetite, increase fat burning for fuel and improve metabolism to lose weight.
- Getting caffeine from your regular source is much cheaper than fat-burner products.
- A meal replacement product that is high in protein and nutritionally complete can be a convenient weight loss tool to reduce calorie intake
- You can still include some dietary supplements and meal replacement products into your intermittent fasting routine based on your personal preference to help you lose weight.