1. Water

Water is involved in every function of the body, so if you don't
consume enough of it your body won't run efficiently (yes, that
means a slower metabolism). When you're properly hydrated, your
body is more efficient at burning calories.



Water helps you lose weight in another way, too. You see, when
someone's dehydrated, they might mistake that feeling for hunger.
Some studies show that thirst and hunger are triggered together, so
you may reach for food when all you need is a glass of water.



In general, you should drink about 1oz. of water for every 1.5 to
2 lbs of bodyweight. For most people, this amounts to 10 to 18 cups
of water a day. Notice that this is much higher than the standard 8
glasses a day we hear so much about!



2. Green Tea

Research studies are starting to emerge with evidence that drinking
green tea gets your body to burn more calories than if you drank
diet soft drinks for example.



There is still more research that needs to be done to confirm what
they are finding, but the research looks very promising so far.
Green Tea is also a very powerful anti-oxidant that helps fight off
diseases such as cancer. You should be drinking green tea
regardless of whether it helps you lose weight.



3. Meal Replacement Shakes


This is another area that is showing great research into the
effectiveness of proper meal replacement shakes. Don't be confused
though because a protein shake is not a meal replacement shake.



Research is showing that consumption of true meal replacement
shakes is effective in not only losing weight, but maintaining your
weight once you have reached your goals.



Some studies have found this to be as effective as taking weight
loss medication.



Now to be a true meal replacement shake it needs to be at least 250
calories. It also should contain at least 25% of all the major
vitamins and minerals. It should be an excellent source of fiber
to help control blood sugars and have a moderate carbohydrate level.



This is what makes up a quality meal replacement shake because you
should be able to consume this drink as a meal and be sure that you
have consumed all the proper nutrients that a normal meal would
provide.



A company that creates a great tasting meal replacement shake that
meets the criteria of a quality meal replacement shake is
http://professionalgradenutrition.com/lean.

Thanks Steve for the informative post. I'm super lazy so I might just try some meal replacement shakes. My only worry is the consequences a liquid diet might have. Of course I'm not that lazy (yet).

I take the first two religiously, i only take one meal replacement shake a day and thats my post workout protein shake. Your body was designed to run on whole natural food so feed it with that as much as possible and you will be A -4 Away

P.S I've added in 1 banana and some oats into my protein shake (300 calories) so it qualifies as a meal replacement

Consistancy is key
Steve