You know what you need to do to lose weight: burn more calories than you consume. The question, though, is how do you actually do this!

Meal replacements may be the answer you’ve been searching for.

Meal replacements like shakes and bars are specially formulated to contain enough vitamins and nutrients to replace a traditional meal, but with fewer calories.

An analysis published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders reviewed studies that compared conventional reduced-calorie diets with those that included meal replacements and found that the meal-replacement group lost more weight.

Both groups lost weight at the three-month and one-year marks, but the meal-replacement group lost approximately 7-8 percent body weight while the other group only lost 3-7 percent body weight.

Here are 3 things to keep in mind when using meal replacements to help with weight loss:

1. Read the label. Not all meal replacement shakes and bars are created equal. You want to pick one that’s low-calorie, low in sugar, and high in protein. A good meal replacement should be about 150 to 250 calories and have 2 to 5 grams of fiber, 12-30 grams of protein, and less than 3 grams of sugar.
2. Woman cannot live on meal replacements alone. Don’t try to replace all of your meals with shakes and bars. Instead, opt for replacing one or two meals per day.
3. Meal replacements are just part of the weight-loss picture. Meal replacements should not to be used as your sole method of losing weight. You should also establish a good workout plan, eat healthier meals, and increase your water intake.

Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any diet or meal replacement plan.