Losing weight can be a challenge. Ask that to those who have been there, and they'll tell you it takes more discipline than you'd even care to admit. One of the more difficult aspects of weight loss is in getting sufficient amounts of they right types of food. To solve this problem, many dieters have turned to commercial diet shakes. These meal replacements drinks are taken as snacks or in place of a regular meal to facilitate weight loss.

But are diet shakes healthy? And do they really benefit those who want to lose weight? As always, there are pros and cons to any issue and diet shakes aren't excluded. We've presented them below to help you determine whether you should turn to diet shakes or not.

Pros of Diet Shakes:

1. They help jumpstart weight loss. Those who replaced two meals at the start of their weight loss program with diet shakes saw obvious results in a short amount of time, thus motivating them to continue with their exercise and diet regimen.

2. There's no need to count calories because diet shakes are already configured to provide the amount of calories you need. This helps prevent dieters from overeating or consuming more calories than they need to.

3. It's a plus for busy people who rarely have the time to shop for or prepare balanced meals.

4. They are also helpful when dieters don't want to have to think about what to eat to lose weight.

5. They are cheaper compared to other diet plans and are easy to prepare as well

Cons of Diet Shakes:

1. It does not make the individual responsible in terms of choosing healthier food choices and appropriate food portions that keep the weight off for life. They simply rely on convenience without the long-term view in mind.

2. Safety in long-term use has not been fully established. Concerns about liver and kidney problems have cropped with these shakes because of its high protein content.

3. Too much reliance on diet shakes causes system imbalances that greatly affect mood and behavior.

4. Diet shakes are liquid and as such lack the necessary fiber for proper digestive function. It causes constipation.

5. Dehydration, bloating and allergies are some of the side effects of using diet shakes to substitute meals.

While it is up to you to decide whether to use diet shakes as part of your weight loss program, common sense will tell you that it is not the sole answer to getting rid of those excess fats. They can jumpstart your way to weight loss but aside from the convenience it provides, it does not help you make smarter decisions in terms of the food choices you make since it's simply a matter of choosing a flavor, opening a pack and adding water. However, if one were to make a choice between snacking on a cheeseburger or a diet shake, it is obvious that a diet shake is a better option. Finally, the various health risks posed by these drinks have not really been fully-established. Until these have been proven safe for the long haul, it's best to take these diet shakes in moderation and when possible, under the supervision of a health expert.