Abstract: A method reduces food cravings, promotes weight loss, and/or treats overweight or obesity in a human in need thereof. The method includes orally administering meal replacements to the human each day of a time period of at least three weeks in an amount that provides a caloric intake of 800 to 1,500 kcal/day. The meal replacements are substantially the only food that contains calories consumed by the human during the time period. Each of the meal replacements has a form individually selected from the group consisting of a ready-to-drink beverage, a concentrate designed to be diluted to a beverage, a powder designed to be reconstituted as a beverage, a nutrition bar, a soup, a concentrate designed to be diluted to a soup, and a powder designed to be reconstituted as a soup. Preferably three to five of the meal replacements are administered to the individual daily during the time period.