Hi Sarah and welcome.
By "meal replacement" do you mean those drinks/shakes like Slimfast, etc.? What specifically did you do to lose weight the last time? How many meals per day did you replace?
I ask because it is my belief that any sort of plan that involves something we are not likely going to be able to continue with forever......is not a good plan for keeping the weight off.
And also......that any plan that makes us feel deprived isn't going to help to keep us from re-gaining either.
And the re-gain rate is very high after losing weight and in fact, most of the time, we gain it all back....plus MORE. So we get deeper and deeper into the hole.
This is why I don't do strenuous exercise in the gym and walk instead. I don't love the gym enough to keep doing it forever....so I found an alternative.....and one I can continue with no problem.
And the same goes for whatever meal plans you choose. My advice would be to choose options for weight-loss that are sustainable for the long run...both diet and exercise-wise. This can be different for different people. There are women here who LOVE working out in the gym....so that choice works well for them....but not for those who have to force themselves to go every day.
And this is why I am skeptical of meal replacement plans. Can they be a plan you can maintain for the rest of your life?
In terms of weight....the worst thing, IMO, than being fat....is losing the weight and then gaining it all back. This is why I think it's critical to choose methods that will be sustainable....as much as possible. When we are desperate to lose weight...we don't care what method we have to endure....and figure that we will just figure out later how to maintain the loss. But facts prove that this is usually not a good plan. In fact, not gaining it back is usually much more difficult than losing it in the first place.
Read around here a great deal and check out all the various diets and eating plans.....and there are many here. And try to keep in mind the long-term implications. I think that is extremely critical to success.
deena