As Charlize Theron stepped out for dinner yesterday she certainly looked in need of a good meal.

The South African actress's baggy jacket and loose trousers couldn't hide her slender frame and she looked tired and drawn, with no make-up on her face.

But just last week Charlize was spotted carrying a box of meal replacement shakes.

Make-up free: Charlize Theron looked tired while out for dinner with friends in Brentwood, California, yesterday

The Lean Body meal replacement shakes are high in protein but low in carbohydrate, to 'make it easy to stay in great shape, and perform at your peak', according to the company's website.

The shakes are often used by other celebrities, including Britney Spears, when they want to lose weight quickly.

Oscar-winner Charlize revealed recently that she often had 'fat days', like any other woman.

In need of a good meal: But despite her slender frame, Charlize was spotted carrying meal replacement drinks last week

Charlize carries a box of meal replacement shakes last week

The 34-year-old said: 'Life is just as complicated for me as it is for any other woman out there and I wake up just like every other woman sometimes and can’t fit into my jeans and feel fat and ugly and have bad days.'

She had previously revealed she used a diet method of eating six small meals a day - also known as 'grazing' - to ensure she never felt hungry.

She explained: 'I’m careful to eat a healthy balance of foods, but I eat six small meals a day.

'If I fancy a burger, rather than deprive myself, I’ll have a quarter of one.'