I’m always trying out new weight loss programs. I think that, between me and my friends, we’ve tried them all… Atkins, Sugar Busters, The Zone, Cabbage Soup Diet, Skier’s Diet, Master Cleanse, and more! Some I love and some I hate… some work, some don’t. So, here are my five favorite weight loss programs that I’ve seen be really the best!
1. Weight Watchers …
Weight Loss: 1-3 pounds per week
Cost: Registration and weekly meeting fees vary by location, but average is $25-$35 to join and $13 a week. This does not include the cost of any food… just for meetings.
What I Think: I’ve been on Weight Watchers several times, and so have lots of my friends. Basically, you use a point system to determine how much you can eat each day. I think Weight Watchers is great for a lot of reasons. First of all, I love it because all foods are allowed… since there aren’t any forbidden foods, I’m not tempted to cheat on those things I’m not supposed to have.
Also, a lot of companies are partnering with Weight Watchers, so they put the points right on the labels, which makes it easy for me to make the right choices. Also, saving points is really neat… I have saved points for the weekend before if I knew we were going out to eat somewhere great.
But, the downside of this program for me was the point calculations… I had to carry the little booklet and paper calculator in my purse all the time, and keeping up with the points got confusing for me. Also, the weight loss on this program has always been slow (but steady) for me and my friends… between one and three pounds a week. Learn more at the Weight Watchers website.
2. NutriSystem …
Weight Loss: 3-5 pounds per week
Cost: $10 per day, or about $300 per month, for food program, plus cost of extra food like produce.
What I Think: My husband and I went on NutriSystem a few years ago before I had my daughter, and we had a lot of success using it! My husband lost 20 pounds, and I lost 35 pounds… which of course I gained back when I got pregnant! What I loved about this program was the convenience, convenience, convenience!
All your breakfasts, lunches, dinner entrees, and snacks are shipped to you each month, and everything is microwaveable. It was so super easy to stick to this diet… all we did was add a little milk, fruit, and salad in addition to the prepackaged food, and we were done! It was also really easy to stick to it at work because it was so easy to grab and go with the little microwaveable meals.
The downsides for us were that you really can’t go out to eat… there was no way for us to really stick to the plan at a restaurant. Also, we thought it was a little expensive… it was about $800 for both of us by the time we ordered two boxes of food and bought produce and dairy at the store. Read more about it at NutriSystem.
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3. Jenny Craig …
Weight Loss: 1-2 pounds per week
Cost: $359 per year membership, plus cost of food (between $12-$18 per day)
What I Think: I tried Jenny Craig one time, and I did lose about 15 pounds on it. Jenny Craig is a program very similar to NutriSystem where you eat prepackaged foods mixed with some fresh items. You also go to meet with a counselor, kind of like Weight Watchers.
I liked the food in the Jenny Craig program… some of the frozen entrees were really, really good. I loved the cheesecake! I also thought the vitamin supplements were really healthful, too. Bottom line on this program? I thought it was too expensive to only lose one pound a week.
It does work, and I did lose weight on it, but it took me about three months to lose fifteen pounds, and I really don’t need to pay a big fee for that kind of weight loss. I’ve had several friends that have been on Jenny Craig, and they’ve all had the same results, but two of my girlfriends just love the program and wouldn’t do anything else. Read about it yourself at Jenny Craig.
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Have you tried Herbalife? I have a friend that lost 40 lbs in 3 1/2 months.
Last year was the time I ever tried a specific diet, since I wanted to fit in a certain dress for my son’s wedding. I tried the Fat Smash Diet (book written by Ian K. Smith, MD), and lost 15 lbs. in 3 1/2 months (and the only exercise I followed, was brisk walking 45 minutes daily). I actually am thinking of trying it again, since I felt really good during the cleansing period, and learned to enjoy brown rice, whole wheat products,and other healthy foods. Also, I only gained back 5 lbs in almost a year, without continuing this diet.
[...] 5 Weight Loss Programs That Worked for Me … [...]
Hi Katie,
I am Nitisha, I’ve been surfing for weight loss programs.. I came across your website.. Looks like your suggestion has worked on many people..
Iam 22 years old, an Architect by profession. My height is 5′5″ and I weigh 68kgs. To my height I am atleast 5 kgs overweight.
My daily schedule involves gymming for an hour and then breakfast, lunch and dinner, apart from 10 hours of work. Its been a month since I joined gym but I still dint find any difference. Please suggest some reamedies so that I can shead these extra kilos.
Thank you,
Nitisha.
Hi Nitisha, are you supplementing your exercise with a healthier diet? I suggest cutting back on fats and other junk food. Also, I think you should give your workout time to work. Real life is not exactly like the show “biggest loser” where the contestants lose considerable weight in a matter of weeks. Those people work extra harder than all of us the real world could ever imagine. Besides, they have no work. They only focus on losing weight. I suggest continuing going to the gym and eating healthier. :)
I found that the easiest way to loose weight was replacing foods you looooove with similar ones. For example…I’m a dummy for ice cream. Opt for Dreyers’ fat free chocolate swirl icecream. And instead of those high in carb and calories waffles in the morning with a side of bacon and eggs… go for a BIG serving of egg-beaters (3 to 4 eggs) and lots of salsa with turkey bacon. If you start doing a little weight training (5 lbs. for 10 min. 3x a day) your body will thank you for all the lean protein. Instead of a sneaking a Frosty or milkshake during the day, make yourself a protein shake with fat free milk. Obliterate ALL coke and regular pepsi.. switch to Coke Zero. It will do wonders. Do splenda vs. sugar…
I can go on and on. If you like bread, I got a secret recipe for an irish soda bread to die for, because it is made with FAT FREE sour cream. And that salad pasta, pssssh….there’s fat free mayo that you can make it that makes it taste just as great. You may end up spending an extra $30 dollars a month of groceries just in getting the lower fat and lower cal substitutions, but believe me, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to get your healthy life style going!
well, i’m only 14; yes, still young; but i’ll lyk to loose weight. i weigh 121 lbs but the program i do is called Herbalife. Its safe, convenient, and its 100% natural. yes, you have results, but it also depends on wat you eat and the portions that you eat. if you go to a Herbalife club, they’ll explain EVERYTHING to you, and i guarantee you that you’ll be satisfied. But, just dont drop your addictions. that’s wat causes you to go to the hospital and the people blame it on the product. but really, they need to blame it on themselves becuase that products DOES WORK. PROMISE. everyone i know has had results; and i had a cousin that lost 47 lbs in 3 months. so if you dont loose weight or you end up going to the hospital; thats all on you and the only one you can blame…is YOURSELF.
I PROMISE THAT HERBALIFE DOES WORK.
oh one more thing; HERBALIFE is not only about loosing weight, but it can also help you with diseases you have. like heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, joint problems, bone problems, etc. and since its 100% NATURAL, even babies, kids, children, senior citizens…ANYBODY can drink it. its not just loosing weight.
my mom (33) tried weight watchers and lost 49 pounds in a few months
to Chasity:
Wow! Your Mom rocks! :) Congratulations!
I have been on Jenny Craig for about 5 weeks. I have only lost 3 1/2 pounds. For the last two weeks I have not lost anything. My consuler uped my calorie intake to 1500 from 1200 before. She said with me working out so much, that I may be storing calories.
I am upset and down on myself. The food is costly. I eat everything that is on the program and work out about an hour a day, with nothing lost.
Hey ladies, just fom personal experince I am a huge advocate of clean eating & effective exercise. To date I have lost over 60lbs. Check out my blog to learn more about what I think about diets & programs (fatmomtofitmom.com -see post: why dieting is like bad parenting) I’m also a big promoter of Fit Yummu Mummy, link can be found on my blog. Good luck to you all on your health & fitness goals!
Rossy Ruppe
independent Beachbody fitness coach
http://www.teambeachbody.com/rruppe
http://www.fatmomtofitmom.com -blog