What's better?
- Thread starter Jenna1
- Start date
If you are spending money, LA Weightloss and Nutrisystem you might want to add into your suggestions...
I'm not a big fan of prepackaged meals - a la Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, I'm sure it works for people, but I'm very fussy, and like foods cooked a certain way, and that way is not in a microwave.
I've tried Weight Watchers and it did work for a while, but the meetings that were scheduled at the time I was available I didnt like.. the leader was way too cheerleadery and the people in them were just not people I felt comfortable with.. I think the meetings are an essential part of the weight watchers program, not only for support butfor that "competiveness" that most people have... i'd check out the meetings to see if the people in them click with your personality. I know other people who did like the meetings they went to... so it's kinda of just personal preference...
Any program you chooose does work,. it's the investment of your own time that you are willing to put into it is what makes the difference...
The diet is a portion of losing weight, exercise is another component... I undetrstand crazy busy and that makes it harder...
good luck with whatever you choose.
I'm not a big fan of prepackaged meals - a la Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, I'm sure it works for people, but I'm very fussy, and like foods cooked a certain way, and that way is not in a microwave.
I've tried Weight Watchers and it did work for a while, but the meetings that were scheduled at the time I was available I didnt like.. the leader was way too cheerleadery and the people in them were just not people I felt comfortable with.. I think the meetings are an essential part of the weight watchers program, not only for support butfor that "competiveness" that most people have... i'd check out the meetings to see if the people in them click with your personality. I know other people who did like the meetings they went to... so it's kinda of just personal preference...
Any program you chooose does work,. it's the investment of your own time that you are willing to put into it is what makes the difference...
The diet is a portion of losing weight, exercise is another component... I undetrstand crazy busy and that makes it harder...
good luck with whatever you choose.
Health Magazine Review of the Jenny Craig Diet
On the surface this sounds like the perfect diet package: a three-part program with low-calorie menus, advice about exercise, and behavior training. And yes, it does work for some dieters. The hidden turnoff: that expensive packaged food. (Did someone say “camping”?) It isn’t going to win any taste awards, and you won’t find an easy way around it. In fact, a common theme among disgruntled former customers venting at Epinions.com is that counselors are little more than salesfolks pushing Jenny Craig products. Hmmm. Maybe dieting with the book is a better strategy.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Who knows? Not a single medical study has looked at the program or compared it to other popular diets. Of course, the book is rife with anecdotal data, and the Web site carries amazing before-and-after photos and stories. Interestingly, the tiny print near these photos reads “weight loss not typical,” suggesting that these folks are losing weight much more rapidly than the 1 to 2 pounds per week Jenny Craig promises.
Is the diet healthy?
Sure. Plans start at 1,200 calories—probably a little lower than many health experts might recommend but enough to provide dieters with the nutrients they need. (If possible, opt for 1,500 calories. If you exercise, this is more realistic.) A good thing: The complete program encompasses exercise advice and behavior training. What do the experts say? "They may offer anecdotal reports, but there is no scientific data to show the program works,” says Baylor College of Medicine professor John Foreyt, PhD. With several decades under his belt as a weight-loss researcher and counselor, Foreyt says he’s had a lot of patients find success with Weight Watchers. But he’s never had one single patient try Jenny Craig. “In my experience, most people find that buying prepackaged foods tends to be boring,” he says. “It’s just plain difficult to adhere to.” Registered dietitian Jane Kirby, author of Dieting for Dummies (Wiley, second edition, 2003), has mixed feelings about the Jenny Craig method. She acknowledges the good advice, exercise, and behavioral strategies, but she questions the long-term success. “These kinds of programs are great when you’re eating the prepared foods,” Kirby says. “But when you’re put in a situation that doesn’t use the foods, how are you going to cope?”
Who should consider the diet?
People who don’t want to lift a finger figuring out a diet plan; singles or folks who hate to cook. Oh, and since it’s not so appetizing to cook from scratch for the family and then dig into a shelf-stable “pouch” supper, dieters with families might be better off trying something else.
Bottom line: Skip it. If you have this much money to spend, fork it over to a registered dietitian and a personal trainer instead. As for the packaged food, lean frozen meals are available at virtually every supermarket.
On the surface this sounds like the perfect diet package: a three-part program with low-calorie menus, advice about exercise, and behavior training. And yes, it does work for some dieters. The hidden turnoff: that expensive packaged food. (Did someone say “camping”?) It isn’t going to win any taste awards, and you won’t find an easy way around it. In fact, a common theme among disgruntled former customers venting at Epinions.com is that counselors are little more than salesfolks pushing Jenny Craig products. Hmmm. Maybe dieting with the book is a better strategy.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Who knows? Not a single medical study has looked at the program or compared it to other popular diets. Of course, the book is rife with anecdotal data, and the Web site carries amazing before-and-after photos and stories. Interestingly, the tiny print near these photos reads “weight loss not typical,” suggesting that these folks are losing weight much more rapidly than the 1 to 2 pounds per week Jenny Craig promises.
Is the diet healthy?
Sure. Plans start at 1,200 calories—probably a little lower than many health experts might recommend but enough to provide dieters with the nutrients they need. (If possible, opt for 1,500 calories. If you exercise, this is more realistic.) A good thing: The complete program encompasses exercise advice and behavior training. What do the experts say? "They may offer anecdotal reports, but there is no scientific data to show the program works,” says Baylor College of Medicine professor John Foreyt, PhD. With several decades under his belt as a weight-loss researcher and counselor, Foreyt says he’s had a lot of patients find success with Weight Watchers. But he’s never had one single patient try Jenny Craig. “In my experience, most people find that buying prepackaged foods tends to be boring,” he says. “It’s just plain difficult to adhere to.” Registered dietitian Jane Kirby, author of Dieting for Dummies (Wiley, second edition, 2003), has mixed feelings about the Jenny Craig method. She acknowledges the good advice, exercise, and behavioral strategies, but she questions the long-term success. “These kinds of programs are great when you’re eating the prepared foods,” Kirby says. “But when you’re put in a situation that doesn’t use the foods, how are you going to cope?”
Who should consider the diet?
People who don’t want to lift a finger figuring out a diet plan; singles or folks who hate to cook. Oh, and since it’s not so appetizing to cook from scratch for the family and then dig into a shelf-stable “pouch” supper, dieters with families might be better off trying something else.
Bottom line: Skip it. If you have this much money to spend, fork it over to a registered dietitian and a personal trainer instead. As for the packaged food, lean frozen meals are available at virtually every supermarket.
Nutrisystem Review
There’s a single-serve sloppy joe mix that you reconstitute with water and heat. Spaghetti with sauce pours out of a nonrefrigerated foil pouch. Asian noodles come in a cardboard soup bowl; just add boiling water. If it sounds a little like military rations, that’s pretty close to the mark. And chances are many dieters will be bored with eating the same not-so-great-tasting foods meal after meal. Yet for other folks, the convenience might outweigh the blandness, and the low-calorie program does help peel off pounds. The big concern among health professionals: Once you’re no longer relying on prepackaged foods to count calories and measure portions for you, can you maintain your weight in the real world?
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Not conclusive. After 30 years in the business, NutriSystem can’t point to a single clinical trial to demonstrate that this diet works. The book and Web site do offer anecdotal success stories, but the long-term effects of eating premeasured, prepackaged foods are unknown.
Is the diet healthy?
Mostly. One concern: A special three-day BodyBoost plan used to break a dieting plateau averages out to only about 1,000 calories a day, too few calories to provide all the nutrients you need. Plans that call for 1,200 calories or more based on weight, gender, and activity level should work just fine. What do the experts say? “I’m not convinced that the glycemic index is the be-all and end-all for weight loss,” says registered dietitian Leslie Bonci, director of sports-medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In fact, Bonci thinks it’s probably the low-calorie nature of this diet that’s helping dieters shed pounds. “These portions are very small,” she says of the daily meal plans. “Two ounces of turkey, some sliced cucumber, and wheat bread is not a lot of food.” And she worries that the calorie count may be too low for some people.
Dee Sandquist, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and director of the Center for Weight Management at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, thinks the diet could hold benefits for a select group. “For someone who likes structure and doesn’t like to cook, this program may help jump-start weight loss,” Sandquist says. The danger, she adds, is that it’s easy to gain the weight back. Without the program and company foods, Sandquist feels dieters could be at a loss about how to eat.
Who should consider the diet?
Dieters who thrive on packaged convenience foods. Anyone who craves the fresh taste of pan-sautéed fish, roasted chicken, or a sizzling steak right off the grill, though, isn’t going to be wowed by the taste of freeze-dried scrambled eggs.
Bottom line: It’s a shame the food can’t taste better, especially since it’s so expensive. Overall, though, the plan seems nutritionally sound, albeit a bit low in calories to be realistic for many dieters. And once the diet is over, it’s easy for the weight to come back.
There’s a single-serve sloppy joe mix that you reconstitute with water and heat. Spaghetti with sauce pours out of a nonrefrigerated foil pouch. Asian noodles come in a cardboard soup bowl; just add boiling water. If it sounds a little like military rations, that’s pretty close to the mark. And chances are many dieters will be bored with eating the same not-so-great-tasting foods meal after meal. Yet for other folks, the convenience might outweigh the blandness, and the low-calorie program does help peel off pounds. The big concern among health professionals: Once you’re no longer relying on prepackaged foods to count calories and measure portions for you, can you maintain your weight in the real world?
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Not conclusive. After 30 years in the business, NutriSystem can’t point to a single clinical trial to demonstrate that this diet works. The book and Web site do offer anecdotal success stories, but the long-term effects of eating premeasured, prepackaged foods are unknown.
Is the diet healthy?
Mostly. One concern: A special three-day BodyBoost plan used to break a dieting plateau averages out to only about 1,000 calories a day, too few calories to provide all the nutrients you need. Plans that call for 1,200 calories or more based on weight, gender, and activity level should work just fine. What do the experts say? “I’m not convinced that the glycemic index is the be-all and end-all for weight loss,” says registered dietitian Leslie Bonci, director of sports-medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In fact, Bonci thinks it’s probably the low-calorie nature of this diet that’s helping dieters shed pounds. “These portions are very small,” she says of the daily meal plans. “Two ounces of turkey, some sliced cucumber, and wheat bread is not a lot of food.” And she worries that the calorie count may be too low for some people.
Dee Sandquist, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and director of the Center for Weight Management at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, thinks the diet could hold benefits for a select group. “For someone who likes structure and doesn’t like to cook, this program may help jump-start weight loss,” Sandquist says. The danger, she adds, is that it’s easy to gain the weight back. Without the program and company foods, Sandquist feels dieters could be at a loss about how to eat.
Who should consider the diet?
Dieters who thrive on packaged convenience foods. Anyone who craves the fresh taste of pan-sautéed fish, roasted chicken, or a sizzling steak right off the grill, though, isn’t going to be wowed by the taste of freeze-dried scrambled eggs.
Bottom line: It’s a shame the food can’t taste better, especially since it’s so expensive. Overall, though, the plan seems nutritionally sound, albeit a bit low in calories to be realistic for many dieters. And once the diet is over, it’s easy for the weight to come back.
Review of Weight Watchers
Tell people that no food is off-limits and add the camaraderie of other dieters, and it’s easy to see why Weight Watchers is so successful. Even counting Points, once you get the hang of it, is pretty much a no-brainer. Sure, there may be other ways to lose weight without plunking down so much money, but the plan does seem to work.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Yes. A study published in the April 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association found that dieters randomly assigned to the program lost three times as much weight as those who used a do-it-yourself approach. Though supported by Weight Watchers, the 2-year study was conducted at six different independent research centers around the country. In addition, a company tracking study has found that dieters who attend meetings for 10 weeks lose an average of 11 pounds.
Is the diet healthy?
Yes. Provided you spend your Points wisely, the plan is well-balanced. A stellar medical advisory board, with some real heavy hitters from the diet and exercise arenas, keeps the company on the cutting edge of weight-loss research. And the headquarters staff—the people who develop diet strategies—includes registered dietitians and scientists. What do the experts say? “Of all the diet programs out there, this one is probably the best,” says John Foreyt, PhD, a recognized expert in the field of obesity and weight control and a professor at Baylor College of Medicine. “The group support the program provides is one of their strongest features.” Without that support, many people have trouble sticking with a diet, Foreyt says. Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, a professor at Georgia State University, likes the fact that dieters learn how to set realistic weight-loss goals and that they can choose from a huge variety of foods with assigned Points values. “The downside is that the Points system can be abused,” she says. “Someone could potentially spend a whole day’s Points on ice cream or junk food.” That’s not what the plan encourages, of course, but you do have the freedom to choose the foods you like.
Who should consider the diet?
Loner types won’t be keen on the group environment. And people with a lot of weight to lose (100 or more pounds) could be easily discouraged by the slow-and-steady approach. Still, what other weight-loss plan lets you have Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Dairy Queen shakes—and works?
Bottom line: This is probably the best plan on the block. Weight Watchers’ real unsung heroes are the team leaders who direct meetings. They hold the program together, and their encouragement prods dieters to success. Find a good leader and the weight will come off.
Tell people that no food is off-limits and add the camaraderie of other dieters, and it’s easy to see why Weight Watchers is so successful. Even counting Points, once you get the hang of it, is pretty much a no-brainer. Sure, there may be other ways to lose weight without plunking down so much money, but the plan does seem to work.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
Yes. A study published in the April 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association found that dieters randomly assigned to the program lost three times as much weight as those who used a do-it-yourself approach. Though supported by Weight Watchers, the 2-year study was conducted at six different independent research centers around the country. In addition, a company tracking study has found that dieters who attend meetings for 10 weeks lose an average of 11 pounds.
Is the diet healthy?
Yes. Provided you spend your Points wisely, the plan is well-balanced. A stellar medical advisory board, with some real heavy hitters from the diet and exercise arenas, keeps the company on the cutting edge of weight-loss research. And the headquarters staff—the people who develop diet strategies—includes registered dietitians and scientists. What do the experts say? “Of all the diet programs out there, this one is probably the best,” says John Foreyt, PhD, a recognized expert in the field of obesity and weight control and a professor at Baylor College of Medicine. “The group support the program provides is one of their strongest features.” Without that support, many people have trouble sticking with a diet, Foreyt says. Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, a professor at Georgia State University, likes the fact that dieters learn how to set realistic weight-loss goals and that they can choose from a huge variety of foods with assigned Points values. “The downside is that the Points system can be abused,” she says. “Someone could potentially spend a whole day’s Points on ice cream or junk food.” That’s not what the plan encourages, of course, but you do have the freedom to choose the foods you like.
Who should consider the diet?
Loner types won’t be keen on the group environment. And people with a lot of weight to lose (100 or more pounds) could be easily discouraged by the slow-and-steady approach. Still, what other weight-loss plan lets you have Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Dairy Queen shakes—and works?
Bottom line: This is probably the best plan on the block. Weight Watchers’ real unsung heroes are the team leaders who direct meetings. They hold the program together, and their encouragement prods dieters to success. Find a good leader and the weight will come off.
Review of LA Weight Loss
While it bills itself as “a unique combination of regular foods” and “personalized one-on-one counseling,” this program is not all that different from many others. In fact, it’s the same strategy registered dietitians employ when they work with weight-loss clients. Trouble is, dietitians aren’t the ones giving the expensive advice, but counselors who are compensated based on the revenue of the sales of supplements and snack bars at their center. You can’t help but wonder about the quality of their advice.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
There are no independent scientific studies. The company reports that dieters can expect to lose up to 2 pounds per week based on internal audits it has conducted for the last 5 years.
Is the diet healthy?
Probably. A registered dietitian directs nutrition services for the company, and the balance of protein, fat, and carbs is within recommended ranges. One problem: The 1,100-calorie plan barely meets nutritionally adequate levels. Most health professionals recommend at least 1,200 calories or more per day, preferably 1,500 calories. What do the experts say? “Dieters do have success if they follow the program to the letter,” says registered dietitian Edee Hogan, a Washington, D.C., nutrition and culinary consultant whose clients have tried the program. “They lose weight. But they don’t have much wiggle room.” In fact, the program is so strict that dieters become lost when it comes to handling special-occasion meals and events not on the plan, Hogan says. Registered dietitian Shannon Crosby finds the diet is essentially “a safe and sound plan,” but she takes issue with the fact that counselors make commission on sales of the L A Lites bars and supplements.
Who should consider the diet?
Dieters with deep pocketbooks.
Bottom line: Probably OK, but it’ll cost ya. Watch out for hidden expenses, such as supplements and snack bars, that can raise fees much higher than advertised.
While it bills itself as “a unique combination of regular foods” and “personalized one-on-one counseling,” this program is not all that different from many others. In fact, it’s the same strategy registered dietitians employ when they work with weight-loss clients. Trouble is, dietitians aren’t the ones giving the expensive advice, but counselors who are compensated based on the revenue of the sales of supplements and snack bars at their center. You can’t help but wonder about the quality of their advice.
Does the diet take and keep weight off?
There are no independent scientific studies. The company reports that dieters can expect to lose up to 2 pounds per week based on internal audits it has conducted for the last 5 years.
Is the diet healthy?
Probably. A registered dietitian directs nutrition services for the company, and the balance of protein, fat, and carbs is within recommended ranges. One problem: The 1,100-calorie plan barely meets nutritionally adequate levels. Most health professionals recommend at least 1,200 calories or more per day, preferably 1,500 calories. What do the experts say? “Dieters do have success if they follow the program to the letter,” says registered dietitian Edee Hogan, a Washington, D.C., nutrition and culinary consultant whose clients have tried the program. “They lose weight. But they don’t have much wiggle room.” In fact, the program is so strict that dieters become lost when it comes to handling special-occasion meals and events not on the plan, Hogan says. Registered dietitian Shannon Crosby finds the diet is essentially “a safe and sound plan,” but she takes issue with the fact that counselors make commission on sales of the L A Lites bars and supplements.
Who should consider the diet?
Dieters with deep pocketbooks.
Bottom line: Probably OK, but it’ll cost ya. Watch out for hidden expenses, such as supplements and snack bars, that can raise fees much higher than advertised.