A Summary Of Several Weight Loss Plans

A Summary Of Several Weight Loss Plans
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Millions of Americans go on a diet at one point or another each year. Although some take a do-it-yourself approach, many try following a popular weight loss program. Provided below are summaries of several popular weight loss plans that you may to consider if you are interested in shedding unwanted pounds.

Jenny Craig

The Jenny Craig Company operates several hundred weight loss centers in several countries, including the U.S. and Canada. Participants in the Jenny Craig weight loss plan are expected to purchase meals prepared by Jenny Craig from their local supermarkets and also are expected to participate in personal counseling in the form of regularly scheduled group meetings. (Alternatively, participants may elect to have meals delivered directly to them as part of the Jenny Craig At Home program.) Exemplary foods on the initial Jenny Craig menu include all low fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, eggs, lean meat, poultry, and fish, among others.

After successfully following the program to the point that substantial weight loss is achieved, participants are encouraged to devise their own menus (based of course on Jenny Craig’s suggestions). These later menus are not as limiting as are the ones that participants are initially expected to follow.

Jenny Craig also offers menus, meals, and counseling that are specifically designed to meet the special needs of diabetics.

South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet, which was created by Dr. Arthur Agatston (a cardiologist) and Marie Almon (a dietician), has become very popular over the past 10 years or so. The South Beach Diet focuses on food choice and, specifically, it teaches that optimum weight loss is achieved by consuming only the “right” carbohydrates and not the “wrong” carbohydrates and only the “right” fats and not the “wrong” fats.

The South Beach Diet has three phases. The first phase, which is two weeks long, prohibits the consumption of any sugars, any fruits and certain vegetables that are high in sugar. The second phase lasts as long as the dieter needs to reach his/her desired weight, and the third phase lasts forever after that (it is also known as the maintenance phase, in which the individual merely maintains a desired weight).

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers is a company nearly 50-years old that offers dieting services. Weight Watchers is known for its popular in person meetings in which members become highly educated about making smart eating decisions, but it also offers an on-line program for those who are unable or unwilling to meet in person. Members of the Weight Watchers program sometimes lose up to 2 pounds each week in their initial few weeks and often see even bigger losses as their participation continues.

(Read more about weight loss plans on page 2.)

Weight Watchers (Continued)

A fundamental aspect of the Weight Watchers program is that it assigns point values to a variety of foods and lets its participants eat whatever foods they wish so long as they meet their daily point total goal. The flexibility in food choice is attractive to many in the Weight Watchers program, and likely is a reason that it enjoys a high participant retention rate.

Volumetrics

The Volumetrics weight loss plan, which was first described by Barbara Rolls and Robert Barnett in the late 1990s in their book Volumetrics: Feel Full On Fewer Calories, stresses eating foods that are low in calories but high in volume. The thinking here is that followers of this diet can eat enough to become full while minimizing their caloric intake in doing so. Suggested foods include beans of all variety, low-fat milk, chicken and turkey (without the skin) and lean meat and fish. Although there is no specific plan to follow, the Volumetrics book provides several favored recipes and even recommends a detailed exercise plan that can be followed while on the Volumetrics diet. Typical weight loss while on the Volumetrics plan is about 1-2 pounds per week.

eDiets

eDiets is exactly what its name suggests: an Internet-based program that delivers meals and desserts to its members at home. Further, members are provided access to several diet plans and menus. The program also provides a forum in which members are encouraged to participate in support groups, and it further provides them access to one-on-one consultation with diet experts. Only about a decade old, eDiets is becoming increasingly popular as members who are actively involved in the eDiets program enjoy varying weight loss success depending on how active they are in the program.

Hopefully this weight loss plans guide will help you to choose the right resource for you!

References

B.J. Rolls and R.A. Barnett, Volumetrics: Feel Full On Fewer Calories, HarperCollins Publishers (1999).

Diet.com, Volumetrics: https://www.diet.com/g/volumetrics

eDiets: https://www.ediets.com/

Jenny Craig, How Jenny Works: https://www.jennycraig.com/programs/how_it_works/

South Beach Diet, How The South Beach Diet Works: https://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/how-it-works/how-it-works.aspx

U.S. News And World Report, Weighing The Evidence On 6 Popular Diet Programs: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2010/03/19/weighing-the-evidence-on-6-popular-diet-programs.html?PageNr=3

Weight Watchers, How Weight Watchers Works: https://www.weightwatchers.com/plan/index.aspx