Diets, Diets Everywhere

By Michele Blandino

Unless you have had your television unplugged and haven’t opened a magazine in the last several months, you have probably seen more than a few commercials and print advertisements selling one of the numerous diet programs currently available.

To help guide you through the low carb/high protein jungle, we’re going to give you the skinny (sorry, I couldn’t help it!) on some of the more popular programs:

• Weight Watchers – The great-grandmother of all diet programs, Weight Watchers has been helping people lose weight for the last 40 years. While the diet program has been reinvented a number of times over the years, the basic premise has remained the same: success comes from a combination of a balanced diet, exercise and slow, steady weight loss. There is usually a joining fee of $30 or so and a weekly meeting fee of $12. There occasionally are specials where you can pre-pay your meeting fees and receive a $2 discount per meeting.
• LA Weight Loss – While not around as long as Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, which has been around since 1989, is quickly becoming a big player in the diet game. With over 500 locations to choose from, LA Weight Loss offers clients personalized diet counseling and meal planning. While there are no pre-packaged meals involved, dieters are encouraged to by other products such as LA Lite and Nu Lite bars which are an important element in the diet process. One year fees for LA Weight Loss can run you $350 - $800, depending on how many bars you buy.
• Slim Fast – Remember those early Slim Fast commercials with Tommy Lasorda gushing about how much weight he lost on the Slim Fast plan? According to Mr. Lasorda, a shake for breakfast, another for lunch and a sensible dinner (whatever that is) is all it took to lose weight. Slim Fast has reinvented themselves since those early days and has added new lines of products including soups, microwavable meals and snacks. The “sensible dinner” is still a mainstay of the program. Like Weight Watchers, the Slim Fast plan is intended to help the dieter achieve a steady, gradual weight loss.
• Jenny Craig — Another player in the “diet center” concept, the services offered by Jenny Craig are similar to those offered by LA Weight Loss – meal planning, counseling, etc. The one notable exception is the Jenny Craig plan requires dieters to purchase pre-packaged meals which are supposed to aid in calorie counting. Fees range from $199 - $340 for a membership and approximately $90 per week for food. Dieters will also need to purchase additional food on their own such as fruits and vegetables as well as supplements, so weekly costs can easily double.
• The Atkins Diet — You can't escape Dr. Atkins these days. Millions of Americans have adopted this diet, which offers a science-backed eating lifestyle of low, low, low carbs. No bread, no sweets, no potatoes...it's a wonder carb- and sugar-saturated Americans can stay on the Atkins regimen, but they do. A 2003 Duke University study showed a low-carb diet to be more effective than a low-fat diet in reducing weight. The catch? Like all other diets, once you stop the eating regimen, you can pack on the pounds again. This is a lifestyle.

The best strategy for choosing a diet plan is to visit each center and ask questions about meal flexibility, costs and their estimate for how long it will take you to reach your desired weight.