Diet Plans & Programs (cont.)

Jenny Craig

The Diet Plan Theory

Jenny Craig has become best-known for the celebrities who are followed while losing weight on this diet. They explain how easy it is and how delicious the food is, and you see the results as they are happening. This diet provides you with your foods and snacks to ensure you consume the exact amount of calories your body needs to lose weight. You add fresh produce and dairy. You meet with a consultant on a weekly basis to discuss your progress, and who will assist you with transitioning to your own food when you are ready to do so. Physical activity is emphasized throughout the diet.

Advantages

The primary advantage to this diet is that you will lose weight if you eat what you are given. Portion-and-calorie-controlled meals are great tools for long-term weight loss and maintenance. They take away the guesswork of how many calories you consume, they can be nutritionally balanced, they are quick and easy to prepare, and they teach you about healthy portion sizes.

Disadvantages

As with all diets, nothing works for everyone, and nothing works forever. The celebrity endorsements are great when they work, but the celebrities who regain their weight once they discontinue this plan are proving that this is not the answer for everyone. Many people prefer to be able to eat food they prepare and do not like the idea of prepackaged foods.

The consultants are not professionals in this field. They undergo a training course but are not trained therapists, registered dietitians, or exercise physiologists, so the advice and support that you receive will be limited to what they have been taught to say. If you are taking any medications or have any health conditions, it is best to work with trained professionals.

NutriSystem Advanced

The Diet Plan Theory

The NutriSystem Advanced diet is a low glycemic index, high-fiber, and high-protein diet. The prepackaged food is provided for you by ordering online or by calling the toll free number. The plans are: Women's, Men's, Women's Silver, Men's Silver, Women's Type II Diabetic, Men's Type II Diabetic, or Vegetarian. An exercise DVD is included along with a Mindset Makeover behavior modification guide.

Advantages

This diet does address the three necessary components for successful weight loss and maintenance; diet, physical activity, and behavior. Prepackaged foods can be an effective tool for weight loss. You will be provided with the appropriate number of calories for weight loss without having to worry about counting anything. You add fresh produce and dairy. This will give you the opportunity to learn what appropriate portion sizes are and which foods are necessary for a well-balanced diet based on your specific needs. The variety of programs based on gender, age, health, and dietary preference is another positive component of this diet.

The Mindset Makeover was developed by one of the leading psychologists in the weight loss field, Gary Foster, Ph.D. It is designed to "help people learn new behaviors when it comes to weight loss and related lifestyle issues." This behavior piece is essential but very rare in most diets. You are given access to this and an online account with community support as part of each of the programs.

Disadvantages

Prepackaged foods are not for everyone and typically not something to use forever. They can be very limiting and create the sense of being "on a diet." They will also get in the way of social events in which food is involved. Most people find that they only want to use this type of a diet for the short-term or for one or two meals per day. The other negative aspect of this diet is that the prepackaged foods contain the artificial sweeteners Sucaralose and Acesulfame K.

The dietary focus on this diet also has some limitations. The idea of "good carbs" and "bad carbs" is controversial. While there is some truth to the role of glycemic index in hunger, it is not a guaranteed tool for weight management. Labeling foods as "good" and "bad" creates problems for people trying to develop healthy eating habits. A well-balanced diet requires whole wheat sources of starch, while allowing for some sugar.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/diet_plans_and_programs/article.htm