Once upon a time, it was all about calorie counting and nothing else mattered. Now, we’ve stepped things up a notch.
While some people might roll their eyes at yet another fad that has been introduced by the weight loss industry – this isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to weight loss programs. They are gaining some real authority in the industry, and it’s for good reason.
Through today’s article, we will take a look at just what these programs involve, and some of the best ones on the market for you to try.
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What is a weight loss program and how does it work?
Well, a weight loss program does exactly as the name suggests – it gives you a program to lose weight!
As simple as it might sound, this is the basis of one of these offerings. A lot of them will tend to provide a weekly food menu, and combine this with an exercise regime, to help you along your way.
Of course, this is a weight loss plan in a very basic format and it’s worth mentioning that they all run very differently. It means that some of them might be very strict with the food and dietary recommendations, and even tell you the exact ingredients to turn to and the day to do this. Others meanwhile will work more with a numbers game; allowing you to decide what foods to eat so long as they satisfy the nutritional requirements that the plan has set.
Of course, when we use the word “strict”, you shouldn’t become too worried. Sure, these plans can be tough, but at the same time they have been built to be rewarding so that you ultimately stick by them. There will be times where it feels all-but impossible to stick to the dietary recommendations, but the people behind this program will then throw a reward in to make sure that you keep going.
What are the documented benefits?
As you may have gathered by now, weight loss plans are certainly not equal. Each will have different offerings, and this means that it can be difficult to pinpoint exact benefits.
As such, we’re not going to suggest that they help you burn more calories or anything else related to specific body goals. Sure, some of them might do this, but others might for example concentrate on helping you put together an exercise regime.
What we can say about these weight loss plans is that they provide a structured meal or exercise plan, and this can be invaluable for a lot of people who need that direct plan to stick to. Not only that, but many of the modern weight loss plans are quite community focussed and will have a bank of other people in a similar position to you, usually at the other end of a forum. Alternatively, many have the experts available online or over the phone as well, which can help your plight.
Finally, the majority of weight loss plans will give you a way to track your progress. This, coupled with the regimented way in which these programs work, mean that they tend to help people realize their weight loss goals much quicker than other methods.
What are the most reputable weight loss programs out there?
As you may have guessed, this is an industry which has grown substantially over recent years. It would be fair to say that there are five main players in the industry at the time of writing, and we will now break each one of these down to give you a fair comparison.
Weightwatchers
- Out of all of the programs that we look at, Weightwatchers is arguably the most renowned in the world. It’s a huge brand, for the simple reason that it has been proven to work very well.
- When we speak about working well, the company are quite open about expectations. They say that you should expect to lose up to two pounds per week, which will make a phenomenal difference to your body.
- With Weightwatchers, everything is on the menu. They operate on a points structure, and even have 200 foods in their system which don’t have any points attributed to them. In other words, you can eat as many of them as you want and still reap the rewards.
- As well as inspiring your diet, Weightwatchers will also provide you with personalized fitness goals.
- Weightwatchers currently have a really attractive joining offer. There’s no joining fee, they will give you a month of the service free of charge as well as giving you a complimentary Blue Apron box.
Probody
- Probody is another big brand and its reputation has only been growing over the last few years.
- It works in a much different, but very effective way, to Weightwatchers. It works by providing you a set of guides, videos, reports and tools to hand you plenty of weight loss data.
- Ultimately, Probody facilitates a flexible approach to weight loss. Using their tools and data, you can work out which foods and exercise plans are going to work the best for your body.
- Probody make no secret of the fact that they are big on data, with their calorie tracker for example being the largest on earth. It means that whatever food you put into your mouth, there’s a high chance you can find out its nutritional values in a flash.
- Probody has a free version, but even if you want to unlock everything including the videos, reports and tracker you will still pay just a one-off $37 fee.
Visit the official Probody website to learn more!
Visit the official Probody website to learn more!
Jillian Michaels’ Program
- Next on the list is the Jillian Michaels program. For those unaware, Michaels is a high-profile personal trainer who has released books and appeared on umpteen television programs. In other words, she knows her stuff.
- The program will hand you personalised workouts, meal plans and tracking tools. All of this occurs in an easy-to-use app, which has won awards on the Google Play and Apple App stores.
- This is a program which is full to the brim of real-life stories, of people shedding the pounds. Some of these individuals have lost hundreds of pounds – all by sticking to the program they have been given.
- If you join the Jillian Michaels plan today you will pay $14.99 for just one month. You can save as much as 45% on this if you buy for 12 months, with this retailing for $99.99.
- For those of you who want to try the program for a short time, the product is available as a free 7-day trial as well.
Kayla Itsines
- This next plan has also been put together by a personal trainer in the form of Kayla Itsines.
- The community that Kayla Itsines has formed is certainly impressive and you will be part of thirty million other people who are following her philosophies. Suffice to say, she must be doing something right to attract such a community!
- Itsines has tried to make things has versatile as possible by offering two programs. The workouts are 28-minutes in length, making them ideal for anyone who is short of time.
- The program is priced at $19.99/month, or you can save by switching to a $119.94 annual package.
Di.et
- Finally, Di.et will cover all elements of your fitness regime in a bid to stay slim.
- et will tackle every element of staying healthy. You will be handed guides on your diet, your workouts, your supplements and your maintenance. The last one here is pretty important – it will tell you how to keep things going as others start to fall back into bad habits.
- Some of the past results with Di.et are hugely impressive. The product claims that it will help you lose up to 15 lb of body fat in 15 days, which in turn translates to as many as two dress sizes.
- The product is priced at $45, which is more than half the price of the standard $99. In addition, they offer a hugely generous 75-day money-back guarantee.
Visit the official Di.et website and learn more!
