Diet Plans
Diet plans! Atkins, Body for Life, Nutri-System, Take Shape for Life, Weight Watchers, The Zone–just a few of the many programs to help you lose weight. How can you possibly decide which one is right for you? How can you determine their value?
Disclaimer 1: As you’ll read with any plan, consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Corollary to Disclaimer 1: Get a physician.
Does your weight yo-yo up and down when you go on and come off plans? I will take some in-depth views of the different plans and give you the pros and cons of them, from my perspective. I have battled weight issues for over 20 years, lost 40 pounds on one plan almost 10 years ago, only to see 30 of them return!
The first plan I will look at is called Take Shape for Life, and uses the Medifast products.
Disclaimer 2: I am currently using this plan, which is why I’ve chosen it to lead off the discussion. I know people who have been successful with several other plans, so I am striving to be as objective as possible, and when it sounds like I’m getting into a sales pitch, I’ll mention that and make my best attempt to back off!
If you are interested, I am currently blogging about my life on this plan here. After 48 days on the plan I lost 25 pounds!
What is the Take Shape for Life plan and what is it good for? The plan is a low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein diet for those who want to lose 25 pounds or more, in a short time, and keep it off. It is designed for those who don’t want to think about what they are going to eat and either aren’t cooks or don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing food. In other words, it fit all of my requirements!
Not all, actually. I also look for a plan that has balance, that isn’t focused on one ingredient or one food to reverse bad eating habits that I would continue to follow. In a discussion with an uncle of mine, he mentioned that one author said the problem with America was that the people wanted to continue unhealthy and self-destructive habits and just add a pill or supplement to counteract them and keep them out of trouble. I thought, yeah, we want to have our cake, and eat it too!
My top 5 criteria in choosing a plan:
1. Must have a variety of foods to choose from, with balanced nutrition
2. Preparation time should be minimal (whether I choose the foods or they supply them)
3. Must be easy to follow (there’s my cake!)
4. Should not be too expensive (I can’t afford a private nutritionist!)
5. Should have a plan for maintenance after my weight-loss goal has been achieved.
I will use these criteria in reviewing the different plans.
Other factors that influence me:
I’ve read The China Study and have tried to follow Vegan diets in the past. I don’t eat red meat intentionally, though I’ve had a slice of pepperoni pizza once or twice a year. I don’t eat much meat either, though chicken is awfully difficult to give up. I would say I eat meat maybe twice a week, on average.
