Weight Watchers and The Zone Diet

I will review Weight Watchers and The Zone Diet today, wrapping up my coverage of some of the more popular diets (based on several website rankings) in use today. The final installment, part 4, will compare the reviewed diets. I consider these two diets to be more do-it-yourself type of diets, where food selection and preparation is largely left to the individual.

Do-It-Yourself Dieting

Weight Watchers is large enough, and has been around probably the longest (over 40 years), so that products in grocery stores and even meals in restaurants will show exchanges for the points system that this program employs. I know several people who have successfully lost weight on this program and kept it off for years. Of those diets I’ve reviewed, this one relies the most on foods available at the store, and has placed their own brand in the grocery aisle.

Criteria Comparison for Weight Watchers

The program meets 4 out of 5 of my criteria: #1, food variety (since you choose them yourself), #3, easy to follow (the points system is simple), #4, not too expensive (just buying regular foods) and #5, a maintenance plan (it appears they consider the program a way of life, not just a diet, so it becomes its own maintenance plan). Though it costs money to participate fully in Weight Watchers, either online or through a local group, I did not include that cost in determining if it met criteria number 4. Online membership runs $5/week, or roughly $250/year.

The one criteria not met is #2, preparation time. For me, that’s big.

Critical Note 1: When evaluating diet plans, eating and exercise regimens, please take the time to list what things are important to you. Then evaluate the program against your criteria, as it may be different than mine.

The Zone Diet, developed by Dr. Barry Sears (many of these have been doctor-developed), is another one that gives you complete freedom to choose what to eat. This program uses a simple 1/3 of a plate lean protein, 2/3 fruits and vegetables, plus a bit of fat (good, of course). Limited grains (oats and barley) are included in the 2/3 portion.

The Zone also sells supplements, specifically for omega-3 fatty acids, plus snack and meal replacements, but I think you can follow it without going the full way of adding the supplements. This program utilizes 3 meals and 2 snacks each day, expecting the meals to be filling enough to last 5 hours and the snacks 3 hours.

Criteria Comparison for The Zone Diet

The zone meets all the criteria if you choose to use their pre-packaged meals and snacks (which can be auto-shipped the same as Take Shape For Life). If you choose to make the meals yourself, then I would say it doesn’t meet criteria #2, preparation time. The one question I had about their plate was, what size? A 10 inch dinner plate? 8 inch? (Or is it 12 and 10? I’m not going to measure my plates!)

Warning: When looking at websites that rank or judge diets, be careful. They may not reveal their bias, or their affiliation with a specific program.

Disclaimer: I do not have an affiliation or arrangement with any program, but I am using the Take Shape for Life program. In the first 2 months I’ve lost 29 pounds.

Stay tuned next week for a side-by-side comparison of the diets reviewed.

Improving Your Exercise Routine And Nutritional Needs

Improving your exercise routine and meeting your nutritonal needs takes some time and planning. Getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet are the two main factors in living a healthy and fit life.  You control your weight by the number of calories you take in and burn off each day.  If you are not careful when and what you eat, it may be hard to draw the line between losing and/or maintaining weight and not getting enough calories for your body to perform at its best.  Did you know how you eat before and after your workout can determine if calories are used for energy or stored (as fat) for later use?  The following information can help you ensure you are getting the right amount of food and fluids at the right time.
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REVIEW: Kentucky Fried Chicken

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a popular fast food chain with headquarters based in Louisville, Kentucky.  Serving over eight million customers around the world each day, it would seem that this franchise has a secure spot in the fast food market.  Here we will cover how it all began, what makes it special and whether or not a trip to KFC is a healthy option for you and your family.

How It All Began
Born in 1890, Harland Sanders was an American entrepreneur who started cooking at the age of five when his father passed away and his mother began working to support the family.  He eventually left home and worked various jobs before enlisting in the army when he was sixteen.  It wasn’t until age forty that he began cooking and selling food to customers.  Given the title “Kentucky Colonel” by the then governor in 1935, he began calling himself simply “Colonel”.  He used his first social security check of $105 to fund visits to potential franchisees and faced over one thousand rejections before co-founding what we now know as KFC.
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