The pros and con of the tops 5 weight loss support programs: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Spark People, TOPS and Medical Weight Loss.
It is wonderful to have a solid support system in place when you are trying to lose weight. We all know it can be a trying experience if you try to make it on your own. But with a support group, you have a network of people you can rely on. When you fall, someone is there to pick you up. When you are having a rough week, someone is there to give you a pep talk and when you have a good week, someone is there to cheer for you.
Here are the top 5 weight loss programs:
1. Weight Watchers has been around for years and they have developed a program that works. Basically how it works is you pay a weekly fee to attend a live, local meeting or join an online support community. A live meeting offers tools and paperwork to get you started, face-to-face support and weekly weigh-ins for accountability. They currently have two plans to choose from.
Core plan: a long list of healthy foods that you are allowed to eat regularly. These are healthy foods that are allowed on your weight loss program and can be eaten at any time. Some people find it useful because they don’t have to count anything.
Flex-points plan: based on calories that are converted into a number scale. You eat a maximum number of calories based on your personal needs. One point is equal to roughly 50 calories. So if you stay within your point range, you will stay within your daily calorie range. You can also spend an additional weekly allowance of bonus points. This allows for greater flexibility in your eating plan.
The problem with weight watchers is that once you stop counting points, you gain back the weight. You also need to be careful how you spend your calories. An entire day’s calories or points spent on empty calories like sodas, chips and fast food are not going to help you lose weight and become a healthy person. You also have to pay every week, ever for the weeks when you are unable to attend the meetings.
For more information on these programs or to learn about the Weight Watchers online program, visit www.weightwatchers.com.
2. Spark People is a health and weight loss Web site that offers a unique approach to online weight loss support. It is let by a team of experts and supported by it’s members.The idea behind spark people is to create a small spark like walking 10 minutes per day and once you have mastered that and it has become a habit, you can build from that and made additional healthy lifestyle changes that will stick. The site features informative articles, message boards, personal spark pages, weight loss trackers, a personalized meal and exercise plan, and a spark points system that is sure to motivate even the laziest of couch potatoes.
I don’t see nay bad point about this weight loss program. And the best part is it is absolutely free! They even reward you with points just for logging in every day. Visit www.sparkpeople.com to join today.
3. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly and that is the company’s goal. Like Weight Watchers, TOPS offers weekly, face-to-face meetings for weight loss support. They encourage a variety of support from phone calls and emails to letters of encouragement. TOPS is a not-for-profit organization and that makes it affordable for everyone. Meetings are less than $5 per week with annual dues of just $24. Members learn about smart eating, portion control and the benefits of exercise. Need more information or want to find a local chapter? Visit TOPS at www.tops.org.
4. Jenny Craig is another weight loss program that makes it easy to follow food restrictions. They do this by taking the guess work out of adding up calories or choosing the right foods to eat. You buy foods from Jenny Craig that is the right portions, calories and nutrition for your personal needs. Too good to be true? Though it may work in the beginning of your weight loss plan, it is not likely to be a long-term plan. You will get tired of eating frozen meals and you will want to eat out at restaurants again someday too. The problem with this program is that you don’t learn anything about healthy eating, so even if you are successful while on the plan, the minute you stop buying and eating the food, the weight will come back. For more info and pricing, see www.JennyCraig.com.
5. Medical Weight Loss can be deceiving. While you do go in person for an evaluation and weekly or bi-weekly consultation, they don’t teach you anything about healthy eating. You will spend a lot of money on the visits and the nutritional supplements they require you to have. They also have several stages you need to follow, the first of which is a liquid diet. You must be willing to follow their strict rules and take supplements as necessary. As with most weight loss programs, Medical Weight Loss will help you lose weight, but is not for everyone and is most likely not going to have a long term weight loss effect. Visit www.mwlc.com for more info.
The copyright of the article Top 5 Weight Loss Programs in Weight Loss Methods is owned by Tracy Rose. Permission to republish Top 5 Weight Loss Programs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
You might try looking at a newer program called Take Shape for Life. It
changed my life and I've never felt better. You might consider placing it
in your top 5. :)
Jan 15, 2009 12:27 PM
Guest :
I work as an Xray technician in Jersey. I have tried every diet known to
man. Each time. I manage to lose between 15 - 20 lbs, only to gain back the
15lbs + an additional 20lbs. I feel helpless, hopeless and scared. I had my
child at 42 years of age and I don't want him to be an orphan because his
mommy has no willpower. Help! SuzieB
Jan 28, 2009 7:09 AM
Guest :
I would like to help you SuzieB we can chat sometime. Frances
Mar 6, 2009 9:35 AM
Guest :
If you are having problems keeping weight off then please visit my site at
www.takehealthsteps.com and I will try to help you. Ceci
Apr 14, 2009 4:58 AM
Guest :
I am currently on medical weight loss and the review of it is partially
false. You do not go through a liquid stage at the beginning. You do,
however, follow a strict eating regimen, but it is healthy...unlike weight
watchers that can be unhealthy depending on how you use your points. They
do eventually introduce more food into your diet once you have reached your
goal and they do teach you how to maintain your weight. And after being on
it for 5 months, I have figured out how to maintain my weight, even though
I haven't reached my goal yet. I am 46 lbs down and have 8 more to go, so I
think it is pretty successful. It can be costly, but when you think of the
amount you spend on food normally, it's not too bad!
Apr 14, 2009 4:58 AM
Guest :
I am currently on medical weight loss and the review of it is partially
false. You do not go through a liquid stage at the beginning. You do,
however, follow a strict eating regimen, but it is healthy...unlike weight
watchers that can be unhealthy depending on how you use your points. They
do eventually introduce more food into your diet once you have reached your
goal and they do teach you how to maintain your weight. And after being on
it for 5 months, I have figured out how to maintain my weight, even though
I haven't reached my goal yet. I am 46 lbs down and have 8 more to go, so I
think it is pretty successful. It can be costly, but when you think of the
amount you spend on food normally, it's not too bad!
May 1, 2009 5:48 PM
Guest :
<a href="http://weightlossprograms.dotfit.com/">Online
weight loss programs</a> are getting to be all the rage. You can work
from the privacy of your own home and save on gas and commuting time to the
gym. I was particularly impressed by this one. Check out their “fitness
vault”, an extensive library of articles by registered dietitians and other
fitness experts for great (free) tips on the behavioral psychology of
weight loss. I liked the "eating style makeover". There are
other articles such as how you may be sabotaging your weight, keys to
permanent weight loss, why we eat when we shouldn't, and what to do when
diet and exercise aren't enough. If you need the next level of motivation
or are looking for feedback, they can help you put together an
individualized plan that will suit your goals and lifestyle. They have
other services which include the option to add a body monitoring device,
personal coaching options (not free, but inexpensive) and a social
component which is great for moral support (and anonymity). I was amazed at
the scope of this site and the multidimensional approach offered to health,
fitness, weight loss, etc. It is very motivational and offers the kind of
support we need to keep the pounds off.
May 3, 2009 9:15 AM
Guest :
<a href="http://weightlossprograms.dotfit.com/">Online
weight loss programs</a> are getting to be all the rage. You can work
from the privacy of your own home and save on gas and commuting time to the
gym. I was particularly impressed by this one. Check out their “fitness
vault”, an extensive library of articles by registered dietitians and other
fitness experts for great (free) tips on the behavioral psychology of
weight loss. I liked the "eating style makeover". There are
other articles such as how you may be sabotaging your weight, keys to
permanent weight loss, why we eat when we shouldn't, and what to do when
diet and exercise aren't enough. If you need the next level of motivation
or are looking for feedback, they can help you put together an
individualized plan that will suit your goals and lifestyle. They have
other services which include the option to add a body monitoring device,
personal coaching options (not free, but inexpensive) and a social
component which is great for moral support (and anonymity). I was amazed at
the scope of this site and the multidimensional approach offered to health,
fitness, weight loss, etc. It is very motivational and offers the kind of
support we need to keep the pounds off.
May 18, 2009 5:13 AM
Guest :
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May 20, 2009 12:32 PM
Guest :
If you have never heard of the Belly Buster Diet , you have now.
Lose Weight
Our program can help you to rev up your
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right? But, as soon as you quit adding logs to the fire, it will burn down
to embers, and then what happens when you add a log? Right, it just sits
there - no fire to burn the log. The same thing happens in your body when
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They know what signs to watch for and how to keep you healthy. We
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Jun 28, 2009 12:04 AM
Guest :
My name is Kim. i lost 25 lbs and my husband lost 30 lbs in 30 days on
Herbalife Shapeworks program. the best thing about it is we have not
gained it back; even thru the holidays we did not gain one pound. check
out my website at www.kteloseweightmall.com or email me at
ktearnest@kteloseweight.com for more information.
Jul 25, 2009 2:45 PM
Guest :
there is an excellent new contact support system from weight loss
behavioral expert Dr. Brian Alman at www.trusageinteractive.com
and his book "Keep It Off"
Aug 6, 2009 7:28 PM
Guest :
I found a great website, 500CalorieRestaurantMeals.com. It has a database
of over 400 dietitian created restaurant meals that have under 500
calories, plus diabetic friendly meals, low fat, low sodium etc. It's
worth checking out.
Sep 2, 2009 11:25 AM
Guest :
Hi Ladies, I wanted to let everyone know that there is a group called
The Lionesse Ladies Club also known as Lionesse Pride. That is an online
support group for women needing extra motivation in losing weight. There is
a website that you can view, www.lionessepride.com It is generally
supported on a facebook page and there are weekly weigh-ins. Which is very
encouraging because you get to challenge yourself. If your interested or
just want more info please feel free to check us out. Thank you and good
luck in your weight loss journey
Sep 18, 2009 10:41 AM
Guest :
Learn more about Weight Watchers! Check out this exclusive interview with
Florine Mark, who discusses her entrepreneurial journey as the largest
franchisee of Weight Watchers International and overcoming life's key
obstacles. www.uwemp.com
Oct 10, 2009 5:46 AM
Guest :
There are many differences between TOPS and Weight Watchers. The annual fee
is $26.00 American and $30.00 Canadian, which includes My Day One, a ready,
set go guide to healthy lifestyle changes and a subscription to the TOPS
News; the weekly fees are averagely $3.00 per week, which simply covers the
rent and minor chapter expenses, as in weekly awards; TOPS is the oldest,
non profit, non commercial weight loss support group; our executive are not
medical experts and as such, ask that you seek your health professional
advice on your personal goal; members are volunteers who help support the
chapter through weekly programs from TOPS international. TOPS teaches you
healthy lifestyle changes.
Dec 5, 2006
