Now that we are safely past the holidays and firmly into the new year, you might be considering a new weight loss program to help you get on track.

Here is a closer look at a few of the most popular programs available:

1. Weight Watchers. In full-dislosure, I’m a bit partial to the Weight Watchers program. It’s the program I personally used to lose more than 90 pounds and it’s a program I still remain connected to, to help maintain the loss.  Weight Watchers allows folks to eat regular foods.  Every food on the planet gets assigned a point value. A piece of pizza might be 7 points. A cup of oatmeal, 4 points. Folks get assigned a number of points a day based on their current weight. You use your daily points until they are gone. You can earn extra daily points through exercise. Weight Watcher members are responsible for going to the grocery store, shopping and planning their meals. Weight Watchers focuses on eating healthy foods, encouraging exercise and offering support. You can choose to attend weekly Weight Watcher meetings or do the program exclusively on-line. Find out more about Weight Watchers here.
2. Nutri-System.  If you are busy and looking for a program where the bulk of it is done for you, then Nutri-System might be the way to go for you. Nutri-System sends you perfectly portion-controlled meals every 28 days. In your monthly order, you’ll receive main meals and snacks. The program takes into consideration factors like your lifestyle, gender and whether you have diabetes when coming up with your meal plan. Nutri-System has an online community and tools available to help support your goals.  Learn more about Nutri-System here.
3. Jenny Craig. Jenny Craig is similar to Nutri-System as it sends you your pre-ordered food every month.  However, in addition to on-line support, there are Jenny Craig walk-in centers and on-line consultants always available. This is great for those who like the ease of pre-packaged foods but may need a little more in the way of support from others. Jenny Craig also offers three different programs to best support your needs. Find out more about Jenny Craig here.

There are also diets like The Sonoma Diet, South Beach Diet and Atkins Diet. Each of these programs challenge dieters to restrict certain foods and change their entire approach to eating. They all work in different ways during different ‘phases’ of your weight loss. While you’ll be able to find online forums of other folks who use these plans, there are no formal weight loss centers to attend. Each of these diets have website and books available.

Remember that your HealthMaster can be a great tool in any of your weight loss efforts. There are a ton of healthy, delicious and low calorie recipes right at your fingertips!

Don’t forget to speak to your doctor when it comes to figuring out the best weight loss plan for you.

Share with me what has worked for you? What hasn’t worked? Do you have a favorite low-calorie HealthMaster recipe?

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