The surprising cost of weight loss...
It is crazy, but given the choice on how to lose weight, it is the costly weight loss programs which prevail. I'm not sure why this is...because it can be done more effectively and for much MUCH less money with a program like Beachbody.
Let's look at some popular weight loss programs and how much they cost.
Weight Watchers
Cost: Choose the $39.95 monthly pass, which includes unlimited meetings and online support. If you won’t go to meetings, the best online-only deal is the three-month $65 plan (with automatic monthly renewal at $16.95 thereafter).
Jenny Craig
Cost: $20 for 10-week membership, plus $84 to $126 a week for Jenny Craig food. One-year premium membership is $359.
Bistro M.D.
Cost: About $180 per week plus $25 FedEx delivery
eDiets
Cost: For the support-only plan, about $18 per month, billed to your credit card (with a $25 fee if you cancel within three months). The optional meal delivery service, eDiets Fresh Prepared Meal Delivery, costs about $100 per week plus $20 shipping, and includes the online service.
Southbeachdiet.com
Cost: $65 for three months ($5 a week); minimum commitment of four weeks.
In the Zone Delivery
Cost: About $40 per day plus $3 to $10 delivery fee
Nutrisystem
Cost: About $333 for four weeks of meals, plus $20 shipping; $148 for 14-day starter program purchased through Walmart
Medifast
Cost: About $300 per month or $80 per week
It is ironic, because the biggest factor that overweight people claim is holding them back from losing weight is the COST involved in a weight loss program. Yet, they will turn to one of these programs out of futility, which cost WAY MORE than a BeachBody workout plan, and ultimately will end up dropping out, or succeeding just to regain the weight they lost!
The reason for that? Convenience and laziness. Let's face it. Most American's are overweight because of convenience. Our foods have been packaged to make life easier and give us "more time" to do other things. But, the packaging of meals means that the food is less healthy and more fattening. It takes a lot of chemicals and preservatives to give that food a long shelf life. Obviously, you can't put broccoli in a box and have it last more than a few days without going bad. So, because we think we don't have the time to shop "healthy", we load up on the stuff we shouldn't be eating.
These weight loss programs that ship you food do basically the same thing. Sure, their foods are lower in fat and calories than the normal boxed food items, but they are still the same old stuff. And they just give you less of it for more money! Think about it! Can they really send you fresh fruits and vegetables? Are they teaching you how to eat healthy? Or are they just selling you a quick fix? Not only this, but many of them claim you can do it without exercise! Really?!?
The fact of the matter is that many people can't afford to do these plans forever. So they reach their goals, they quit the program, then they go back to their old eating habits because they haven't learned what it really takes to eat a healthy diet and live a healthy lifestyle! The only program which teaches a healthy lifestyle is Weight Watchers. But again, exercise needs to be a factor.
The key to losing weight is CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE. Exercise is a factor in that. Building muscle is crucial to burning fat. Eating a certain number of calories a day and burning a certain amount of calories a day is the only way the pounds will come off and stay off. You need to shop the produce dept, the meat dept, the dairy dept, MORE than you shop the center isles. Yes, you will need to make more trips to the grocery store...yes, you will need to put a little more time into preparing your meals, and YES, you will have to do this forever. BUT IT CAN BE DONE! In the end, think about how much more healthy you will become. Think about how much more healthy your CHILDREN AND SPOUSE will become by default! Think about how you are teaching your children GOOD HABITS by paying close attention to what you put in your mouth.
Exercise is a must in any weight loss program! You must be active! You must find a way to burn the calories that you consume, otherwise, your body will want to consume itself. It takes what it needs and leaves everything else behind...cholesterol, fat, etc...all the bad stuff that YOU DON'T NEED.
For the money you put into these fly-by-night programs, you can invest in a muscle building workout program from Beachbody (a one-time cost), meal plans and recipes included...you can get yourself a BodyBugg device from 24 Hour Fitness so that your calories eaten and burned are monitored every minute of the day...and for a few bucks more ($2.99 a week), you can join the Beachbody club and get all the added support that you need...FOR LIFE! These are lifestyle changing programs. They aren't meant to be done for a year...lose the weight...then go back to your old habits that got you to where you are now. You will learn how to shop, what to stock your kitchen full off, what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat...you will learn what you need to keep your body LEAN and how to maintain once you reach your goal weight. This is a LIFESTYLE change. And it can be done for way less than any of these programs can offer.
Here's to your new lifestyle!
Let's look at some popular weight loss programs and how much they cost.
Weight Watchers
Cost: Choose the $39.95 monthly pass, which includes unlimited meetings and online support. If you won’t go to meetings, the best online-only deal is the three-month $65 plan (with automatic monthly renewal at $16.95 thereafter).
Jenny Craig
Cost: $20 for 10-week membership, plus $84 to $126 a week for Jenny Craig food. One-year premium membership is $359.
Bistro M.D.
Cost: About $180 per week plus $25 FedEx delivery
eDiets
Cost: For the support-only plan, about $18 per month, billed to your credit card (with a $25 fee if you cancel within three months). The optional meal delivery service, eDiets Fresh Prepared Meal Delivery, costs about $100 per week plus $20 shipping, and includes the online service.
Southbeachdiet.com
Cost: $65 for three months ($5 a week); minimum commitment of four weeks.
In the Zone Delivery
Cost: About $40 per day plus $3 to $10 delivery fee
Nutrisystem
Cost: About $333 for four weeks of meals, plus $20 shipping; $148 for 14-day starter program purchased through Walmart
Medifast
Cost: About $300 per month or $80 per week
It is ironic, because the biggest factor that overweight people claim is holding them back from losing weight is the COST involved in a weight loss program. Yet, they will turn to one of these programs out of futility, which cost WAY MORE than a BeachBody workout plan, and ultimately will end up dropping out, or succeeding just to regain the weight they lost!
The reason for that? Convenience and laziness. Let's face it. Most American's are overweight because of convenience. Our foods have been packaged to make life easier and give us "more time" to do other things. But, the packaging of meals means that the food is less healthy and more fattening. It takes a lot of chemicals and preservatives to give that food a long shelf life. Obviously, you can't put broccoli in a box and have it last more than a few days without going bad. So, because we think we don't have the time to shop "healthy", we load up on the stuff we shouldn't be eating.
These weight loss programs that ship you food do basically the same thing. Sure, their foods are lower in fat and calories than the normal boxed food items, but they are still the same old stuff. And they just give you less of it for more money! Think about it! Can they really send you fresh fruits and vegetables? Are they teaching you how to eat healthy? Or are they just selling you a quick fix? Not only this, but many of them claim you can do it without exercise! Really?!?
The fact of the matter is that many people can't afford to do these plans forever. So they reach their goals, they quit the program, then they go back to their old eating habits because they haven't learned what it really takes to eat a healthy diet and live a healthy lifestyle! The only program which teaches a healthy lifestyle is Weight Watchers. But again, exercise needs to be a factor.
The key to losing weight is CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE. Exercise is a factor in that. Building muscle is crucial to burning fat. Eating a certain number of calories a day and burning a certain amount of calories a day is the only way the pounds will come off and stay off. You need to shop the produce dept, the meat dept, the dairy dept, MORE than you shop the center isles. Yes, you will need to make more trips to the grocery store...yes, you will need to put a little more time into preparing your meals, and YES, you will have to do this forever. BUT IT CAN BE DONE! In the end, think about how much more healthy you will become. Think about how much more healthy your CHILDREN AND SPOUSE will become by default! Think about how you are teaching your children GOOD HABITS by paying close attention to what you put in your mouth.
Exercise is a must in any weight loss program! You must be active! You must find a way to burn the calories that you consume, otherwise, your body will want to consume itself. It takes what it needs and leaves everything else behind...cholesterol, fat, etc...all the bad stuff that YOU DON'T NEED.
For the money you put into these fly-by-night programs, you can invest in a muscle building workout program from Beachbody (a one-time cost), meal plans and recipes included...you can get yourself a BodyBugg device from 24 Hour Fitness so that your calories eaten and burned are monitored every minute of the day...and for a few bucks more ($2.99 a week), you can join the Beachbody club and get all the added support that you need...FOR LIFE! These are lifestyle changing programs. They aren't meant to be done for a year...lose the weight...then go back to your old habits that got you to where you are now. You will learn how to shop, what to stock your kitchen full off, what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat...you will learn what you need to keep your body LEAN and how to maintain once you reach your goal weight. This is a LIFESTYLE change. And it can be done for way less than any of these programs can offer.
Here's to your new lifestyle!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
True story...I tried Jenny up at school for like 3 weeks and it was just too pricey. I also used to go to WW with my friend and her mom but there wasn't enough discipline for me there. It ended up being a waste of money.
Although, I have to give WW props for actually teaching healthy eating...out of all the things you mentioned, WW only sells low-cal snacks (as opposed to those meals) and during the meetings they would talk about cooking and what not...and also that exercising was important, but not necessarily how to go about it. It was more like a support system I felt like. Although, BB is still the best :)
Post a Comment