Weight loss plans are empowering people to take control of their health in a whole new way. This is especially relevant with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges it brings up. Also, as we enter 2021, it's a good time to think more about your weight loss goals and how to maintain any new targets you may have set yourself for the new year ahead.
As with any trend that is born, an abundance of options overwhelms the bright-eyed fitness seeker. Which fitness tools do you need to succeed? What weight loss programs are legitimate? And how much is this going to cost you anyway? If you're asking these questions, you're not alone. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers about health and fitness, along with recommendations for the best weight loss plans online in 2021.
A Closer Look at the Best Weight Loss Plans
- Best forConvenience, no cooking/counting calories
- PricingStarting at $8.10per day
- Weight lossUp to 13 lbs, 7 inches in first month
Nutrisystem is the weight loss program for people who like to eat! That's because the diet plan lets you eat 6 small meals a day. Eating constantly throughout the day keeps your body in fat-burning mode all the time, so you're not hungry, and you are burning calories. Nice!
What makes Nutrisystem a great system for reaching your optimal weight is the fact that it prepares nutritious, healthy, and balanced meals for you. Half the battle of weight loss is in food prep. Nutrisystem takes that hassle off your shoulders by preparing all your meals and snacks for you. This program offers a delectable selection of meals and snacks, including everything from succulent chicken and broccoli in a savory cheese sauce to a mouth-watering s'mores pie that you’ll be licking your fingers after eating.
Nutrisystem also works so well because it tailors your meal plans to fit your body, weight loss goals, and dietary preferences. You won’t have to suffer with too few calories, restrictions that don’t work for you, or foods you don’t like. Nutrisystem makes a weight loss plan that works for you.
Pros- Personally-tailored to your body, goals, and preferences
- Nothing is off limits
- Easy diet to follow
Cons- Meals come frozen
- Not ideal for vegans
- Best forPersonalized dietary counseling, maintainable
- Pricing$59/month$199/year
- Weight lossNone
Noom is not like any other weight loss program you’ve seen before. It really gets into your head, but in the best possible way you could imagine. Based on oodles of research, Noom takes a scientific approach to health, fitness, and weight loss. What this means is that Noom teaches you all about the science behind eating, why you eat what you eat, when you eat, and how you eat. The idea is that if you learn the underlying motivations, causes, and triggers that fuel your unhealthy eating habits, you’ll be able to stop self-sabotaging choices before they cause you to gain weight (or prevent you from losing it).
Skeptical? That’s your elephant brain talking! And besides, Noom is backed by a boatload of research and analytics that have proven the system to be wildly successful.
Aside from the terrific teaching tools, Noom offers full-fledged weight loss plans, as well. Tools include a calorie counter, an exercise monitor, step counter, and loads of motivational articles to keep you on track. And there are some great features like a personal weight loss coach and community that helps you get customized advice from a professional weight loss coach to maximize your results.
Pros- Science-based, proven results
- Personal weight loss coach
- Lots of tools included
Cons- No diet plan
- Coach isn’t available 24/7
- Best forNutrition-centered eating
- PricingFrom $11 per meal
- Weight lossNone
Healthy eating is important. We all know it, but who has the time and patience to prepare those health-happy meals? Factor_ does, that’s who. This health-conscious meal delivery service takes your health seriously and prepares the kind of meals that promote positive, healthy metabolism every time you munch.
Meals are prepared by highly trained chefs and then delivered to your door. But what really makes Factor_ meals great is the quality of ingredients. Each meal is prepared using grass-fed, pasture-raised, antibiotic, hormone, and GMO-free ingredients. There’s no soy, no refined sugars, and no gluten either. So, anyone on any type of diet will benefit from eating these meals, and no matter how restrictive your dietary restrictions are, you’ll find plenty to eat in this mix.
You'll get to choose from menu options like turkey ragu-zucchini bowl, artichoke and spinach chicken breast, and steak au poivre. Every week, you get a new list of delightful menu options to choose from.
Pros- Highest quality ingredients only
- Responsibly sourced, earth-friendly ingredients
- Meals delivered ready to eat
Cons- No family meal plans
- Only a few vegetarian options
- Best forSpecial diets
- PricingFrom $8.49 per meal
- Weight lossNone
FreshlyFit offers a variety of low-calorie meals that are typically high in protein, low in carbs, and well-suited to keto and paleo diets. You can also filter for gluten, soy or dairy sensitivities, although vegan and vegetarian options are limited. Meals start as low as $8.49, and no preparation is needed: simply heat and eat.
Flexible ordering options make it easy to skip or cancel weekly deliveries as needed. FreshlyFit isn’t a weight-loss service per se, so it will work best when paired with a third-party app or other strategy, although you have all the nutritional information needed to meet weight-loss goals.
Pros- Keto- and paleo-friendly meals
- Emphasis on whole foods
- Flexible subscription and ordering options
Cons- No weight loss-specific features
- Few vegan & vegetarian options
- Best forConvenient, portion-controlled
- PricingFrom $8.57 per meal
- Weight lossNone
Diet To Go is all about making healthy eating and weight loss easier for you. Doing away with the hassle of expensive diet foods, meal prep, and constant shopping trips, Diet To Go balances the meals for you, cooks your meals for you, and even delivers your meals straight to your door. So, it takes away all the problems, leaving nothing but a healthy meal to consume and a great weight loss program to follow.
Diet To Go also offers great support. You can get advice and answers from real health coaches and dieticians. This way, if you have any problems, aren’t sure which meal plan is good for you, or want to understand your diet plan better, there’s somebody there to answer the call.
Diet To Go also has a lot of specialty diet options, so if you are restricted in some way, then this is a good option for you. For example, Diet To Go has special meals and menus for vegetarians and diabetics. You can also get along very well on this meal plan if you are vegan or looking to restrict your carb intake.
Pros- Prepared meals delivered weekly
- Personalized menus
- Lots of dietary specialties
Cons- No fitness program
- No totally gluten-free meals
- Best forHealth-friendly, specialty diets
- PricingFrom $9.80 per meal
- Weight lossNone
If you are looking for a meal delivery service that will promote healthy eating and not starve you of flavor, then BistroMD is your destination. A perfect balance between nutrition and taste, BistroMD prepares meals that are jam-packed with all the nutrients that you need to live a healthy life. The meals are prepared by expert chefs, too, so you get the kind of cooking you can look forward to (and not dread coming home to).
What’s more, BistroMD meals are all designed by doctors. So, not only are these meals delicious, but they are just what the doctor ordered. Meals are designed to contain all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, and calories you need to feel fuller and promote healthy digestion.
BistroMD also provides you with personal support to help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals. Dieticians are on call to answer your questions and help you tailor your plan to fit your needs.
Pros- Doctor-developed meal plans
- One of the top prepared meal services
- So many options to choose from
Cons- Can’t pick and choose meals
- Not good for a tight budget
The Best Diet Plans to Lose Weight
The general idea of all weight loss programs is the same: giving people a structured plan to help them lose weight. Of course, the weight loss programs can vary considerably depending on the one you are following. These programs will teach you the concepts you need to follow and the lifestyle you need to maintain in order to achieve your optimal weight and other fitness goals.
Many of these programs also come with dieticians you can consult for weight loss and healthy eating advice. Others will include professional trainers you can speak to as well to cover the fitness aspect of your weight loss program.
How Do Weight Loss Programs Work?
Basic weight loss programs come with a general diet plan. This tells you which foods are healthy and which foods to avoid. This is helpful if you are just looking for a basic guideline and have the willpower to stick to it on your own.
A little more involved weight loss program may offer more specific diet plans. This could be a detailed menu for you to follow. This is easier for people who don’t know or don’t want to make a menu for themselves. Even more detailed weight loss plans will give you a workout program to follow. This can help promote further calorie burn and help you achieve your weight loss goals faster.
Another type of weight loss program comes in the form of ready-made meals. These are the easiest ones to follow since all the work is done for you. Menus are created, ingredients are shopped for, and meals are even completely prepared for you. All you have to do is just heat and eat. It's the easiest way to lose weight and stick to a diet.
What Types of Diets Help You Lose Weight?
Weight loss programs have been studied intensely, and those studies have shown that these programs can and do help people lose weight. This is because a lot of research has gone into designing the programs for optimal results.
The best diet plans are designed by doctors, dieticians, and experts in the field of nutritional science. A good diet plan might focus on calorie count, ingredients, or portion control, and sometimes incorporate all three into a single diet.
Nutrisystem, for example, offers customized diet plans that focus on portion control and eating habits. Noom, another successful diet plan, blends calorie counting, fitness tracking, and personal coaching. Some weight loss plans may focus on specific diets like keto and gluten-free meals, while others may take an ingredient-based approach and offer organic or plant-based foods as a route to getting in shape.
How to Choose a Weight Loss Program
From medical diets to clean-eating programs and portion controlling, there are myriad types of weight loss plans out there. The best diet to lose weight is the one that works for you: for your body, your lifestyle, and your weight loss goals.
For example, if you need help with discipline, you may want to opt for a program that offers personal coaching, motivational resources, and diet tracking. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes, it’s best to find a program like Diet to Go, which offers medically-based plans designed explicitly for those with health issues. Other factors to consider are cost, convenience, and availability.
And last but not least, there’s taste. Just because you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your food. Today’s best diet plans enlist professional chefs to create delicious entrees. Before you settle on a weight loss plan, peruse the menus online and make sure the entrees appeal to your tastes.
How to Lose Weight When You’re Staying at Home
Sheltering in place adds another element of difficulty to losing weight. We’re forced to spend all day within arm’s reach of our refrigerators and snack drawers, and we have less distractions that may keep our minds off of eating.
If you can’t seem to stop snacking while at home, it might be a good idea to simply replace your snacks with healthier alternatives. This is the approach Nutrisystem takes. It understands that eating is not only necessary but a comfort, and instead of forcing us to avoid food, Nutrisystem designs its weight loss plans around eating frequently but eating healthier. The plans are structured around 6 small meals a day, supplemented by healthy snacks that ensure even though you may be snacking, you’re snacking on healthy, low-calories, portion-controlled meals and snacks.
How easy a weight loss program is to follow at home really depends on the structure and style of the plan. A program that gives you the basic guidelines will be harder to follow since you need to do all the work. On the other hand, there are generally fewer restrictions on these types of programs. So, it might be easier for you to maintain in the long-run. Ready-made meal programs are the easiest to follow. Plus, the ones that come with plenty of options help keep boredom at bay, so you want to find a weight loss program that works best for you and gives you the type of variety you can live with.
