How much does it cost to lose 30 pounds? |
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NutriSystem
This at-home system (no office visits or weigh-ins) will appeal to those who don't
like to cook. It involves exclusively eating the company's prepackaged meals.
The 28-day program includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks (you can add fresh
vegetables, fruit and dairy). Support is offered through a free Web site.
"Some people lose one pound a week, some people
lose three pounds a week," says a NutriSystem sales representative.
If, on average, you lose two pounds a week, the diet will take about
four months. It's cheaper to sign up for the Auto-Delivery Savings
program (the food keeps coming until you cancel it), which costs
$293.72, including shipping, per month.
Total cost:
$1,174.88, including all food, except fresh greens and dairy.
Weight
Watchers
This is one of the most popular diets in the world, probably because
there's no such thing as taboo food. The diet is based on portion
control and involves weekly support meetings; you can also do the
program online.
The Flex plan means each food is assigned a point
value and you can eat anything as long as you stay within your allotted
points. The Core plan involves a preapproved list of foods. While
there are plenty of Weight Watchers food items on the market, they
are optional.
Registration is between $15 and $20, depending on
location. Weekly meeting fees range from about $10 to $15, again,
location-dependent. The standard monthly plan for Weight Watchers
Online costs $46.90 the first month and $16.95 for subsequent months.
Plan to lose one to two pounds per week for 20 weeks to reach a
30-pound weight-loss goal.
Total cost: $214.80 to
$299.80, depending on location, or $97.75 online, not including
food.
The Zone
Diet -- now available nationwide
This well-rounded plan is based on a 40:30:30 ratio of daily calories
obtained from carbohydrates, proteins and favorable fats. While
you can buy a book and follow the diet independently, why not do
it like the stars by opting for In The Zone Delivery. The service
delivers a customized daily supply of food (three meals and two
snacks) to subscribers in most metropolitan areas by 6 a.m. each
day. Outside major cities, you can receive two to three days' worth of
food at a time for a higher delivery fee.
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