Compare Diet Meal Delivery Plans

How Diet Plans Help You Lose Weight

Everyone has different barriers when it comes to losing weight. Common obstacles include feeling hungry, not having time to cook healthy meals, and not finding delicious recipes that help you lose weight. Signing up for a weight loss meal plan can help you overcome each of these obstacles. Let’s break down each of those obstacles and how you can successfully lose weight with the right diet program.

Weight Loss Obstacle #1: Feeling Hungry

One major mistake when trying to shed pounds fast is to not eat enough and eventually feel too hungry to continue with your diet. The solution is to create more sustainable eating habits that fill you up while still helping you lose weight.

Many of the best delivered meal plans include enough meals and snacks that you still get to eat every two to three hours. Figuring out portion control is an essential part of using food effectively throughout the day to still feel good without getting an empty stomach. Online programs also help because you can track exactly what you’re eating so you know what’s appropriate to eat the rest of the day.

Most plans also allow you to eat an unlimited amount of certain types of food, like fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you’re starting to feel hungry, simply snack on something like a handful of carrots or an apple. Programs like Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig also provide snacks throughout the day, such as cheese curls, chocolate walnut brownies, and lemon zest cake.

Weight Loss Obstacle #2: Not Having Time to Cook

When you’re trying to lose weight, cooking your own meals is an easy way to control how much you eat and what ingredients you’re using. Unfortunately, life often gets in the way of prepping your meals from scratch every day.

You might run out the door in the morning late for work and realize you didn’t have time to eat so you pick up a bagel at the local coffee shop. You also forgot to pack a healthy salad for lunch at the office and end up running to the café for a sandwich and bag of chips. After work, you pick up the kids from school and take them to soccer practice and dance class. For dinner? Burgers and fries from a fast food drive-thru chain.

It’s fine for this hypothetical situation to happen every once in a while, but when it occurs every day, you can really lose steam in your weight loss journey. Ordering pre-packaged meals make it easy to still manage all of your work and life responsibilities while still taking care of yourself. Simply throw a shelf-stable meal in your work bag for lunch at the office. By the time you get home, you can opt for a quick-to-prepare frozen meal and dessert that leaves you feeling nourished at the end of a long day.

Weight Loss Obstacle #3: Not Enjoying Healthy Food

If you’re just starting on your weight loss journey, you might think that all you can eat are salads and steamed kale for the rest of your life. Luckily, this stereotype simply isn’t true. Food from a top diet program is not only nutritious, but delicious as well.

Before you choose the best meal delivery option for you, browse some of each program’s sample meal plans. You’ll find that there are plenty of tasty options. Most programs have well-trained chefs who use quality ingredients to create interesting meals that will keep you on track to losing weight effectively.

You can also usually opt to either have meals sent to you automatically, or pick and choose exactly what you’d like. As you try different meals and learn your preferences, you’ll be able to curate snacks, meals, and desserts that keep you motivated to stay on track.

Weight Loss Meal Plans: Men vs. Women

You may wonder how losing weight differs between men and woman, especially if you choose a meal plan with pre-determined food. The best weight loss programs always incorporate your gender into the food equation because men naturally need more calories each day than women do, even during the weight loss process.

For programs with meal delivery like Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, men receive more snacks to accommodate the need for extra calories throughout the day. For tracking programs like Weight Watchers, men will receive more daily points than women, allowing them to eat more food.

You’ll often notice that both men and women lose a larger amount of weight during the first few weeks of dieting. After that, the progress is steadier for both genders. However, if you’re a couple trying to lose weight together, be aware that men do typically lose more than their female counterparts, even when on the same diet plan.

The reason is because men have more lean muscle tissue compared to women. This allows them to burn more calories both during exercise and while resting. Eventually, however, weight loss does even out for both men and women. No matter what diet plan you choose and what gender you are, you can accelerate your progress by including regular physical activity each week. Paired with healthier eating habits and you’re sure to be successful in your efforts to shed some pounds.

More Tips for Losing Weight

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s imperative to cut back on high-calorie, low-nutrition foods like sugar and starch. Avoid intaking extra calories from drinks like sodas and tea with sugar. Daily culprits such as coffee can quickly add up if you don’t keep track of how much cream and sugar you’re putting in each morning.

For every meal and snack you make yourself, start measuring out high-calorie ingredients to make sure you’re not consuming more than you should. You might be surprised by how much cheese, mayonnaise, or salad dressing you add to every-day meals that quietly impact your ability to lose weight. Find an appropriate serving size and measure it out each and every time to get into control of how much you’re consuming each day.

While protein is a staple part of any diet, stick to lean meats and fish on a regular basis. Regularly eating protein boosts your metabolism and also gives you the energy you need to keep working out as a complementary part of your diet program.

Healthy fats are also key. Replace your cooking oil with healthier options like coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil. This is also a place where moderating how much oil you use in a pan or in baking can help you reduce the amount of calories you eat each day.

Finally, don’t forget to exercise. If you have a lot of weight to lose and haven’t worked out recently, start with something low impact like walking outside. This not only helps get your body moving, it also helps your overall well-being by getting outside, breathing fresh air, and taking a quiet moment in your day.

If you get overwhelmed figuring out portions and the right types of fats to eat or avoid, a home meal delivery plan can help you lose weight fast without the added headache of figuring out what to eat day in and day out. Consider a plan with coaching options as well to get extra insights on physical activity recommendations as well.