Weighing In

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I hopped on the scale this morning and discovered that I lost 3 lbs from last week. I’m not sure how that happened since I wasn’t really trying to lose weight. This got me thinking about today’s blog. I know a lot of brides worry about their weight.

I wanted to create an inspirational post about loving yourself no matter what your size, but then I remembered the last wedding I was in and how I worried about looking good in the bridesmaid dress. So, I decided the purpose of today’s blog would be to inform.

Whether you have 5 lbs or 50 lbs to lose, there are a lot of different weight-loss plans to choose from. As if planning a wedding isn’t stressful enough – now you have to worry about which weight-loss plan fits into your life?

Although I’m not a nutritionist, dietician, or physician and I can’t suggest or recommend a weight-loss plan, I am the Virtual Bridesmaid and I can do what all good bridesmaids should do – help with research and provide you with options so you can make an informed decision. I selected five popular diets to review:

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Program name: Atkins Diet
Overview: Processed and starchy carbohydrates create weight gain
Encouraged foods: beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, salad greens
Forbidden foods: bread, grains, cereal, fruit, juice,
Alcohol: No alcohol during the two-week induction phase. After that, it’s okay in moderation.
Dining out concerns: It’s very easy to eat out with this program
Best suited for: Brides who are meat lovers. If you can do without carbohydrates, this is the plan for you!
Weekly estimated cost: There aren’t any specialty foods to purchase or membership fees, so you only need to pay for the cost of food. Since you are purchasing a lot of meat, your grocery bill will be on the higher end.
Possible pitfalls: Once off the plan, if you eat carbs, expect to put on a few pounds. This plan can be hard to stick with because it’s so restrictive.

Program name: Jenny Craig
Overview: Low-calorie diet, exercise, and behavioral modification
Encouraged foods: Jenny Craig prepackaged cuisines
Forbidden foods: Non-Jenny foods (i.e. home cooked meals, fast food, packaged grocery-store foods
Alcohol: Limited quantities (2 drinks or fewer each week)
Dining out concerns: Very difficult. Since you are eating prepackaged meals, dining out (in the beginning) is a challenge
Best suited for: Brides don't have a lot of time to think about what they can and cannot eat. The food has gotten great reviews for taste and convenience.
Weekly estimated cost: $110.00 - $170.00 (includes cost of JC cuisine and weekly groceries)
Possible pitfalls: All meals are pre-packed highly processed foods. This makes dining out problematic. Also, with a limited amount of food items, it may be easy to get bored.

Program name: Nutrisystems
Overview: Low-calorie diet. The Nutrisystem diet is based around the glycemic index
Encouraged foods: Nutrisystems prepackaged cuisines
Forbidden foods: Non- Nutrisystems foods (i.e. home cooked meals, fast food, packaged grocery-store foods
Alcohol: None allowed.
Dining out concerns: Very difficult. Since you are eating prepackaged meals, you cannot eat out (unless you bring your food with you)
Best suited for: Brides who don't have a lot of time to think about what they can and cannot eat and cannot afford Jenny Craig.
Weekly estimated cost: $90.00 - $120.00 (includes cost of food and weekly groceries)
Possible pitfalls: Food is terrible. (Yes, I have tasted it.) All meals are pre-packed highly processed foods. This makes dining out problematic.

Program name: Southbeach Diet
Overview: Gets rid of bad fats and carbs
Encouraged foods: Lean meats, whole grains, high fiber fruits and vegetables
Forbidden foods: Potatoes, white bread, pasta (dairy in Phase 1)
Alcohol: In moderation. Wine is favored over beer.
Dining out concerns: It’s very easy to eat out on this plan. You can order anything off the menu as long as it’s in the guidelines.
Best suited for: Brides who want to try a limit their carbs but also want to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diet
Weekly estimated cost: There aren’t any specialty foods to purchase or membership fees, so you only need to pay for the cost of food. The first week is the most restrictive (no carbs, fruits or vegetables) so you may spend more since you will be eating more meat.
Possible pitfalls: Phase 1 is the hardest. If you can make it through that phase, it should be fairly easy to stick with.

Program name: Weight Watchers
Overview: Consume fewer calories than you expend. Depending on your weight and how much you wish to lose, you are given a “point balance” that you can spend as you see fit.
Encouraged foods: You can eat anything you want, provided you keep to your point budget
Forbidden foods: None. You can eat anything you want, provided you keep to your point budget
Alcohol: You can drink anything you want, provided you keep to your point budget
Dining out concerns: It’s very easy to eat out on this plan. You can order anything off the menu as long as it’s in the point budget; just make sure you know the point value of items.
Best suited for: Brides who want a lot of flexibility and can track everything they consume in a day.
Weekly estimated cost: $5.00 - $7.00 per week for online membership or meetings
Possible pitfalls: Because no food is off limits, brides may find it harder to lose weight if they’re still making poor choices. Sure, you can have Big Mac every day, but is that as wise as having a grilled chicken breast over a salad and saving those other points for other foods like fruit and popcorn?

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The primary reason that most diets fail is because people give up on them. Select the plan that will best fit into your lifestyle and budget. If you do that, you should experience success. And remember, at the end of the day, size does not determine your value or your worth. What matters is how you feel about yourself.

I look forward to your feedback…