Expert weight loss programs have been on the market for many years, yet many people still struggle with trying out random pieces of advice from unreliable sources. The weight loss industry is relatively easy to enter for anyone with the capital, regardless of whether they have professional training. Therefore, it can be hard to tell legitimate products from those based on pseudoscience.
However, we have deployed a team of experts to look into the design procedures of the most popular weight loss programs and conduct a background check on their designers to determine whether they are effective or not.
The Best Weight Loss Programs in 2022
Here are the programs we found to be effective based on scientific updates up to 2022:
- Nutrisystem
- Custom Keto Diet
- Weight Watchers
- Beachbody
- Golo
- Noom
- Hello Fresh
- LA Weight Loss
- Diet Direct
- Beyond Body
- Raw Generation
- Factor 75
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem offers a convenient way of losing weight without workouts for calorie tracking. The company allows customers to customize their workout plans according to gender, weight, age, and height.
The brand also offers a mobile app-based program where participants may engage in challenges and earn rewards to stay motivated throughout their weight loss journey. They also provide professional coaching seven days a week and deliver meals on a door-to-door basis.
The company relieves you of the burden of planning your meals for the best nutritional value by delivering the meals to you while letting you focus on implementing the program.
The company offers different types of packages to fit their customers. With anything between $9.99 and $13.21 daily, you can enroll in a program and start working towards your body goals.
The program offers more than 160 menu options and easy-to-prepare meals, including dieter options such as vegan. It also comprises desserts and snack options for those who may have an irresistible urge to eat them. They also offer a 14-day money-back guarantee to safeguard customers’ cash if the program does not work for them.
Custom Keto Diet
As the name suggests, Custom Keto Diet is a ketosis-based plan that stretches across 8-weeks of implementation. The program was innovated by Rachel Roberts, together with a team of experts comprising dieticians, nutritionists, fitness consultants, and chefs, to give it a holistic approach for maximum safety and effectiveness.
Each recipe in the program is carefully detailed for straightforward interpretation and implementation with basic cooking skills. It includes choices of foods that you can acquire from a local grocery.
The Custom Keto Diet’s approach to weight loss is highly conservative as it manipulates the body into using fat stores as the source of energy rather than carbohydrates consumed through foods. However, it generally requires fasting, which can be challenging for fast-timers.
But unlike other keto-based programs, Custom Keto Diet is less rigid as you get a custom plan matching your physiology. The company secures you with a 60-day money-back guarantee if the program fails.
Weight Watchers
Also known as WW, Weight Watchers is a highly-accorded program based on unconventional research on behavior change. The company offers professional coaching round the clock to ensure that you are getting the program’s full potential.
The program is subscription based and costs $5 for each of the first three months. Like other products on this list, Weight Watchers also practices high customization to ensure that you get a program that works best according to your physical composition. All details are acquired through a short online quiz.
The company has several programs that you can combine through a multi-order package to achieve your desired outcomes quicker. The company has a PersonalPoints app, which helps to create daily meal plans. They also provide in-person and online support from different professionals in their team. The company holds multiple sessions across the day, which you can join at your convenience. By subscribing to the program, you get exposure to over 10,000 recipes and 24/7 coach support.
Beachbody
Unlike most brands on this ranking, Beachbody is famous for centering its program around videos, which are easier to understand than pieces of text or images. The program has amassed a community of more than 2 million participants over its existence.
Reportedly, the program presents you with over 1,500 workouts to pick from. Like other programs, Beachbody is custom-made for every user for maximum effects. Besides the videos, you also get materials such as weight loss guides and utilities for implementing the program.
Some of their most popular workouts include the Insanity Max 30, 21-Day Fix, and Muscle Burns Fat. The 1500 workouts include both low-impact and high-impact exercises.
During the program’s implementation, you get support and motivation as you connect with the rest of the community to work out together. Still, you can pick from 14 trainers on the company’s official site. You can also choose programs according to time, fitness level, and type of workout through a program selector. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for its annual and semi-annual memberships.
Golo
Golo is a well-established name in the weight loss programs and supplements market. The company has a supplement known as Release, which is made of entirely natural ingredients. Its diet was invented in 2009 and has undergone perfection over the years. Golo offers a multi-angle approach to weight loss by implementing supplements, programs and guides, and a workout routine.
The company comprises experts in different fields, including its CEO and founder, who has marketing and sales Health professionals in other spheres design the formulas and programs.
The Golo approach is unique in that it targets your metabolism rates to increase weight loss. The program design is generic, but the number of calories recommended is unique to each user based on their physiological aspects. The daily caloric recommendation varies between 1300 and 1800. The program offers a guide on typical foods you would cook at home or find in restaurants, such as vegetables, meat, fruits, grains, and eggs. You are also required to complement this with about 15 minutes of workout.
Noom
Noom is a weight loss program that utilizes a mobile application to implement weekly challenges. The app also helps you track calories to eat within healthy limits. But before enrolling in the program, the company collects a few details, including your location, age, weight, and height, to customize a program that suits your needs.
The company combines coaching with technology and psychology to provide the best results. Rather than offering refunds, the company awards you a free trial upfront once you sign up.
The program’s end goal is to train you to discern between healthy and unhealthy foods. You also adopt healthy living to reduce food intake and increase your dietary value.
The company is expanding other niches, such as rescuing individuals with chronic disorders such as hypertension, anxiety, and diabetes from making wrong diet decisions. Reportedly, the company has over-1000 affiliated coaches to whom you can be assigned. The company keeps pace with technological and research-based innovations to ensure clients get the best service.
Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh is recognized for the flexibility of its weight loss programs, with the ease of skipping weeks or canceling your subscription. The company offers reasonably sized meal kits with organic ingredients sourced from the farm. The recipes are easy to follow as they have clear instructions that motivate you to prepare meals at home.
The program supplies you with over-25 unique recipes weekly. The recipes are designed under the watch of chefs, nutritionists, and dieticians, who ensure the meals carry nutritional value and taste delicious to keep you from sabotaging the program.
The recipes are also designed to suit people with different lifestyles and food preferences.
The program includes a periodical delivery of pre-portioned meals according to how you should diet.
Hello Fresh is one of the finest weight loss brands designing programs.
LA Weight Loss
LA Weight Loss is a well-established brand that makes some of the best weight loss programs. All the ingredients included in its program are based on scientific studies that confirm their effects on weight loss.
Experiencing some challenges during the first phases of the program implies that your body is undergoing a rapid transformation since the program is designed to avoid causing any side effects. You will experience reduced appetite and perseverance against junk cravings in the long term.
Following the program faithfully keeps your body in a continuous fat-burning state, which amounts to a significant change in appearance, mood, vibrance, energy, and flexibility.
The company combines supplements and mobile apps, among other materials, in delivering its program. LS Weight Loss presents you with options such as the LA Life Essential, LA Life QuickStart, LA Weight Loss, and LA Life Max.
Diet Direct
Diet Direct is a weight loss program that offers meal plans such as the Basic WonderSlim, Premium WonderSlim, and Core WonderSlim. The company also provides meals, shakes, and bars. Like all other companies on this list, diets are customized to your specific needs and delivered to your doorstep.
Diet Direct meals are organized to meet the requirements of different health conditions such as vegan, diabetes, and allergies. The company owns smaller brands such as BariWise, Fast Boost, Bariatric Choice, WonderVites, and Snackergy, through which it delivers other types of products.
You may buy a single order or subscribe to periodical delivery to enjoy 10 and 15% discounts. You may customize delivery according to your schedule. The subscription includes bonuses, including menu plans, execution guides, and meal alternative shakes. This is one of the most affordable programs on this list.
Beyond Body
The company is a new weight-loss program that takes a structured approach to each customer and tailors its services to their specific requirements. Beyond Body is professionally designed to make losing weight easy. According to customer reviews, most people have lost between 20 and 30 pounds by following the program.
Every copy of this book is unique and built with your preferences, including customized diet, training, and habit-building plans. They develop a book that exhibits meal plans, recuperation advice, weight reduction tactics, and recipes by using a questionnaire to design a specific program for each customer.
Each individual is unique. People have different lifestyles, body compositions, and behavior. Therefore, a generic approach to weight cannot have the same level of effects on everybody. Beyond Body is confident in its unique approach to weight loss and healthy living since it employs certified nutritionists and a health analyst.
The company sends you an eBook within 24 hours, or a physical copy of your Beyond Body delivered in about 14 days if you prefer. With the guide, you can lower stress, form positive habits, increase your general health, and acquire all the necessary information for healthy weight management.
Raw Generation
Raw Generation offers a weight loss program known as Skinny Start. The plan contains entirely organic herbal juices and foods that have been proven to stimulate weight loss. Upon subscribing to the program, you will receive a package of juices, fat-burning tea, appetite suppressing proteins, and an apple cold-pressed in a cooler bag.
The company ships ready-to-eat meals to your doorstep, saving you more time which can be allocated to other weight loss activities such as workouts.
The 3-day program has a holistic approach to weight loss with carefully measured components so that you don’t need to track your calories or think of what to eat next. Their fat-burning formulas include Beauty and Brilliance, Energy and Endurance, Slim and Strong, Skinny Green Tea, Heal and Hydrate, Skinny Berry Tea, and Refresh and Revitalize.
Factor 75
Factor 75 is a weight loss company that delivers fresh, healthy, and delectable cuisine. The company was founded in 2013 and has refined its weight loss program to become one of the most sought-after.
The program includes door-to-door delivery of ready meals, which you only need to warm. Dietitians carefully design the meals and contain various delicious ingredients that keep you motivated to achieve your weight loss goals. The brand claims only to use fresh ingredients sourced from trusted partners with the best quality.
The company offers more than 27 recipes to pick from and updates its menu weekly. All meals are free from artificial components such as GMOs and unhealthy refined sugars.
The company combines chefs and dieticians to ensure that all meals in the program are tasty and nutritious. Their popular recipes include Spicy Turkey Poblano, Mustard Salmon, and Steak with Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
Factor 75 customizes your weight loss program according to your physiology, like its predecessors in the list.
How We Ranked The Top Weight Loss & Diet Systems
Finding a weight loss that works is almost impossible without substantial knowledge about matters that affect weight gain. Fake programs are hard to differentiate from the real ones since it’s hard to tell whether the creators are lying.
However, you can easily detect the disconnection between critical factors that determine whether a program works or not. Here are some of the factors we used to evaluate the programs on our list:
Menu Options
Losing weight does not mean deviating from all meals. Repeating the same meals over and again can kill consistency in undertaking a weight loss program. We opted for companies that offer a variety of foods that keep you from craving unhealthy alternatives.
Pricing and Value
Products that offer good value are not always highly-priced since different customers have different preferences and budgets. Some customers have specific body goals which a few programs can achieve. Programs may also differ in prices due to the types of food included. We compared each program’s pricing to its quality to ensure that your expenditure was justified.
Follow Ability and Ease of Use
We tested all the programs on our list to ensure that they are easy to follow and not too time-demanding. Ease of interpretation goes hand in hand with motivation to achieve your weight loss goals.
Dish Preparation
Different companies design their programs to contain different recipes or meal preparations. Some are easy to prepare, often only requiring a microwave, while other dishes require a full kitchen set up before having the meal. They may also need to be complemented by multiple ingredients from the grocery.
We prefer brands that deploy budget-friendly and time-saving meals.
Real Weight Loss Results
Most brands on our list have been in the market for years and have accrued thousands of reviews confirming their effectiveness. However, not all programs get positive customer feedback. Some are criticized for wasting customers’ time and finances. We also considered reviews from independent online bodies that scrutinize businesses. All the brands on our list have a clean track record proving their value.
Honest Advertised Weight Loss Claims
Economic-driven program planners can go to extreme extents to get sales. They may advertise unrealistic benefits such as facilitating a 30 pound weight loss in a month. However, studies show that an average adult can only lose about 10-15 pounds over a month under optimal weight loss conditions, including a program and exercise routine. We ensured that all the brands on our list implemented high levels of transparency even in their advertisements.
Long-Term Weight loss
Losing weight requires effort and self-discipline to have a long-lasting impact. However, most people don’t realize when manufacturers spoon-feed them by delivering ready meals because their bodies are disoriented to prefer easy things. On the other hand, manufacturers that encourage you to prepare the meals even though they might provide some resources reprogram your body to like taking up challenges. This creates discipline in you to maintain a lean body for longer.
Refund, Free Trial, or Money-back Guarantee
Different brands have different methods of assuring customers of quality delivery. Some may offer free trial periods of up to 7 days. Others may offer money-back guaranteed, risk-free periods ranging from 1 to 2 months. However, brands that avoid taking chances on their sales opportunity are not confident with their products and are highly unlikely to satisfy their customers.
Taste
Taste also plays a vital role in promoting consistency. However, some companies haven’t realized its significance and are still following the “the more dispersant it is, the healthier it is” tradition, despite basing their meal plans on anecdotal evidence. We preferred programs that included recipes for sweet and enjoyable meals.
Ingredient Quality
Weight loss programs have different qualities depending on the quality of their ingredients. Some faulty brands might disburse junk food to individuals struggling to lose weight while using harmful substances to force weight loss.
We ensured that all the companies on our list include natural ingredients with actual health benefits and are free from faulty ingredients that may trigger adverse side effects.
Appetite Suppression
Although different companies use different methods to curb excessive weight, some factors remain standard across all solutions. Some stimulate your metabolism, increase your energy or suppress your appetite. We preferred those with the most conservative approach, such as suppressing your appetite. But regardless of how they achieve it, we chose those that do not require starvation and were easy to implement.
Personalization Options
People have different body compositions and weight loss goals. Deploying a standard weight loss plan to the whole market cannot provide satisfactory results to all customers. On the other hand, a personalized weight loss plan can have astounding results. The companies may ask for gender, age, weight, height, and weight loss goals. We prefer companies that implement high levels of personalization, which ensures that customers get the best out of their efforts.
Backed by Doctors or Dietitians
Some companies go the extra mile by involving certified health professionals in their program design process. Programs that such professionals design are more likely to bare satisfactory results. Doctors or registered dietitians founded some. Regardless, we prioritized those that have at least one recognized professional in the health and wellness sphere.
How Do Weight Loss Programs Work?
The end goal of weight loss programs is to make losing weight easy for you. Besides guiding you on how to go about it, they also provide tools and anything else you might need during the implementation of the exercise. Such utilities vary from one program to another and may include:
- Ready meals often require little preparation, such as warming, which should take less than 20 minutes.
- Suggested ingredients, recipe books, meals, and shopping lists
- Live coaching from certified professionals such as dietitians, physicians, and weight loss experts.
- eBooks, videos, guides, images, and audio walk you through your weight loss journey.
- Mobile apps.
Nonetheless, different individuals look for certain perks from weight loss programs, depending on their daily schedules and weight loss desires. But regardless, a weight loss program must provide alternative materials to fit different customers. Some companies offer free programs, while others offer premium and are delivered on a subscription basis.
Can Weight Loss Programs Cause Side Effects?
Rapid weight loss may affect your daily life, positively and negatively, until you get accustomed to your new body state. However, you should experience minimal to no side effects if you diligently implement any of the programs on our ranking. Fraudulent programs such as those based on pseudoscience may cause some of these effects:
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Shivering
- Bad breath
- Prolonged headaches
However, these side effects do not necessarily evoke harm to the body. Instead, they result from a sudden change in how the body functions. For instance, bad breath that results from entering ketosis may also be referred to as “Keto Breath.” You may experience fatigue and muscle pain for a short period before you get accustomed to engaging in more physical exercise.
Top Weight Loss Tips
We referred to reports published by different reliable bodies in the weight loss sphere and came up with a list of weight management tips. Among them were health experts, weight loss experts, and the National Health Service. To maintain healthy body weight:
Always Eat Breakfast
Skipping breakfast may seem like a healthy way of losing weight, but the opposite is true. According to professionals, forgoing early morning nutrients may lead to an insatiable appetite throughout the day. You take food in bits, which amount to a higher amount at the end of the day.
Have a Consistent Eating Pattern
Eating meals at the proper intervals helps to maintain satiety over a more extended period, reducing the amount of unhealthy feeding, which is often junk. Stick to a consistent eating pattern for the best results.
Increase Your Fruits and Vegetable Intake
Increasing your fruits and vegetable intake helps suppress appetite while consuming fewer calories. They are also rich in vital nutrients, including natural sugars, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. All the nutrients play an essential role in promoting other weight loss body functions. The nutrients are also crucial for reinstating the body after the overwhelm that comes with a sudden change in routine.
Engage in Physical Activities
You should also maintain physical activeness to sustain the weight loss that any of these programs may help you with. Staying active helps burn calories and has tremendous results due to the compounding effect over prolonged periods. You should engage in physical activities as simple as walking for about 30 minutes daily, even outside your workout routine or program execution.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is a crucial weight loss component that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Fiber promotes satiety and keeps your digestive tract clean. Unlike other food components, fiber doesn’t get digested. Some of the richest fiber sources include fruits, vegetables, brown bread, whole grain rice, peas, lentils, pasta, oats, and beans.
Use a Smaller-sized Plate
You may also implement psychological tricks to reduce your food intake by using small-sized plates. A smaller plate appears fuller than a large plate with the same amount of food. Large plates are highly likely to stimulate your appetite.
Have a Cheat Day
Committing to a weight loss quest requires breaks like any other long-term activity. Trying to avoid junk and snacks can boost your cravings to the extent that you take more than necessary. Instead, you can introduce a cheat day to your weekly routine where you eat “unhealthy” foods. According to experts, cheat days promote consistency.
Plan Meals in Advance
Buying food as the need arises can lead to compulsive buying, mainly driven by cravings for junk food. Weight loss experts recommend early planning of a week’s or month’s meals to avoid sabotaging your weight loss mission.
Eat Mindfully
Eating mindfully to moderate your hunger levels has been proven to be one of the most effective psychological tricks that may help with weight loss. By being conscious of your portions, you can prevent stress feeding and compulsive eating. It is advisable to eat food at a moderate rate while taking time to feel its taste and fullness to satisfy your appetite. Faster eating doesn’t give the body enough time to acknowledge the satiety of smaller food portions.
Practice Strength Training
For muscles to build, fat has to be burnt. The hardest part of losing weight is beginning a new exercise routine. Once your body starts to adapt to strenuous work, it creates a self-sustaining system where the growth of muscles makes workouts easier daily and increases your rate of burning fat.
The Science Behind Weight Loss Programs
The best weight loss programs are based on scientific studies, which they mainly market along with the product. Providing scientific evidence is the easiest way to convince customers that a program works. Some companies also test their products to prove that they work. All the programs on our list are based on scientific evidence; hence, we shall review some of them to understand how they work.
In a 2015 study, researchers deployed massive testing of some of the industry’s most renowned weight loss programs to confirm their advertised benefits. They also reviewed trials from other laboratories previously conducted on the products to compare the results.
At the end of the study involving about 40 programs, they concluded that Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers offered some of the most effective programs. The study lasted for about a year, in which they found other brands such as Nutrisystem also provide high-quality programs, although more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.
But regardless of how effective a weight loss program might be, it’s all for nothing if you can’t sustain a lean body post weight loss. You have to adopt some new lifestyle changes and stick to them to achieve this.
In another 2018 study, researchers found effective weight loss programs to have some common aspects, such as being:
- Productive
- Critical on nutrition
- Affordable
- Sustainable
- Easily adaptable with realistic goals
- Long-term effective
What are The Benefits of Losing Weight?
According to studies, even the most minor weight loss can significantly reduce your chances of suffering severe health complications such as stroke and heart disease. Anything between 5% and 10% weight loss can be considered a significant improvement.
Nonetheless, an effective weight loss plan can:
- Reduce blood sugar
- Help regulate blood pressure
- Boost your energy and physical activeness
- Boost your confidence and improve your mood
- Moderate cholesterol levels
You minimize the chances of suffering the health conditions associated with excessive weight gain, including heart and blood veins-related conditions.
FAQs About Weight Loss Programs
Regardless of how elaborate our review of the top weight loss programs might be, not everyone gets the time to read the first to the last word. Still, you might have missed some critical points along the way. We have answered some of the most frequently asked questions below to make referencing easy.
Q: Is eating fat bad for weight loss?
A: It depends on the source and type of the fat. Saturated fats are unhealthy, while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are okay. Fats from olive oil, avocado, cold-water fish, and tofu are healthy.
Q: Do I need to plan meals to lose weight?
A: Planning meals is a strategy to enforce consistency and keep track of your caloric intake. To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume.
Q: Should I keep a food diary for weight loss?
A: Keeping a diary helps gauge your performance during a weight loss quest. With sufficient tracking of your meals, you can achieve more significant results than otherwise.
Q: Which carbohydrates should I eat for weight loss?
A: Weight loss experts recommend taking a low-carbohydrate diet to ensure the body balances between consuming carbohydrates and burning fats for energy. Healthy carbohydrates sources include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Q: How much weight can I lose per week?
A: The average person can lose between 1 and 2 pounds weekly. But some can lose up to 5 pounds depending on their workout routine.
Q: Will I be hungry with a weight loss program?
A: Most weight loss programs suppress appetite and food cravings, reduce your caloric intake, and force the body to consume stored fats. However, their food recommendations may include proteins and fibers which promote satiety.
Q: Are weight loss programs safe?
A: Yes, all the weight loss programs on our list have undergone inspection by a professional in the health and wellness sphere, such as doctors, nutritionists, and weight loss experts. However, it is best to consult a doctor before adopting any weight loss program with an underlying health condition.
Q: Is it right to take caffeine on a weight loss program?
A: Yes, caffeine is a common ingredient among weight loss products. It helps to boost your metabolism rate and energy, making weight loss easier.
Q: Is it safe to take alcohol on a weight loss program?
A: Most experts recommend avoiding alcohol entirely. However, you can have a cheat day in your routine when you take all the unhealthy foods you desire and alcohol. Cheat days help to maintain consistency.
Q: Can I eat restaurant meals while on a weight loss program?
A: Yes, but you have to pick your meals diligently. Most of the weight loss programs on our list include meal recommendations that are easy to find in a restaurant.
Q: Should I exercise while following a weight loss program?
A: Most weight loss programs on our list work without exercise. However, you can adopt an exercise routine to experience faster results. Even taking a 30-minute walk daily is enough.
Q: Can genes affect weight loss?
A: Yes, some individuals naturally inherit body forms from their family lineage. However, enough effort can help you lose weight regardless.
Q: Should I track calories to lose weight?
A: Counting calories is an extra measure to keep track of your caloric intake against burning.
Q: Does insurance cover weight loss programs?
A: Most companies do not accept insurance, but some may.
The Best Weight Loss Programs in 2022 Final Word
Weight loss programs can help you achieve your body goals but are equally effective. Your success depends on your ability to pick the right one in an industry where most brands are economic-driven and care less about your interests.
Even after losing weight, you can quickly regain the weight if you don’t stick to the lifestyle your weight loss program accustoms you to. Therefore, it is essential to have a predetermined mindset and let go of unhealthy life habits to acquire long-lasting effects. Try a top weight loss program above today!
