Resources to finding diet plans for free
When it comes to dieting, many of us may seem to get lost in the mess of plans, programs, and points. What’s important is to find a diet plan that works for your — it should fit your lifestyle and help you feel better about yourself. While researching online, I stumbled across some websites that offer diet plans for free:
- Freedieting.com: Previews many of today’s popular diets, such as Atkins’, The Zone, Dr. Phil’s, and the South Beach Diet. Provides free diet plans for the South Beach Diet and a typical low-fat diet.
- Ivillage.com: A community-based type of web site that caters to women and their specific interests. Features weight loss tips, information about any type of diet or exercise program imaginable and forums where women can exchange information and their own personal diet tips.
- Self.com: This is the web site of Self magazine, and a personal favorite. While you are required to create a user ID and password, you are allowed access to your personal online food diary, information about the Self Challenge (a three month, fall in love with fitness and healthy eating program) and printable logs so you can remind yourself of how far you’ve come.
- Dietbites.com: The web site’s philosophy about providing free diet plans is summarized with their slogan “Why buy the cow when you can get skimmed milk for free?” The web site features more than 1,000 articles on free plans for dieting and weight loss, recipes, ideal weight charts, and food calorie charts.
- Ediets.com: While the website does charge a membership fee, it also offers customized meal plans, dietary and exercise recommendations based on your fitness level and weight, support groups, and message board contacts for members.
Alternatives to free diet plans
In some cases, you get what you pay for. And when deciding what diet program is best for your individual needs, some people respond best to the type of program that charges a fee. Self-help programs, such as Weight Watchers, charge a fee for belonging to the organization and coming to the weekly meetings. These self-help programs focus on providing emotional support and motivation and helping people to acknowledge what makes them sabotage their diet. Commercial programs, such as Jenny Craig, offer nuts and bolts diet plans, pre-packaged meals, and exercise regimens. Thirdly, clinical programs are usually conducted under a doctor’s or clinical supervision and sometimes involve more drastic options, such as surgery.
Free diet plans offer no guarantees (and neither do programs you pay for)
It all depends on what works for you personally. If you need the disciplined regimen of a day-by-day exercise and meal plan, with all of your calories scripted out for you, then by all means go for it. Self-help and commercial plans encourage people to seek professional (physician) help for weight-loss strategies. And while you may have all the best intentions in the world, and may think you have your diet and exercise plan down to a “T,” self control is the key to a successful diet program.
By Virginia Zignego