Author: Healthi Head Coach, Lisa Wood
My perspective is this... the best plan is the one that is going to help you be successful based on how you are realistically going to eat on it. Do you struggle with what to eat and making good food choices or controlling how much you eat even if healthy foods? Do you need a plan that easily supports eating out and prepared foods or do you cook mostly from home? Are sweets and snacking a problem?
Better Balance and Sugar Smart help control sugar because they cost you more bites, while lean proteins are encouraged and cost you less. If you don't have a problem controlling sugar then Carb Conscious is a very balanced program despite its name. It is not a low carb plan, simply the first one to consider carbohydrate in the equation. Conquer Cravings and Calorie Command are going to be great options for portion control if the issue is more how much to eat vs what to eat.
Any plan can work, at any age. I have been in menopause since my early 20s and have many medical issues that make things challenging but in the end it really comes down to calorie expenditure - eating less calories than you burn and making healthier food choices that are sustainable in the long run. Then commit to working and understanding that plan fully for a minimum of 30 days.
The plans are just different ways of tracking - if you eat the same no matter which plan you are on - how you track that doesn't really make a difference. So here are my suggestions:
Choose a plan based on what you need to focus on and will maintain doing, that allows for your lifestyle.
If you aren't sure - start with Conquer Cravings as it will give you a good structure to build from.
Commit to 30 days of honest tracking.
Yes, 30 days at a minimum. Plan hopping isn't helpful. While changing plans isn't going to hurt anything... They are all written to allow for the same weight loss in a similar time frame. There isn't a fastest or best plan - otherwise everyone would just be doing that one already. It depends on what you need help with.
Set your weigh in day to be successful.
If you know you struggle with weekends - setting your weigh in day for Monday can either be a disappointing disaster or a motivation to stay on track.
Follow the plan as designed.
Don't start a new plan making tweaks and adjustments you've seen other members do. Work it as designed for a while then adjust if you need to.
Make sure you are eating the right amount.
Especially on Sugar Smart or Better Balance, it is very easy to either be very under on calories (like under 1000) or easily exceed calories if you are eating a lot of 0 Bite foods. Using calories as a Secondary Metric is a great way to do this without any extra work.
Eat healthier.
It sounds simple but many people just eat whatever foods are within their bites and call it a day. And many of them lose but only for so long. In most cases, long term, sustainable weight loss needs you to make the shift to healthier habits. A good plate health guideline is:
1/2 plate = high fiber, nutrient dense vegetables (usually the darker the leaf, the denser - so spinach instead of lettuce, broccoli, sprouts, asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots... )
1/4 plate lean protein (meat, eggs, beans, legumes, cottage cheese, yogurt... )
1/4 plate complex, whole grain carbohydrate (non white potato, brown rice, couscous, whole grain pastas, quinoa, other grains... )
1 serving healthy fat (avocado, nuts, seeds, olive/coconut or similar oil... )
Know your 0 bite food list if there is one.
They are different for each plan. Don't go changing foods to 0 unless you are 100% sure. Some things you think will be, may not, due to added sugars or oils. All brands of the same item are not the same.
Better Balance Food List & Description
Sugar Smart Food List & Description
Carb Conscious Food List & Description
Conquer Cravings Food List & Description
Keeping Keto Food List & Description
Calorie Command Description
In the end, it is about looking at why you overeat and the obstacles you struggle with and picking a plan that will help with that.
Which plan are you going to try?
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