Commercial Diet Plans
What are 'Commercial Diet Plans'?
Commercial diet plans are sold by companies or organisations to help you lose weight. These can involve pre-packaged meals, support and tracking elements, either 1-to-1 or in a group setting, both online or in-person.
Some notable organisations that you may have heard of in the Commercial diet plan world are: Weight Watchers and Slimming World - there are countless other diet plans out there, which are sold by companies.
What are the benefits of Commercial Diet Plans?
They can help with weight loss
Quite often, these diet plans will help with steady weight loss due to:
- Individual and Group support - in the form of working with a coach, or in a group setting
- Progress tracking that is offered within the plan.
- Social aspect of weekly or monthly group meetings can be very helpful for some, especially when you meet others who are on a similar journey.
- Flexibility of these diets has been raised as a positive by many; however, this can also act as a drawback, as they can be too lenient.
- Recipes - upon purchasing the plans, many will provide you with recipes, which cut out the need for carrying out your own research (however, recipe books may cost more).
So they certainly are effective and are a viable option when trying to lose weight.
As with the other options we've gone through, losing weight will reverse your Prediabetes/T2DM and thus all of the associated symptoms and complications - allowing you to live a happier, healthier and longer life.
What are the drawbacks of a Commercial Diet Plan?
It is still possible to have an overall unhealthy diet
The main drawbacks that have been highlighted by articles, and by those who have gone on commercial diet plans are:
- Consumption of unsuitable foods for T2DM or High Cholesterol. - many commercial diet plans focus on quantities, as opposed to eating to reverse or prevent certain conditions.
- A Disconnect between your diet and your healthcare, as the program is facilitated by coaches, not medical professionals. Meaning you cannot be prescribed medication by those running the course, or be provided with a broader range of care.
- Frequent Weight Regain - many people find that they gradually put the weight back on due to the course only lasting a certain amount of time, and there are no future check ups - unless you purchase the plan again.
- Cost - although the cost per week may be relatively low, recipe books may cost more and are always suited for reversing Prediabetes/T2DM
- Not very effective at reversing Prediabetes/T2DM - as mentioned above, such diet plans may not be ideal for reversing Prediabetes or T2DM due to the focus being on portions, as opposed to specific foods.
Are Commercial Diet Plans effective in reversing T2DM?
Yes and No
On a commercial diet plan, you can lose anywhere from 0-20+ kg; however, this will vary depending on how well you stick to the plan, but also how much advice you're given in terms of portions, and specific, healthier alternative foods.
As we highlighted, you may not get the specific advice you need, in terms of which foods to avoid, and which ones to consume if you have T2DM - commercial diet plans focus more on portion control, meaning you have lots of options.
Having more options may not be for everyone, as you find yourself stuck on what to eat because of the array of choices available to you - leading to a unbalanced and unhealthy diet, which furthers your Diabetes. On the other hand, for some this may be exactly what you want - to have more choice in what you eat.
At the same time, losing 15kg or 2.5 st, can take up to two years, for some, that may be far from ideal. Type 2 Diabetes is best reversed by short (acute) weight loss, over 3-6 months, this is most effectively done through either a Very-Low Carbohydrate Diet, or a Self-Imposed Calorie Deficit.
So:
- For those who want something more lenient, a commercial diet plan may be more suitable.
- For those who would like something more strict and potentially straightforward, a Very-Low Carbohydrate Diet, such as the Cambridge Diet may be more suitable.
Ultimately, the bottom line remains the same, across all treatment options: The more weight you lose, the greater the chance of firstly, reversing the Diabetes, but also of staying in remission.
If you would like to learn more, or are interested in going on a Very-Low Carbohydrate Diet, click here.
How/Where can I start a 'Commercial Diet Plan'?
It's really easy, and just involves a google search
If the discussed diet plans/programs are of interest to you, then it is easy to start. To find out more information on how to sign up, visit the websites of the commercial diet plans by google searching "Weight Watchers" or "Slimming World", or click on the links below:
https://www.weightwatchers.com/uk/plans
https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/
The above links will take you directly to the websites, where you'll be able to learn more about pricing and what each plan involves.