Alternatives to NutriSystem

NutriSystem is a weight-loss plan that focuses on eating a healthy, balanced diet. It involves choosing a plan based on your gender, age and whether you are diabetic or vegetarian. The menus are tailored to your specific needs, and prepackaged meals are mailed to your home. If the NutriSystem plan is not the one for you, there are many other options to explore.

Jenny Craig

• Jenny Craig's program has a three-step approach. First you meet with a program advisor who determines your eating habits, activity levels and desired weight based on a questionnaire you complete. You then use their prepackaged meals along with your own fruits and vegetables to maintain portion control. They also require physical exercise along with private weekly meetings with your advisor to review and track your goals.

Weight Watchers

• Weight Watchers is one of the oldest programs. It uses the "four pillars of healthy weight loss" approach. The first pillar is food, which includes eating smarter: fewer calories but also following USDA recommendations about the kinds of food you should eat. The focus is on a low-fat, high-fiber diet and gradual weight loss of no more than two lbs. per week. The second pillar refers to exercise. The Weight Watchers program uses a "point" system to grade activities. The more points you accumulate, the more food you can eat. The third pillar is behavior. The program encourages you to write down everything you eat and document your exercise daily so you will be accountable for your results. The final pillar is support, which includes weekly weigh-ins and meetings with counselors and other Weight Watchers members. The purpose of the program is to create a complete change in your lifestyle that focuses on healthy eating and exercise.

South Beach Diet

• The South Beach diet program uses three phases and is designed not as just a diet but as a lifestyle modification. It is essentially a low-carbohydrate diet that discourages carbohydrates unless they are very high in fiber, such as whole-grain bread and beans. You don't count calories, and proteins like steaks, which are prohibited on low-fat plans, are encouraged. Phase I is meant to stabilize blood sugars and eliminate cravings by severely restricting carbohydrate intake for the first two weeks. Phase II eases the restrictions on carbohydrates but still requires your diet to consist mainly of proteins and vegetables. This phase can last for several weeks or months, until your weight loss goal is reached. Phase III is the maintenance phase for when you do not need to lose more weight but do not wish to gain. The foods are still based mainly on protein and minimal carbohydrates, with occasional sweets and breads added for variety.