30JanAre Weight Loss Programs Worth the Money?

Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem—most commercial diets seem to offer a level of weight loss success. But to take advantage of them, you've got to fork over some cash. Ever wonder if they're worth the investment? Twenty-nine-year old Sheri Cameron lost more than half her size through Weight Watchers and says it cost her roughly $7.19 per pound to shed the weight. Find out how she got the most out of her money.

The Cost of Weight Loss Programs

According to Livestrong.com, Jenny Craig costs about $65 a week and Weight Watchers runs about $15 a month. Weight Watchers also charges a one-time registration fee. Jenny Craig's cost includes all of your meals for the week, which explains why it's so much more expensive. Nutrisystem, another popular option, costs around $300 per month which includes 28 days of food and protein shakes. South Carolina resident Sheri Cameron, featured in two recent issues of People Magazine for losing 200 pounds, says she was on Weight Watchers for three years. Her total investment during that time was $1,438.20.

Studies Show Commercial Weight Loss Works

Plenty of people like Cameron have experienced success by enrolling in weight loss programs. A recent British study found that enrolling in a weight loss program like Weight Watchers helped people lose more weight with less of a financial investment than those who enrolled in a primary care-based program. Every person in the study lost weight, but the people who did Weight Watchers lost nearly ten pounds in 12 weeks while other programs only netted a three-pound weight loss.

Choosing the Right Program for You

Cameron says the best way to choose a program that's right for you is to do your research. Ask friends or family members for recommendations. "I saw two friends having such good success on the program and I knew that my mom had lost weight with Weight Watcher’s before I was born," she says. "For me it had longevity of a program that people saw results instead of all the fad diets out there where you would lose the weight but are unable to keep it off."

Getting the Most Out of Your Investment

Knowing that you're spending your hard earned money in order to lose weight is a great motivator. But there are ways to get more out of your investment according to Cameron. "Use all the resources available to you and stick to it," she says. "Weight Watcher’s offers a monthly pass, which is what I used. It includes coming into the meeting room, receiving weekly meetings and weigh-ins for program knowledge, encouragement, support, and accountability." She says the pass also includes access to online resources which increase your ability to lose weight and keep it off. Taking advantage of these free "extras" will help you experience a great level of success.

Spend Now, Save Later

Investing in a weight loss program may seem like a big expense, but health experts agree that money spent on losing weight now will save you even more in the long run. "The healthy changes I have made are going to keep me healthy longer and keep insurance costs down which means I won’t have to spend large amounts of money for doctor visits and medications needed due to health problems associated with obesity," says Cameron, who weighed in at nearly 350 pounds at her largest. She's also saving money by not eating out at much. When she was obese her food budget was much higher. "I could eat a whole pizza all by myself," she says. "We spent a fortune." And if signing up for a weight loss program seems like an indulgence, Cameron reminds friends that we always have money for the things we want most. "So you have to ask yourself… how bad do I want this? What’s it worth to me?" she says. "For me the answer was simple! I wanted to lose weight, be healthy, to know what it felt like to be smaller for the first time ever in my life, more than ANYTHING!  And it was worth every penny."

Featured Image Credit, Image 1 and 2 courtesy of Sheri Cameron, Image 3 courtesy of Heather Millard