We decided to take a look at Curves, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and NutriSystem side by side to see where they’re similar and where they aren’t. Each of these plans are uniquely different, and each deliver results in their own proven ways. Our comparison looks at six different areas: meal delivery, diet, fitness, online availability, personal support and cost.

Meal Delivery

Curves: There is not a delivery service.

Weight Watchers: There is not a delivery service.

Jenny Craig: Delivery available, or may pick-up from center. Portion- and calorie-controlled foods delivered in shelf-stable or frozen packages once or twice each month. More than 80 meal choices available. May customize. Supplement fruits and vegetables from grocery.

NutriSystem: Delivery available. Portion- and calorie-controlled foods delivered every 28 days in shelf-stable packages. More than 120 meals available. May customize. Supplement fruits and vegetables from grocery.

Diet

Curves: Promotes diet of three meals and two snacks each day, plus plenty of fiber and water. Meal plans available online via Curves Complete or MyCurves with daily custom menus. Branded cereal and snack bars available at the grocery store.

Weight Watchers: Promotes a flexible eating program without any regimented eating plan or schedule. Requires use of POINTS system; dieters may eat what they like as long as they do not exceed daily POINTS allotment. Encourages whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and dairy.

Jenny Craig: Dieters eat an average of 1300 calories per day across three meals and one snack.

NutriSystem: Female dieters eat an average of 1200 calories per day; males eat an average of 1500 calories per day. Dieters consume three meals and two snacks, plus six servings of fruits and vegetables, each day.

Fitness

Curves: This program centers around its female-only gyms. You’ll burn 500 calories in three 30-minute circuit training sessions each week. Program promotes strength training and cardio workouts. You’ll work with a trainer. May also use Curves Smart, the electronic coaching system.

Weight Watchers: There is no structured plan. Dieters attending meetings will not gain much guidance in the way of fitness. Dieters using Weight Watchers Online will have access to a wealth of information to help guide their workouts.

Jenny Craig: Dieters will have access to a personalized fitness plan via their counselor at the Jenny Craig center.

NutriSystem: There is no structured plan. Exercise DVDs are available with certain plans.

Online Availability

Curves: Members of the Curves gyms may access MyCurves for community support and access to a variety of weight loss tools. Those not interested in attending the gyms can subscribe to Curves Complete for nutrition and fitness guidance online.

Weight Watchers: Weight Watchers Online is a robust program online that offers as much, if not more, than the Weight Watchers Meetings. Full access to the POINTS system, fitness guidance, community support, recipes and much more.

Jenny Craig: Members can register online to access online eTools, recipes, weight trackers, menu planners, recipes, and more.

NutriSystem: This is the only program of the four that does not have an off-line component. NutriSystem is managed completely online. Order meals, plus access tools, food and exercise diaries, the community, and more.

Personal Support

Curves: By visiting the gym three times each week you’ll have access to the training staff, plus the support of other women in the gym.

Weight Watchers: Weight Watchers Meetings began nearly 50 years ago, and have found great success with weekly meetings hosted by a trained leader.

Jenny Craig: You’ll have a personal weekly weigh-in with your Jenny Craig counselor, where you’ll also discuss nutrition, fitness and goals.

NutriSystem: With your online account you’ll have access to the NutriSystem community.

Cost

As cost can vary greatly by season, promotional offer or by franchise, it is best to contact each program directly to see what a plan for you might cost.

Curves: They advertise that their customers only spend about $1 more per day on food than the typical American.

Based on a recent report comparing the cost to lose 30 pounds with different diet brands:
Weight Watchers: Up to $300 for meetings; about $100 online.
Jenny Craig: About $400.
NutriSystem: About $1200.

Find one that fits with your lifestyle? Give it a try today and start losing weight!

• Start Weight Watchers

• Start Curves

• Start NutriSystem

• Start Jenny Craig

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Comparing Curves, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and NutriSystem

This week is Men’s Health Week at DietsInReview.com, and we want to highlight a few weight loss programs that are focused on the needs of men.

Weight Watchers Online for Men

Their advertisements kind of say it all – “Real Men Don’t Diet.” Following queues from the more than 45-year-old plan that women have successfully used, Weight Watchers Online or Men has recreated the program to fit a man’s lifestyle. You won’t have to tell your buddies you’re watching your Points at the football game, or ask the waitress for calories at a business lunch; you’ll simply eat and live in a more mindful manner. Plus, you can maintain anonymity by accessing the entire plan, resources and tools conveniently online.

Learn more about Weight Watchers Online for Men or click here to get started now.

NutriSystem for Men

Some very famous guy’s-guys have followed NutriSystem for Men with great success. Dan Marino, Mike Golic, Larry the Cable Guy, Don Shula and many others have openly used the weight loss program and proudly boast positive weight loss. The plan is suited for men, and the customizable program delivers meals directly to your home. You’ll supplement the meals with fresh fruits and vegetables, and incorporate a regular fitness regimen.

Learn more about NutriSystem for Men or click here to get started now.

Men’s Health Personal Trainer

This weight loss program for men was created by the experts at Men’s Health Magazine. Everything is accessible online, and you’ll follow a completely customizable meal and fitness plan to help you learn how to eat more nutritiously and get in better shape. If you choose, you can communicate with a trainer as well.

Learn more about Men’s Health Personal Trainer or click here to get started now.

Abs Diet

Men and women alike crave the picture-perfect six-pack abs. This program, also delivered by Men’s Health, was developed to help men achieve that washboard stomach. You’ll learn that it’s not all about sit-ups, as the Abs Diet introduces you to a balanced eating approach that won’t leave you feeling hungry. The workout program has you doing weight training and cardio so that you’re burning fat while building muscle.

Learn more about the Abs Diet or click here to get started now.

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Most Popular Diets for Men

Valerie Bertinelli's bikini body on the cover of People Magazine. (via People.com)

This Wednesday, April 1st, Oprah’s bringing out the famous faces of weight loss that we’ve been following the past couple of years. Valerie Bertinelli will appear on Oprah to share not only her very public weight loss journey with the help of Jenny Craig, but also her amazing bikini-ready body, which graces the cover of People magazine this week.

Tune in this week to hear Valerie’s talk about her weight loss success, Star Jones’ first public interview about her 160-pound weight loss, and Marie Osmond’s Dancing with the Stars and NutriSystem diet and her lifelong battle with her weight.

While we all watch with fascination as these celebrities lose weight, they will open up about the reality of what it’s like to battle your weight with an audience of millions.

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Tune In: Oprah Talks Weight Loss with Valerie Bertinelli, Star Jones and Marie Osmond

The most recent success story is Mike Golic. Golic, who is co-host of ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the morning and a former defensive line player, topped the scales at 300 pounds just a few years ago. Even at 6 feet, 5 inches tall, the realization that he was 45 pounds over his NFL weight of 265 stopped him in his tracks. He thought about this family and decided to change.

“Ultimately, I needed to lose weight because I’m a real family guy. I have three kids and a beautiful wife, and I just love spending time with them and being involved with their lives. I want to be around them, and the way things were going, it wasn’t going to happen.”

Golic lost 51 pounds on the NutriSystem for Men plan, a calorie and portion-controlled  diet that delivers ready-to-eat meals to your home. NutriSystem, like other meal-delivery weight loss programs, takes the calorie-counting and meal preparation out of your hands. The program tailored for men contains more calories, more fiber and more overall nutrients than NutriSystem programs for women.

While many meal-delivery plans and diets in general are criticized for leaving you with hunger pangs and food cravings, Golic, who literally has an appetite of a football player, stuck with the program because it allowed him to eat real food that satisfied his cravings for “guy food.” And that is just what the NutriSystem for Men program claims to do: provide men with decadent eats like home-style beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, thick crust pizza, brownies and scrambled eggs with cheese and still allow them to lose weight.

While the longevity of diet programs like NutriSystem is limited, they can jump-start a weight loss program. Moreover, with guys like Golic and Marino having success with them, we now have proof that diet food does not have to be lettuce cups and mini cans of water-packed tuna fish.

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Mike Golic and His NutriSystem Success

While NutriSystem has previously provided diabetic-friendly meals under its other programs, like the “for women” or “for men,” this newest program won’t require any menu modifications. Diabetics can simply order from the NutriSystem D menu and trust that the meals will meet their unique dietary requirements.
Those using NutriSystem D aren’t likely to be bored with their menu choices, as there are more than 150 “restaurant-quality” meals, all of which are low on the Glycemic Index and offer “good carbs and fiber” to keep dieters feeling full longer. Meal choices might include Decadent Fudge Brownie, Cheesy Margherita Pizza or Golden Pancakes.

The program underwent clinical studies in late 2008, and found that those dieters lost 16 times more weight than without NutriSystem D. They also found that blood sugar levels reduced five times, and A1c levels lowered by 0.9.

NutriSystem D became available in April 2009.

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NutriSystem D Coming Soon for Diabetics

Weight Watchers

• Registration $15-$20; Weekly Meetings $10-$15; Online $46.90 first month and $16.95 thereafter
• Average loss of 1-2 pounds/week
• 20 weeks to lose 30 pounds
• Investment: Meetings $214.80 to $299.80; Online $97.75

NutriSystem

• $299.95/month with monthly auto-delivery
• Average loss of 2 pounds/week
• 4 months to lose 30 pounds
• Investment: $1,199.80

Jenny Craig

• $399 or $359 upfront cost with 12-month Jenny Rewards plan
• Average loss of 1-2 pounds/week
• Investment: $399 or $359 (does not include cost of food, about $84 to $126/month)

The Zone Diet Meal Delivery

• $44.99/day (+ shipping)
• Average loss of 8-10 pounds/month
• 3-4 months to lose 30 pounds
• Investment: $3,869 to $5,159

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The Price of Losing 30 Pounds

The results may surprise you.

The study looked at the following diets: NutriSystem, 5-Factor Diet, Zone diet, Abs Diet, South Beach Diet, Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox and Weight Watchers.

At first glance, you may think that the most restrictive of the diets, like Martha’s Vineyard Diet which consumes the least amount of food, would come in as the least expensive. But Forbes reported that this diet ranked up just as high in dollars for your first week as Weight Watchers, namely about $380. And the cheapest of the seven diet plans? The at-home meal delivery service, NutriSystem. It came in at $72 for women and $82 for men, but keep in mind this total did not include the supplemental fruits and veggies that you are requested to buy and add to your meals.

According to the Census Bureau, the average American family of four has a weekly grocery bill of $254. This does not include any jaunts through the drive-through nor does it include alcohol.  So the $380 price tag of the 5-Factor Diet is a hefty one in comparison to what most of us spend on food.

Logic would make you think that dieting would actually keep money in your pockets: By eating less, you’ll be spending less. So why does it cost so much to diet?

For one thing, many of these diets market their brand and if you’re going to follow their diet, you also have to eat their specific “diet” food, whether it is shipped to your door or picked up at a weight-loss center. For those diets that simply lay out a menu that you have to cook and prepare by yourself, the cost of diet food may be more pricey than what you’re used to spending. Lean protein like wild fish, sea scallops, low-glycemic and non-seasonal fruits and veggies like blueberries, raspberries and orange bell peppers and particular spices will take their toll on your grocery bill.

When it comes to money, we Americans aren’t showing any signs of tightening our wallets. We spend about $35 billion dollars a year on diets and weight-loss products.  So it may come as no surprise that these diets can cost as much as they do. But do remember that when you’re choosing a diet plan, select one that feels right for your lifestyle, not just because it worked for your favorite celebrity or your next-door neighbor. Remember too that irrespective of eating the shrimp scampi that Fed-Ex delivered to your door or noshing on the green salad and water-packed tuna you made in your kitchen, the key to your dieting success is finding a diet that reduces calories and portion sizes, encourages regular exercise and supports you in making healthy lifestyle changes.

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Martha’s Vineyard Diet Most Expensive, NutriSystem Most Affordable

With 2008 about to begin, and a desire to beat his long-time fight with being overweight, Joel began searching for the right diet to begin the year with (just as so many do). “When I started, I didn’t know what to start,” explains Joel, “I’ve done several in the past with varying degrees of success. I picked out those that I thought might be the most successful. I had some criteria- be able to cheat occasionally, stick with it on a daily basis, that I have confidence in and not too off the wall.” Joel also mentions that his health is important and he does take that into consideration when choosing a diet. Before starting he met with his doctor and just recently had a mid-year check-up to ensure he’s being safe about it.

Each month in 2008, Joel will follow a different diet. Half-way through the year, he’s lost about 43 pounds and 10% of his body fat. (Beginning stats were 234 pounds, 30% body fat) He keeps a daily journal at DozenDiets.com, displaying weight changes, body fat changes, food diary, exercise diary, cheats, successes and everything else that plays into his diet each day. Each month concludes with a summary, where he scores the diet on a 40-point scale, for ease of understanding, forgiveness of a cheat, ease of execution and results.

To date, he’s completed:

Jan: Low-Calorie Diet
Lost 8.5 pounds
Score 30/40

Feb: South Beach Diet
Lost 11.3 pounds
Score 28/40

Mar: Slim-Fast (tied for first place so far)
Lost 8.6 pounds
Score 34/40

Apr: The Abs Diet (in last place)
Lost 6 pounds
Score 23/40

May: Weight Watchers (tied for first place so far)
Lost 8 pounds
Score 34/40

June: Advanced Mediterranean Diet
Lost 6 pounds to date
Anticipates a high score

July: NutriSystem

Hear my interview with Joel in its entirety below. He discusses his experiences with each diet, which seem to be more male-friendly and which are definitely built for women, and how he plans to continue the rest of the year, considering he’s been far more successful than anticipated.

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Interview with Joel Gates of DozenDiets.com