Stats:  Online diet and fitness website 

Cost:  $4.00/week or $39.00 for 3 months ($3.25/week)

Review:

Well, like all online diet programs these days, this has a lot to offer.  It is based on Harley Pasternak’s approach (and his book) which is to use five factors when losing weight: 5 meals a day (using 5 main ingredients that don’t take longer than 5 minutes to prepare) 5 days of exercise with 5 sessions that are each 5 minutes long.  Are you seeing a theme here?

The concept is a good one and apparently it works, according to celebrity endorsements from singer John Mayer, actor/singer Jessica Simpson, and actor Eve Mendes.  There is one main difference between this and other diet plans and that is the “cheat day.”  You get to choose which day you can eat at will and during that day, nothing is off limits.  The idea is that if you have one day of freedom, the other six days you will be more likely to follow the plan. 

About the site itself: after entering your personal information, you are asked to choose your meal plan.  Now here is where I would like to see changes as only two meal plans are offered: “Light and lean meats and fishes” and “veggie lovers.”  (This limits the options and could be a problem if there are food allergies or restrictions.)  Once the plan is chosen, daily meal suggestions are provided along with a handy shopping list of the necessary ingredients.  If there is a meal you don’t like, you can swap it out for a different one. 

The fitness plan offers a similar choice of plans: either a beginners plan or an advanced one.  A daily exercise plan is then given with the option to change out the exercises if needed (similar in layout to eDiets.com).   

The layout of the website is nice, easy-to-read, compact, with lots of information.  There is a food and fitness journal, a place for success stories (which oddly doesn’t seem to have any actual success stories) and message boards for users to communicate. 

Overall, the idea and concept is a good one and probably works.  The problem I see is the lack of versatility which may hinder those with specific dietary needs.  There doesn’t seem to be as much “meat” to this website as I’ve seen with others.  There aren’t as many articles or references, although there is an informative newsletter and the option to work with a diet and/or fitness coach.  Bottom line: it’s good for the money and may work for some, but my favorite is still eDiets.com. 

Pros:

• User-friendly
• Good layout
• Offers online journal
• Provides meal plans and fitness plans
• Has a “cheat” day scheduled once a week
• Offers small segments of exercise that may appeal to those who don’t like to work out

Cons:

• Does not get a lot of personal information up front (diet requirements, health history, etc.)
• Does not offer a wide variety of plans or options from which to choose
• Has a success story section (which can be motivating) but there is only one story posted

Website:  www.5factordiet.com 

Rating:  3.5 Stars

Posted by: Tabitha

Stats:  Online diet and fitness website

Plans Offered: eDiets Weight Loss Diet, Atkins Diet, Glycemic™ diet, Mediterranean Diet™, Slim Fast Optima™ Diet, and Bill Phillips’ Eating for Life™ 

Cost:  $4.49/week ($17.96/month)

Review:

I used eDiets® online website for several months.  And I have to say that I really liked it.  There are several diets to choose from and there are “living plans” such as the wheat-free plan, low-fat plan, heart smart plan, and high-fiber plan.  You are able to list foods that you cannot eat which is also helpful.  Once your profile is created, you are given a suggested shopping list and meal plan.  This plan is not fixed in stone however, if there is something you don’t like, can you substitute it for something else on the list.  

There is a meal tracker which is helpful to keep a record of what you actually eat and there is journal where you can write your thoughts and anything else you want.  eDiets also has a fitness plan which is included in the monthly cost.  Again you set up a profile and what kinds of exercises you want to do and you are presented with a weekly list.  There are even moving pictures to show you how to perform each exercise!

As with all online diet tools, it is important to be self-motivated or else it won’t work very well.  To help with this, eDiets offers communities and encourage you to reach out to other dieters.  

It does take a little bit of time to input information initially and it can be somewhat labor intensive.  But some people like that and enjoy being able to monitor all areas of progress.  Overall, it’s a great tool for those who are computer literate.  For those who aren’t, well, I would suggest using something other than an online diet tool! 

Pro’s:

• Several diets and plans from which to choose
• Meal plans and shopping lists included
• Fitness plans are available
• Offered articles and a help and support community
• Posted motivational success stories
• Free online newsletter
• Cost is minimal