The best weight loss programs for women.

Apr 11, 2022

By Sophia McDermott, Lifestyle Coach & Fitness Expert & World Champion.

If you’ve been looking for weight loss programs for women, you’ve probably realized that there are so many different types of programs out there that it’s all become daunting. Between TV, social media, and the web, there is a massive amount of information (and misinformation) out there which most likely will leave you with more questions than answers.

So how do you know which weight loss programs for women actually work and which do not? What are good programs that just may not be a good fit for you and what’s outright junk?

I’ve been working as a trainer for almost 20 years and I have worked with everyone ranging from highly trained athletes to new mothers. I’ve seen it all. Everyone’s bodies are a little different and they respond to things differently and their goal may be different, however, there is a mainframe as such where all can benefit from.

But to help guide you so you can make the best choice for you and be fully informed I’ve gone through some well-known diet plans and weight loss programs that are out there today and added my thoughts. Some popular weight loss programs for women are well-balanced, while others are fad diets designed for a short-term quick fix. It's important to know that quick-fix fad diets generally speaking don’t produce long-lasting results, but we’ll take a look at the most popular overall plans that most weight loss plans are based on.

So here goes...

Low Carb Diets

Low carb diets are often effective for weight loss because they can reduce overall calories by cutting out so much of the carb-based food sources available. Weight loss with low-carb diets is also attributed to water loss. Your body stores almost three grams of water for every gram of carb stored (as glycogen in the liver). So if you are eating less carbs and storing less carbs, your body is going to be storing less water too which shows up on the scales as a lower number.

While there’s no consensus on what's classified as low carb, it can be defined as:

Very low carb diets at 20-50 grams daily
Low carb diets, at less than 120 grams per day

The lower amount of carbs may be beneficial to you if you are dealing with issues such as syndrome X or diabetes or if you are leading a very sedentary lifestyle. If you are a very active or an athlete, then low carbs diets may not be for you. However, the good thing about low-carb meal plans is that they pretty much cut out all the bad foods that we shouldn’t be eating anyway. Products made with refined white flour are all carb-based. If you don’t suffer from celiacs disease or you don’t have gluten intolerance, white flour is still not great because it can contribute to gut issues and sensitivities due to its highly inflammatory properties. For more detailed info on white flour and foods that we enjoy on a daily basis, that may not be so good for us, check out my nutrition guide ebook https://www.sophiamcdermott.com/nutritionebook. Where I dive deep into all of this and how common foods we eat on a daily basis affect our health.

Some examples of carbs that you’d be cutting or reducing from your meal plan on a low carb diet include:

Bread, cereals, rice, bagels, pasta, pastries, chips, crisps, crackers, biscuits
Fruits and juices
Corn, potatoes, peas, lentils, beans, and other legumes

Cutting everything on the top of the list such as all the baked goods is great. None of these are good for our health. And if we remove these from our diet then hopefully we would replace them with more fruits and veggies.

Low-Fat Diets

Low-fat diets have been the theme since the early 80’s when that disastrous food pyramid came out that told us all to cut our fat intake. Fat is essential to our survival and is necessary for all structures and functions within our body.

The idea that fat makes you fat has stuck around for decades and it’s still a hard one to shake. Low-fat diets have worked for weight loss in some women by reducing overall daily calorie intake because fat provides 9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories per gram in carbs and protein.

Low-fat diets can aid in weight loss due to minimizing calories and cutting out the really fattening products such as deep-fried foods that we shouldn't be eating anyhow. Low-fat diets would also eliminate many other fattening foods such as fries and pizza and other junk foods that are laden with calories. One issue is with low-fat diets (anything around 25% or less of your overall calorie intake) is that one tends to snack more. Fat promotes satiety and keeps you full for longer, thus reducing the chance of mindless snacking, in particular on empty carbs. So cutting out the fat to then eat more empty processed carbs is not the way for long-term weight loss either.

Some examples of fats that you’d be cutting or reducing from your meal plan on a low-fat diet include:

Oils used for cooking such as palm oil and canola oil.
Deep-fried foods,
Cheese and animal fats such as bacon and cheeses

If you cut out everything on this list then you will really benefit from this. Deep-fried foods and processed, refined vegetable oils that we used to cook with are so bad for our health. However, other fatty foods such as nuts and avocado, and eggs are good for you and they actually enhance your health.

So we’ve covered the outline of diets as such with the low carb and then the low fat. Let’s take a look at some other methods of how diets are tracked or monitored.

Point-Based Meal Plans.

Instead of counting calories, some weight loss programs (such as Weight Watchers) use a point-based system for ease of use or they count calories and create a quota of how many points or calories you can have at each meal. Now, this can be a good start for someone who has no idea how many calories are in any of the foods they eat or for someone who wants to build awareness of what they put in their mouth. But the point system or calorie tracking doesn't focus on what the calories themselves consist of so I believe that overall health is overlooked. For example, you can have a big salad with olive oil and nuts that is 4 points or a slice of cheesecake that is also 4 points. Which option is contributing to your health?

Meal Replacement Shake Plans

Meal replacement shake plans substitute meals with nutrition protein shakes to cut calories for weight loss. The only bonus here in my book is that it makes weight loss simple by drinking a shake that is quick to make rather than having to cook or prepare a meal. Many of us are extremely busy so finding time to cook and make food can be a challenge. However, with these meal replacements, you are often tied to the company. So for the sake of convenience, you are spending a lot of money on their meal replacement plans. In addition, this diet plan is extremely anti-social and those who use meal replacements instead of eating real food aren’t getting their quota or essential nutrients and enzymes and all the other goodies that are found in fresh whole foods. One of my mantras is: “Don’t drink your meals. Eat your meals and drink your water.” The brain registers that you are getting in the calories it needs by the act of chewing. If you slurp down a shake, even though you have consumed the calories, your brain might not have registered it. Unless you have extreme willpower, most of us will start snacking in order to feel full. So in some sense, you can be doubling up on your calories in an effort to lose weight.

To sum it up,

Drastically cutting either fat or carbs to be on a low carb or low-fat diet is not good. As you can see from my synopsis, cutting all fats is detrimental as is cutting all carbs. The human body thrives on balance and we need a little bit of everything, so the best eight loss plans for women should include a balance of protein, fats and carbs and vitamins, minerals. What really makes the difference is the type of carbs, proteins, and fats we eat because if the sources aren't good then the body reacts in a negative way regardless of the calories.

A balanced meal plan should consist of about 35% protein, 35% carbs, and 30% fats. Carbs are necessary to give you energy, fiber, and other essential nutrients needed for optimal health and energy especially if you are active.

Good sources of carbs are:

Fruit, sweet potato, sprouted grains, fibrous veggies, and leafy greens.

Good sources of fats are:

Olive oil, avocados, seeds, and nuts including nut butter, fatty fish such as salmon, and eggs.

Good sources of proteins are:

Fish, eggs (the whole egg), chicken, beef, tofu, dairy (although organic greek yogurt is about the only cow’s dairy I am ok with), and legumes.

The best weight loss plan for women should be packed full of whole, real foods that lead you to optimal health where you can thrive. Counting calories or point systems of substituting meals for processed replacement drinks doesn't encourage you to eat a diet of whole, natural food that is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are essential to our health. If you are looking for a weight loss plan that is sustainable AND focuses on true health the FIT. EMPOWERED. WOMAN membership https://www.sophiamcdermott.com/membership will do just that. And every week you'll receive new recipes that come with a shopping list for convenience. I take away the guesswork for you and you can enjoy the recipes knowing that they will keep you on track and keep you healthy and vibrant. Take a look at my membership here: https://www.sophiamcdermott.com/membership.

Balance is the key and eating whole foods that make out body happy is the key to long-term success. Skip the fad diets and drastic cuts of carbs or fat and stick to a plan that offers a balance of fresh fruit, veggies, good carbs, protein, and fats.