Sainsbury’s Diets

Sainsbury’s Diets is a UK-based online diet club associated with the UK supermarket chain of the same name.

They offer a weight loss program that is designed for people who don’t have the time to visit a slimming club or prefer to lose weight in the privacy of their own home. The program includes a personalized meal plan, the ‘Body Shape’ fitness program and a range of online resources and support.

Options with the Sainsbury Diet Program

Option 1: Personalized Meal Plan

For this option you have a choice between eight different nutritionally balanced weight loss plans: Health and vitality, vegetarian, avoiding gluten, reduced fat, feel fuller, GI plan, healthy heart, higher fiber.

The benefits of each of the diet plans are outlined so you can decide which one is right for you. The plans include three meals per day plus one or two snacks. You can swap to a different meal plan whenever you like.

Option 2: Food Diary Service

This option gives you greater freedom over your food choices. You simply keep an online food diary and stay within your personal dietary targets.

When you first sign up to Sainsbury’s you enter some basic details including your age, gender, current weight and any health concerns. You then determine how much weight you would like to lose and are provided with a daily calorie target for food intake that will enable you to achieve this goal.

For both options you have the choice of signing up for a 12-week, 26-week or 52-week program. Also included in your membership is access to the recipe club with over 1000 recipes, a calorie calculator, the ‘Body Shape’ toning plan and an online support forum.

Dieters also have the possibility to access the site via mobile phone. This makes it easy to fill in your food diary on-the-go and access the calorie counter at any time.

Recommended Foods

Fruit, vegetables, whole grain bread, high fiber cereal, crispbreads, popcorn, yogurt, cheese, almonds, hummus, baked beans, salmon, sea bass, haddock, chicken, turkey, beef.

Sample Sainsbury’s Diets Plan

The following is an example of the ‘Health and Vitality’ meal plan.

Exercise Recommendations

Included in Sainbury’s program is the ‘Body Shape’ plan, which is a practical, realistic fitness plan to help you become slim and toned. The plan includes over 100 videos demonstrating various exercises.

Costs and Expenses

The Sainbury’s Diet averages at around 2-3 GBP per week with 12-week, 26-week and 52-week options. Introductory discounts are generally available and the discounts are highest when you sign up for the longer programs.

Pros

• Customized to suit the individual in regards to calorie requirements and physical activity preferences.
• Program is flexible and allows you to switch between options whenever you like.
• Developed in consultation with nutritionists at the British Nutrition Foundation.
• Offers vegetarian and gluten-free meal plans.
• Includes access to recipes.

Cons

• Lacking the personal interaction of a conventional slimming center.
• Some of the recommended food items will not be available to dieters who don’t live in the UK.
• Requires either counting calories or monitoring portion sizes.

Conclusions

Sainsbury’s Diets is an online weight loss program that gives dieters the choice of following a structured meal plan or a more flexible approach. It will appeal to dieters who would like some support in losing weight but either don’t have the time or prefer not to visit a weight loss center.