Weight Loss Meal Pros
- Transition into eating portion-controlled meals – For many that are new or struggle to eat correctly portioned meals, signing up to a meal plan or a weight loss prepared meal service solves this challenge by providing balanced portions, helping individuals achieve their weight loss goals (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).
- Can teach consumers eating behavioural basics - such as structuring a day’s eating patterns including eating 3 meals a day. Many consumers may not follow a consistent eating pattern for the day. Pre-prepared meals are constructed to provide balanced meals with nutrient focuses such as protein to ensure consumers receive consistently balanced meals without the fuss.
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A cost-effective approach to dieting – Diets often come with additional costs along the way, whether they are designed to require a book, an added supplement or plan needing continual tailoring - a meal delivery service may be a cost-effective option in comparison to other traditional methods of dieting.
- Variety – Weight loss diets are often associated with repetitive meals that lack flavour and variety. However, many weight loss meal delivery services offer a range of flavours, cuisines and dietary preferences, keeping you on track to achieve your goals.
Weight Loss Meal Cons
- Satiety – A nutritionally balanced meal is essential for creating satiety. Depending on the balance of the meals created, some meals may lack nutrient density such as adequate protein or fibre which can cause fluctuating appetite and lack of satisfaction with meals (Young 2017).
- Lack of personalisation – Many meal services don’t consider individual factors such as gender, age, pregnancy or specialised requirements around health conditions. It’s important consumers critically analyse different weight loss meals and delivery programs as they may not meet their required needs (Adela Hruby 2016)
- Most don’t consider physical activity levels – Many of the meal services catering to weight loss targets don’t consider how physically active consumers are or any incidental energy burnt through non-structured exercise such as working, walking to work, shopping etc (Adela Hruby 2016). If your physical activity levels are higher it’s important meals are nourishing and fuelling workouts including post-workout nutrition.
- Doesn’t educate consumers how to eat off of a meal plan – Most people, if they follow meal plans or programs correctly, can successfully lose weight, however, once they transition off of a plan the progress usually unravels. This is due to the lack of education around personal behaviours or patterns, nutrition and how to maintain weight-loss long-term (FL 2015).
- Restrictive – Not only are weight loss plans restrictive they can also become restrictive socially. Eating off of a plan or program can be detrimental emotionally and socially for those that aren’t allowed to eat outside of their programming.
- Compliance – Often sticking to diets is hard especially when they lack flexibility. Consumers may struggle long-term due to their restrictive nature, especially around social settings (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015). These diets are not suited beyond their initial programmed stage, nor are they safe long-term especially programs that are considered Very Low Energy Diet (VLED) (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015). They may also contribute to nutritional imbalances, it is important that before making any dietary changes always seek guidance from a health professional.
- Potential to create nutritional deficiencies – Often with VLED diets there are mineral and vitamin deficiencies that can arise such as water-soluble vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc and many more (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).
- Do not substitute the need for professional care and supervision – Despite these programs having nutritional influence whether it is created under the supervision of an accredited dietitian or nutritionist they do not substitute the need for medical monitoring and supervision. Consumers that have medical conditions or disordered eating patterns require integrative care with a therapy-based approach (Dwyer, Melanson et al. 2015).