Dishing Out Dough For Diets

One thing is sure, if you sign up for a paid diet plan, your wallet is going to be thinner.

One online study found that some popular weight programs can set you back about $43 a month.

The well-known Jenny Craig plan will run you nearly $500 for the year and that's without buying all the food. But you can save money and still lose weight at the same time.

Before you pay to lose weight, check out your free options.

Sparkpeople.com or the free MyFitnessPal app will help you keep a food journal and track your fat and calories. MyFitnessPal was near the top of the list of Consumer Reports best diet plans.

You can also check out online diet plan options.

Weight Watchers Online will run you $19 a month.  Weight Watchers tops this year's ranking of diets by 9,000 dieters surveyed by Consumer Reports.

The eDiets online diet plan costs the same as Weight Watchers a month. South Beach Diet online will cost you $20 a month. Or you can use the resources of the Atkins diet website for free. 

Also, check group coupons and other coupon sites for savings on diet plans. Befrugal.com currently has a code for 30% off a first month's pass to Weight Watchers, plus $10 cash back.

Diet food delivery services are the most expensive and can run into the thousands per year. If you choose a meal delivery program not only do you have to purchase up to $1,500 worth of food for yourself over three months, but you also need to continue to purchase normal groceries as well. Nutrisystem was actually Consumer Reports lowest rated diet plan because people didn't like the food.