Tired of yo-yoing on trendy weight loss tactics only to watch the scale trend right back up post-diet? Cravings and hunger getting between you and effective weight loss? If you are looking for a science-based weight-loss program that is successful, sustainable, and reimbursable through your MIT employee health plan weight-loss benefit, iDiet may be the program for you.
Jane Abbott Connor, a lecturer in MIT’s Comparative Media Studies and Writing program, participated in a very successful pilot program in which 17 MIT employees lost a total of 250 pounds in eight weeks — an average of 15 pounds per participant. “It’s an unbelievable way of learning how to eat,” she enthuses. “I have had no experience of ‘dieting’, no deprivation, no cravings, no missing anything.”
According to program creator Dr. Susan Roberts of Tufts University, a nutritionist and former chef, the program helps participants learn to love foods that support weight loss and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It includes meal plans, a high-fiber regime, and portion control. There is also a weekly online support group that provides nutrition education and helps dieters form new, healthy habits that promote weight loss sustainability. There is also weekly check-ins and weight tracking with various Web tools.
Unlike many other weight-loss programs, iDiet requires daily weigh-ins — “an important and effective way to see and appreciate your success” according to the program’s website — but there are no set exercise requirements. Meal planning on the program is simple. You can buy the cookbook or find simple recipes online. Recipes include vegetarian options; others are designed to address special dietary concerns such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, or gluten and lactose intolerance.
Connor acknowledges that “it took some work and focus to get organized at the start, but,” she says, “the recipes are amazing, and within a month or so, iDiet was so easy. It is absolutely, without question, sustainable.”
The next eight-week program begins September 17 and costs $150, which is fully reimbursable with the annual weight-loss reimbursement benefit available to all qualified employees.
For more information or to register, visit the MIT community iDiet page.
For information about MIT wellness benefits, including weight-loss reimbursement, visit the MIT Employee Medical Wellness Benefits page.
