The Best Weight Loss Programs for Women in 2024

We break down the ins and outs of today's best weight loss programs, including which options are the easiest to follow.

Author:
Sophia Metrakos, RN
Updated:
Jan 11, 2024

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Weight loss should always be about feeling your best. Our everyday habits play a major role in weight and overall health. Committing to a program is an effective way to take command of your health because it takes away a lot of the guesswork. These programs vary from personal one-on-one coaching to meal delivery services for weight loss. And finding a weight loss program that fits your needs may be all you’re missing to reach your weight loss goals.

You may be looking for a meal delivery service to help with healthy eating on a tight schedule, or maybe you’re just needing someone to help you transition into a consistent workout routine. Either way, there is a weight loss program out there for everyone and once you find the right one, you’ll have the support you need to see your goals becoming a reality.

If you have a history of eating disorders, disordered eating or any underlying health conditions it is important to discuss your weight loss goals with a doctor first. Always consult with a medical professional before starting a new diet, exercise routine and/or weight loss program to ensure it’s right for you.

Our Picks for the Best Weight Loss Programs for Women in 2024:

Best Overall Weight Loss Program for Women: Noom
Best Meal Delivery Weight Loss Program for Women: Diet-to-Go
Best Pre-Made Meals Weight Loss Program for Women: Nutrisystem
Best Training Weight Loss Program for Women: Future
Best Community Weight Loss Program for Women: Noom
Best Heart Health Weight Loss Program for Women: Trifecta Meal Delivery
Best Weight Loss Program for Women for Healthy Living: Home Chef
Best Weight Loss Cardio Program for Women: Joggo
Best Vegetarian Weight Loss Program for Women: Diet-to-Go Vegetarian
Best Appetite Suppressant to Supplement Your Weight Loss Program: PhenQ

If you want an extra boost on your weight loss journey, consider adding a supplement like PhenQ to your healthy diet and exercise routine. PhenQ is not a weight loss program, but it is both a top-rated fat burner for women and appetite suppressant in one. A blend of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and caffeine can help you burn extra fat and boost your metabolism while also retaining lean muscle. (Remember, if you’re interested in a fat burning supplement consult your doctor first.)

Best Overall Weight Loss Program for Women: Noom

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Noom is a smartphone app that helps users adjust their daily habits to reach personal weight loss goals. With a modern, psychological approach, Noom helps you target various habits to support weight loss. Those include diet, exercise and mindfulness. The helpful thing about Noom is that it can assist with other lifestyle adjustments and weight loss to help you lead a more balanced life, such as suggesting healthy recipes and encouraging you to record your daily physical activity and water intake. An additional focus of Noom is to set goals for yourself in addition to weight loss, such as feeling more confident or running a 5K, which is another motivating element for users. Noom utilizes personal coaching to help you remain accountable for the habits you're hoping to change.

Although you can set up a Noom account on a web browser, you will need access to a smartphone or tablet to use the app required. Upon signing up for the Noom app, you'll be paired up with your coach, who will support you along the way. Because of the psychological approach Noom uses, you can start to make sense of your relationships with food and understand personal motivation when eating certain unhealthy foods, such as emotional eating. This app helps you get to the root of whatever unhealthy lifestyle habits you've developed by helping users identify various triggers, which then helps you understand and change them.

Best Meal Delivery Weight Loss Program for Women: Diet-to-Go

Plate of mushroom stuffed chicken and roasted vegetables — Diet-to-Go

Diet-to-Go delivers meals that are designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs to help you lose weight. These meals have less than 30 percent total calories from fat to maintain a healthy balance of protein, fats and carbs. Each meal also limits sodium to follow the guidelines set by the USDA that a healthy diet should have less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

Diet-to-Go works to properly balance each meal without restricting any food groups, so healthy eating habits are established and can be maintained long-term. These meals promote weight loss by restricting caloric intake and come pre-portioned to prevent overeating. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), reducing caloric intake can help overweight and obese adults lose weight.

Diet-to-Go has five meal plan options:

Balance combines balanced portions with heart-healthy options and is the most popular weight loss plan. It has the largest selection and also includes vegetarian and seafood options.
Balance-Diabetes is a diabetes-friendly option that helps you control your blood sugar naturally. Each meal controls sodium, carb, fat and cholesterol intake.
Keto-Carb 30 restricts carbs by replacing them with protein and fat, limiting your carb intake to 30 net carbs per day.
Vegetarian is a plant-based plan that utilizes dairy, eggs, beans and some soy as protein options. Each portion is nutritionally balanced and limits your calorie intake.
Mediterranean includes nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, grains, fish and lean meats. These meals are heart-healthy and incorporate various foods from different food groups.

After choosing your meal plan, you can customize your meals further using the app or website. Meal plans include extras like condiments, sides and fruits (when applicable) and come ready to eat. There’s the option to receive five or seven days’ worth of meals, and you can pick if you want two or three meals per day. You may feel hungry if you’re used to eating larger portions, so it’s important to consult with your doctor to make sure you’re getting enough calories. If you want to snack, each delivery comes with a list of healthy options for drinks and snacks that align with your weight loss goal.

Best Pre-Made Meals Weight Loss App for Women: Nutrisystem

Seven boxed dinner options from Nutrisystem — Nutrisystem

Nutrisystem offers an effective weight loss plan that brings high-protein meals to your door. Simply pick the plan that fits your lifestyle and budget to receive fully prepared meals delivered in one to ten business days. These meals will either be frozen or shelf-stable and need to be heated up to enjoy. The convenience of the delivery system makes Nutrisystem stand out as the easiest program to follow on this list. Nutrisystem offers plenty of different meal plan options based on your specific needs. Plan categories include women's, men's, partners, vegetarian, diabetes and complete plans. Each plan includes five weekly meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. Additionally, each plan also comes with access to an on-demand weight loss coach seven days a week.

It’s an incredibly convenient option for busy people who don't have time to cook meals at home. With over 150 meals to choose from, you can stay on track without getting bored. The food included in each plan is designed to help you lose weight quickly since it is low in calories and sugar and high in protein. One downside to Nutrisystem is that it isn't a very sustainable option. Since the food is packaged, you will generate more waste than if you were cooking at home. However, if you typically eat take-out food for most of your meals, then it is probably a healthier option. Nutrisystem is a great way to help you understand what a healthy diet looks like and give you meal ideas to prepare for yourself in the future. you reach your weight loss goals, you can use Nutrisystem resources such as their meal guides, coaching and transition plans to help maintain your healthy habits. With the most basic plan coming in at just $9.99 per day with free shipping, this is a helpful option for anyone looking to lose weight and stay on a budget.

Related Post: The Complete Nutrisystem Review 2023

Best Training Weight Loss Program for Women: Future

Looking for someone who can help cheer you on, keep you accountable and coach you through daily workouts? Future is an iOS- and Android-based app that lets you meet one-on-one with a personal trainer from home or on the go. When you sign up, you’ll answer a few questions about your preferred coaching style and fitness goals. Whether you like to have a coach that’s upbeat and pushes you to reach new personal records or someone more relaxed, Future has the right, experienced coach for you. Once you’ve been paired up, your trainer will create a program based on your goals and provide daily check-ins to see how things are going.

While a Future subscription rings in at $149 per month, that equates to a trainer-backed session every day instead of a class or two a week. So if you are looking for an easy way to create a healthier lifestyle, Future may be just the app for you.

Best Community Weight Loss Program for Women: Noom

Community support has been an important part of successful weight loss for a while, and studies are beginning to show that you're more likely to stay consistent with your weight loss program if you have community support, specifically online. Noom is ahead of the competition in this regard because they already have a vibrant, supportive community as part of the model.

There are multiple ways you can connect to the Noom community for support on your weight loss journey. There's a Facebook page with over 1,000,000 members. There's also a community on Reddit where there are almost 44,000 members on the r/Noom subreddit.

However, the best place to find community support is in the Noom Circles feature of the Noom app. On Noom Circles, you'll see a thread of posts from other users and Noom coaches. These posts include encouraging stories, recipes to try and educational material to assist you along the way.

Noom also has a messaging feature in the app that allows you to communicate with coaches through text. These messages are reminders about your lessons or food tracking, updates on your progress and general encouragement if you miss a day or two logging into the app. If you’re looking for community support on your weight loss journey, it doesn’t get much better than Noom.

Noom’s cost varies depending on which subscription you choose. Here's the full breakdown:

Monthly auto-renewing plan: $70 USD
Two-month auto-renewing plan: $129 USD
Three-month auto-renewing plan: $159 USD
Four-month auto-renewing plan: $169 USD
Five-month auto-renewing plan: $174 USD
Six-month auto-renewing plan: $179 USD
Seven-month auto-renewing plan: $184 USD
Eight-month auto-renewing plan: $189 USD
Nine-month auto-renewing plan: $195 USD
10-month auto-renewing plan: $199 USD
11-month auto-renewing plan: $205 USD
Annual auto-renewing plan: $209 USD

Best Heart Health Weight Loss Program for Women: Trifecta Meal Delivery

Trifecta is a meal delivery service that focuses on making sure you’re hitting a macronutrient goal set by registered dietitians, while also running a calorie deficit to help your body burn stored fat for energy. Trifecta is marketed toward athletes and already active people, but it's also beginner friendly. The meals are delivered on a weekly basis.

With Trifecta, you’ll complete a quiz that gathers information about your activity level, body composition, eating habits and goals. You'll then be recommended a plan to meet your goal. All of Trifecta’s meals are high in protein and low in calories. The theory behind this is simple: protein is far more satiating than carbohydrates or fats, which means you’ll feel full for longer even though your meals will be smaller than you’re used to.

Trifecta offers several different meal plans to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences including keto, paleo, vegetarian, vegan and Whole30. There's also an option to put together your own meals from a list of options, and then Trifecta will prepare and deliver them to your door.

Here are some examples of the meals you will see from Trifecta:

Grilled Romesco Salmon from the Whole30 plan
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Quinoa from the high protein vegan plan
Crispy Tofu Skillet from the high protein vegetarian plan
Sausage and Egg Scramble with Sweet Potatoes from the paleo plan
Beanless Chili Con Carne from the keto plan

Trifecta’s cost varies depending on what plan you choose. Here's what you can expect to spend on each plan:

Keto Plan: $97.93 per week
Paleo Plan: $110.99 per week
Clean Meal Plan: $110.99 per week
Whole30 Plan: $110.99 per week
High Protein Vegan Plan: $104.93 per week
High Protein Vegetarian Plan: $104.93 per week
Meal Prep Plan: $119 per week
Classic Meals Plan: $119 per week

Best Weight Loss Program for Women for Healthy Living: Home Chef

Meal kit ingredients next to Home Chef branded cardboard box — Home Chef

Home Chef aims to make eating healthy fun by gathering your taste preferences when you sign up and using that information to recommend meals it thinks you’ll enjoy. Before you choose a recipe, it’s recommended that you review the ingredients to make sure they're a good fit for you. You can also change your food preferences at any time. While there aren’t any diet-specific meals or meal plans, there are many meals that qualify as “low-carb” or “keto-friendly,” but you'll have to find them.

Each week, you’ll choose from 20+ recipes, and you can edit as much as you want before the menu closes at 12 p.m. CT every Friday. From there, your meals get prepared and portioned using fresh ingredients. You can build each box based on how much time you have and what best fits your lifestyle.

Home Chef cooking experience options include:

Meal Kits with meals ready in about 30 minutes
Express Meal Kits that cook in 15 minutes
Oven-Ready meals that arrive in an oven safe tin, no additional prep needed
Grill Ready ingredients that arrive in a grill safe bag and cook quickly on the grill
Culinary Collection, which requires more prep, and is great for special occasions
Fast and Fresh meals that are delivered oven- or microwave-ready

There are also al la carte options that include breakfasts, desserts, breads, coffees and protein packs. Since each meal is pre-portioned, it limits the ability to overeat, and many meals allow you to swap protein for a less calorie-dense, lean option.

Best Weight Loss Cardio Program for Women: Joggo

Joggo is a unique weight loss program because it takes many elements from traditional weight loss programs—like community support, personal coaching and educational materials—and combines them with a running plan designed by professional trainers. If you don’t like running, then you’re not going to like Joggo because the cardio work is the key to the program.

With Joggo you have several different running program options. You can do free-runs, follow a pre-set running program that's meant to prepare you for a specific race (Couch to 5K, for example) or get an individualized running plan from the trainers to fit your needs. Regardless of the way you choose to run, Joggo will use collected data to track your progress and pinpoint where you can improve.

Speaking of improvement, Joggo has a huge library of educational material to make sure you have the tools you need to lose weight and then keep it off for good. There are lessons about nutrition, psychology, injury prevention, running form and more.

As far as the nutrition plan, Joggo can accommodate most dietary restrictions and food allergies. When you take the introduction survey, Joggo will ask you to identify any restrictions or preferences from a list. You can ask the plan to exclude certain vegetables, fruits, carbs, meats and many other specific food items.

Joggo is very beginner-friendly running app because of the one-on-one coaching support and educational materials, so if you’re an advanced runner you may not get much use out of it. However, if you’re starting your weight loss journey and want to master the basics, then this is the app for you.

If you’re not sure where to start with Joggo, we recommend setting a goal for yourself and following a specific plan like the Couch to 5K, or Couch to Half Marathon. Having a specific, time-sensitive goal is a great way to stay motivated and measure your progress.

Joggo has three subscription options you can choose from a two-month plan for $66, a four-month plan for $92 and a six-month plan for $132.

Best Vegetarian Weight Loss Program for Women: Diet-to-Go Vegetarian

A man and woman eating a vegetarian meal — Diet-to-Go

If you’re looking for a meal plan with vegetarian options, Diet-to-Go provides plant-based meals that can be ready to eat in three minutes. Each meal is carefully portioned to help you control your calorie intake and achieve your weight loss goals. Protein sources include dairy, eggs, beans and some soy.

Once you choose how many meals you’d like to receive per week, you’ll personalize your menu and choose from selections like:

French toast
Egg quesadilla
Portobello meltover
Ciabatta bake
Cauliflower and pea paprikash
Chana masala

In addition to helping you lose weight, Diet-to-Go’s goal is to show you that, just because a meal is healthy, doesn’t mean it also cannot be delicious. One review on the brand’s website says, “Trying out these meals really opened up my eyes to the way I eat throughout the day, the food choices that I make, and what different calorie amounts really look like.”

Best Appetite Suppressant to Supplement Your Weight Loss Program: PhenQ

A person holding a bottle of PhenQ — PhenQ

If you’re looking for a way to supplement your weight loss program, then PhenQ may be able to help. PhenQ is a supplement that's formulated to boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite. According to PhenQ, the ingredients are meant to help you in five specific ways: induce thermogenesis, curb cravings and suppress appetite, reduce fat absorption and balance mood and energy.

The primary ingredient in PhenQ is α-Lacys Reset, which is a trademarked blend of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and cystine. Studies suggest that using ALA as a supplement alongside a weight loss program can help you lose more weight than if you followed the weight loss plan alone. However, it's still unclear how much ALA you need on a daily basis to achieve these results. PhenQ has 25 milligrams of α-Lacys Reset, which is not much and definitely safe.

The other key ingredients in PhenQ are:

Capsimax powder: Capsimax is an extract of capsaicin, a chemical found in red chili peppers. Research suggests that capsaicin can boost your metabolism and raise your internal temperature to burn fat.
Caffeine: Many people consume caffeine every day in the form of coffee, tea or other supplements like a pre-workout. Caffeine is a well-studied appetite suppressant and stimulant that can boost your focus and energy. One serving of PhenQ has 150 milligrams of caffeine.
Nopal Cactus: Nopal cactus can be found in the southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico. As the name implies, it's a cactus. However, the fibers from nopal cactus can block your body’s fat absorption by moving fat quickly through your digestive tract.
L-carnitine fumarate: L-carnitine is a chemical that your body makes naturally. Supplementing a weight loss program with L-carnitine may lower your body weight, decrease BMI and reduce the fat mass in obese adults.
Chromium: Chromium is a trace mineral that you get from many foods like meats, grains, nuts and spices. This mineral has been linked to increasing your body’s absorption of nutrients in supplements.

It's important to note that PhenQ’s formula contains relatively small amounts of each of these ingredients, and results will vary depending on your body, diet and exercise. However, if you’re just starting a weight loss program and want to boost your metabolism, or if you’re trying to get rid of those last few stubborn pounds, PhenQ may be a good option to try.

Always consult your doctor before taking a supplement like PhenQ. If you're pregnant, nursing or have an underlying health condition, then you should avoid taking this supplement.

What Is a Weight Loss Program?

Weight loss programs come in many forms, but ultimately the goal is the same. If you're ready to shed some weight and feel like you need support, signing up for a weight loss program may be what you need. Programs like WW and Jenny Craig provide weight loss tools such as prepared meals and personal coaching. Some weight loss programs provide the support system needed to commit to changing unhealthy habits.

The right weight loss program will look different for everyone. If you have a busy schedule and are not used to cooking meals at home, trying a meal delivery service like Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig may work well. These programs are a great way to drop weight quickly by cutting down on calories, and they can provide insight into what a healthy diet looks like. To make healthy new habits stick, you'll eventually want to learn to prepare your meals so that you don't have to rely on always having your food delivered for each meal.

Not every weight loss program is a meal delivery service. You may want to focus more on building healthy lifestyle habits, such as a regular workout regimen. If this is the case, you may benefit from a weight loss program like Noom, which focuses on breaking poor habits and maintaining long-term positive ones.

There are even weight loss programs that focus specifically on exercise, utilizing professional workout plans or personal trainers to make exercise more accessible and safe. These programs can offer personalized workout plans that cater to your activity level and teach proper recovery to help you reach your goals while keeping you free from workout-related injuries.

What Should Women Look for in a Weight Loss Program?

The best weight loss program will look different for everyone. Take some time to consider your personal needs when deciding what type of weight loss program will work best for you. Think about lifestyle factors that may make certain weight loss programs more or less accessible for you, such as your schedule or whether you have access to a gym.

When looking for your ideal weight loss program, read reviews to gain insight into what the experience was like for others. This can help you determine which programs are worth it for you and which ones might not.

Ultimately, you want a weight loss program that will provide long-term results. Make sure that the weight loss program you select focuses on building and maintaining healthy habits. Effective weight loss programs will require you to do some work to educate yourself and shift your routine, so don't expect it to be easy. You don't want to set unrealistic goals either. Look for a weight loss program that helps you set personalized, attainable goals that will help you to maintain your new habits long-term.

Your weight loss journey should focus more on feeling good than anything else. Try not to fixate on the number on the scale but think more about how your body feels, which can be a healthier approach to weight loss.

Who Should Try a Weight Loss Program?

Weight loss programs can work well for many people, but they are especially helpful for individuals who need extra support to reach their goals. If you've attempted to lose weight in the past and been unsuccessful, then you may need the community and educational support from a weight loss program. Popular platforms like WW (Weight Watchers) are designed to include these elements, letting you connect with other members enrolled in the program or with coaches for when you need expert advice. Trying a weight loss program is also ideal for anyone who feels lost in building healthy habits. Since weight loss programs provide a great opportunity to learn about a healthy diet and exercise, you don't have to go into it with any background knowledge or experience. Many weight loss programs are even personalized to fit your unique needs.

Who Might Not Be Best for a Weight Loss Program?

Individuals with certain medical conditions or dietary restrictions may be unable to do a weight loss program. Specifically, individuals who have a history of eating disorders or disordered eating should work closely with a health professional to determine a plan for healthy eating and exercise.

If you have any chronic health condition such as diabetes or heart disease, you should work with your doctor to determine what diet is best for you. For example, diabetic patients should be very careful with fasting diets.

Dietary restrictions can also come into play when selecting the best weight loss program to fit your needs. Some meal delivery services might not have options for gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan diets. So if you have special dietary needs, you should look into what the meal delivery service offers before selecting it.

Other Factors to Consider

Do your research

Always do plenty of research before agreeing to a weight loss diet plan or a weight loss program. Trusted resources and studies support many popular weight loss programs. Keep in mind that everyone is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all weight loss program. If a weight loss plan doesn't seem to work well for you, you may just need to try something else. Pay close attention to how your body feels when trying certain diets or new workout routines. Discuss your findings with your doctor to ensure that your selected program is a healthy option for you.

Shoot for long-term results

Ultimately, your goal should be to achieve long-term results. If a diet or exercise plan causes you to drop a considerable amount of weight quickly, only to gain it back a few months later, this isn't a great option for you. Making long-term changes to your lifestyle habits is bound to be challenging initially, so try to be patient when embarking on a weight loss journey. Check-in with yourself (mentally and physically) throughout the process of doing a weight loss program.

Be realistic with goals

Setting unrealistic goals is a great way to set yourself up for disappointment. Look for a weight loss program that is personalized so that you can set goals that are attainable for your schedule and lifestyle. Consider your work schedule, budget and current activity level when deciding what type of weight loss program will work best for you. Having realistic exercise and diet goals can also make it easier to change your habits. If you're trying to cut out a bunch of food groups, you probably won't last long before you're craving those foods again. The best weight loss programs are those that allow for moderation and balance.

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