The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here.
Beyond aesthetic reasons, losing excess body fat and reaching an optimal body composition can be one of the best things for your health and wellness. For example, losing body fat can reduce systemic inflammation in the body, improve recovery, cognitive function and reduce the risk of things like cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease and cancer.
The good news is that these benefits are available regardless of how old you are and when you choose to begin. While the principles of weight loss are the same for both men and women, certain approaches may be more beneficial than others.
One of the best things you can do to start your journey is to use a systematic, science-based approach toward your weight loss. It’s why a growing number of men have chosen to enlist the help of a weight loss plan.
Since we recently looked at the best weight loss programs for women, it’s only fitting that we do the same for men. In this article, we’re going to go over some of the best weight loss programs for men currently available. We’ll cover their method, the benefits of their approach, how to use them and what is important to consider. The goal is to equip you with all the information you need to choose the best weight loss program for your particular situation in 2024.
This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.
Our Picks for the Best Weight Loss Program For Men in 2024:
- Best Overall Weight Loss Program for Men: Noom
- Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Program for Men: Diet-to-Go
- Best Multi-Purpose Weight Loss Program for Men: Nutrisystem
- Best Weight Loss Program for Men with Coaching: Future
- Best Weight Loss Program for Men Who Like to Cook: Trifecta Meal Delivery
- Best Weight Loss Program for Men with Community Support: Noom
- Best Weight Loss Cardio Program for Men: Joggo
- Best Vegetarian Weight Loss Program for Men: Diet-to-Go Vegetarian
- Best Weight Loss Program for Men for Healthy Living: Home Chef
- Best Appetite Suppressant to Supplement Your Weight Loss Program: PhenQ
If you’re ready to start a weight loss program (or have already started one) and want a little extra help to get over the hump, consider PhenQ. PhenQ is a fat burner and appetite suppressant combination that could help you burn fat and boost your metabolism—helping you target remaining pockets of fat and maintain lean muscle. Always remember to talk to your doctor before making significant changes to your diet or taking a supplement like PhenQ.
Best Overall Weight Loss Program for Men: Noom
Enjoy a 14-Day Free Trial
Key features:
- Noom is centered around psychology and mindful weight loss.
- Program prioritizes mindset and habit changes over-restrictive eating.
- On-boarding process is comprehensive and personalized.
- Program is based on your health history, goals and personality.
- You can access Noom via web or mobile app.
Noom is a weight loss transformation program built around the concept of psychological leverage—using psychology to unlock sustainable weight loss with better habits. Built on AI, Noom uses millions of data points from thousands of users to refine and tailor an approach that is ideal for you.
Noom’s approach to weight loss
The program’s approach creates long-term results through habit and behavior change as opposed to restrictive eating. Noom prioritizes psychology, behavior and mindfulness through education and accountability.
While it’s guided by a core set of weight loss principles, the framework is adaptive. This makes it a great weight loss program for men who need flexibility. Rather than forcing you to adhere to a rigid methodology, Noom factors your personal lifestyle, responsibilities and environment into crafting a plan that sets you up for long-term success.
There’s an extensive initial survey you take after signup that covers things like demographic, habits, behaviors and mindsets. Every answer helps inform Noom how to tailor their approach by comparing you to the lifestyles and results of other users.
Noom uses positive reinforcement and gamification to make the weight loss journey engaging. The app is full of sound effects and animations and badges that leverage the same dopamine pathways that are triggered while playing video games. However, it’s used to fortify healthy weight loss habits instead of building a gaming addiction. It may seem like a minor feature but based on real-world users, it was a major factor in keeping them coming back repeatedly.
The major portion of Noom’s approach is rooted in nutrition, mindset, fitness and mindfulness education. Rather than hitting you with massive amounts of information at once, they introduce small portions each day and give tips on implementing what you’ve learned. There’s a learning library with courses you can take at your own pace. Many men report learning more with this approach as opposed to other programs requiring you to read through massive amounts of information before getting started.
Having a strong community is essential when it comes to the best weight loss programs for men. In fact, some studies show a strong correlation between community-based accountability and long-term weight loss success. Noom expands your weight loss support network to include thousands of users that are on the same journey.
The Noom weight loss program is based on sound scientific principles and practices. We like that it avoids extreme restrictive eating while helping users eat fewer calories for weight loss.
App user design, features and layout
If you are constantly on the move, having one of the best weight loss apps on your smartphone will be important. One of the first things you will notice about the Noom mobile app is how well-designed it is. Compared to other weight loss program apps, the minimal, warm design is a more enjoyable user experience. Rather than loading it down with a host of features, you will barely use, Noom is intentional about including only the essentials.
Every part of the Noom ecosystem is accessible from the menu. Since a sizable portion of the program deals with education, we liked that the app puts your course library and progress information just a few taps away.
Cost of a Noom membership
Noom offers different pricing plans that can change in cost based on how long you want to sign up for and how many months you wish to pay upfront. The cost goes down significantly if you purchase a yearly auto-renewing plan. They also run various new-member packages that may discount the first few months of the program. Currently, one month of Noom costs $70, and an annual subscription costs $209 (about $17.50 per month).
Noom onboarding setup process
Getting set up with Noom is straightforward. The first time you open the Noom app or get started on their website, you will sign up with your name and email address and get started with your intake survey. It will take up to 20 minutes to complete, and there isn’t a way to save it and come back to it. Since this portion is a major part of the Noom user experience, let’s look at what information you should have on hand to get the most out of it.
The demographic profile portion will ask you a series of questions, including:
- How much weight you want to lose
- Lifestyle (student, self-employed, full-time, retired)
- Important upcoming events and when they happen (vacation, wedding, summer)
- Current diet quality
- The type of environment you live in (the country, a major city, suburbs)
- Athletic history
- Health challenges or risks (testosterone deficiency, diabetes, depression)
- Current relationship with food
Your answers will be analyzed, and Noom will bring you to a report that tells you their realistic timeline of when you could hit your weight loss goal based on the experience of similar Noom users. They lay it out on a graph which makes it look very intriguing. This graph will pop up a couple of more times. You’ll notice that the timeline end date will change based on your answers.
Next is their “Behavioral Profile Quiz.” Questions in this section determine how importantly you weigh different goals. The quiz will ask you how much you prefer one health goal over another.
Since Noom uses psychology as a core part of their program, many of the remaining questions will ask about your relationship to food, behaviors and weight loss goals. After you answer the questions, Noom will give you what is best described as a weight loss personality type - a title that defines your present weight loss philosophy. The last section is about activity and nutrition.
Once you’ve finished all three sections of the survey, Noom will get to work building a detailed report and presenting you with the next steps.
Noom is the best overall weight loss plan for men currently on the market. While it may not be ideal for some men in unique situations, it has an impressive track record of results among men of different ages and demographics. Its balanced, habit-focused approach provides a high chance of long-term weight management.
Related Post: Noom Review: Is Noom The Right Weight Loss Program for You?
Pros:
- Strong community and accountability component
- Less expensive than personal, 1:1 weight loss coaching
- Tailors your plan based on lifestyle
- Robust mobile app
- Beautiful, informative charts and visuals to track progress
Cons:
- Accuracy of the estimated weight loss timeline was hit or miss for many users
- Guidance is ideal for people new to weight loss. Lacks more robust education for more experienced users.
Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Program for Men: Diet-to-Go
Key features:
- Diet-to-Go is a meal delivery service that delivers and bills you on a weekly schedule. The meals are all designed by dietitians and nutritionists to help you lose weight through portion control. There are over 500 meals on Diet-to-Go’s menu that you have access to.
- Diet-to-Go offers five plans to choose from: Balance, Balance-D, Keto-Carb30, Vegetarian and Mediterranean. All meals are crafted to give you all of your nutrients while restricting your calories to promote weight loss.
- SI readers get access to 60% off their first week of meals with Diet-to-Go.
One of the hardest parts about losing weight sustainably is adjusting your diet, which can be time consuming and discouraging if you don’t know your way around the kitchen. Diet-to-Go takes all of the prep and guesswork off your plate, delivering ready-to-eat meals straight to your door. All you have to do is heat them up in the microwave for a few minutes and dig into a nutrient-balanced meal that’s portioned by nutritionists to encourage weight loss.
Menu
Diet-to-Go has a large menu full of foods that are made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. There are 500+ meals that you can choose from, which means there’s likely choices even picky eaters will enjoy. The weekly menu rotates on a five-week cycle to ensure you don’t have repeat meals in a given month unless there’s a meal you really want to substitute.
Diet-to-Go has five different plans you can choose from:
- Balance: Basic menu with well-balanced, nutritious meals
- Balance-D: Diabetic-friendly version of the basic menu
- Keto-Carb30: Keto menu that limits your carbohydrate intake to 30 net carbs per day
- Vegetarian: Fully vegetarian menu that uses eggs, dairy, soy and nuts as the primary protein sources
- Mediterranean: Healthy fats, plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, limited red meat and poultry
Regardless of the plan you choose, you can substitute unlimited meals from the full menu into your weekly rotation. One feature that sets Diet-to-Go apart from other meal delivery services is that all meals on the menu come with side dishes and condiments. With Diet-to-Go, your nutrition is in the hands of a team of professionals that are also available to help coach you along the way.
Here are some of the meals you can expect to see on Diet-to-Go’s menu:
- Scrambled egg rancheros on a whole wheat tortilla with chicken chorizo sausage and mango salad
- Black bean and feta cheese wrap with wild rice salad
- Teriyaki salmon rice bowl
Effectiveness
Diet-to-Go’s program uses calorie restriction and portion control to promote weight loss. There’s no one-size-fits-all diet plan, so if this method doesn’t work for you, there are other options available. However, studies show that calorie restriction and portion control are effective ways to lose weight and keep it off in the long run.
The danger with calorie restriction is not getting enough nutrients to keep your body operating at its full potential. That’s why Diet-to-Go is a great option, because the meals are put together by professionals who are maximizing the nutrient density for you.
Cost of membership
Diet-to-Go’s cost structure is based on a weekly bill for the meals you receive. There’s no membership fee or cancellation fee. Your true cost will depend on how many days you want to receive meals (five or seven), and how many meals per day you want to receive (two or three). Below are the price ranges for each plan. The low range is the cost for two meals for five days per week, and the high range is three meals per day for seven days per week.
- Balance: $138.99-$225.99 per week
- Balance-D: $138.99-$203.99 per week
- Keto-Carb30: $151.99-$225.99 per week
- Vegetarian: $138.99-$203.99 per week
- Mediterranean: $138.99-$203.99 per week
All orders have a $19.98 delivery fee.
Related Post: Diet-to-Go Review: Prepared Meals Designed for Weight Loss
Pros:
- Large menu with unlimited substitutions available
- Portions are set by nutritionists and dietitians who maximize nutrient density
- Enough variety for even picky eaters
- SI readers get 60% off their first week of meals
Cons:
- Meals are only single-serve
- If you choose two meals per day, you have to give up breakfast
Best Multi-Purpose Weight Loss Program for Men: Nutrisystem
Key features:
- Nutrisystem is one of the more comprehensive weight loss programs you’ll find. The plan offers chef-selected meals and snacks that are portioned to lower our overall calorie intake. With Nutrisystem, you get meals delivered to you, but you also get access to an app that has one-on-one coaching, community support and workouts all in one place.
- Nutrisystem’s approach is different from other weight loss programs because you’ll still get to indulge in foods that traditional diets eliminate. There are ice creams, pizza and other foods you probably already eat. Nutrisystem’s philosophy is balance.
- Nutrisystem meals ship every four or six weeks, depending on your plan, which means you’ll get all of your month’s meals in one delivery, so make sure you’ve got space in your cabinet or freezer.
Nutrisystem has been around for several decades, which makes it one of the most recognizable weight loss programs. The program helps you lose weight by delivering pre-portioned meals and snacks, but there’s little-to-no “food elimination” in the program. That’s because Nutrisystem’s program encourages you to develop a better relationship with food you enjoy, so you won’t just lose weight, you’ll keep it off.
Nutrisystem delivers all of your month’s meals in one delivery. The shipping is free, but you’ll need a good bit of space to store all of your food. If you’re on the most basic plan, you won’t receive any frozen meals. Also, to help conserve space, Nutrisystem will designate meals and snacks that you’ll prepare yourself.
Related Post: Nutrisystem for Men: Does This Diet Program Actually Work?
Menu
Nutrisystem has a huge menu with a lot of variety. Unfortunately Nutrisystem does not offer specific plans for many dietary restrictions. However, there are women’s plans, men’s plans, partner plans, diabetic plans and plans for people over 55.
The diabetic and over 55 plans use a smaller version of the menu, but the major difference between the men’s, women’s and partner plans is portion size. Men’s plans include an extra 200-400 calories per meal, so there’s a slightly higher cost. Otherwise, your access to the menu has three tiers: Basic, Uniquely Yours and Uniquely Yours Max. Again, the Basic plan does not include any frozen meals, but here are some samples from the menu to give you a an idea of what to expect:
- Mushroom parmesan soup with chicken
- Beef, bean and cheese burrito
- Chicken bianca pizza
Effectiveness
At a basic level, Nutrisystem’s program operates on calorie restriction through portion control. You may feel hungry after the meals if you’re used to consuming too many calories, but that’s why Nutrisystem also delivers snacks to keep hunger at bay throughout the day.
Keep in mind that this program is not fasting. The meals are pre-portioned and put together to include the nutrients you need while also cutting your calories to a level that will allow your body to lose weight. Nutrisystem claims you can expect to lose about one pound per week on its program, but if it doesn’t work for you, then there are other options.
Related Post: Nutrisystem vs Optavia: Which Program is Best for You?
Cost of membership
Nutrisystem’s membership is tiered, which means the cost depends on which tier you choose. Here’s a general idea of the available tiers and the cost you can expect on the men’s plan (the cost is accurate at the time of writing, but may fluctuate):
- Basic: Access to the classic menu and app, but not frozen meals; $590.89 per month
- Uniquely Yours: Access to the classic menu, app and frozen meals; $627.25 per month
- Uniquely Yours Max: Access to the full menu, app and seven high protein shakes per month, plus the ability to choose five- or seven-day meal delivery per week; $718.16 per month for five days, $854.53 for seven days
- Uniquely Yours Max Vitality: For men over the age of 50, high-protein menu, daily FUEL shakes and access to the app; $780.13 per month
Pros:
- The menu includes foods you probably already eat, which may not feel restrictive
- A la carte menu available if you want to order test meals
- Free shipping on all orders in the continental U.S.
- SI readers get 50% off their first month of meals
Cons:
- Fairly expensive with limited customization options
- Delivers once per month, which requires a lot of storage space
Best Weight Loss Program for Men with Coaching: Future
Key features:
- Future pairs members with a coach for personalized training.
- The program leverages technology to give virtual coaches better insight into your progress.
- Coaches regularly communicate with users.
- Workout plans are developed weekly to fit around your schedule.
When it comes to losing weight, the best approach is a balanced diet and regular exercise. Future is a personalized, digital approach to coaching. For some men, finding a personal trainer who’s the right fit can be challenging. Future’s goal is to open the borders of personal training using technology to connect you with the ideal coach. They can craft personalized plans that travel with you using mobile technology and fitness wearables.
Future’s approach to weight loss for men
Keep in mind that Future is primarily a personal training platform. While there is guidance on nutrition and lifestyle changes, Future focuses the majority of weight loss on creating a consistent caloric deficit by getting your body to move and lift more. It’s a great fit for men who want physical activity to be a core component of their weight loss journey.
Personal coaching and support
The core of Future’s approach centers on connecting you with an ideal coach. All Future coaches are certified, vetted and have a proven track record with other members. This isn’t just for marketing, either. Evidence shows a strong correlation between expert coaching with regular communication and successful weight loss over a six-month period.
The moment you click to get started, the Future app leads you through an initial survey to get a sense of your goals and current fitness status. You’ll answer questions about your age, current weight, goal weight, workout experience and goals beyond weight.
An important part of the survey comes when it’s time to select a coach. You’ll be able to state your preferences along the criteria of preferred gender, personality, coaching intensity and other factors. Based on your answers, Future will provide a few coach suggestions to choose from. Don’t stress about making the perfect decision. Coach advisors are on hand after you get set up to help change coaches if needed.
Once you’ve selected a coach, your weight loss journey will start with a virtual video call between the two of you. Users mention that this consultation is very in-depth, and that most were satisfied that the coaches asked questions to better understand how best to help.
The personal coaching approach should be a good fit for people with underlying conditions or injuries. While you should be cleared by a doctor before you begin any weight loss journey, a coach can tailor your weight loss program to accommodate your specific needs.
All communication happens within the app, allowing you to refer back to any conversation without needing to sift through your text messages or email. Coaches create your weight loss plan each week based on your results and additional data they receive. Most members receive regular interaction with their coach and timely responses to their questions.
Future also eliminates the need for the awkwardness that often comes when breaking up with a coach, which we appreciate. Coach advisors are on hand to help handle the process of selecting a new coach and can bring them up to speed on your situation, so there’s minimal downtime to your progress.
Mobile and wearable technology
Another strength is that Future lives on your smart device, like an iPhone or Android. Traditional personal coaching relies heavily on subjective feedback. Incorporating an Apple Watch that connects to Future’s app automatically feeds your fitness-related information to your coach. This results in more informed adjustments to your programming.
Future for travelers and busy people
The Future weight loss program is ideal for busy people and travelers. Besides being a mobile app, coaches can customize your workout schedule to accommodate whatever is taking place during the week. If you’re traveling, your coach can build workouts that work with whatever equipment or time you have on hand. This eliminates the need to find a gym with adequate equipment to stay on target.
The cost of Future
Future is one of the more expensive options on this list. At the time of this writing, it costs $149 per month. With that said, it’s significantly cheaper than one-on-one in-person coaching. Based on national averages, a full month of Future will cost roughly the same as two to three hours of in-person coaching. We feel it’s a solid value in terms of flexibility and access.
The process to join is very straightforward. You can do this part on a web browser or through the app. We found it was easier on the app because it avoided having to log in later. There’s no way to explore the app or its tools until you complete the signup process and choose a plan you would like to pay for. Even though the normal pricing is quite high compared to others, Future normally offers an extremely inexpensive first-month membership to get you started. Overall, it’s one of the best weight loss programs for men with a personal training component.
Related Post: Future Fitness App Review: A Personal Trainer at Your Fingertips
Pros:
- Coach advisors available to help match you with the right coach
- Intuitive mobile app houses all training and coach interaction
- Ability to switch coaches as needed
Cons:
- One of the more expensive options on this list
Best Weight Loss Program for Men Who Like to Cook: Trifecta Meal Delivery
Key features:
- Personalized plan created by registered dietitians with your goal in mind
- Ready-to-eat meals are delivered to you that are already portion-controlled
- You get daily support and guidance from your coaches
Trifecta is a meal delivery service for weight loss that involves a three-pronged approach. Step one: Trifecta helps you develop a personalized weight loss plan complete with macro splits and suggestions for building muscle and burning fat. Step two: You get your ready-to-eat meals delivered to you. These meals are designed by dietitians with your particular calorie goal in mind, and they’re delivered to you weekly. Step three: You have consistent support and guidance from Trifecta’s coaches along the way.
Menu
Trifecta’s philosophy is fairly simple: tasty meals with lean protein and low calories. To accomplish this, Trifecta offers several different plans you can choose from: keto, paleo, clean, Whole30, high protein vegan and high protein vegetarian plans. There are also choose-your-own plans that give you more control over what you’ll be eating, since you choose the protein, carb and veggie for each meal, and Trifecta will prepare it. Those plans are the Meal Prep Plan and Classic Meals Plan.
Eat plan is designed to fit your goal and needs, plus they're portion controlled by a registered dietitian to make sure you’re not sabotaging your diet with the meals. If you don’t know which plan is right for you, you can take Trifecta’s quiz to get a suggested plan.
Here are some of the meals you can expect to see on Trifecta’s menus:
- Turkey Bacon Cheddar Frittata
- Roasted Chicken Breast with Asparagus
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Chimichurri Grilled Steak
- Grilled Romesco Salmon
- Beyond Beef Skillet
Related Post: The Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss
Effectiveness
Trifecta meals are designed to hit the amount of macros (protein, carbs and fats) you need based on your weight loss goal. They are also strictly portion-controlled to make sure you’re running a calorie deficit to force your body to burn fat for energy. If you follow the plan, you're very likely to see results, and thousands of people have left reviews on the website about their positive results.
Cost of membership
- 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
Pros:
- Meals designed by a registered dietitian
- Deliveries are portion-controlled to keep you from overeating
- Your menu is based on your personal goals
- High protein meals will keep you fuller for longer
Cons:
- Expensive
Best Weight Loss Program for Community Support: Noom
Key features:
- Large, active community on social media
- Consistent communication with coaches through messaging in the app
- Lessons to teach you the psychology behind your relationship with food
- Helps build good habits for long-term success
Noom’s weight loss program targets the psychology behind your relationship with food. The basic idea is, if you can change your mindset, then you can change your habits, but you can’t do it alone. Noom offers coaches who message you for encouragement and support, along with a vibrant community on Facebook and Reddit. There's also a relatively new feature called Noom Circles that brings the community directly to the app.
Noom’s approach to weight loss
Noom wants to set you up for long-term success, which is a different philosophy than other weight loss programs. To do this, you’re given a daily lesson that teaches you the psychology behind weight gain and bad eating habits along with your calorie goal. However, your calorie goal is not based on strict portion control and eliminating foods; it's based on caloric density, which is how many calories a certain food gives you per serving.
That’s a lot of math to do, but Noom makes it easy for you to keep track with their red, yellow and green color coding system. Red foods have a high caloric density—think refined grains, sweets, red meats and other foods that are high in calories in small portions. Yellow foods have a moderate caloric density—foods like hummus, whole grains and yogurt. Green foods have a low caloric density—such as celery, carrots, lettuce, leafy greens and fruit.
Noom does give you a daily calorie allowance and recommended split of the food groups based on your weight loss goal. The general recommendation is getting 25 percent of your calories from red foods, 35 percent from yellow foods and 45 percent from green foods. However, part of the program is healing your relationship with food and allowing your calories to come from any of those food groups—as long as you don’t go over the calorie goal for the day.
You’ll log your food, exercise, hydration and other data in the Noom app to track your progress. Plus, you’ll have regular messages from your coaches to keep you accountable and give you any encouragement you may need along the way.
The social media communities for Noom are full of recipes, tips and tricks for sticking to your calorie goal and celebratory posts from people just like you who are making progress. These are optional features of the program, but they are great to take advantage of.
App user design, features and layout
Noom is a very simple app to use. The sections are clearly labeled, and you’re not overloaded with information on the home screen. Here are a few of the features you’ll find in the app:
Noom Circles
Noom Circles is a social media feed that's built into the app. In Noom Circles, you can post and respond to posts by Noom coaches and other users. This is a great way to stay connected.
Recipes
Noom has a huge database of recipes that are labeled by their color coding. For example, a Peartini is 63 calories, three percent of your daily calorie budget and a 100 percent green food treat.
Progress Tracker
Your progress is displayed on a graph with your start weight and your goal weight. As you weigh in and log your meals, Noom will visually display your progress in terms of weight loss over time.
My Library
The educational content is one of the best things about Noom. In the My Library section of the app, you can see information on the color system with examples, your caloric budget, portion size guides, grocery lists, the psychology course material and more.
Cost of a Noom membership
Noom has a subscription model, and the cost depends on your subscription. Here is the 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
Noom onboarding setup process
When you set up your Noom account, the first thing you’ll do is complete an introductory survey. Noom gathers information about your goals, body composition, activity level and dietary habits to develop a plan that's as personalized to you as possible. Once you purchase your plan, you’re ready to get started. There are tutorials in the app to walk you through where everything is located and what you’ll be asked to do on a daily basis.
Pros:
- Large, active community on social media and in the app
- Personalized weight loss plan based on your goals
- Education-focused approach to set you up for long-term success even without the app
- Regular accountability and encouragement check-ins from coaches
Cons:
- Logging your meals can be a tedious process
- More expensive than other programs
Best Weight Loss Cardio Program for Men: Joggo
Key features:
- Running-based weight loss program
- Personalized exercise and meal plans
- Professional trainers to offer encouragement and guidance
- Educational content to teach you how to live a healthier lifestyle long-term
If you like cardio, or really want to make it a part of your weight loss program, then Joggo is the running app for you. Joggo uses running plans and a balanced diet to help you lose weight. The running plans are based on your responses to a survey when you sign up for the program, and it takes into consideration your goals for weight loss plus any running goals you may have, like completing a 5K or half marathon.
Joggo’s approach to weight loss for men
Joggo gives you a personalized training program and meal plan that aligns with your goals. If you want to lose weight, the meal plan will be geared toward that, and the running program will be based on your experience level.
However, what sets Joggo apart from other weight loss programs is the flexibility. With Joggo you can get a full, personalized meal plan, or you can opt to follow the nutrition tips to design your own. Similarly, you can get a personalized running plan, but you can also choose to do free-runs or follow one of the plans designed to get you ready for a specific race.
Meal plan
Part of Joggo’s introductory survey is whether you want to follow a meal plan with your program or whether you want to stick with just the running plan. If you choose “yes” to the meal plan, you’ll be prompted to select any dietary restrictions you have along with your preferences of vegetables, carbs, fruit, meat and any other common foods you want to avoid. You'll then be asked to give your age, height, current weight and target weight, and Joggo builds the nutrition plan based on those factors.
Education content
We love when weight loss programs teach you how to live a healthier life because education is one way to ensure you experience long-term success and break free of the negative cycle of yo-yo dieting.
Joggo has a huge library of educational content that includes topics about your habits, the psychology behind negative eating patterns, how to prevent injuries while you train, how to have good form while you run and so much more.
The cost of Joggo
Joggo has three different subscription options:
- Two-month plan for $66
- Four-month plan for $92
- Six-month plan for $132
Pros:
- Large library of educational content to help you improve your running and diet
- Motivation and accountability from professional trainers
- Personalized running plans or plans that will help you complete a race
Cons:
- You have to enjoy running to use Joggo
Best Vegetarian Weight Loss Program for Men: Diet-to-Go Vegetarian
Key features:
- Diet-to-Go’s vegetarian meal plan delivers plant-based meals that are ready-to-eat when they arrive at your door. This plan includes eggs and dairy as sources of protein, but you can also opt for meals that don’t include these ingredients.
- Like the other plans from Diet-to-Go, the vegetarian meals are on a five-week cycle to make sure you don’t have repeats unless you want them.
- Diet-to-Go’s meals are all crafted and pre-portioned by dietitians and nutritionists to make sure you’re getting all of the nutrients you need.
Diet-to-Go’s vegetarian plan is a great option if you’re vegetarian or trying to incorporate plant-based principles into your weight loss journey. This plan does include eggs, cheese and other dairy products, which means it is not vegan-friendly, but on a given week, you may only have to substitute a handful of meals to avoid these ingredients.
Menu
One of the best parts of getting your meals from Diet-to-Go is the menu diversity. Being on the vegetarian plan means you won’t be receiving a large chunk of the meals, but even so, you won’t have any repeated meals in your five-week cycle.
Here are some example meals from the vegetarian menu:
- Mediterranean tapas with red pepper hummus, baba ganoush and whole wheat pita bread
- White bean and veggie casserole with wild rice pilaf
- Stuffed shells with roasted red pepper sauce and baby carrots
Effectiveness
All of Diet-to-Go’s meal plans are portion controlled and calorie restrictive. That means that your team of nutritionists and dietitians are crafting these meals to be nutrient dense, but low calorie to promote weight loss. The vegetarian menu follows the same philosophy, which should show you steady results. According to Diet-to-Go, most people lose weight at a rate of one to three pounds per week on the program.
Cost of membership
Diet-to-Go’s vegetarian plan costs between $138.99-$203.99 per week. What your true cost will be depends on your choice between five or seven days per week, and whether you’ll receive two or three meals per day.
Pros:
- All of Diet-to-Go’s meals come with side dishes and condiments, which is unique among similar plans
- The meals are portion controlled, but have been professionally designed to give you all the nutrients you need
- There are no membership, cancellation or pausing fees
- SI readers get 60% off their first week of meals from Diet-to-Go
Cons:
- The meals come in a lot of packaging that many users say is non-recyclable
- The portions are single-serve. and there are no discounts for partner programs
Best Weight Loss Program for Men for Healthy Living: Home Chef
Key features:
- Home Chef delivers meal kits with all of the ingredients you’ll need, plus an easy-to-follow recipe instruction card. These meals have enough portions to feed two, four or six people.
- Home Chef sends your meals on a weekly basis, and you can choose how many meals and how many portions you want included in your delivery. The minimum is two people and two meals per week, but the range goes up to six people and six meals per week.
- There are options for ready-to-eat meals, express cook meals and even restaurant quality meals if you want to test your kitchen skills.
Home Chef is not a traditional weight loss plan in that it doesn't control your portions for you. However, all of the meals on the menu are made with fresh ingredients, so you’ll be eliminating preservatives, artificial sweeteners and other fillers that keep you from healthy living.
Menu
Home Chef does not offer specific plans for dietary restrictions like other meal delivery services, but when you sign up for the service, you can designate ingredients and food groups you want to avoid. Your meal deliveries will be tailored to those preferences, and you shouldn’t see any of the designated foods on the weekly menu.
Here are a few sample meals from the menu you might see, depending on your set preferences:
- Salmon teriyaki lettuce cups with carrots, radishes and cucumber
- Soy glazed steak with cucumber salad and rice
- Lemony asparagus risotto with peas and roasted tomatoes
Effectiveness
Home Chef gives you much more freedom than other programs or delivery services on this list because you get to pick your meals, and you’ll be in charge of your own portions. That said, Home Chef takes all of the mental labor out of shopping for ingredients at healthy living stores, or hunting through nutrition labels wondering if any of the ingredients are sabotaging your weight loss. All of Home Chef’s meals will be fresh with balanced nutrients.
Cost of membership
Home Chef has no membership fee. All you’ll be paying for are your weekly meals and standard shipping. The shipping charge is a straightforward $10.99 on all orders. How much your weekly meals cost will depend on certain factors you choose. Here are the ranges:
- Cooking for two people: $47.96 for two meals, up to $119.88 for six meals per week
- Cooking for four people: $79.92 for two meals, up to $239.76 for six meals per week
- Cooking for six people: $119.88 for two meals, up to $359.64 for six meals per week
Pros:
- All meals have fresh ingredients and balanced nutrients
- Meals can be delivered oven-ready for an extra charge
- You can order six portions if you’re cooking for a family or meal prepping
Cons:
- You’re in charge of your own portion control
- Some meals take up to an hour to cook
Best Appetite Suppressant to Supplement Your Weight Loss Program: PhenQ
Key features:
- Contains α-Lacys Reset, a trademarked form of ALA which can help you lose weight
- Lower dose of caffeine than other appetite suppressants
- Can increase your energy levels
PhenQ is a metabolism booster and appetite suppressant that's made up of vitamins, minerals and other ingredients with the goal of reducing your overall calorie intake and burning your fat stores for energy. Supplementing your weight loss program with PhenQ could help you curb cravings, lose those last few stubborn pounds or give your metabolism an extra boost to burn more calories.
Active ingredients
- α-Lacys Reset: ɑ-Lacys reset is a branded form of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), and the primary key ingredient in PhenQ. Studies suggest that supplementing with ALA alongside a weight loss program can help you lose more weight than the weight loss program alone. However, it's still unclear how much ALA is required to see these benefits.
- Capismax powder: Capsimax powder is a branded, whole foods extract from red chili peppers. Capsaicin, the compound that's extracted, is essential for metabolic health and a key component in regulating body weight.
- Chromium picolinate: Chromium is a trace mineral that you get from food, but it also helps your body absorb nutrients better when it's part of a supplement.
- Caffeine: You may already consume caffeine for energy and focus in the form of coffee or tea, but did you know that caffeine is one of the most studied appetite suppressants? It can reduce your calorie intake if you consume it about 30 minutes before a meal. PhenQ has 150 milligrams of caffeine per dose.
- Nopal cactus: Nopal cactus is a natural ingredient that studies suggest can help your body expel fat during the digestive process. However, best results come when you take more than 400 milligrams per day of cactus fiber, and PhenQ has only 20 milligrams.
- L-carnitine fumarate: L-carnitine is a vitamin-like substance that has shown promise in reducing BMI, overall body weight and fat percentage when used as part of a weight loss program, though the effective dose remains unclear.
Precautions
PhenQ is a fat burner and appetite suppressant, which means it includes ingredients that you may be sensitive to. If you're sensitive to caffeine or have underlying health problems, you should consult your doctor before trying PhenQ.
Does PhenQ work?
PhenQ is a weight loss supplement, not a standalone program. If you don’t include a balanced diet and regular exercise alongside PhenQ, then you're likely to see little to no results. There are no magic pills for weight loss, but an appetite suppressant and metabolism booster like PhenQ can potentially aid your weight loss journey.
Cost
One bottle of PhenQ is a month’s supply and costs $69.99. You can also bundle to save; for example, you can buy two bottles and get a third for free ($139.99), or buy three bottles and get two free ($209.99).
Pros
- Appetite suppressant that may help curb cravings at the beginning of a weight loss program
- Can boost your energy to get your body moving
- Most ingredients have some scientific support for the weight loss claims
Cons
- Many ingredients are not dosed high enough to be clinically effective
How to Choose the Best Weight Loss Program for You
As you can see from this list, there are incredible weight loss programs for men regardless of their goals, lifestyle or specific needs. The options can seem overwhelming. To help with this, we recommend keeping some of the following considerations in mind to help make your choice easier.
Take inventory of your lifestyle
The best weight loss program for you will be a system that works with your lifestyle and time constraints. Not every man has 20 hours a week to prepare meals or dedicate to communicating to a fully equipped gym. It’s a good idea to take stock of your lifestyle and be objective about how much time and effort you can dedicate to your weight loss. This will help eliminate a lot of frustration later on.
This process will also show you what aspects or features of a weight loss program are important. For example, if your schedule includes a lot of travel, choosing a program that lets you be anywhere and work out with little equipment may be best.
Choose the program that makes it easier to achieve a consistent caloric deficit
Regardless of what program you choose, achieving a caloric deficit is essential for weight loss. Each program will have a different approach to achieving this goal. Programs like WW (Weight Watchers) let you still partake in foods you normally eat, while encouraging mindful eating patterns to push you towards maintaining a calorie deficit and weight loss in the long run. It’s best to consider a program with aspects you enjoy and can sustain over a long period of time.
Determine the “why” behind your weight loss goals
As you can see, there are many paths toward weight loss. However, which method you choose may reap a host of different benefits in addition to the change on the weight scale. Take stock of why you are starting this journey in the first place and choose a weight loss program that reflects the greater reason for your journey.
How We Chose the Best Weight Loss Programs for Men
We selected the best weight loss for men based on several important criteria, which included:
- Science-based approach: In an industry prone to wild, exaggerated claims, we only selected programs based on sound research-backed scientific and nutritional principles.
- Value: The process of weight loss can be expensive. We selected options that provided tremendous value in relation to their cost.
- Brand reputation: Longevity and track record are important in the weight loss space. We chose brands that either have a long track record or adhere to the highest scientific and professional standards.
- User results: We looked through thousands of user reviews and surveys to verify that a substantial number of people have had success with these programs.
Learn more about our product review process.
Best Weight Loss Programs for Men FAQs
What is the fastest way for a man to lose weight?
How quickly a man can lose weight will determine a range of factors, including age, health history and chosen weight loss method. According to multiple studies, the fastest safe amount of weight loss should be between one and two pounds per week.
Which weight loss program has the best results for men?
There are different weight loss programs that produce great results for men. The best weight loss program will depend on your individual goals, diet and exercise needs and how that program is suited to help you achieve them.
Where do men lose weight first?
Where men lose weight first largely depends on genetics and the type of fat they have.
How many pounds can men safely lose each week?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, men can safely lose between one and two pounds weekly.
Final Thoughts
Given the number of options available, finding the best weight loss program for men can be challenging. We hope this list has helped you discover a weight loss program that works best for your needs and goals. If you are looking for a well-balanced program that helps develop and track long-term habits, Noom, our best overall pick, may be worth considering.
If you’ve struggled with meal prep and figuring out the nutrition aspect of your weight loss plan, Purple Carrot and Trifecta meals may be a great starting point and give you more time to get acclimated. Sometimes choosing the right program doesn’t happen right away. Don’t be afraid to try a few out to see what fits. Many have free trials or introductory pricing that can help keep costs low while testing.
Regardless of which program you choose, be sure to consult a medical professional if you encounter any issues or have any questions.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.