The Joy Fit Club: A Positive Solution for Those Looking to Lose Weight

The Joy Fit Club, a weight loss plan pioneered by New York nutritionist Joy Bauer, is turning many heads among the health conscious. A simple plan meant to take off (and keep off) extra pounds, Joy Bauer reaches out with a club, which is found on the Today Show website. Joy's plan includes a set of rules, a meal plan, weight loss tools, success stories, and a community.

The Rules

1. Stay positive - keep a positive view on your weight loss goals

2. Get rid of all unhealthy foods - Get rid of all snack foods (including foods that the dieter is addicted to eating in mass quantities). Then, replace the lost food with healthy alternatives (which can be found in her meal plan)

3. Plan ahead - Plan your meals the night before, so you're less likely to reach for a convenient (yet high calorie) snack

4. Eat on a regular schedule - Start the day with breakfast and continue eating every four to five hours.

5. Exercise - Spend 30 minutes per day exercising

Meal Plan

Bauer bases her meal plans on a 1,400 to 1,800 calorie diet. Combining the perfect amounts of foods, Bauer ensures a healthy, yet satisfying course of meals. She encourages dieters to be creative with their meal plans, while giving instruction as to how to properly balance a meal. Each meal option tutorial (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack) provides the ingredients needed to make the meal and instructions on how to prepare it. Even those poor at cooking can follow Joy's easy plan!

Weight Loss Tools

Calculate your BMI: Your BMI (body mass index) is a ratio that compares a person's height with weight. The BMI is mainly used to see if a person is at risk for weight-related illnesses, such as high blood pressure, stroke or diabetes. A BMI of 25 and above puts a person at risk. All a person needs to do for this calculator is to put in a height (in inches) and weight (in pounds).

Calculate your calories: Bauer provides a calorie calculator that determines how many calories a person burns in a day. The calculator provides common, daily activities (such as showering, office work, and aerobics) and allows a person to plug in the number of minutes spent doing each activity. The calculator then shows how many calories were burned.

What counts as a serving: Bauer provides a graph as to how much of a specific food group constitutes a serving. For example, 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables counts as one vegetable serving.

Meet the Dieters and Community

A handful of dieters are showcased under the heading "Meet the Dieters" on Bauer's website. Each has a back story and weight loss goal. There are people in all walks of life, making The Joy Fit Club an experience all can relate to.

The community is all-encompassing as well. Joy answers questions submitted through e-mail and unites fellow dieters through an online forum, where dieters can share tips, get advice and provide support for one another.

All in all, Joy's dieting program has a positive, upbeat feeling and fosters a sense of community. Her workable advice, flexible solutions, and motivating attitude makes the Joy Fit Club an easy solution for weight loss.

Source: Joy Bauer, "Take it off with Joy Bauer's Fit Club", Today Show