Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Solution

Will it work for everyone?

I first found out about the Ultimate Weight Solution by Dr. Phil McGraw diet when I came across it in a bookstore while looking for another diet book. It browsed through it before I decided to purchase it and see how it differed from other diets I had tried.

Dr. Phil’s approach to weight loss includes changing your lifestyle from the inside out—in other words, overcoming the inner obstacles that prevent you from losing weight. In addition, he stresses getting to know yourself so that you can change your lifestyle and eating habits.

For anyone trying to lose weight, it’s important to know why you eat as you do and what triggers you to eat. These concepts are nothing new but learning to correct the behaviour is something worth investigating.

That part of the Ultimate Weight Solution diet is different from many other diets while most of the other ideas that Dr. Phil imparts are no different than teachings we have learned from many other weight loss plans.

The problem I found with the Ultimate Weight Solution program is that the menu suggestions require a good deal of time to prepare, cook, and eat. The idea appears to be that the longer it takes to prepare, the more likely you are to take the time to sit down and enjoy it.

The problem with that line of thinking is many people today live fast-paced lifestyles and do not have the time to prepare meals that take more than a few minutes in preparation time let alone longer than a few minutes to eat. In my case, for example, I don’t get home until 5:30 or 6:00 depending upon traffic, and my kids need to be in bed by 10:00 p.m. at the latest because of school. My husband will start dinner if I have everything prepared and ready to go in the oven or microwave, but he knows nothing about preparing dinner.

I did attempt the Ultimate Weight Solution diet plan for about a month by preparing foods ahead of time as much as possible, but dinner still took longer to cook and eat than it had in the past. The Ultimate Weight Solution diet relies almost exclusively on preparing foods from scratch and avoiding processed foods, and although these are healthy choices, they do not fit into my busy lifestyle.

As a working mom of two teenagers who are active in various activities, it’s essential for me to be able to prepare, cook, serve, and finish dinner with an hour to meet those demands on my time.

For someone who has the time it takes to prepare a home-cooked meal every day of the week, the Ultimate Weight Solution program might work. During the month I tried it, I did lose weight but it meant rushing to finish dinner so that I could get the kids where they needed to go and still have some time for myself before I went to bed. It left me drained because I was rushing every night of the week.

If you are a full-time wife and mom, it may work for you, but for working moms, there just isn’t the time to invest.

Review by Judy Callahan