I like to think of myself as a pretty healthy person, so when I started a two-week trial run with MyBodyTutor.com, I didn’t expect it to change how I eat very much. I hoped it would give me some personalized workout tips, and help keep me honest about how much sugar I eat. I was surprised to find out all the ways I could eat better every day, and by how very hands-on this online diet program really is.

My Body Tutor is a one-on-one nutrition and fitness counseling service that provides you with a totally personalized weight loss plan. When you sign up, you will be paired with a Body Tutor, a trained fitness and diet expert who will guide you along your weight loss journey. Before you start, you will have an initial call with your tutor to talk about your goals, fitness level and to help them get to know you.

Adam Gilbert, the founder of My Body Tutor, was—well—my body tutor. In our initial call, I proved to be a pretty atypical client, because my goal is to eat better but not necessarily lose weight. Adam was up for the challenge, explaining that we can all work to be a little healthier. He explained his eating philosophy: cut down on simple carbs, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and be sure to get protein with every meal. He also recommended eating some protein and complex carbs every three hours, either as a snack or light meal, to keep my energy and metabolism up.

Adam explained that no particular foods are forbidden, as long as you understand why you’re eating them. This life-style approach to weight loss allows you to eat the foods you love, just in moderation. The tutors ask their clients to examine why they eat unhealthy foods, to avoid stress eating or emotional eating. “One of the things I do with my program is really help people slowly but surely change the way they think and react to food,” said Adam, “and help them understand why they’re eating in the first place. If you do that, then you can absolutely keep weight off for the rest of your life.”

How It Works

Each evening, I signed into MyBodyTutor.com, and logged my meals, exercise for the day, and my plans to exercise the next day. The following morning, I received feed back on every meal and work out. Adam made suggestions on how to eat better, and encouraged me to stay on track with my fitness. Tips like ordering sushi with brown rice instead of white and getting falafel with whole wheat pita quickly became incorporated into my meals. I also found that I was eating way less protein than I could be, something I only vaguely knew before signing up. The program not only helped me eat better, it also forced me to plan better, so that I could get in that serving of protein with each meal.

I sometimes felt annoyed by Adam’s suggestions, even when I knew he was right. I should be applauded for eating a big salad for lunch, right? When Adam pointed out it didn’t have any protein, the grade-monger in me raised its ugly head. I felt better when Adam explained that he doesn’t expect perfection out of his clients. “The goal is progress,” he said. “Knowing that it’s ok to mess up I think takes a lot of pressure off my clients.”

A Moment of Gratitude

Another important feature of My Body Tutor is that clients are asked to list three things they are grateful for each day. This might seem silly at first, but it’s a way to focus on things in your life other than weight loss and food. “When you’re focusing on change, sometimes all you focus on is what you’re not doing and that can lead to a lot of negative feelings,” said Adam. “I want my clients to feel good at the end of the day, not like they’re a failure. It’s important for them to focus on what’s good while they’re also transitioning.” Sharing things you’re grateful for also helps your tutor get to know aspects of your life that might not otherwise be apparent.

Conclusion

Although the program is obviously geared more towards people who want to lose weight than someone with goals like mine, My Body Tutor certainly helped me be more aware of what I ate and how often I exercised. The program makes clients accountable for their food choices and physical activity, and also provides emotional support. Clients receive a weekly phone call with their tutor, frequent motivational emails, and access to online tools that will track your progress. You can give your tutor a “crisis” call—or send an email—whenever you need advice on staying on track or handling a difficult situation. There’s also a Platinum membership that includes daily calls with your tutor.

My Body Tutor provides a weight loss service that’s that antithesis of a fad diet, teaching people how to eat better without being overly restrictive. “What really bothers me are people who go from one fad diet to the next, without ever sticking to it,” said Adam. “I’m really interested in people who lose weight and keep it all off. The only way to do that is to really change your thoughts, actions and behaviors.”

WINNER SELECTED 6/30/11: KAREN

Win 1 Month Free with My Body Tutor!

Eligibility: Post a comment below telling us why this would help you reach your health goals.

Drawing: One winner will be drawn and announced 6/30/11, and awarded with a month’s access to My Body Tutor, valued at $149.

*DISCLAIMER: Only residents of the U.S. are eligible to win. DietsInReview.com will draw one winner June 30, 2024 and will notify winner via the email used in the comment form. Winner has five business days to respond and claim prize or forfeit prize. DietsInReview.com may replace the prize with one of equal value if prize is not available. Prize value is $149.00; not redeemable for cash. Prize provided by My Body Tutor.