Type of Counseling:  by phone and online (chat room), by nutritional consultants, nurse, psychologist or therapist

Typical Cost:  $180/year for online program, $199-399 for the IN CLINIC clinic program for 12-18 weeks

Type Program:  mix of commercial weight loss centers, online program, and independent contractors providing in-home parties

Type of Foods Used:  regular grocery store foods, company protein drinks, soups, puddings, other foods.

At-Home or Direct Mail Plan Available?  Yes, Internet program (Belly Buster Diet)

Before and After Weight Loss Clinics, Inc.

4901 South U.S. 1
Fort Pierce, FL  34982

also known as: Belly Busters Parties, and The Belly Buster Diet

772-429-1110
772-562-3601
 

Contact: Nancy Lee McCaskill, CEO and founder

Websites: www.beforeandafterdiet.net, www.bellybusterdiet.net, www.tropicalspawraps.com

This is an interesting 5-year old "hybrid" weight loss company that actually involves three ways you can access their program. It is a regional chain of 4 commercial weight loss centers located on the east coast of Florida. At these centers, the company has a psychologist, nutritionist, dietitian, and nurse. The creators of the diet program are: Lee McCaskill (a research microbiologist), her son, Joshua Watson, MD (gastroenterologist), McCaskill's aunt, Etha Bailey, who is a registered dietitian and a diabetes specialist for Humana Hospital Systems. Ms. McCaskill developed many of the herbal formulas used in the clinic.

The company decided not to franchise the business after opening five physical locations in four years.  Unlike other weight loss companies, it decided to take its program national through a party plan concept, kind of like Mary Kay Cosmetics. Since August 2004, the company's "distributors" or "nutritional consultants" network is growing rapidly with over 1,400 consultants trained and available.  The company has a presence in almost all 50 states already, with the largest concentration from Virginia to Florida, Ohio to Oklahoma and a fast-growing group in Canada and the Caribbean.

Before and After Weight Loss Clinics also operates a full-service online program. The third option involves parties and counseling by the 1,400 "nutritional consultants".

How The Program Works – Services Offered

Rather than selling the diet plan up front, the company has the potential client fill out a health profile. You would fill that out and then a counselor from one of the five clinics OR one of the firm's 1,400+ "nutritional consultants" that work out of their homes would contact you by email or usually by phone, to do a metabolic assessment based on your answers.

One can elect to do the online program for $180 for all the weight you can lose in a year. With that, you get a phone call once a week from a either a therapist, a nurse or a nutrition consultant, a toll-free number to call their counselors from 9am -7pm EST, a newsletter that goes out biweekly, access to the members-only site filled with recipes, nutritional research, information about herbal products and dietary supplements, a chance to win a cruise for keeping your weight off for a year, and explanations of the company's theories about weight loss.

The diet plan uses regular grocery store food and it is based on how foods biochemically react in the body (example: no cabbage as it lowers the thyroxin output in the thyroid). This plan resembles a low-carb, low-fat, glycemic index-based plan. It requires you to consume at least 2 packets of whey-based low calorie drinks, puddings, soups, gelatins or hot chocolates per day ($10-14 for a box of 7). Clients can consume more if they wish. These contain 15 grams of protein and are used as snacks in between meals or to supplement a meal. However, they are not total meal replacements.

The company claims that the excellent psychological counseling the client gets sets it apart from a lot of other weight loss clinics. Subjects covered include: Self Esteem, Emotional Boundaries, Anger, Grief and Loss, Control Issues, and Stress and Relaxation--all in relation to sabotage and your weight. The firm is currently working on tapes by a licensed mental health therapist to send customers, based on its Life Skills program.

In The Clinic Program... This is the plan where you visit one of the company's "bricks and mortar" clinics, in person or otherwise. There is a registration fee of $75 and a maintenance fee for one year of $99. The total cost of this program ranges from $199-699. Protein supplements (described above) ARE required, but there are lots of ways to "win" them. Their cost ranges from $12 for a box of 7 to $8.84 when you buy in bulk.

Another thing that differentiates this weight loss company from others is that in the clinics and regionally where it has the in-home nutritional consultants, it holds cooking classes once a month and gives away prizes, plays games and awards buttons to clients. Clients stick with the program to see what crazy things it will do next. For example: at Thanksgiving it sponsored Frozen Turkey Bowling where clients and potential clients vied for a 20 lb. turkey, or the Shake, Rattle and Roll nights where they invited an Elvis look-alike to serve diet shakes.

With this concept, a person would invite 6-8 friends or co-workers or relatives to a weight loss party. Then, the company tries to sell their online program and a protein kit and an herbal kit. These are called "Belly Buster Parties" and start off by playing Belly Buster Bingo. There is no fee to attend a Belly Buster party.

The consultants travel to Florida at their expense to be trained by the firm's professionals, take a test, and take home a mobile weight loss clinic in a suitcase on wheels. They pay $325 for their kit. These consultants' clients are taken care of over the phone and then have access to the website and the toll-free numbers. Once a month, the consultant has a cooking class in her home or community center, just like the company has in their Florida clinics. Ms. McCaskill is licensed to certify all of her consultant as weight loss consultants and has a complete course that consultants take to become certified to sell her products. Training is provided by teleconference and DVDs and by an extensive training manual.

Don't assume that all of these consultants have a formal nutritionist certification (by the Certified Board for Nutrition Specialties, other other trade groups), or are dietitians. They are not. However, the fact that they do pay a substantial fee and must be trained in person by the company's degreed staff does say something about their quality and integrity. The company does not simply accept any counselors "off the street".

The company claims that the typical client takes 17 weeks to complete their program and that the average person loses 3.2 pounds per week (women lose 2-5 lbs. and men lose 4-5 lbs.).

Before and After Weight Loss Clinics claims to have won numerous awards for its success in the community. It currently claims approximately 7,200 clients in South Florida, and over 50,000 nationwide. The company has also been approached by a chain of well-known hotels about selling its online program and products in their spas. Their nutritional consultants would be kind of like Belly Buster consultants.

This is quite an interesting company that seems to have connected with consumers. Rather than restrict itself to one channel, it straddles three--online, in-home, and weight loss centers. Consequently, it appears to be a customized blend of programs such as eDiets, Weight Watchers, and Mary Kay--all rolled into one. It seems to have the professional, degreed medical staff needed to provide oversight to its growing army of nutritional "consultants". It also offers some fun activities and does put emphasis on the psychological support, a plus. The plan is also based on regular food and not an over-reliance on company supplements or diet food The plan is competitively priced with other diet websites and commercial chains.  BestDietForMe.com analysts feel that this company's plan is worth a try for those seeking a more personal and fun approach.

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