Diet Plans with meals

$27.85 per day

THE DIET: Meals are based on food from the reality show; food is delivered weekly and comes frozen and shelf-stable. Boil frozen meals in their plastic bags, or microwave.

HOW IT WORKS: Daily meals and snacks add up to about 1, 500 calories, with 25 percent from fat, 30 percent from protein, and 45 percent from good carbs.

TESTERS: Sarah, 35, married; Cara, 36, married with one child; Cristina, 26, single.

THE PROS:

· "The portions were surprisingly large. I wasn't ravenous between meals."

· Favorite dishes: tortellini and barbecued pork.

· Testers agreed that the diet helped them learn portion control.

· One dieter said this plan would be worth the price — if she had extra cash to spare.

THE CONS:

· Not much menu customization; a no-go for vegetarians and picky eaters.

· The plan does not provide guidelines on eating out, and recommends no more than three alcoholic drinks a week.

· Boiling in the bag is key; microwaving made the food bland and the texture tough.

· Testers reported a mild chemical taste in the protein shakes and protein chips.

RESULTS: Sarah lost one pound; Cara said her pants felt looser; Cristina stayed the same.