Beyond Diet Review
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By CANDICE GREY ConsumersCompare.org Update: Sep 25, 2024 |
The Beyond Diet was created back in 2008 by fitness and diet enthusiast Isabel De Los Rios. Many people who sign up for this diet program don’t think of it as a diet, but rather as a new relationship with food. The main program is online, but De Los Rios does sell some books and guides in retail outlets online and in stores.
The diet’s foundation is based on your metabolic type—you eat foods that should positively affect that specific type. With over 3,000 recipes and three different programs to follow, you can set up a personalized system for long-term success. [1]
How Does The Beyond Diet Work?
So, metabolic types and three program paths: weight loss, blood sugar control, or simply a cleaner lifestyle. All of the beyond diet program focuses on whole foods and healthy recipes. The overall goal is a healthy relationship with food for the rest of your life. The program will be catered to you, with a series of questions about your goals and diet needs so it can determine which program will fit you best. [2]
You can join the online community right from the company’s main website; a 1-year membership costs $47. Once inside the website you gain access to recipes, forums, and tools to get you started on whichever diet path you choose to follow. You also apparently get a $10.00 refund and “free gifts” as part of the program. Beyond Diet reviews highlight it as a practical and enjoyable option for those seeking to improve their health without the stress of strict calorie counting.
But here blossoms a bit of a prickly pear. Many users have reported continual “upsells” and a lot of emails.
back to menu ↑What Do The Beyond Diet Users Say?
One reviewer of De Los Rios’ Beyond Diet, The Complete Guide, Stop Dieting Start Eating Start Living summarized it pretty well:
I had high hopes for this book…and it delivered on a couple of them like talking about organic foods, nutrients in foods, etc. However, this was supposed to be a great source of information that I could reference prior to putting a menu together, for instance…or heading off to the grocery store. The book bills itself as a ‘complete guide’; however, if you look under foods for specific references to what to buy (Staple Shopping List), you’re going to see LINKS. To web pages. Swell. That’s really not what I bought this book for! …
As if this weren’t enough…I got this book along with their ‘program’, which includes ‘personal training’ time with Isabel. What it ACTUALLY includes is REAMS of emails on an almost daily basis promising information but actually linking to someone else’s site where they’re—you guessed it—SELLING a product! …
So, on the plus side, you have an interesting discussion—with good advice—on the importance of going organic. … There are also some interesting recipes and some rather awkward meal planning. On the minus side: as a practical guide, you’d better have internet handy. Oh, and use a dummy email addy unless you enjoy getting pitched all the time! [3]
There are similar complaints on the reviews for Isabel’s other books.
back to menu ↑The Online Program
When you opt for the online program, you will be shown a library:
- Beyond Diet Program Home
- Beyond Diet Quick Start Guide
- Beyond Diet 14 Days Of SuperCharged Meal Plans
- Beyond Diet SuperCharged Meal Plans Days 15-28 [4]
They also give you the “Diet Tools” section:
- Metabolism Type Test
- Caloric Calculator
- Ideal Food Ratios
- Allowable Servings
- Food Choices [4]
Is The Beyond Diet Dangerous?
From what I can see, the diet programs and recipes themselves aren’t dangerous. Without signing up for the program you can’t see more than the pictures, but they look a lot like most of the healthy, whole-food recipes you can find all over the Web. And community-based diet programs do tend to be successful for some people, and there are reviewers who love this one:
“Great diet. One I know I can do for the rest of my life to keep weight off. Lost 30 pounds so far, have a few more to go, then watch out world!!!!” [5]
“All of the soup recipes in this book are full of very healthy ingredients. I have tried a few of them already and they were very good.” [6]
“I went on this diet to decrease inflammation. I have Psoriatic Arthritis and was taking a TNF, steroids, anti-inflammatories and Tylenol for pain! I not only have lost 30 pounds, but no longer take an anti-inflammatory, steroids or much Tylenol.” [7]
The Beyond Diet reviews give users options and promote a well-balanced and healthy diet. The program doesn’t hawk sketchy supplements (though the reams of emails may mention them) or in-house shake mixes and snack bars.
Pros and Cons of The Beyond Diet
Pro: Over 3,000 recipes give the dieter a lot of variety.
Pro: Membership is billed yearly rather than monthly, and $47 a year really isn’t a bad price for a community-based program with guidelines and recipes.
Pro: Of the complaints about the books and the online program, none of them were about the principles of the diet itself.
Pro: The online community is large and active.
Con: The program doesn’t include an exercise regimen.
Con: Even the books appear to be filled with website links rather than actual information.
Con: A lot of book reviewers felt them poorly conceived and poorly written.
Con: The online program is said to set you up for a flood of emails hawking various products; I know that would irritate me within a single day.
back to menu ↑The Bottom Line
Whole and healthy foods, organic if you can afford and find them, is never a bad thing. A large recipe base in one spot is incredibly helpful, so you can find something for every taste. A robust community offers tips and encouragement. And a membership fee that doesn’t require an arm, leg, and firstborn is always welcome. The Beyond Diet program reviews offer all that.
BUT…it also swamps you with sales-pitch emails, the books seem to be a tad on the useless side (negative reviews about the various books far outweighed the praise, on Amazon at least), and the same information is probably glean-able from the Web at large if you choose to assemble your own “cookbook.” It’s up to you—I find as much about it to pan as to praise.
I think this review is a bit unfair. First, you way overstate the issue of metabolism typing. Yes, there is a means of identifying your metabolism type but it is of very negligible importance here. I have been on Beyond Diet for 6 months and intend it to be my pattern of eating for the rest of my life. Degree or not – her science is solid and absolutely works! Her principles of nutrition and weight loss align with what I had already learned and believed about nutrition = most of which I had learned from medical doctors who specialize in nutrition and aren’t afraid to think outside the mainstream of the old conventional wisdom on the subject. I have never had a weight problem until the last few years. I just started gaining weight for no known reason and previous methods of weight loss seemed to have no effect. I was skeptical that it would work for me but wanted to believe all the testimonials about huge weight loss. Within the first 2 weeks I lost 10 pounds and just kept losiing – without ever feeling hungry. The food is delicious, high quality, nutritious, and well balanced. I don’t see how anybody can argue with that. I never had any billing problems and believe them to be an ethical, honest company.
I signed up for the program over 4 years ago and paid the $40 or $50 bucks, whatever it was at the time for the basic membership. I did not get any extras. Since, I haven’t been charged a penny.
When I first joined the program, I changed my lifestyle to only eat healthy, all natural/organic whole foods. I cut sugar, fried food and processed food out of my diet. My cholesterol went from bad to excellent in less then 3 months and I felt great. I had energy and was never sleepy during the day. I lost 20 lbs in a few months without working out at all. I followed the plan for about a year or so and ended up getting into a relationship with a man who did not eat healthy, I went back to eating badly, smoking and drinking soda. Needless to say I gained all the weight back and then some.
Now that I’m tired of being overweight, I have gone back to the plan to eat healthy and also have started working out this time around since I need to lose about 50 lbs.
I think beyond diet is a great resource, there is a lot of information and education on the site. Even if I don’t follow it 100% I still feel way better when I’m eating healthy and 5-6 times per day. This is not a diet, it’s a way of life and you can eat pretty much anything that’s healthy. If you are not a big fan of fruits or vegetables, try ORGANIC it makes such a huge difference in the taste.
I was closely reviewing what might have happened that I started charges on my cc for 77 dollars a MONTH with Beyond Diet. I am pretty careful about clicking on buttons that might subscribe me. So I was really surprised to think I would have accidentally click. I have called for a stop by subscription (that I didn’t sign up for.) Now that I have read these reviews I am confident they used my CC without permission (or clarity for obligations). I wasn’t feeling I would continue with Energy powder, now I have 3 bags. I don’t have the time for more phone calls to get back my 2 months (glad it wasn’t more)– BEWARE they will try to sell you more when you call for billing correction- the nerve to use another sales pitch for something they did wrong. Also know the EMAILs for product sales is endless. DON’T GIVE CREDIT CARD TO THIS COMPANY
this company is an unethical Do NOT GIVE YOUR CC. THE PROGRAM IS WORTH A READ BUT IF YOU CLICK NO THANK YOU TO MAINTENANCE YOU COULD STILL GET CHARGED>IF YOU CALL THEY WILL NOT HELP AFTER inital 90.00 plus 40.00 I was charged for 15 months ( I did not read my bill total over 400.00 ) I did not know i was being charged I was never on the site after the first day and was denied a refund because I should have known better per the CS REP. ASKED FOR A MANGER no luck SCAM SCAM SCAM only after your money
I joined Beyond Diet over 2 years ago. They charged me $40 up front for access to their website, there are specific things I can upgrade to, but as of yet….have not I have never had any problems with them billing my account for more money than they should but I think it is important to realize that some of the products recommended take you to a different site and are their affiliates. If you are over charged, it may be from that site…not Beyond Diet. This did happen to me; however, I returned the product and was given a full refund (fairly timely) I have found weight loss to be a great success using this program. I also want to address some concerns here, they are:
1) The diet only works while on it and when you get off, you gain weight – this is true of any diet. A diet is just that, a diet. In any diet, if you go back to eating the way you were, you will gain weight! Beyond Diet is truly a lifestyle change.
2) You lose the weight slowly – again, this is the way you are intended to lose weight. Losing weight fast just isn’t healthy.
My number one complaint about Beyond Diet is that it is really common sense, we should know how to eat healthy and portion control……but for a one time fee of $40, I appreciate logging in and having it track my progress AND for the occasional reminder that we all need.
I joined beyond diet in 2011. Back then the company was still getting established and I was charged $40 once and had access to everything. I can’t access anything anymore without upgrading to a monthly fee. I took several surveys and filled out some basic information to get my “individualized” meal plan. I did slowly loose about 15 lbs on this diet in 4 months.
Overall this diet has its ups and downs. On the one part I think it did a pretty good job about expressing what foods are good for you and which are not. As well as helping with portion control. On the downside…. This program try’s to guilt and pressure you (by telling you that you won’t loose weight without these) into buying a lot of not needed things like super expensive protein powders, colon cleanses and green powders. There is a lot of vagueness and different answers to common questions. There are also a lot of rules that pertain more to current fads and trends rather than hard research (such as eating 6 times a day and consuming super large amounts of coconut oil) there is also a real push to only eat local and organic to the point that people who can’t afford that feel like they won’t be able to loose weight if they don’t. Overall I did not like this program mainly because it made me stress about eating at certain times and I forgot how to listen to my body. I also did not appreciate all the expensive ad ins I felt guilted into buying.
The downside is if you say God gave you this to the people certainly the God of all people want you to make it affordable. Case in point I paid for the food program well I was on the 4 week program and no directions as to what should happen afterwards. After the 4 weeks I learned that I need to purchase a monthly newsletter for $149 per year. If paid monthly it is more. I enjoyed the foods which is expensive and a lot of cooking. I don’t think we should be charged for a newsletter it should be included in any purchase. The True and living God would you desire you to make this program more reasonable. I know you have other entities in your business but Ms Price said God gave her. God is not in the burdensome business. If God gave you this for the people the plan might not be you and others to become filthy rich. I’m just saying.
Don’t buy this! Not run like a Christian company! The green stuff is AWFUL AWFUL tasting and smelling. I had asked if I didn’t like it could I return it. I was told I could. The emails are just stuff you can get online and the customer service is TERRIBLE. You can’t cancel it easily once you order it. They SAY it’s money back. It’s NOT! I was a part of their Facebook page. Supposedly of customers. Honesty is supposed to be a big deal there. As soon as i posted what happened to me, they refused to post it and they removed me from their group. So THAT’s how they keep it all “positive!” They try to give you a PARTIAL credit. Don’t do it! Buyer Beware. Treated better by non-Christian companies?
We have been successful utilizing the knowledge. The nice thing is this program teaches you what your body wants and needs not what is advertised on tv eluding to what you need. We have implemented the program in our daily lives for several years. We are more active and have kept a combined 140lbs off. Change your life and lifestyle “Beyond a Diet”.
I have bought this entire system twice, love it but many more times do I have to buy it!!