Welcome to New Direction LCD (Low Calorie Diet)—a program that will help you lose weight and live a healthy life for years to come! We’re glad you’re here and ready to begin.
Losing weight healthfully is more than just cutting calories. The New Direction LCD program is a combination of grocery store food and meal replacements. Typically you will consume 2-3 meal replacements and get the rest of your nutrition from grocery store food. Both males and females typically consume 1,000 – 1,200 calories on the LCD program.
Research shows that losing weight by dieting alone doesn’t work, at least not in the long run. To manage your weight for a lifetime, you need to make permanent changes in your eating and exercise habits and the role food plays in your life. The New Direction LCD program offers weekly or bi-weekly meetings that provide you with the support and skills needed to help you manage your weight. These meetings with the registered nurse or registered dietitian are offered during all three phases of the New Direction LCD.
Phase I: Reducing-During the first phase of the program you’ll drink two to three servings of the New Direction beverage, eat one meal and perhaps a snack. This may vary depending on your individualized calorie needs. The beverage has been carefully formulated to be a complete meal replacement.
Phase 2: Adapting-When you’re nearing your weight loss goal, you will enter the Adapting Phase where you’ll gradually decrease the use of New Direction beverages and begin to add more food to your daily diet. The goals of this phase are to return to eating regular foods and to consume the right amount of calories so that you stop losing, but continue to manage, your weight.
Phase 3: Sustaining-In this final phase of the program, you’ll eat three meals and possibly a snack of regular food each day. Here you can practice your new lifestyle and weight management skills under the guidance of the New Direction support staff. You’ll continue to work with a dietitian to adjust your calories and meal plan, so you can maintain your new body weight and meet your nutritional needs. During the Sustaining Phase, it’s important to continue attending your classes. A combination of regular activity, sensible eating, and continued support from others can help you maintain your weight loss.