Weight loss programmes can provide a helpful structure for your health journey when you feel out of control with unhealthy habits. They can also be a great way to join individuals going on the same journey, which can be incredibly motivating.
Everyone is different, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to choosing a weight loss programme. It ultimately depends on what suits your individual needs and what fits into your lifestyle.
Many people find online weight loss programmes more convenient and easier to fit into daily life. To save you tiresome research and help to answer some important questions, this guide compares two popular online weight loss programmes; The 1:1 Diet® by Cambridge Weight Plan and Second Nature.
Both The 1:1 Diet® by Cambridge Weight Plan and Second Nature focus on support to keep you motivated throughout your weight loss journey.
At Second Nature all the health coaches are registered nutritionists or dietitians. This means they have completed university accredited degrees to gain this professional title. Whereas The 1:1 Diet® by Cambridge Weight Plan’s consultants are people whose lives have been transformed by the programme and want to help others have the same experience.
Trustpilot score
Trustpilot is a platform where consumers can leave reviews and scores reflect overall customer satisfcation.
| The 1:1 Diet® | Second Nature | |
| Star rating |  |
 |
| Score | 2.6 / 5 read reviews |
4.9 / 5 read reviews |
Signing up
| The 1:1 Diet® | Second Nature | |
| Money back guarantee | Consultants can provide you with a full refund of any unused products within 14 days of purchase, providing the products are in a resalable condition. | Full refund if cancelled within 14 days. After this point, any charges non-refundable. |
| Clear breakdown of costs | ✗ (Prices vary per consultant) |
✓ |
| Clear cancellation policy | ✗ | ✓ |
| Length of programme | Varies per step and per consultant. | Ongoing subscription (minimum 12 weeks) |
| Easy to cancel | ✓ | ✓ |
| Refer-a-friend scheme | ✗ | ✓ |
| Easy to include family | ✗ | ✓ |
Nutrition
| The 1:1 Diet® | Second Nature | |
| Dietary approach | VLCD (very low-calorie diet), works on meal replacements | Lower carb |
| Caters to vegetarian | ✓ | ✓ |
| Caters to vegan | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vegetarian / Vegan recipe section | ✓ (Vegetarian only) |
✓ |
| Supplements encouraged | ✗ (Meal replacements contain the minerals and nutrients required) |
✗ Other than Vitamin D |
Support
| The 1:1 Diet® | Second Nature | |
| Tailors the plan around diabetes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tailors the plan around other health issues | ✓ | ✓ |
| Access to registered dietitian or nutritionist | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weekend support available | ✓ (Dependent on the consultant) |
✓ |
| Phone support available | ✓ (Dependent on the consultant) |
✓ |
| Face-to-face meetings | ✓ (Dependent on the consultant, offered prior to COVID-19 restrictions) |
✗ |
| Daily support from coach | ✗ | ✓ |
Programme features
| The 1:1 Diet® | Second Nature | |
| Encourages daily weigh-ins | ✗ | ✗ |
| Makes you take numerous body measurements | ✗ | ✗ |
| App | ✗ | ✓ |
| Recipe videos | ✗ | ✓ |
| Exercise videos | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weighing scales provided | ✗ | ✓ (On tech plan) |
| Tracks sleep | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks steps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks exercise | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks water intake | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks custom habits | ✗ | ✓ |
| Education of nutrition science | ✗ | ✓ |
| Requires calorie counting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Food diary feature | ✗ (Uses meal replacements) |
✓ |
| Meal planning tool | ✗ (Uses meal replacements) |
✓ |
| In-app journalling tool | ✗ | ✓ |
Pricing
When programmes provide price plans in different formats, it can be hard to accurately compare prices. To make this easier, we have calculated the price of monthly basic price plans on each programme to show you how costs compare over 3, 6, and 12 months (as of November 2020).
The 1:1 Diet® by Cambridge Weight Plan pricing is based on 3 meals a day and a weekly one-to-one consultation. This is an estimate and pricing varies across consultants. It is best to discuss pricing with a consultant ahead of commencing the programme. Whereas Second Nature’s costs are clearly stated on their website.
Both programmes provide the same coach throughout the whole programme that you can build a relationship with. The difference is that all Second Nature personal coaches are registered nutritionists or dietitians, rather than a previous member who has become a consultant (The 1:1 Diet® by Cambridge Weight Plan).
Registration to a professional body requires a nationally recognised nutrition or dietetics degree. Weekly face-to-face sessions with a registered dietitian or nutritionist can be very expensive (£40-£100/hour). We have added a column representing this to compare costs (Weekly Nutritionist – WN).
Monthly digital subscriptions:
| The 1:1 Diet® | Second Nature | WN | |
| Registered dietitian or nutritionist coach | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| The same, personal coach throughout the programme | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Price | £221 / month* | $60 / month | £300 / month |
*Pricing for The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan based on £55.23 per week (£2.63 per meal).This is based on 3 meals a day and a weekly one-to-one consultation. Price varies across consultants. Each consultant has their own price structure and depending on the steps you require will determine the cost.
Example nutrition query response
Nutrition is a major part of any weight loss journey. Therefore, it is important to receive accurate and reliable nutrition advice. We asked each programme a common nutrition-related query to see how the information provided as an answer compares.
Q: Are eggs bad for your cholesterol? Should I avoid them?
The 1:1 Diet®’s answer:
“We at head office are not trained as dieticians and cannot give out specific information on the benefit of eggs for your diet, but if you do have concerns about your cholesterol we would advise you to seek a medical opinion concerning your whole diet and the food groups you should look at avoiding.”
Second Nature’s answer:
“Eggs are a rich source of dietary cholesterol. It was previously thought that cholesterol-containing foods increase blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease and strokes. However, this has not been shown to be the case as dietary cholesterol is poorly absorbed from the digestive system, and if cholesterol is absorbed, the body will produce less of it to balance out (and prevent blood cholesterol levels rising). Therefore, you do not need to be restricted unless recommended to do so from your GP/Healthcare professional. Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet providing good quality protein as well as being loaded with vitamins and minerals.”
Take home message
- When choosing a weight loss programme, it is important to consider what would fit into your lifestyle and help you achieve your goals.
- For those who find face-to-face weight loss meetings uncomfortable or inconvenient, online programmes are a better option.
- The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan is done online given the current restrictions and Second Nature is fully online.
- Second Nature provides a registered dietitian or nutritionist personal health coach, whereas consultants for The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan are individuals who have had success on the programme.
- The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan has meal replacements whereas Second Nature provides you with an education of nutrition science, allowing you to make informed decisions yourself and develop a healthy relationship with food in the long-term.
- Second Nature provides you with an education of nutrition science, allowing you to make informed decisions yourself and develop a healthy relationship with food in the long-term.
- Customer support is available but you are advised to reach out to your consultant, Second Nature provides weekend and phone support options.
