Just to be clear: I am not signing up for Precision Nutrition’s Lean Eating Program again. Like any program, they have a lot of repeat customers. A few women from my team have been struggling to stay on track and, coming on seven months since our year ended, have either signed up or are considering signing up for the year of coaching that starts later this month.
As former clients, we were all sent a special offer — a VIP offer, no less. Instead of the regular price of $229 US if you pay monthly ($2199 US if you pay all at once), former clients are offered the special price of $137 US monthly ($1319 US if you pay all at once).
I have nothing against PN LE (other than that I despise the photo contest, which is their big promotional campaign that goes against everything they teach all year about what’s important, but anyway–see my post “When Precision Nutrition’s Lean Eating Program Lost Me”). As I said in my review of my PN LE year, I learned a lot and developed some good habits. But I’m faltering a bit, feeling not on top of the habits.
And I’m not the only one. Lots of my “team” feel that way. And that’s what makes the offer so tempting. Something about paying the money provides an incentive to stay on track. Just having the knowledge isn’t enough.
In this respect, though I had high hopes for PN LE, it’s not so different from any other program or plan or (dare I say) diet. The info is good, the habits are great if you practice them, but it’s hard to practice them alone. And they know that. Like Weight Watchers and its Lifetime Membership status, PN LE’s VIP category counts on your needing them in order to succeed in the long run. It’s a huge frustration that they don’t publish any longterm results. They just play up the “after” pics of the people who are in the final two months of their PN LE year.
And the VIP price is a full $37 US (almost $50 CDN) more per month than I was paying when I signed up for $100 per month in January 2014. The “regular” price of $229 per month is unbelievable. It’s just not sustainable to pay that kind of money to “stay on track.” When does it end?
What makes me think that if I do it again I’ll be able to go it alone after that if I can’t do it this time around? Am I going to have to sign up for PN LE (and pay the ever-rising price) every time I feel as if I’m struggling? And what, exactly, am I struggling with? I don’t even know sometimes. The whole idea of intuitive eating? Keeping on top of the habits and the workouts? Life and the various challenges it throws my way?
So no thanks. It’s a tempting offer (because it’s so tempting to think that this time it will be different). The allure of leanness, as advertised in the “after” photos (that the clients are encouraged to have done by professional photographers, providing free advertising for PN’s recruitment purposes), can draw in the desperate (a feeling I am all too familiar with). But I don’t want to be pay a monthly fee for the rest of my life to to keep me on point.
They don’t share results I suspect because it’s not good news. I suspect the success/failure rate in terms of long term weight loss and maintenance is the same as every other weight loss program. The other answer I suspect they’d give is that they’re not about weight loss. It’s the inner transformation and body acceptance they’re after. But of course the before and after pics don’t mesh with that. I also know a bunch of people who’ve done the program more than three times. And I agree it’s expensive.
No doubt the long term results for those who don’t continue to pa are not great. I think that is the disappointing part. I was hoping it would be different but it’s not. And I just refuse to keep paying for this kind of coaching as a lifelong thing.
That marketing sounds quite a bit like the marketing I got from “Get In Shape for Women” when I did a trial run of their system a couple of years ago. “Are you READY TO TRANSFORM your body and TRANSFORM your life?” blah blah blah. I also declined to renew, even though I learned some good habits there that I still use 2 years later. I was actually pretty happy with my life as it was, I just needed a little tweaking, not a total (and expensive) transformation.
Tracy you are so right. I did learn everything I need and just have to commit to myself and not $229 a month.
I’m currently doing PN and I was horrified at the number of people in my group who have already done it in previous years and have the “this time it will be different” attitude. Part of what sold me on the whole program was the thought that I was creating habits for life and wouldn’t need to keep signing up. I guess I’m just a sucker for clever marketing.
I too was surprised at the repeats. We had people who were just finishing and already thinking about joining again immediately. But don’t despair, it is good information. I did learn a few things and I think, in general, I like the habit-based approach. I just find their marketing to be off-putting, with the emphasis on before and after pictures. And if they were up front about the percentage of their clients who are back for a second, third, fourth or more time, I think people would hesitate more than they do. Very clever marketing!
I got a lot out of PN. none of it had anything to do with fitness or nutrition.
It was all about self acceptance and small changes.
I think a lot of that was Krista. And the lessons. And I have taken that information and changed everything else.
I won’t be joining again. I have better ways to spend my time and money than focusing on changing my body. I have changed my life. That’s so much bigger.
Anne
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network. From: Fit Is a Feminist IssueSent: Thursday, July 9, 2015 6:10 AMTo: brandykowalchuk@yahoo.comReply To: Fit Is a Feminist IssueSubject: [New post] Why I Donât Want to Be a Precision Nutrition VIP (But the Temptation Is There Anyway)
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Tracy I posted: “Just to be clear: I am not signing up for Precision Nutrition’s Lean Eating Program again. Like any program, they have a lot of repeat customers. A few women from my team have been struggling to stay on track and, coming on seven months since our year en”
Tracy, I loved this article. I felt the same way. The habit based approach was great but the program lacked accountability for me, had too many people in a group and I fell right off the wagon during it! My coach got in touch once but never thereafter! I felt like too much of a Loser to be getting in touch with her again. To be fair, they’re great at precisely Precision Nutrition in terms of research driven articles and teaching but not sustainable weight loss. A girl in my batch was ironically someone who had won in a previous year!
3 years on, I signed up for http://www.mybodytutor.com and it goes right everywhere PN didn’t. I have my very own personal body tutor who checks in with me daily, I have access to her mobile number and whatsapp or Skype, we speak once every week, the diet and psychology is customize to what I need as indicated in my feedback, they are NOT interested in repeat business and they promise results are typical! Adam the owner is extremely ethical and guarantees your money back if you’re unhappy. There is also no minimum timeframe and coaching is on a monthly basis. Beat this, when done and you’re at your goal weight, he offers you lifetime access to the daily reporting database! You don’t get coached daily anymore but your coach keeps an eye on you and gives you the occasional nudge in the ribs if you fall off the wagon!
I’m sorry if this comes off as an advert. It isn’t. I just truly love this program and have reached my ideal weight in a sustainable manner for the first time! I paid USD 249 per month and lost 30pounds. I would recommend it over PN anyday and especially when the benefits are for life.
Fiona