Formerly known as Diet to Your Door, Bistro MD is now taking advantage of the fact that it was developed by a doctor in its new name. The goal is to provide customers with full menu of “gourmet” options delivered “to your door” as the name used to say.

What’s in it?

Aside from the regularly delivered meals, Bistro MD also includes a weekly “information package” which accompanies the meals. While the website has a great deal of information regarding menus and options, there are not many online support options, so once you have received your food, you are on your own.

How does it work?

For the most part, Bistro MD focuses only on the food aspect of dieting, leaving out the exercise and mental support portions of weight loss. While there are two brief articles on exercising in their “healthy facts” section, there isn’t a great deal of guidance regarding the kind of exercise you might pair with Bistro MD, although this is definitely something we would recommend if you decide to try their meal program.

Who does it work for?

There are a number of testimonials available via Bistro MD’s website, and it does appear that the program is effective as far as weight loss goes. However, the main downside to this (and any meal-delivery program) is that it doesn’t teach the dieter how to make positive food choices down the road. As long as you are able to maintain the cost of purchasing the meals from Bistro MD, you should be able to maintain your weight loss, but weight loss results may be difficult to maintain after you return to cooking and eating on your own.

Are there possible side effects?

Aside from unknown food allergies, there should not be any side effects related to eating Bistro MD morning, noon, and night. However, we do recommend pairing Bistro MD with regular exercise in order to maximize your weight loss benefits.

Are there any “bonus” features?

Currently, Bistro MD costs $169.95 per week including snacks, which is quite pricey. Without snacks, a week costs $149.95, and you are also able to purchase a 5-day plan for just $129.95. If you “order now,” you will receive one free meal with your purchase as well as a free diet analysis, which you can complete online via the Bistro MD website.

Although there are no discounted plans, you are able to earn $20 each time you refer a friend to Bistro MD, so if you’re someone who is an expert at talking people into trying new diet plans, you may be able to make a pretty penny referring friends to Bistro MD.

Overall, while we are certain that Bistro MD boasts high-quality food delivered to your door, we were disappointed by the lack of focus on exercise as part of a weight loss program. In addition, there was little scaffolding available to help someone wean themselves off of Bistro MD and begin making positive food choices on their own. For weight loss to be sustainable, it is vital that you learn to make positive health choices on your own, without the help of an in-home delivery system like Bistro MD.