FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
At Pritikin, we do not limit the amount of food you eat or count calories. In fact, our guests are amazed that they’re losing weight but at the same time eating to their heart’s content.
Our goal is setting you up for real-world living that allows you to enjoy satisfying portions of food without the need to count calories.
Many other weight-loss resorts do limit the number of calories you take in. That’s easy to do when you’re on the property and someone else is counting out the calories for you, but it’s very difficult to follow when you leave.
And some programs cut calorie intake so drastically that you’re hungry all the time. One program we know of slashes calorie intake to 500 calories a day.
At Pritikin, you’ll never go hungry. You’re eating five filling meals and snacks daily. And you’re learning all the skills for continuing Pritikin living after you leave.
Bottom Line: Pritikin is not about calorie restriction. Pritikin is a sustainable non-diet approach to eating.
The Pritikin Dining Room provides an exclusive and private experience and is therefore reserved for the sole use of Pritikin guests. Arrangements for any visitors you may have are available on a first-come, first serve basis and based upon availability. The charge for your guest’s meal will be invoiced to your Pritikin folio. Cash or credit will not be accepted as a form of payment in the Pritikin Dining Room.
One key difference is our strong scientific background. More than 100 studies have been published in peer-review medical journals over the past 40 years validating the success of the Pritikin Program. No other resort has our scientific efficacy. In fact, most have no research proving their program works.
Another key difference is that Pritikin is in an environment unto itself. You’ll never, for example, be sitting next to someone eating prime rib and cheesecake. You’ll be spending your days with people just like you – people focused on a better, healthier life. This camaraderie can make a real difference in your own personal motivation, and in the results you achieve.
Our entire program is set up to give you the tools you need to successfully maintain Pritikin on the homefront. Our cooking classes teach you the secrets for preparing healthy, tasty food. Our nutrition workshops focus on real-world experiences, like dining out and food shopping.
Our exercise classes are not complex regimens that would never work in regular life. Instead, the exercise plan you’ll learn at Pritikin is simple and practical, easy to weave into daily life at home.
Our behavioral workshops give you cognitive skills that can help you break through barriers that may have hindered you in the past, like stress or binge eating.
Even if you’ve been living off pizzas and burgers for years, you’ll learn at Pritikin that you can change, and that it’s a lot easier and quicker than you ever thought possible.
But maybe most importantly, your palate changes at Pritikin. Oh sure, if you loved cheeseburgers before coming to Pritikin, you’ll probably still love them after you leave. But what people discover at Pritikin is that their culinary world expands far beyond burgers. With each meal, they’re experiencing new flavors and pleasures, which means that rather feeling deprived, they’re actually enjoying their food more.
Pritikin also offers an array of services to provide support, motivation and accountability after you return home. It’s easy to schedule a weekly call with the nutritionists you worked with at Pritikin, enjoy a virtual workout with your favorite fitness trainer, or stay motivated with with a life coach. You can even take online cooking classes. We’re serious about ensuring your success!
Guests at Pritikin span a wide range of ages, from young adults in their 30s seeking to prevent health conditions they may have witnessed in their parents or grandparents, to lively and robust guests in their 90s who have been loyal attendees at Pritikin for many years. The majority of guests typically fall within the age brackets of 40s, 50s, or 60s.
All kinds. We have people coming to lose excess weight and people with health challenges like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. But we also have many people who are in great shape and are coming simply to learn how to stay healthy.
For many of our guests, the overriding goal is the same, and can be summed up as: “I want to live long and well, and Pritikin gives me the best chance for making that happen.” All describe their experience as transformative.
There’s an excellent chance you’ll fit right in, even if you’re coming to Pritikin by yourself. In fact, the Pritikin Longevity Center was voted “Best For Solo Travelers” among thousands of entries by Spafinder.
Just walk in the door, and you feel the excitement. People are smiling, cheering each other on. Around our dining room tables, conversations flow easily about everything from falling cholesterol levels to triumphs over diabetes to dreams for the future. Bonds form, friendships grow, and they often last far beyond the time spent together at Pritikin.
There are programs that appear cheaper than Pritikin. However, they do not offer what we offer.
At Pritikin all lectures, exercise classes, meals, and hotel accommodations are part of one fee.
Many other programs charge a la carte. You pay additional fees for private consultations with physicians, additional fees for classes, and so on. When you add up all the a la carte fees to approximate the services offered all-inclusively at Pritikin, you’re often paying far more than what Pritikin charges.
Pritikin also offers the following:
- Transparent Pricing.
At Pritikin, taxes are included and you won’t be charged an extra “resort fee.” Pritikin is also a gratuity-fee program. At many retreats these hidden charges often add an extra 30-50% to your quoted price. - 24/7 medical supervision.
No other program gives you the medical support that we do. We even keep paramedics on staff to ensure your safety. - A dedicated “cocoon” environment.
The only guests surrounding you are guests who share your goals. It’s the perfect environment for helping you make permanent lifestyle changes.
7-day-a-week program. - Scientific efficacy.
Pritikin is the only program with over 100 peer-reviewed studies validating that our program will truly improve people’s health.
Here are 7 important questions to ask:
- “Is the program medically supervised?”
- “Are there physicians on staff who can adjust my medications for blood pressure, blood sugar, and other medical issues as my health improves?”
- “Will I have a full health and fitness evaluation?”
- “Will I have cardiac stress testing to ensure that my exercise program is safe and appropriate?”
- “Is your program offered in a ‘cocoon’ environment in which I’m surrounded only by people like me who are focused on developing a healthy lifestyle? (I don’t want to be sitting next to someone who’s eating burgers and fries.)”
- “Has your program been in business for many years?”
- “Are there studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals proving that your program works?”