Diet Mentor

What Diet Mentor does

Diet Mentor is a privately held, founder-led weight loss coaching service founded in 2016 by Sheri Zillioux and headquartered in Amherst, New York. The company delivers a medically developed, 4-phase partial meal replacement weight loss program through two physical clinic locations in Western New York (Amherst and Hamburg). Its service combines weekly in-person coaching, structured behavioral curriculum, and over 100 proprietary meal replacement and supplement products (shakes, bars, soups, entrees) with a behavioral health component called The Inner Diet, originally developed in 1989 by Dr. John H. Sklare.

The business model is sales-led direct-to-consumer, monetized through a $400 Initial Consultation plus recurring weekly program fees of $110 during active weight loss and $80 during transition, with a free lifetime maintenance tier offered as a retention mechanism. The company has expanded its service catalog to include a GLP-1 medication support program, addressing the growing population of patients on semaglutide-class drugs. Distribution is entirely physical and local — clients visit a clinic weekly for weigh-ins, coaching, and product pickup — with marketing driven by word-of-mouth, before-and-after testimonials, and an educational blog. Discount partnerships with Independent Health, military programs, and clinic-transfer referrers broaden access.

There is no enterprise or B2B segment; the customer base consists entirely of adult consumers in the Western New York region. The company has 22 employees, no external funding, no app or API infrastructure, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. Forward indicators — the GLP-1 support program, the August 2026 client referral program, and the Hamburg clinic addition — suggest measured, deliberate expansion within the existing clinical service model rather than a step-change in scale or technology.

Name

Diet Mentor

Legal name

Diet Mentor

Website

https://dietmentor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Diet Mentor is a Western New York weight loss coaching service operating physical clinics in Amherst and Hamburg, NY, delivering a medically developed 4-phase partial meal replacement program with in-person coaching, 100+ proprietary products, and lifetime maintenance support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Weight Loss Coaching Services

NAICS

Diet and Weight Reducing Centers (812191)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADAFAA

General Nutrition Coaching

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Nutrition Coaching & Weight Management

Keywords

• Weight loss coaching
• Meal replacement products
• Medical weight management
• Health and wellness coaching
• Emotional eating program

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Health Coaching Services: Weekly coaching sessions providing nutrition education, accountability, support, weigh-ins, body measurements, and body fat checks. Revenue generated through Initial Consultation fee ($400) and weekly program fees ($110/week during active weight loss, $80/week during transition phase).
2. Meal Replacement Products: Sale of partial meal replacement products including protein shakes, soups, bars, snacks, cereals, supplements, and desserts. Products are bundled with coaching services and sold separately through the shop. Cost approximately $3.50 per meal.
3. Maintenance Program: Free ongoing maintenance program provided to all clients who complete the weight loss program. While free for clients, this serves as a retention mechanism to encourage long-term engagement and product purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Diet Mentor operates a medically developed 4-phase weight loss coaching program delivered through in-person clinic visits in Amherst and Hamburg, NY. The service combines partial meal replacement products (over 100 SKUs including protein shakes, bars, soups, entrees, snacks, and supplements) with one-on-one Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaching, weekly body composition tracking, and The Inner Diet psychological program for emotional eating. Clients pay a $400 Initial Consultation followed by weekly coaching fees ($110/week during active weight loss; $80/week during transition) and receive free lifetime maintenance support after reaching their goal.

Product overview

Diet Mentor is a weight loss coaching service offering a 4-phase medically developed structured partial meal replacement program with one-on-one coaching. The product portfolio includes over 100+ meal replacement products organized into categories: Breakfast (oatmeal, pancakes, cereal), Lunch Entrees (sloppy joe, pasta, chili), Soups (chicken, beef, broccoli cheese), High Protein Bars (variety of flavors including caramel, peanut butter, mint chocolate), Meal Replacement Shakes (chocolate, vanilla, mocha), Fruit Drinks, Salty Snacks (chips, protein crisps, zippers), Healthy Desserts (mug cakes, wafers, soy snacks), Hot Drinks, and Weight Loss Supplements (multivitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, KLB-5, trim away, electrolytes). Supporting programs include The Inner Diet (emotional eating program with questionnaire, profile, activity book, and audio support), GLP-1 Support (nutrition coaching for medication users), Accountability Coaching, free Maintenance Program, and Client Referral Program. The 4-phase protocol includes Phase 1 (active weight loss with medical guidance), Phase 2 (continued weight loss to goal), Phase 3 (lifestyle stabilization), and Phase 4 (free maintenance).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Inner Diet: A self-help, home-study program developed by Dr. John H. Sklare that addresses emotional eating through questionnaire, personal profile, activity book, and audio support components.

Products and services

• 4-Phase Weight Loss Coaching Program A medically developed, structured 4-phase weight loss program delivered through one-on-one in-person coaching at Diet Mentor's Amherst and Hamburg, NY clinics. The four phases are: Phase 1 active weight loss with medical guidance, Phase 2 continuation to 100% of goal, Phase 3 lifestyle stabilization, and Phase 4 free lifetime maintenance. The program includes a $400 initial consultation (1.5 hours) with comprehensive intake, body composition analysis, and 3 boxes of food plus vitamins, followed by weekly coaching at $110/week during active weight loss and $80/week during transition. It is sold directly to individual adult consumers seeking sustainable weight loss.
• Partial Meal Replacement Products Over 100 medical-grade protein meal replacement products sold bundled with coaching services and separately through the company's online shop, including breakfast items (oatmeal, pancakes, cereal), lunch entrees (sloppy joe, pasta, chili), soups, ready-to-drink and mixable shakes, high protein bars, fruit drinks, salty snacks, hot drinks, healthy desserts, and dietary supplements. Products feature 95% protein absorption and cost approximately $3.50 per meal, marketed for use during the weight loss program phases.
• The Inner Diet Program A self-help, home-study program addressing emotional eating, composed of a 40-question statistically valid questionnaire, a personalized profile, a 32-page activity book, and 1 hour 46 minutes of audio support. It focuses on six emotional eating triggers identified through a statistically valid assessment and is targeted at individuals whose weight issues have a behavioral/emotional component. The program is included as part of the Initial Consultation and is offered to Diet Mentor clients.
• GLP-1 Support Program A coaching program designed to complement GLP-1 weight loss medications (such as Ozempic and Wegovy) by providing nutritional guidance, muscle preservation support, and behavioral coaching to maximize medication results and build sustainable habits for post-medication life. Targeted at individuals using GLP-1 medications who need additional protein and accountability support.
• Free Lifetime Maintenance Program Free ongoing maintenance program offered for life to clients who have completed the weight loss program, providing continued accountability and support to prevent weight regain. Includes two semi-annual tune-ups and is described as the most valuable component of the program. Serves as a retention mechanism and switching cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% of meal replacement users maintained at least 5% of initial body weight loss after one year, compared to 33% for conventional dieters
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Independent HealthminorOthersIndependent Health members can receive a $25 discount on their first visit. This is a discount partnership rather than a direct insurance billing relationship. The company notes it does not work directly with insurance providers but encourages clients to check with their providers about using insurance plans and HSA accounts for refunds.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic Diet: Hospital-system-branded weight loss program leveraging Mayo Clinic's clinical credibility. Competes for the 'medically developed' positioning that Diet Mentor also relies on, with much stronger institutional brand.
• WW (Weight Watchers): Largest mainstream subscription weight loss program with digital app, in-person workshops, and food-tracking methodology. Overlaps with Diet Mentor in coaching and accountability but differs in not using a meal-replacement protocol.

Direct peers

• Noom: App-first weight loss coaching service with behavior-change curriculum and optional GLP-1 support. Competes for the same self-pay consumer with a digital-delivery model rather than clinic-based delivery.
• Nutrisystem: Direct-to-consumer portion-controlled meal delivery service with optional coaching add-ons. Similar product-led weight loss approach with structured food plans, but delivered via shipping rather than clinic visits.
• Medifast: Public company (formerly NYSE: MED) operating a meal-replacement-based weight loss program with coach support through its OPTAVIA brand. Most directly comparable to Diet Mentor in protocol structure, product bundling, and coaching model, but at vastly larger scale.
• HMR Program (Health Management Resources): Medically supervised weight management program offering meal replacement shakes/entrees combined with in-clinic coaching. Closest protocol-level comparable to Diet Mentor's medically-developed 4-phase approach.
• Jenny Craig: Long-established competitor using a structured meal-replacement program combined with one-on-one coaching — essentially the same model as Diet Mentor at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Profile by Sanford: Sanford Health-affiliated in-clinic weight loss coaching program with food coaching and accountability structure. Closely mirrors Diet Mentor's clinic-based model with health-system backing.

Emerging players

• Found: Digital weight loss clinic combining physician care with behavior coaching and optional medication support. Emerging competitor in the medically-supervised + coaching space, especially around GLP-1s.

Regional players

• Lindora: California-based clinic weight loss program offering medically supervised plans, meal replacement, and one-on-one coaching. Highly analogous service model to Diet Mentor but geographically siloed to the West Coast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dietmentor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diet Mentor