How to choose a Weight Loss Program

So you've decided to look for a weight loss program... but what are the features you should seek?

And, anyway - what's the difference between a 'diet' and a 'program'?

Well, let's assume that you've already tried a diet or two, and that you've discovered the awful truth... They just don't work!

But, what can you do instead? After all, you want to do something about getting slimmer, or you wouldn't be searching for a weight loss program.

Most people 'know', deep down, that diets don't work.

That's because most people have tried a diet or three at some time during their lives - and here they are, considering yet again how to get rid of that unwanted weight!

Well, if a diet's too simple, then surely a program will do it? Won't it?

The answer, if you're wondering, is... yes and no.

Yes, because a weight loss program should contain all the elements necessary to achieve healthy weight loss.

No, because most simply don't include all of those elements - so they don't work, either in the short term, or the long term.

Weight Loss Program

How to tell a good one from a poor one.

By definition, a weight loss program should give you the results you seek. But, your aims must be realistic to be achievable. And they must be specific.

You wouldn't go out and buy just any television set if what you wanted was a high-definition screen with surround sound and home cinema accessories.

And the same goes for a weight loss program. If you don't know exactly what you want, you're unlikely to find what you need.

Ingredients of a good Weight Loss Program

What differentiates a program from a simple diet is a plan. When you diet, you simply eat less every day, keep measuring your weight - and hope...

By contrast, a weight loss program should help you decide where you are, what you need to do and exactly how you should make sure you do it right!

How's that done? Read on to find out.

Where you are

That might sound a bit strange at first. After all, where you are is 'more overweight than you'd like to be', otherwise you wouldn't be reading this web page.

But, the truth is, you're probably worrying about the wrong thing, which is where most weight loss programs lead you astray. What you need to know before you do anything else is - how fat are you?

If you have only a vague hankering to be slimmer, then you are unlikely to achieve success - because you'll measure the wrong things.

What you need to do

As I mentioned earlier, most diets (and some weight loss programs) just give you generalised tips about how many calories to eat, how much exercise to take, and leave you to get on with it. They don't explain how positive results give positive feedback, which will help you persevere with your efforts.

And, conversely, they don't warn you that lack of feedback (positive, that is) will undermine your efforts in no time at all!

Whereas, what you need to do is to establish exactly how many calories you should eat at the moment to enable safe weight loss. And then you need to check every couple of weeks to see if your calorie allowance needs to be adjusted to reflect your weight loss.

How you do that stuff I'll deal with later.

Making Sure You Do It Right

This can be one of the best parts of a weight loss campaign, or the worst if you chose the wrong weight loss program.

It consists of ensuring that you can monitor your progress, adjust it according to how you're doing and (most importantly) that you can sustain the effort!

That's because the reason most diets and weight loss programs fail is that they are impossible to keep up. You fail because you can't stop yourself from quitting.

If this sounds familiar, don't worry. It wasn't your fault - you were just following the wrong advice!

So, what is 'doing it right'?

Briefly, it entails not starving yourself, making sure you eat often enough, and planning some lapse days, so that you don't lapse 'by accident'. Then, you need to track things properly, so you know exactly how well you're doing. Finally, you need to keep adjusting things, so that you don't get stale and your body doesn't become accustomed to the new way of doing things.

If you're a long-term member of a gym or health club, I'm probably going to shock you now. You've probably been working out too hard to lose weight successfully!

There's an optimal amount of working out you can do while you're in the process of shedding bodyweight. Too little and you may as well do none. Too much and you'll waste muscle off your body.

But I'm betting you'll be surprised to learn that you can lose weight quite nicely with less than 10 minutes a day exercise.

If your weight loss program doesn't help you to achieve what I've outlined above, then you're setting yourself up for another disappointment.

Where do you want to be this time next year? Reading up on more weight loss programs, or on the beach looking your absolute best?

Which path you follow is entirely of your own choosing.

Find out more about this, and about how to keep the weight off after you've lost it by checking out my weight loss articles.

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