Weight Loss Programs

There are more weight loss programs on the market now than ever, and the choice can be bewildering. How can you choose one which will suit you, and how can you avoid the dangerous ones?

Its actually not that difficult to distinguish between the responsible weight loss programs and those which are better left alone. Responsible programs do not make excessive claims, such as " lose 20 pounds in ten days and feel 10 years younger", claimed by one weight loss program appearing on the Internet. They do not restrict one or more food groups excessively, for instance giving you a diet which excludes all carbohydrates and relies on protein and fat in large amounts. These diets are not approved by any official American health body, and may be dangerous- the jury is still out.

Weight loss programs: What to look out for

The best of the worthwhile weight loss programs available today really can help you to lose weight, and they do it with several simple tools, which are common to all of them. So this is what to look for;

A responsible diet starts with individual tailoring, and that means measuring your height , weight and fat percentage. The program should be appropriate for your gender and age, and take into account any disabilities or chronic illnesses. This means that if for instance you have diabetes or are vegetarian, the program should address these issues.

Any good weight loss program needs to include some type of exercise, and this too should be individually suited to your limitations. If you have back problems, your weight loss program should not ask you to jump or do movements which could make it worse, for instance.
Most importantly, a good weight loss program gives encouragement and makes dieting easier, often by arranging regular meetings of dieters and activities designed to get your life style onto a new track. if your weight loss program doesn't do this, its not doing the job, because when you finish the program you will not have internalised new ways of cooking, exercising and calorie counting.

Weight loss programs compared

Usually its safe to say that the biggest names supplying weight loss programs do it right, and this is the reason for their success. Weight Watchers has the largest market share in America, and this is quite important, because the large customer base means that this diet giant can organise weekly meetings in almost every neighborhood, so its easy to get there. Weight Watcher meetings are legendary for their competitive atmosphere, and it is certainly true that competition can give dieters a big incentive. Weight Watchers use a calorie counting system which doesn't restrict food groups and are pretty good about exercise too, presenting quite a few options, including walking groups in some areas.

The Jenny Craig weight loss program is very similar, but puts even more emphasis on long term education as well as making ready diet meals available, although they don't deliver meals home usually.

E-diets is another diet giant, and their program specialises in making mealtime choices easy, with a 28 day program which is based on ready meals delivered to the home and prepared according to an individual diet plan. E-diets is totally Internet based, and the on-line meetings can be less interesting than really meeting other dieters, but on the other hand its easier to participate, especially on cold, rainy days! They also present several exercise options, mostly using videos to exercise at home, and their Internet site is full of good advice and diet tools.

These weight loss programs do cost quite a lot of money, and cheaper alternatives are available, Anne Collins program, for instance. But you need to check what you are getting for your money, and some cheaper programs work overtime to prevent you finding out what you are paying for. As a general guide, if you cant be sure from the promotional material what is included and what isn't, assume that nothing is included, and give programs of this type a miss, as the only thing which will get thinner will be your wallet!