Weight Loss Programs

There are many commercial weight loss programs that can help you to lose weight. While some people lose weight on their own, others find it very helpful and like the support of a structured program. If you think you might want to try a weight loss program, be sure to check it out before you sign up. It also may be helpful to talk it over with your health care provider.

Here are some questions you can ask to help you decide if a weight loss program will be right for you. Does the program:

• Offer counseling, or teach you how to change your eating and exercise habits?

• Have qualified counselors and health professionals, such as nutritionists, registered dieticians, doctors, nurses, psychologists, and exercise physiologists?

• Help you to deal with stress and how to avoid slipping back into old habits?

• Talk about how to keep weight off once you lose it?

• Have food choices that are flexible and suit you?

• Have you set weight goals with the help of a health professional?

There are other questions you can ask to figure out how well a program works. Not all programs collect this type of information, but it is still important to ask:

• How many people who begin the program actually finish it?

• About how much weight do most people lose who finish the program?

• Do people have problems or side effects and what are they?

• Are there any extra costs for the program, like dietary supplements or special brand foods?

• Do they have proof that their program works, not just praise given by other people?

Keep in mind that quick weight loss methods that rely on diet aids (like drinks, prepackaged foods, or diet pills) will not keep weight off in the long run. The best way to lose weight is slowly, with a healthy diet and exercise. The good eating and exercise habits you develop by losing weight this way will last a lifetime, helping you to control your weight and be healthy.