Diet and Weight Loss Losing Weight

Selecting a Weight Loss Program

Introduction

The New Year comes with resolutions of weight loss. Each year, Americans spend over $30 billion in the weight loss industry. There are hundreds of diet books and programs on the market, and they each seem to have a different twist: low fat, high carbohydrate; high fat, low carbohydrate; high protein; liquid supplements; food combining; eat for your blood type; and many others. Finding a program that is safe, realistic and effective long term is quite a confusing task.

We have all heard the statistics: 95% of people who lose weight subsequently regain it. This is because the majority of the diets are fad diets that promise quick easy results, but unfortunately end up in weight gain. Most programs do not focus on changing behaviors. Therefore once you go "off" the diet, the weight is regained. Most of the diets are also not realistic or even safe to follow on a long-term basis.

As a registered dietitian in private practice, I am frequently asked which is the "best diet" to follow. Before you continue onward to read my suggestions, I would recommend that you ask yourself two questions to assess your readiness to begin any weight control program:

1. Is this a good time for me to start a program? If you are under heavy stress or a hectic travel schedule, etc., you may want to postpone your efforts until the timing is better. You want to be able to give this effort 100%, as changing behaviors is a difficult task.
2. Are you self-motivated to lose weight or are you being pressured to lose weight by a spouse or health professional? You are most likely to be successful in losing weight if you are trying to lose weight for yourself--not to please others.

Once you have determined that you are ready to begin a weight loss program, use the following recommendations to help select a safe, effective program that will hopefully result in permanent weight control.

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