Weight Loss Program

What Is A Weight Loss Program?

A weight loss program is an organized plan created to help people lose weight. It is important to talk to a health care professional about controlling your weight before deciding on a weight loss program. If your health care provider encourages you to lose weight, a weight loss program is an effective way to help you reach your goals. It is important to choose a program that is based on regular physical activity, and an balanced and healthy diet plan that you can easily follow. The most successful weight loss programs promote healthy behaviors that you can incorporate to your everyday life.

The safest and most effective weight loss programs include in their plans:

Nutritious eating strategies that decrease calories but don't prohibit specific foods or food groups

Suggestions on how to increase moderately intense physical activity

Gradual and consistent weight loss, on average about ½ to 2 pounds per week. This may be a bit faster when you start your diet

A maintenance plan to keep the weight off once you've lost it

How Do Different Weight Loss Programs Compare?

Some weight loss programs call for drastic changes rather than healthy changes that are meant to sustain for life. The Celebrity Diet calls for only drinking a vitamin-infused juice formula and water for two days. Although there is immediate weight loss, this diet cannot be maintained for life. Another drastic diet, Diet Shangri La, has its dieters consume 100-400 calories of sugar water and/or flavorless edible oil every day, at least an hour before or after consuming anything. This weight loss program claims to suppress appetite, causing dieters to eat less; however, it does not encourage exercise.

Other weight loss programs are meant for a complete change in lifestyle so that dieters can maintain their weight loss. The South Beach Diet consists of three phases. It is about permanently changing your eating habits, having a variety of food, eating good carbs, healthy fats, and avoiding overly-refined processed foods, high-fat meats, and saturated fats. This weight loss program is purely based on food changes that are very healthy and useful for weight loss, however, it neglects to encourage exercise. The Atkins Diet is also a multiple-phase diet. It promotes eating healthy foods, but its focus is low-carbohydrate. It is also a food-based weight loss program that neglects to mention exercise. A third weight loss program is the Zone Diet, which focuses on a 40/30/30 ratio of calories obtained from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats respectively. All three diets are about proportions of food to each other rather than total caloric intake. They are considered with consuming what they consider to be a proper ratio of each food group, which will lead to weight loss.