How to Assess a Weight Loss Program

Before embarking on any weight loss program, ask the following questions to see if the program is suitable for you:

Does the program use a 'Crash Diet'? Crash Diets are not sustainable and generally result in weight re-gain after the diet is finished. There are many other reasons why you should not follow a Crash Diet...

Click here to find out more about 'Crash Diets'

Does the weight loss program suggest having 5 or 6 small meals a day?
Having small, frequent meals is the best approach to lose weight and keep it off. It keeps your metabolism elevated, suppresses your appetite, helps you avoid the ‘Anti-Starvation Response' that your body invokes if meals are skipped and keeps insulin secretion low.

Most people find it easiest to have 3 whole-food meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as 2-3 meal replacement shakes (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and possibly supper as well).

Does the weight loss program recommend having protein with every meal?
Protein provides the building blocks for the body. Since the body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly breaking down and building up tissue, your body needs to be supplied with protein every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

If you go without protein for greater than 3 hours, more breaking down than building up occurs. This means you will lose valuable muscle tissue resulting in a drop in your metabolic rate.

Does the weight loss program recommend regular exercise?
Exercise is essential for permanent weight loss. Not only can it help you lose weight faster but more importantly, exercise can help you keep the weight off long term by preserving your muscle mass.

If a weight-loss program doesn’t recommend exercise, then up to half of the weight you lose will come from lean tissue sources (like muscle), which makes further weight loss more difficult.

Plus, you are almost guaranteed to put the weight you lose back on in the future due to the loss of lean tissue. This means you often end up heavier and flabbier than before you started the program!

Can you see yourself following the program long term?
The principles in any weight-loss program must be sustainable. This means you must be able to incorporate the principles into your current lifestyle and maintain them for the rest of your life.

You cannot expect to follow a program for a period of time, lose weight and then go back to previous lifestyle habits without your body returning to its previous shape as well.

Does the program recommend using a multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement?
It is impossible to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs on a daily basis just from food. Even if you eat a ‘balanced diet’ you will still be lacking a range of essential nutrients.

Therefore, supplementing your diet with a good quality multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement is essential. It will ensure that your body functions at optimum levels and with maximum efficiency. It will also prevent any cravings that may results from nutrient deficiencies.

Does the program recommend using a thermogenic (fat burner)?
Thermogenics are designed to increase your daily calorie expenditure, which makes losing weight much easier. Thermogenics also boost your energy level and force the fat cells to released stored fat into the blood stream, which your body may then use as a fuel source.

Thermogenics can make a massive difference to your weight-loss efforts if your nutrition and exercise programs are well controlled.

Does the program recommend using a glucose disposal agent (GDA)?
GDAs are very effective at helping your body dispose of glucose and other nutrients effectively, which means your body can maintain a stable blood glucose level.

By doing so, insulin stays low, which makes it easier for your body to access and use stored body fat as a fuel source.

A stable blood glucose level also reduces the sugar cravings people get around mid-afternoon and in the evenings.

Does the program recommend using thyroid-support supplements?
Any nutritional plan that recommends a reduction in calorie intake to promote weight loss, even a mild reduction, results in a decrease in thyroid hormone output. Since the thyroid hormones control the metabolism of all body cells it is essential that it functions at optimum levels at all times, especially when weight loss is desired.

Research has shown conclusively that supplementing the diet with specific nutrients can up-regulate thyroid function, which is perfect when you’re trying to lose weight.

Does the program offer phone or on-line support?
One factor that guarantees success more than almost any other is having a support system in place. Being able to speak with weight-loss experts and discuss your plans, how to overcome obstacles you may be facing and how to accelerate the weight-loss process in your body makes an enormous difference.

If the weight-loss program you are considering does not offer some form of support then your likelihood of success by using the program is substantially reduced.

Click here to read about the 'Best Weight Loss Program'

Click here to return to the Home Page