Best Weight Loss Programs for 2024
Working one-on-one with someone who understands your lifestyle, medical history, and eating habits is an ideal way to lose weight.
We consulted experts to help understand a successful diet and weight loss journey. How do you find the right program for you? Here’s what they had to say.
What makes a diet successful?
The best diet plan for you will be one that is appropriate for your stage of life. It must be “realistic, sustainable and flexible”, he said Jamie Nadeauregistered dietitian. “Learning to eat consistently healthy really comes down to learning how to build healthy habits into your life.”
“If a diet plan is too strict or restrictive, it’s unlikely to work for most people,” she says. “If it requires you to do something that’s not realistic for you, or requires a lot of effort and immediate change, then it’s not going to work.”
Nutritionist Amelia Ti takes a different approach to the problem. “I define a successful program as one that allows members to choose from a variety of foods without restrictions, and (one) is measured by how clients/participants feel (their mood, energy levels, sleep, etc.) progress,” she said.
Tee adds, “Successful diet plans should improve a person’s relationship with food and the body, not worsen it.” Nadeau agrees: “The most successful diet plans are those where you learn how to eat a normal, balanced diet that includes All food categories (including fun foods too).”
Dieting danger signs
It’s easy to be fooled by empty promises of weight loss programs. Two of our experts tell us how to spot red flags from miles away.
Nadeau says to be on the lookout for “any program that requires you to buy their specific products or foods in order to be successful. If you have to buy their bars, shakes or prepackaged foods, run. Once you don’t have their food to fall back on , any weight you lose will come back.”
In addition to the foods the program may tell you to eat, beware of programs that are too restrictive. “If a diet plan instructs you to cut out various foods or food groups, be wary! Some other diet plans include labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and promising immediate results,” says Tee.
Who should avoid weight loss programs?
Diet plans are not suitable for everyone, especially those at risk for diabetes eating disorder. Nadeau recommends working with a registered dietitian to develop a diet or weight loss plan. “Working with a registered dietitian means you’ll get personalized advice from a qualified professional who has experience working with people like you,” she says.
