General

Who hasn’t made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight? Or said to yourself you’re going to start a diet at some other time of the year? Either way, you probably sought to lose weight in order to improve your long-term health.

A weight-loss journey can be long and difficult. There is no miracle pill or method; losing weight takes time and effort. We’ve put together a list of the best programs to help you on your weight loss journey.

Safety first

You should always research the company offering any diet program you choose and make sure that they use evidence-based medical research to construct their plan instead of just a famous person’s advice. 

No matter what diet or weight loss plan you choose, losing weight will always come down to burning more calories than you consume over time. There is no magic diet that can break the laws of thermodynamics. For example, if you burn 2,000 calories in a day and only eat 1,500 calories consistently, you will lose weight.

But keep in mind that you should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day — this can lead to significant health problems. You should avoid any diet that suggests that you drastically cut your calories all of a sudden or regularly consume less than 1,200 calories per day.

Finally, always consult a doctor before beginning a diet or exercise program of any type.

How to choose

Whether you have tried many different plans before or this will be your first, there are many different features to consider, some of which are:

• Diet length - whether it is long-term or short-term — you will see better results from a realistic long-term diet that you can actually stick to.
• Diet type - whether it is a general diet or specific like vegetarian or keto.
• Usage - how easily the can be adapted in your lifestyle — will it include counting calories, a point system, or restrictions from certain food groups, and will this be easy for you to stick to?
• Cost - how much you can afford to pay per month since most programs require a monthly subscription.

Summary

The best way to lose weight is with a long-term plan that you can fit into your lifestyle. There are many plans that may show results quickly, but you are likely to just gain the weight right back once you stop — called yo-yo diets. This is unhealthy and not recommended.

Be sure to see how any plan will fit into your daily routine. Will you be able to stick with the plan even if you are on-the-go all the time? If it requires restricting certain food groups, do you think you can keep doing that in the long-run? The best diet plan, both for your health and long-term results, is the one that you can stick to.

The same applies to the program’s costs. If you sign up for a program that you can’t afford, you obviously aren’t going to be able to stick with it in the long-run.  So be sure to find a program that you can comfortably afford.

Finally, keeping a varied diet will help you achieve better results — if you are required to eat the same thing over and over, you’d likely get tired of it and quit. But also making sure you enjoy what you eat is key to avoiding cravings and this achieve your goals.

Advice

Please contact a doctor before starting any diet or exercise program, particularly if you are significantly overweight. If you have problems with compulsive eating, it is important to speak with a specialist — counseling is essential for overcoming these types of problems and no diet alone will work. Remember that your mental health is just as important as your physical health.