Best Weight Loss Programs for 2024
Working with someone who knows your lifestyle, medical history, and eating habits is an ideal way to lose weight.
We consulted experts to help you 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 program for you is the one that fits where you are in life. It should be “realistic, sustainable and flexible,” according to Jamie Nadeaua certified dietitian. “Learning to eat healthy consistently really comes down to learning how to build healthy habits into your life.”
“If a diet program is too rigid or too strict, it’s probably not going to work for most people,” she said. “If it asks you to do things that aren’t realistic for you or that require a lot of effort and change all at once, it’s not going to work.”
Dietitian Amelia Ti approaches the question differently. “I define a successful program as one that allows members to choose from a variety of foods without restriction and [one that] measure progress based on how clients/participants are feeling (their mood, energy levels, sleep, etc.),” she said.
Ti added: “A successful diet program should improve a person’s relationship with food and their body, not diminish it.” Nadeau agreed: “The most successful diet programs are the ones that teach you how to eat a normal, balanced diet that includes all the food groups (and fun foods, too).”
Red Flags When Dieting
It’s easy to fall for the empty promises of a weight loss program. Our two experts told us how to spot the red flags from a mile away.
Nadeau said to beware of “any program that requires you to buy their specific products or foods to be successful. If you have to buy their bars, shakes, or prepackaged foods, run. Once you don’t have their foods to rely on, all the weight you lost will come back.”
In addition to the foods a program may tell you to eat, beware of programs that are too restrictive. Ti said, “If a diet program tells you to eliminate different foods or food groups, that’s a red flag! A few others call it when they label foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and promise instant results.”
For whom is a weight loss program undesirable?
Diet programs aren’t for everyone, especially those at risk for eating disorders. Nadeau recommends working with a registered dietitian on a diet or weight-loss program. “Working with a registered dietitian means you’re getting individualized advice from a licensed professional with experience working with people like you,” she said.
