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What are the Best Weight Loss Plans?

Simple, the best weight loss plans are the ones that are based on sound science and that are going to give you the results that you’re looking for…so which ones are they?

We know, we know…we don’t do diets! But, hey, many people like the idea of following a formal weight loss program.

A ‘diet’ provides discipline, recipes, calorie counters… many of which can make the difference between you successfully losing the weight and failing yet again to shift those unwanted pounds…

And there are plenty to choose from!

So what separates the best weight loss plans from the not so good ones?

It won’t have escaped your notice that the diet industry is worth billions. As more and more people become aware of the benefits of losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle, they often turn to a diet to get them on the track to a lifetime of wellness…

The trouble is, most people fail miserably!

Best Weight Loss Plans

best weight loss plans

The bottom line is that 85% of people who go on a diet put all the weight they lost back on again within 1-5 years, 75% of them within the first year. The stats vary from country to country, but not by much.

The cynic in us would say that the reason dieting is a multi billion dollar business is because most people fail.

They move on and try something else, desperately searching for the perfect solution to their weight management problems, for the best weight loss plans.

Barely a month goes by without yet another diet exploding onto the scene, with yet more promises of the perfect shape in no time at all whilst eating all the foods you love…

The latest sure-fire mystery ingredient, the secret to long term weight loss if you just buy this book, that DVD, etc, etc…

Let us tell you a secret…there is no secret!

It doesn’t matter how you dress it up, how many times you repackage and reinvent it, the principles of the best weight loss plans, of successful weight loss and maintenance are the same now as they have always been.

Eat a bit less, enjoy a balanced diet, eat the right amount of protein, cut down on fat, sugar and other carbs, eat small amounts and often, drink plenty of water, exercise…

We don’t want to repeat ourselves, so check out the rest of this website for the information, tools and resources you need to succeed.

However, if you are looking for a formal diet and want one of the best weight loss plans to try, then…

What do you Look for in the Best Weight Loss Plans…?

Not all diets are created equal…there are some great ones out there to try.

Now, we will endeavor to review the best weight loss plans on the market, but there are so many, some of which come and go in little more than a season that it would be difficult to keep up.

So, we’re going to review the more popular ones, the ones that have been around for a while and stood the test of time as well the hot new programs that get everyone talking and appear extensively in magazines, TV, on the news…

If you’ve checked out the rest of our site you’ll know where we’re coming from…you’ll appreciate the principles underlying successful weight loss that work.

The evidence based, scientific and rigorously tested approaches that deliver results for anyone that applies them and sticks with them for the long haul.

We’re not into fads and ‘lose 20lbs in a weekend’ lame-brained scams. So, in assessing any diet to find the best weight loss plans, these are the questions that we would suggest you ask yourself.

If the diet doesn’t tick the boxes, you should think about taking a look at something else…

Finding the Best Weight Loss Plans – the Questions to Ask…

We would suggest you need a yes to most or all of these for any diet to qualify as one of the best weight loss plans…

  • Does the diet recommend eating a variety of foods from all the major food groups?
  • Can you eat around 1,200 calories a day or more?
  • If it’s a very low calorie diet, does it recommend that you seek medical advice first and at regular intervals during the diet?
  • If it’s a very low calorie diet, does it recommend that you follow the diet for no more than 16 weeks max?
  • Does the diet recommend a slow and steady rate of weight loss of 0.5-2lbs a week? (More than that in the first week or two is ok)
  • Does the diet recommend you exercise or do some kind of physical activity on a regular basis, say at least three times a week for no less than 30 minutes a time?
  • Is there an exercise plan or any suggestions for healthy exercise to follow?
  • Does the diet provide advice, support and/or counselling on lifestyle and behavior changes?
  • Is there a plan to help you maintain the weight loss in the long term?
  • Is the diet based on affordable, readily available food that you can get at the local supermarket?
  • Is the plan based on five or six small meals spaced throughout the day at regular intervals?
  • Does the diet recommend you eat some protein at every meal?
  • Does the plan limit your intake of fast release carbs, eg: sugary foods and refined, starchy foods?
  • Can you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables?
  • Are you advised to limit your fat intake and ensure that the fat you do eat is unsaturated (mainly vegetable fats) as opposed to saturated (mainly animal fats)?
  • Are you advised to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement?
  • If you’re advised to use meal replacement products, are these nutritionally complete with a full ingredients list on the packaging?
  • Are there any testimonials provided from people who’ve used the diet with some typical results of what to expect?
  • …And a no to these…

  • Are any foods ‘banned’, eg: carbs?
  • Does the diet recommend eating less than 1,000 calories a day or less?
  • Does the diet promise you a weight loss of 10, 14, 20lbs a month or more?
  • Does the diet say you don’t have to do any exercise at all to lose weight?
  • Does the diet promise that you can eat whatever you like and still lose weight?
  • Are there complicated, elaborate recipes with expensive, hard to get ingredients?
  • Can you eat as much fat as you want?
  • Are you required to buy and use any drugs or supplements?
  • Are there any hidden costs to the program, eg books, foods, pills, follow up fees, fees other than any enrollment or weekly/monthly fees that are stated up front?
  • Choosing the Best Weight Loss Plans for you…

    Ok, so you know the questions to ask…which are the best weight loss plans, which one do you choose?

    If you want to take a shortcut, then take a peek at our best diet review.

    We’ve reviewed a few of the ones we like below…but there’s no one size fits all approach to weight loss and there are plenty more diets out there to look at.

    There are slimming clubs, online programs, books, CDs and DVDs…

    Some people like meeting every week for a weigh-in and a chat. Others prefer one to one support.

    Some people don’t like cooking and want diet food delivered to their home, meal replacement shakes or shop-bought ready meals.

    Some people like using the internet. Others a book to read or DVD to watch.

    You may even want to check out some complementary therapies to help get the best out of your weight loss plan.

    Acupuncture for instance, is becoming increasingly popular as an aid to weight loss.

    Bizarrely, you could also investigate ear staples – a new one on us!

    What about hypnosis for weight loss anyone…?

    In extreme cases and when all else fails, obesity surgery is an option your doctor may want to consider.

    Some people like to check out the latest celebrity diets to see how their favorite stars get in shape.

    Skinny water and weight loss is one of the latest celebrity-driven fads.

    For a short term solution you may even be tempted by a liquid diet.

    The choice is yours…no matter what the medium, the same principles apply to all the best weight loss plans.

    So enough chat, these are some of the best weight loss plans, the ones we generally like and would on the whole be happy to recommend…

    About Ebnul Karim