Weight Loss Programs That Really Work

Losing weight can be a huge challenge. Most people don't even realize the weight is creeping up on them until it is too late, and then suddenly they see the numbers on the scale and it just shocks them into reality. Finding a weight loss program that really works can be almost as hard as losing the weight, but there are some that are proven to work well.

Weight Watchers

This is may be the most successful weight loss program in America today. It gives you a point system to use, and you may eat anything you like. Weight Watchers has a huge list of food items and has assigned points to them, so you can keep track of your points in almost any situation. When you have reached your point limit, you have to stop eating for the day, or go over. Points are tallied up each week, and you can see if you went over, or under. The points are geared to helping you consume fewer calories and eating healthier food, so you will lose weight if you follow the system. In addition, there are weekly weigh-in's and meetings, and many incentives to lose the weight, as well as penalties if you gain weight. It is a tried and true program.

Atkins Diet

The Atkin's Diet really works, although there is some debate about its long-term health effects. This diet essentially puts your body on a nearly all-protein diet, cutting carbohydrate levels to almost nil--especially for the first two weeks. You are allowed to eat all the protein and fat you want, but carbohydrates are not allowed. This makes a huge shift in the body's metabolism, causing it to burn the fat you have stored as a replacement for the lack of carbohydrates. Protein takes longer to digest, so the body works harder and longer to process a meal. Atkin's does work, and often supplies rapid weight loss, but it must be noted that as soon as you return to a diet where carbohydrates come back into play, the weight comes back on.

South Beach Diet

This is another diet that truly works, and is very similar to the Atkin's diet in that it cuts carbohydrates back to a minimum, especially at the start. But unlike Atkins, it does allow their reintroduction in very moderate levels, and at a much sooner rate. The South Beach Diet emphasizes the importance of vegetables and fruits as part of the overall diet, which differs from Atkins in that it is not as focused on protein. This diet can help you lose weight, and if adhered to, can keep it off. But again, be aware that the return to a life of unrestricted carbohydrates is a return to the weight gain.

Diabetic Diet

Choosing to follow a diet that is safe for diabetics is an excellent choice for people who want to lose weight and keep it off. Diabetics must monitor their carbohydrate intake carefully; eat often and little; have a diet rich in vegetables; limit their fat intake and drink plenty of fluids. All of these things spell healthier living and weight loss, as well as keeping the weight off long-term.