Medline Plus states that up to 66 percent of adults in the U.S. are obese or overweight. There are several diets that promise to help you lose weight fast or within a specified time frame. While these diets are tempting, they can negatively affect your health and even stall your weight loss. Choosing a weight-loss program that encourages a healthy lifestyle and a slow to moderate weight loss over time will yield the best results.
Center for Medical Weight Loss
There are several branches of medical weight-loss clinics scattered across the U.S. The benefit with these types of weight-loss programs is that there are certified nutritionists and a medical staff who supervise your weight loss and progress along the way. Most programs offer their own line of food products, such as shakes and prepared meals, that are tailored to help you eat healthier and lose weight. The Center for Medical Weight Loss states that its program offers ways for clients to manage their appetite, provides motivation for exercise and offers physician-supervised diet plans. Each one is tailored to the client based on her health history, underlying medical condition and physical capabilities. Client progress is monitored regularly with weigh-ins, motivational support and blood draws. Medical weight-loss clinics look at the big picture of the patient's health and make sure they have a medically safe transition as they reach their weight loss goals. According to the Center for Medical Weight Loss, an initial consultation starts at $19 for most clinic as f 2010.
Nutrisystem
The Nutrisystem program is a health-based diet program that allows online monitoring and in-home delivery of a meal plan tailored to your needs. Nutrisystem states that it offers four main diet programs--a basic plan that implements healthy food choices that take the guess work out of your diet plan, a silver plan for older adults who may have a slower metabolism, a diabetic plan that is based on a diabetic diet and the glycemic index, and a vegetarian diet. Because the food is tailored to your individual dietary needs, it's a safe weight-loss program. Food is delivered every 28 days, so you have enough meals to plan for each day of the month. The Nutrisystem website offers free online weight-loss tracking so you can keep track of your progress. The Nutrisystem program starts at around $300 a month for a basic plan, as of 2010.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is a safe weight-loss program because it suggests following a low-fat diet plan and backs it up with a strong support system. Weight Watchers states its uses a point-value system to help its followers lose weight. This system is generated by focusing on the calories, fat and fiber in each food item. Followers who stay within their allotted points for the day should see a weight loss of between 1 and 2 lbs. a week. Weight Watchers offers support through its online database with meal tracking and forum posts and in-person meetings for personal support. Prices as of 2010 start at $39.95 a month for unlimited meal plan templates, kit and meeting access.
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