Approximately 50 million Americans go on a diet each year — yet only 5 percent keep the weight they lose off. Many trying to lose weight continually struggle to find an effective weight loss method.
Even if you choose to use an over-the-counter weight loss product or participate in a weight loss program, the bottom line is that you still must eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. When selecting a weight loss product or program, gather as much information as possible.
If you want accurate information about law, you go to a lawyer and not to an athlete or a movie star. If you want to go on a weight loss program,of any kind, a diet for example, seek out authorities in the field of nutrition like nutritionists, physicians, registered dietitians and nurses who specialize in weight control.If you are older than 40 and want to start an exercise program but have medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure check first with your physician.
Although there are many types of weight-management programs available their long-term success is dismal.Studies show that on the averege people lose about 10% of their body weight but regain two-thirds within one year after ending the program.So,in about five years all the weight is gained back.
Program managers have a responsability to provide consumers with truthful and unambigous information that is neither misleading nor likely to be misinterpreted.
So,in order to choose the best weight loss program for you, you have to follow some steps.Firstly you have to know the credentials and qualifications of the people running the program. Ask for detailed information of the potential health risks.Be realistic about what you wish to accomplish through the program and be willing to devote the time and effort required to attain your goal.
Avoid diets of less than 800 calories a day except under medical supervison.Look up for a weight management program that includes an exercise program tailored to you.
The key is to find a program that can back its advertising and promotional claims with proof that the programs work. A program should be able to provide statistics showing the percentage of clients who have lost weight and not regained it for one year as well as the percentage of clients for whom this information is available.

The ability of a few hours a week of exercise to contribute to weight loss can be somewhat overestimated. To illustrate, consider a 100-kilogram (220 lb) man who wants to lose 10 kilograms (22 lb) and assume that he eats just enough to maintain his weight (at rest), so that weight loss can only come from exercise. Those 10 kilograms (22 lb) converted to work are equivalent to about 350 megajoules (84,000 calories). (We use an approximation of the standard 37 kilojoules or 9 calories per gram of fat.) Now assume that his chosen exercise is stairclimbing and that he is 20 percent efficient at converting chemical energy into mechanical work (this is within measured ranges). To lose the weight, he must ascend 70 kilometers. A man of normal fitness (like him) will be tired after 500 meters of climbing (about 150 flights of stairs), so he needs to exercise every day for 140 days (to reach his target). However, exercise (both aerobic and anaerobic) would increase the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) for some time after the workout. This ensures more calorific loss than otherwise estimated.The minimum safe dietary energy intake (without medical supervision) is 75 percent of that needed to maintain basal metabolism. For our hypothetical 100-kilogram man, that minimum is about 5,700 kilojoules (1,300 calories) per day. By combining daily aerobic exercise with a weight-loss diet, he would be able to lose 10 kilograms in half the time (70 days). Of course, the described regime is more rigorous than would be desirable or advisable for many persons. Therefore, under an effective but more manageable weight-loss program, losing 10 kilograms (about 20 pounds) may take as long as 6 months.There are also some easy ways for people to exercise, such as walking rather than driving, climbing stairs instead of taking elevators, doing more housework with fewer power tools, or parking their cars farther and walking to school or the office.