5 Key Elements to Help You Choose a Great Weight Loss Program

     You want to lose weight but you feel like you don't exactly know how or where to start. Your appearance is worse than ever, you feel rotten about the way you feel and to top it off, you are beginning to seriously worry about the future of your health.

Well fear not! It's not as hard to get started on a great weight loss program as you might think. Now I don't necessarily mean one of those big conglomerates. You know the ones I'm talking about. Unless of course you think they are right for you. But now you wouldn't be reading this if you did.

So here are five key elements to look for when choosing a program that matches your needs.

1.) Does is fit your Lifestyle?

Everyone trying to lose weight is not the same. Joe works 14 hours a day, is stressed out and barely sleeps five hours a night. Jane is a stay at home Mom and can't quite keep her hand out of the cookie jar. These two cases will require different plans to get their weight loss program to fit their lifestyle.

Joe will need some serious help and constant reminders of what to do, when to do it, how to eat, when to eat and so on. He will also probably need some quick but healthy meal tips too. Well let's face it, he needs a babysitter!

Jane needs to be more focused and occupied. She snacks because of boredom. A solid plan for quick little exercises throughout the day and healthy snack suggestions may be all she needs to get on the right course.

2.) Is it focused on long-term Sustainability?

If you have been fighting your weight even for only a short amount of time, you probably know how many fad diets are out there. The cabbage soup diet, the Hollywood diet, the apple cider and vinegar diet, the 3 day diet and the list goes on and on. They all promise the quick fix to shed pounds fast but the fact is they are not built to last. They are not a lifestyle, which is what you need for the long term.

Most fad diets deprive you of the nutrients your body needs so they put you at risk for health issues if you remain on them too long. The end result is that while you may lose a few pounds initially, you will eventually gain it back and then some. That's because these diets are not made for the long term.

3.) Does it require any Exotic ingredients?

Have you ever heard of Maca? How about Cacao? What about Goji Berries? Spirulina? Well imagine if your weight loss program required you to eat these things. Where would you even get them? I doubt you could go to your local grocery store and find them. But the fact is, there are diet plans out there that require these and other exotic foods. They do have their benefits but they are also very costly and not readily available. Personally I think there are more than enough traditional healthy foods on the market that you should be incorporating into your diet. Things like traditional nuts, seeds, olive oils and eggs and if you really want to be healthy you can go organic on the same foods.

4.) Is it Taxing on your body?

While a new weight loss and exercise program can be somewhat stressful and shocking to your body, it should be tailored to your specific needs and abilities. One size doesn't fit all and while you should definitely push yourself to do more, you can't over do it. Your plan shouldn't be so rigid that you are just wiped out at the end of the day or go to bed feeling weak because your plan didn't give you enough energy. You should be taking in enough calories to sustain your body type and your lifestyle and they should be in the form or nutritious healthy foods that keep you satisfied and provide you with the energy you need. When it comes to exercising, you don't have to spend hours upon hours in the gym or on the treadmill. If you are exercising the correct way, you can get the same results in 30-40 minutes maximum.

Everyone's body type and capabilities are different so your program should be flexible to accommodate you as an individual.

5.) Is it Easy to follow?

Ok so this isn't calculus after all right? You shouldn't have to follow an encyclopedia of information and instructions to try to lose weight and change you life. Yes there will be rules and guidelines but if it is overly complicated and hard to understand, then it isn't for you. Any good weight loss program should be very simple to integrate to your daily life and easy to understand and put into practice. If it isn't, chances are you will fall back into your old habits just because they are easier and convenient and you don't have to think so much about it.

If you keep these points in mind while you are evaluating your weight loss program and you won't have any problems implementing your new lifestyle and a brand new you!

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