When you are trying to lose weight, the task of deciding what type of diet, exercise plan, or weight loss program is right for you can seem truly overwhelming. We are constantly bombarded with the “newest and best” diets. Walk into a book store and you will find dozens of books about “the best diet.” Look up exercise regimens and everyone claims theirs is the most effective! What about chains like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig? Are they effective?
Weight Loss Programs – Not a “One Size Fits All” Solution
One thing to keep in mind is that everyone’s body is unique. What works great for one person may not be very effective for their best friend. It is not for lack of effort, but rather different bodies respond differently and have different needs. Each person has a metabolism that is unique to their body as well, so one person may burn calories easier than another person – a bummer, we know.
The Role of Calorie Intake
We know a few things for certain. Calorie intake definitely plays a role in weight gain and weight loss. The amount of fats, carbohydrates, and sugars you eat also contributes to your weight. Now, if you were previously consuming 4,000 calories per day and drop it down to 3,000 calories per day, you should start to lose some weight; whereas, most people would gain weight if they were eating 3,000 calories per day. However, the goal is to get both your eating habits and exercise habits to a healthy level, so that you are a healthy person!
Weight Watchers
So, back to our original question…are chain weight loss centers effective? The different chains use different methods. For instance, Weight Watchers uses a point system, assigning points to food and assigning you a number of points that you are allowed per day in order to lose weight. According to healthline.com, “One study found that overweight people who were told to lose weight by their doctors lost twice as much weight on the Weight Watchers program than those who received standard weight-loss counseling from a primary care professional.”
We wanted to point out that study because if you are interested in weight loss surgery, your physician will require you to lose some weight on your own first prior to surgery. From that study, it seems that Weight Watchers may be a good way to do that. Weight Watchers has also been proven to help sustain long-term weight loss.
In our next blog, we will look at a couple more “chain weight loss centers” and their effectiveness. If you are interested in weight loss surgery and live in the Melbourne or Merritt Island areas, we hope you will call us at Advanced Surgical and Weight Loss Institute. We specialize in a variety of weight-loss surgical procedures including lap band, gastric bypass, and gastric balloon in Melbourne, FL. We are happy to meet with you, answer all of your questions, and determine which surgery is right for you, so please give us a call!