more articles like this

Tell them you found them on Edhat!
www.edhat.com/referrals

Weight Loss Program
updated: Apr 28, 2011, 8:36 AM

What weight loss programs in town have people had success with? I'd like an effective, affordable program that includes a counseling/support component and weigh-ins. Also, do the programs with expensive supplements and vitamins work better or not?

Places People Are Talking About:

Doctors Weight Management	Healthy Balance	Innate Wellness
Kathleen Griffin	KUT	Overeaters Anonymous
Weight Watchers	YMCA

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 168431	2011-04-28 09:00 AM
Innate Wellness! Best trainers in town, friendly, knowledgable, fun, AND affordable! I have known them for several years, and everyone that works with them is looking great and very happy with the training.
COMMENT 168434	2011-04-28 09:05 AM
Have you ever tried just doing it yourself? I've cut out any and all fast food, cut way back on alcohol, I go to the gym (moderate lifting & cardio), and I've dropped 20 lbs in the past few months. And its been easy. I'll never understand why people would rather pay someone else to do something for them, when its so easy to just do it yourself and save the money. Take the dog for long walks, if you don't have a dog, go for long walks yourself, hiking, etc. I'm not trying to be mean or say you're lazy, just seriously consider doing it yourself first.
COMMENT 168435P	2011-04-28 09:07 AM
I love Weight Watchers. I've done both the classes and the online versions (I actually prefer the online, but that's just me) and have been at my goal weight for 2 1/2 years. The classes are supportive and educational and it's very easy to keep track of intake with the online tools. After 40+ years of dieting, I have to say that there is no magic bullet...the only thing that REALLY works is sensible eating and exercising. Diets work until you go off of them, but Weight Watchers teaches you healthy eating habits that you will use for the rest of your life. Give Weight Watchers a try and find a physical activity you enjoy -- that will help you stick to it. I used to walk at lunchtime with a coworker. It was fun, social, and made me feel great! Good luck!
COMMENT 168439	2011-04-28 09:13 AM
Weight Watchers is great. It is very reasonably priced, simple to follow, and has a long track record of success. I like the online/iphone app "LoseIt". I found the number one part of WW that works for me is writing down everything I eat. LoseIt makes that easy, and has all of the calorie count for most foods and exercises.
COMMENT 168440	2011-04-28 09:14 AM
Agree with 168434! I've dropped 18 pounds since the beginning of April and it has been effortless. I drink lots of water, take longs walks, cut out alcohol, and watch my portion size. Still enjoy all the foods I love, just less of them. However, if you are looking for an AWESOME trainer, then I suggest Kristin Rooke who works out of Spectrum Gyms. She is beyond amazing and can help you improve your food choices/diet also.
EDHATBARBARA	2011-04-28 09:15 AM
Over the years I've lost (and regained) weight with Weight Watchers successfully but found myself unable to maintain my weight on the plan for extended periods of time. While doing extensive long distance walking, weight gain wasn't a problem, but as soon as my exercise program slacked off, my weight jumped right back on. I've been working for about a year now with Kathleen Griffin, MD who supervises my weight loss through an eating program supplemented with prescribed medications. She is also monitoring my thyroid, which has been underactive for years and which affects my ability to gain and lose weight significantly. I've been extremely pleased with the results, having lost and KEPT OFF more than 30 lbs. so far. She's located on Mission St., between State and Chapala.
COMMENT 168446P	2011-04-28 09:22 AM
The only thing I would caution about do-it-yourself proponents (of which I am one) is to thoroughly research any supplements before taking them. Not only data from Consumer Lab, but look for a variety of sources. Some supplements are worse than taking none at all. There are certain nutrients that the body requires, and if obtained, will result in one feeling less hungry. Cutting carbs is also key - not only for losing weight but for keeping such diseases as diabetes, etc away.
COMMENT 168459	2011-04-28 09:42 AM
Weight Watchers. You're asking for a good all around program providing support...WW is the best for ALL of that. It's easy, makes sense and you won't be eating any weird food or doing anything too drastic that you can't stick with. Hence the reason it has the best long term success rate of any program out there. Good luck!
COMMENT 168471	2011-04-28 09:51 AM
Less Food + Exercise.
COMMENT 168474	2011-04-28 09:55 AM
Have you checked out the Doctors Weight Management through Sansum? It's amazing! They have great weekly classes, health educators who make sure you stay on track, and the food is good too! I actually lost over 200 pounds on it. I would definitely check them out!
COMMENT 168477	2011-04-28 09:58 AM
I am glad EDHATBARBARA has had a good experience, but I don't recommend Kathleen Griffin. She's prescribes a variation on Phen-Fen (sp?). She also tried to take me off a medication that was prescribed by my endocrinologist who has monitored me for years. When I told him, he was appalled that she would do so without a full history or evaluation of my condition. She's just a diet pill doctor IMHO.
COMMENT 168479	2011-04-28 10:02 AM
168459: I just wanted to point out that if you compare Weight Watchers to the HMR program through Sansum and the success rate that HMR blows them out of the water. They've been providing service for over 25 years!
COMMENT 168482	2011-04-28 10:09 AM
471 may be terse, but right. The basic calories in-calories out mantra is as simple as you can make it. Finding the right method for your lifestyle and personality is the hard part. Eat smart, but that means finding healthy but satisfying meals you enjoy. Experiment with that, but I find it a lot harder if your single. Exercise several times a week. The nice thing about this is you don't need to kill yourself and run a marathon - just walking will do wonders if you stick with it. I hope you find a good fit.
COMMENT 168485P	2011-04-28 10:21 AM
Thanks, there are some great suggestions here. 168434 and: I can't believe I did not think of that!
COMMENT 168498P	2011-04-28 10:50 AM
It helps to get a friend or family member to walk or exercise with you.. if you don't have one, I have a friend who walks with people in exchange for a small fee. It's a great way to make sure you get out the door by making you accountable to someone else for your walking "date."
COMMENT 168499	2011-04-28 10:51 AM
There are some great suggestions here. I'll offer one more: Patience. If you embark on an exercise program, you may not immediately lose weight. In fact, you may gain as your body builds up muscle which weighs more than the fat you are losing. If you restrict your diet, the results may be slow in coming. The key is to stick to whatever it is you decide to do. Be patient and don't give up. Try to make lifestyle changes rather than just saying, e.g., "I'll give up dessert for a month" etc. Good luck!
COMMENT 168506	2011-04-28 11:08 AM
498: Is it just me who finds that weird? Your friend charges people to walk with them? Throw on some headphones with good motivating tunes, and you'll have one amazing walk on your own if you don't have someone near you to walk with. I'm sure you'd be surprised if you just asked coworkers if anyone is interested in a lunch time walk. More people than you realize are probably trying to get in more exercise. You can try a boot camp to jump start your weight loss, join the gym or YMCA, join WW, or just put together your own fitness program. Just this week I've started making my own lunches, and making sure to eat more greens (daily! no exceptions!), and after just a few days, I already feel the effects. I haven't weighed myself yet, but my stomach feels better and smaller - not so bloated from nasty foods... If you don't already eat at least some form of greens daily, start NOW. That one change is kinda amazing.
COMMENT 168514	2011-04-28 11:29 AM
Is there a twelve step program for people in need of losing weight and living healthier lifestyle? Like Over eaters Anonymous? (OA) If so,there could be positive encouragement and support and new friends to walk with.
COMMENT 168557	2011-04-28 01:13 PM
You can't beat Weight Watchers for affordability and sensibility. They are not a source for quick weight loss. They focus on changing habits and being conscious of what you are eating. Even if you don't follow their plan, the support you get from weekly meetings is great. I didn't follow their points plan but I went to the meetings and got a lot out of them. I have kept the weight off. A few tips that really help: 1. Don't waste calories on eating foods you don't like. 2. Avoid fake anything - real is better even in small amounts and better for you. 3. Guilt is useless and pointless - if you slip, just get back on track and keep on going. All the best to you and enjoy whatever plan you end up choosing.
COMMENT 168563	2011-04-28 01:23 PM
Healthy Balance through Cottage Hospital is worth a look. It includes workout sessions designed and monitored by their physical therapists, body composition and metabolic testing, weigh ins, food tracking, a consult with a dietician, education classes and the social component of small encouraging groups. While the initial cost can seem hefty, the number and variety of visits you get with health care professionals makes it incredibly valuable.
COMMENT 168570	2011-04-28 01:30 PM
For years Weight Watchers has been the absolute best, both in the ease of its implementation and the sensibility of the diet. But I was dismayed when recently WW changed their whole formula around. Where once it was a simple calculation of calories, fat, and fiber, now it is a much more complex formula. Perhaps some of the reasoning goes toward advances in nutritional knowledge, but my guess is that WW wanted to make their proprietary formula much more difficult to decipher. There is a plethora of free online tools you can use. One that I like is FatSecret.com. This tool makes entering and tracking your meals very easy, and for those with smart phones there is a free app that syncs up with your personal online database. One cool feature of the app is that you can scan a barcode and it will automatically bring up that food item...you just have to enter how much of it you ate. Of course there are no support groups, so if you need that I suggest sticking with Weight Watchers.
COMMENT 168576	2011-04-28 01:37 PM
In 40 yrs of observations on the effectiveness of weight loss programs its become clear to me that dieting alone doesn't work. It just trains your body to store up fat at the next opportunity. Regular excercise is crucial to effective weight control. Long ago an internist gave me 3 simple rules for controlling weight and staying reasonably fit: 1) Eat sensibly and don't eat anything for the 4 hours prior to bed time. 2) Drink a minimum of 2 quarts of water daily. 3) Every day do some physical activity to the point of breaking a sweat. Good luck with whatever program you follow - the physical benefits can't compare to the mental benefits!
COMMENT 168588	2011-04-28 01:57 PM
I am a second person who recommends the Doctors Weight Management Program. They do such a good job. They help you change your lifestyle when it comes to food and the best part is that even after you have lost the weight they help you keep it off!
COMMENT 168598P	2011-04-28 02:17 PM
My experience with Dr Griffins program was positive I got good information and regular weigh-ins to encourage my weight loss. And I succeeded in real weight loss where as I have failed on other programs. For maintenance and wisdom, I think Weight Watchers has the best program.
COMMENT 168617	2011-04-28 02:46 PM
Eat less.....move more.
COMMENT 168635	2011-04-28 03:33 PM
168434, you must be a guy who has plenty of free time and energy. Plus, you're not so heavy that you can't move, or with joint problems that prevent heavy exercise. Plus, you have no issues with long-time over-eating habits. You're making me feel so guilty about not losing weight your "easy" way that I think I'll go eat some chocolate!
COMMENT 168660	2011-04-28 04:44 PM
If you don't lose weight at all, or extremely slowly, when you reduce calories to 1200/day, you should look at your thyroid. Some people have a depressed thyroid
COMMENT 168665	2011-04-28 05:17 PM
Isn't Dr. Griffin an ObGyn?
COMMENT 168726P	2011-04-29 06:20 AM
OA and walk to work, to the grocery store and laundromat. Or bike. Carry a backpack.
COMMENT 168737	2011-04-29 07:28 AM
SURE FIRE WEIGHT-LOSS PROGRAM 1. Cut portions you normally eat in half. 2. Stop eating when you are 80% full. 3. Exercise more - even in small 10-15 minute increments every day, for one hour total in addition to what you do right now. 4. Keep repeating the above until desires weight. Repeat if there is any regain of weight. Bill for services: $0.00
COMMENT 168755P	2011-04-29 08:26 AM
I've recently done the Doctors Weight Management program (also called HMR) at Sansum and it has all the necessary elements for making changes in your life and for doing it in an accountable environment. It has controlled calorie shakes (which are pretty good) and entrees (which are barely tolerable, IMHO); weekly weigh in, exercise standards, personal daily monitoring books, and classes; and for those needing to be on a very low calorie intake, blood level monitoring. It will work if you will work it -- as with any system. It is not inexpensive, nor should it be. I've never found Weight Watchers helpful, but I know many people who have. I tried OA once, felt it was pretty meaningless, and people there were very overweight and had been attending for many years, obviously not getting anything out of it. The basic equation will always be "calories in, calories burned." It's just a matter of finding a system that works for you, but in the long run, it comes back to personal commitment. Good luck. For some of us, it's a lifelong battle, and there's nothing simple about it.
PJG	2011-04-29 08:41 AM
I have struggled with weight all my life. I have been a size 6 to a size 2x. I have tried every single place listed at the top of this list except Kathleen Griffin. I have been successful in losing weight with all of them and I have learned many nutritional and exercise lessons over the years. Intellectually, I know what to do but I still struggle with maintaining my weight. It is not always as simple as some suggest. Studies show that having support groups do help. Recently, I have started to see a therapist and although the subject is not weight loss I think it will be side effect of learning to deal with my emotions in a different way. I am an emotional eater. I am looking for tools to deal with anxiety, anger and depression other than food.
COMMENT 168812	2011-04-29 09:51 AM
Park your car, and walk or ride your bike. Doing that saved my 40lbs.
COMMENT 168866P	2011-04-29 11:50 AM
I'm the one who recently did the Sansum clinic diet, and I forgot to mention that they also have a chicken soup and a cereal, neither of which was to my taste.
COMMENT 169135P	2011-04-30 12:12 PM
I highly recommend KUT (Kickboxers Ultimate Training) program at Martial Arts Family Fitness (kickboxers.com) This program is so healthy and incorporates exercise, resistance training and diet along with support throughout the 9-week program from staff and fellow students. I personally have lost 8lbs of scale weight and 14lbs of pure fat loss in 9weeks!.. oh and over 18 inches on my body. This is a plan for life! Good Luck!
COMMENT 202500P	2011-08-10 12:38 PM
Homeopathic HCG works great! You can lose 10-50 lbs! A local company offers the product, support materials and coaching throughout the Protocol - Renew HCG, online at www.renewhcg.com
COMMENT 219512	2011-10-03 05:32 PM
If you're over 100 lbs overweight (like I was) diets won't work. You need surgery and by far the best weight loss surgeon in town is Dr. David Thoman. He trained the other doctors and they never really got it. They have had lots of bad complications (per my friend who works in surgery).