5 Criteria to Evaluate Weight Loss Plans
There are millions of diet plans for weight loss, workout plans for weight loss (or weight gain!), workout+diet plans – all requiring different levels of dedication, time, money, or hassle to implement.
I remain convinced that exercise AND diet both work together to create the fat loss and body image results that you’ll want.
But – With conflicting advice all over the internet and bookseller’s shelves, it can be hard to figure out what will be best for you – or when, or how. Here’s how I try to categorize advice they are giving.
Food! Are they focusing on:
-when/how often you eat (graze! / eat all at once!)
-how much you eat (eat everything you want! / count count count calories!)
-food categorization (eat no carbs! / eat no fat! eat no food! :O!)
Weight! Are they focusing on:
-where you are currently (BMI, body type, thyroid condition) and working from there
-Where you want to be (ripped!!! / lean and toned / just a bit trimmer)
Time period -
-Get results fast (afterwords is up to you)
-Keep chugging – forever (maintenance and management are key too…)
-Integrating lifestyle changes (NOT feeling liking you’re chugging along is ideal)
Workout Strategy -
-Cardio (for fat loss and weight maintenance)
-Weightlifting (muscles are your fat eaters!)
-High Intensity Training (it’s cardio AND weightlifting! er.. it’s at least awesome for you, look into it)
Workout Focus -
-Mega-strong-man lifting!
-Svelte sleekness
-A functional, beautiful body
Figuring out what you want your diet, workout, and information is a key step to finding a plan that will work for you. Keep your answers in mind, and poke around the site a bit. I’ve reviewed a number of plans myself, and posted the best I found in my Best Weight Loss Guides.
To bring you through a quick example of chosing a course, here would be my way of thinking:
For me, exercise has always been the easier part to work with – I love moving – not always in the recommended fat-loss ways though! So I probably need a plan that focuses on getting the calories under control.
FOOD: I don’t want to think about food or calories, really. I know I just said I needed to, but it really frustrates me. Something EASY to follow is necessary. (Eat Stop Eat and Fat Burning Furnace fit this well)
WEIGHT: Because, RIGHT NOW, I’m in a place where I’d like to maintain my weight, I’m looking for something that will make me ‘sleeker’, rather then just dropping pounds – a focus on fat loss/body recomposition (really, all plans that are responsible are going to focus on fat loss only. If you’re just losing weight, not fat, that means you’re also cutting your muscles… and plain old water content.) Any of my 5 plans work for this – but Fat Loss 4 Idiots largely focuses on losing lots of weight. Not for me.
TIME PERIOD: I’m maintaining. No need for anything drastic – I want something to last for the rest of my life. (Any of the 5 – I’ve judged Eat Stop Eat to be the most sustainable for me)
WORKOUT STRATEGY: Make it intense and quick for me! I ride my bike around town, several miles a day. Any other exercise had better be either quick and hard with weight, or yoga! (Combat the Fat would be great, a little more cardio then I want in my program. Fat Burning Furnace does something of this, and Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle would be intense.)
WORKOUT FOCUS: I’m pretty happy with my body right now, but a little more muscle would be fun. I’ll be looking for something that burns a few more calories to get cut while increasing some muscle groups when I do. (Combat the Fat, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle win here)
I already knew how this would play out – I’m VERY happy with Eat Stop Eat, but I think going with Fat Burning Furnace right away would have been a wise choice. Combat the Fat is literally boot-camp-ish – in a fun way, that might have been good too. But – what matters is what’s right for you! Again, my reviews (written for everyone, not just me) are here.