Best Diet Regimen? It’s Made to Fit Your Lifestyle

When you are trying to lose weight and keep it off, what’s the best plan? To put hook, line and sinker in an organized program or to devise your own strategy? Maybe the best of both worlds is what’s needed, experts say.

Judith Stern, professor of nutrition and internal medicine, UC Davis

“In a study of 30 women who lost weight and kept it off and 44 women who lost weight but regained it, I found that 73% of the maintainers devised their own weight-loss program but only 39% of the regainers did.

“If you are going to keep the weight off forever, you need to set up the program for your lifestyle. This doesn’t mean you can’t go to a structured weight-loss program (and be successful). You can go to one and take the best (components). You may need to make changes in the structured program.

“Assess your situation. Make changes not only in what you eat but in your exercise and your (approach to) problem-solving.”

Barbara Moore, manager of program development, Weight Watchers International

“We try increasingly to tailor the program to the person. We have two options, one structured and one flexible (allowing dieters to use their own recipes). We know if you are going to be successful long term, it has to match your lifestyle. The program can’t feel like a diet.

“Parts of it, of course, can’t be changed. Everyone has to understand and follow portion control, for instance. Learning to incorporate exercise is important.

“And ‘empowerment’ is critical. Those who feel food pushes them around have to recognize their need to take responsibility for what they put in their mouths, whatever program they follow.”