What's Your Weight-Loss Style?
Contributed by: NAPSA
(NAPSA) - Experts agree that, in order for a weight-loss plan to be effective, it's important to match the plan with the lifestyle. Depending on your eating habits (do you like to snack during the day? Are you a late-night eater?) and your need for structure, certain approaches may or may not be right for you.
To help determine your weight-loss profile, take the following quiz. For each question, simply circle the number of the answer that sounds most like you:
When I'm losing weight:
- I need details and precision. I prefer to follow a structured menu plan and believe following one is a big part of my weight-loss success.
- I like to have specific guidelines so that I know how it's "supposed" to be done. Having said that, I don't always follow the guidelines I'm given.
- I need freedom and lots of choices. I do better eating what I want, when I want.
When I'm cooking, I:
- Depend on the tried-and-true recipes that have helped me in the past.
- Like to use my tried-and-true recipes, but am always on the lookout for new ones to add to my collection.
- I need freedom and lots of choices. I do better eating what I want, when I want.
I'm more likely to:
- Go shopping with a list and stick to it.
- Make a shopping list, but change it based on what looks good and what's on sale.
- Go shopping with a general idea of what I want and add items as they catch my eye.
If your answers are mostly 1s, then rules and regulations are essential to your weight-loss efforts. Find a program that is prescriptive in its approach while, at the same time, ensuring that following its rules is good for your health. If your answers are mostly 2s, you like some guidance as you're losing weight, but you also like the freedom of choosing what makes sense for you. Find a flexible plan that works with your busy lifestyle. Finally, if your answers are mostly 3s, the more choices you have, the better you're able to stick to a program. Find a program that adapts to the ever-changing needs in your life.
No matter what your weight-loss profile, research by S. Heshka and others, published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," shows that people who attend Weight Watchers meetings lose three times more weight than those who try to lose weight on their own. In addition, the company's "Be Our Guest" policy allows people to visit a participating meeting before deciding whether to join.
