What program or group helped you to lose weight?
September 28, 2020 1:54 PM   Subscribe

The times that I have been the most successful with weight loss were when I was working with a nutritional coach or personal trainer. How can I replicate that support over a long period of time?

I am ready to be healthier! I’ve always struggled with my weight, but a chronic illness over the past several years has really made it difficult to stay with a healthy diet and exercise routine.

I’m at my most motivated when I’m working with a coach of some kind and meeting on a regular basis. I just did a free trial of WW and didn’t like it because there was no scheduled human interaction.

Have you found a reputable system/program that works for you long-term (a year or more)? I’d like a clear plan to follow with regular support and check-ins. I have a budget, but there is wiggle room if I find something that’s a really good fit.

Thank you for any suggestions or guidance!
posted by WaspEnterprises to Health & Fitness (5 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
So I have lost a shit-ton of weight in the last year, and also gotten myself into my best physical shape of my entire life, via an entire program run by a small local gym. And then Covid happened. I'm gonna leave out a bunch of details about what that gym is doing in person right now and tell you that this gym also has a separate online program which I am now using, and finding great success with.

It has:
-- An app where you record information like your sleep, stress, weight, exercise, etc.
-- A bunch of workouts inside that app for you to follow.
-- A group of trainers + their bios -- you choose one to work with. (You can change if you don't vibe with that person. The trainer tracks your progress and communicates with you. How much communication depends on what level of membership you choose. (More = more $)

I am at the top level -- $150/month. I get:
-- Livestreamed workouts Monday through Friday, one per day. They're also available for playback if you can't make it at that time. (This may be available for all membership levels; not sure)
-- One weekly 10-minute videochat with my trainer where we set goals and make a plan for the upcoming week. Could be specific like, "I can't do a push-up" or more general like "I'm feeling blah and unmotivated" or "What can I do to get stronger quads" or the like.
-- 3 weekly messages inside the app. Like a text message, basically. These can be motivational or be some follow-up on specific things we're tracking.

I know this is a lot of money. I'm doing it because I don't want to lose my fitness & weight loss progress (and in fact I have continued to lose weight and gain strength during quarantine). I'm probably also predisposed to like this program because I know these trainers from the actual gym itself.

This is the program. (I actually hate their current marketing, which is focused on quick weight loss and a specific demographic group. The actual content of the program is solid and not so quack-sounding. I have no idea why they're doing that.)

The other thing that helped was 3 meetings with a nutritionist -- referred by my physician, so insurance paid for it. I had thought there was nothing she could tell me that I didn't already know about weight loss and eating, but it functioned almost as "food therapy" for me and I found it immensely helpful.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:53 PM on September 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


I found that a local running store beginners runners group (working towards a 10k) worked really well for me.
posted by raccoon409 at 3:08 PM on September 28, 2020


I am using the Noom program right now and it’s working well for me. It is all on-line, but I have an assigned coach who checks in with me on a regular basis, is a great cheerleader, helps me set goals, etc. It is also inexpensive. I ignore the corniness of their articles and just take away the information.
posted by SLC Mom at 3:56 PM on September 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I did the HMR weight loss program with in person meetings and successfully lost a lot of weight (and got fitter) over the course a year. I stayed in the follow up program and mostly kept the weight off for about five years. The secret is volume, low calorie food - as much as you want but only the foods on the program. Exercise helps me keep it off (lack of exercise being main reason I was regaining after a while) More detailed about food than exercise (other than just a target exercise goal each week) so works well if you want to add your own trainer.

Note HMR is target to people who need to lose a lot of weight (50 pounds or more) and includes a medically supervised, faster weight loss option that is still high volume, eat as much as you want but only from a limited set of options.
posted by metahawk at 4:59 PM on September 28, 2020


My wife and I did Nutrisystem waaaayyyyyyyyyy back in the day. We lost a lot of weight. But, the thing I took away from the plan was how and what to eat, which made it pretty easy to migrate off their packaged foods and back onto our own grocery-bought foods. I've kept the weight off for close to 30 years now.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:20 AM on September 29, 2020


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