People used to believe that self help was something of a joke, that online weight loss couldn’t possibly work, and that live diet meetings were the best approach to successful weight loss.
But now the stats are in, and an entirely different picture has emerged. The first thing we see is that weight loss programs that rely on diets or food plans simply don’t work anyway. Less than 2% of people manage to maintain a healthy weight using that type of weight loss approach, and most people in fact actually put weight on because of dieting.
In fact studies indicate that online programs give roughly the same benefit as having your very own personal therapist!
Certainly some people who undertake weight loss online will still require the close support and supervision of a mental health specialist, but likewise online programs are proving their value across a range of issues: depression, anxiety, weight loss, smoking cessation, relationship problems, chronic pain, etc.
And the aim of all help is to support you toward self reliance in any case!
So how do you choose a self-help program for weight loss? Avoid methods which have been proven not to work, like hypnosis, dieting or eating plans, or new-age visualisation. These are a waste of your time, money and effort! Instead, look for programs that have a scientific basis and have been tested in clinical trial. They will be run by experienced psychologists or other qualified health practitioners (but remember that these days ph.d.’s can be purchased and are not necessarily bona fide). Google the name of the developer of the method and make sure they’re not a fraud.
Likewise be aware that not all conventional approaches to weight loss are worthwhile either! For example cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is often regarded as highly-effective, and many studies claim that this is the case. But analysis of those studies shows that the conclusions are not valid, and that CBT is little better than placebo (sugar pills). So you do need to do your research.
In choosing your online weight loss program it’s worth noting that testimonials should never be regarded as evidence. For instance there are many testimonials regarding the use of hypnosis to quit smoking. But when you examine actual scientific trials, you see that less than 1% of people give up smoking by using hypnosis.
Why are testimonials not worth the paper (or screen) they’re written on? Because they are in no way representative of the total population. They can be made up or paid for, and they can also represent purely a placebo factor. Protect yourself by totally ignoring testimonials.
Because of the evidence, we strongly encourage you to investigate a self-help, online weight loss program, but similarly encourage you to do your research to make sure the method’s proven, and that the support facilities are run by qualified professionals.
I hope now that you know that online programs do work, and you appreciate the importance of ensuring they are backed up by clinical research and staffed by trained professionals, that you might like to grab a couple of freebies that give you a solid taste of what that’s like. Check out 2 free books, “17 Solutions” and “Stop Wishing and Start GETTING!”, just 2 of the range of freebies available as a free member of TopLifeSolutions.com. Why is all this free? Because TopLifeSolutions.com is part of the Kind Communities Initiative, and it wants to get real, proven, valuable information to you, so that together we can make a difference to community health and happiness.