Best Weight Loss Programs for 2026
Working one-on-one with someone who knows your lifestyle, medical history, and eating habits is an ideal way to lose weight.
We consulted experts to help you make sense of successful dieting and weight loss. How to find the program that suits you? Here’s what they had to say.
What makes a diet successful?
The best diet program for you will be the one that matches where you are in life. It must be “realistic, sustainable and flexible,” said Jamie Nadeau, a dietitian. “Learning to eat healthy consistently is actually learning how to build healthy habits into your life.”
“If a diet program is too rigid or strict, it is unlikely to work for most people,” she said. “If it requires you to do things that aren’t realistic for you or require tons of effort and changes all at once, it won’t work.”
Dietitian Amelia Ti approaches the issue differently. “I define a successful program as one that allows members to choose from a variety of foods without restriction and [one that] measures progress based on how its clients/participants feel (their mood, energy level, sleep, etc.),” she said. “I also define success by the sustainability of a program.”
Ti added: “A successful diet program should improve one’s relationship with food and one’s body, not make it worse.” Nadeau agrees: “The most effective diet programs are those that involve learning to eat a normal, well-balanced diet that includes all food groups (including fun foods). »
Red flags on a diet
It’s easy to get caught up in the empty promises of a weight loss program. Our two experts explained to us how to spot red flags from miles away.
Nadeau said to be wary of “any program that requires you to purchase their specific products or foods to be successful.” If you have to buy their bars, shakes, or prepackaged foods, run. As soon as you no longer have their food to rely on, all the weight you lost will come back. »
In addition to food, a program may ask you to eat, be careful of programs that are too restrictive. Ti said: “If a diet program asks you to cut out various foods or food groups, red flag! A few others include whether they label foods as “good” or “bad” and promise immediate results.
Who should avoid weight loss programs?
Diet programs are not suitable for everyone, especially those who are at risk of developing eating disorders. Nadeau recommends working with a registered dietitian on a diet or weight loss program. She said: “Working with a dietitian means you will receive personalized advice from an accredited professional who has experience working with people like you. »
