Go Clubbing to Shift those Pounds

By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

At last! Health experts have finally recognised that commercial diets, including slimming clubs, do actually help people to lose weight – and keep it off. And better still, they agree that people are more likely to stick to a plan and stay slim if they have additional weight loss support such as with a club, rather than going it alone.

Researchers compared the effectiveness of four popular diets – the Slim-Fast Plan, Weight Watchers Pure Points, Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution and Rosemary Conley’s Eat Yourself Slim Diet and Fitness Plan – with a control group as part of the TV series, BBC Diet Trials.

After six months, all the diets had resulted in a significant loss of body fat and weight compared to the control group, indicating that these diets do actually work. After 12 months though, more than half the participants had given up their diets, although those following Weight Watchers or Rosemary Conley – both of which offer ongoing support to followers – were more likely to have stuck with it. Weight gain after six months was also lower in those people who’d lost weight through the supported programmes.

WLR says:

As our members know, having the support of other people really can make the difference between success and failure when it comes to dieting. However, physically going to a slimming club may not suit or be practical for everyone. Some people may not have a club near them; others might work irregular hours or have a hectic lifestyle and so find it difficult to attend regular meetings. Meanwhile, many people prefer to remain anonymous or find a weekly ‘weigh in’ humiliating.

That’s where online slimming clubs like WLR offer the perfect alternative. No one needs to know your personal details , but you can still get the online weight loss support of other slimmers by using the message board. You can also swap successes and tips and share disappointments – and you’ll also find plenty of information about healthy eating, diet trends and new research.

If you’re struggling to lose those pounds and haven’t logged on to the message board for a while, why not give it a go? You could just find some new slimming buddies to help keep you motivated, putting you back on the road to success.