Diet Slimming Club

Slimming clubs promise results, but who are they for and will they make more of a dent in your pocket than your fat reserves?

Our reasons for finding it easy to gain weight and hard to lose it are as individual as our musical preferences. If yours include a lack of motivation and encouragement, try a slimming club.

Millions of people the world over belong to slimming organisations. Although the majority of clubbers are female, men are signing up too. Experts agree that the big established clubs do a good job, by providing support, which is incredibly important when you're trying to lose weight. They also offer plenty of information, advice and tips on long-term weight loss. Of course, not all clubs are created equal; for example, some are more expensive than others. Some include an exercise session, while others barely mention exercise at all. Before joining up, it's a good idea to prepare a list of questions that you can ask the trainer or group leader. This way you should be able to work out if the club will be right for you. Try these for starters:

Is there any evidence that this club's methods work? As well as testimonials and member success stories, do they have any press clippings from magazines and newspapers? Are these publications independent, or do they only have clippings from their own in-house publications?
What are the costs and payment structure? Will you have to pay extra for special sessions, special foods or supplements recommended by the club?
How convenient will the meetings be for you, both in terms of time and geography. Are there options to follow the programme on-line or by post?
What are the club rules? Does it focus solely on diet, and if so, what are the basic guidelines you will follow? Is exercise included in sessions or recommended? Do they have vegetarian options? Ask about things like motivational talks and image consultants - these are extras that will really give you value for money.
What would a typical day's menu look like? Better to find out now!
What about aftercare? When you reach your target weight, do they offer a maintenance plan? Is that included in the price, or does it cost extra?
Can you sit in on a session to see what it's like? Getting a feel for the format, what's expected and what the other members are like, is so important - make sure you feel happy with the support network on offer.

As well as the big name diet clubs, your local doctor or hospital may well run a weight-loss programme, and your local gym may offer one too. Do not respond to flyers, posters and funny little ads in newspapers saying something like 'Wanted! Overweight people to lose 30 lb in 30 days. No hunger! No Exercise!' These sorts of operations usually have a product they are pushing hard, such as a slimming pill or a meal-replacement shake. You may well be invited along to a meeting where various 'before and after' case studies will be trotted out in front of you and a few salespeople will speak with evangelical fervour about the product. Then, bam! 'Here's your month's supply.' And have you guessed? It costs nearly as much as your monthly salary. Seductive as it might seem, losing a vast amount of weight quickly is not sustainable. It will be water and lean muscle mass that disappears, only to reappear when you start to live normally again. If you try to do it with some unproven diet pill you could be putting yourself in all kinds of other health dangers, too. Go for the tried and tested methods.


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