The fault with these weight loss programs has as much to do with our bodies as it does the programs themselves. The typical weight loss program is based on a steady caloric reduction which enables the body to lose weight. The problem is that you end up losing more than just fat. When you decrease your caloric intake to or below your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the daily caloric requirement needed to maintain lean mass, your body has to get by on less energy yet still do the same amount of work.

It becomes even more counter-productive when exercise is added yet caloric intake is still at BMR. When forced into this situation the body perceives that it is about to go into a state of caloric deprivation., This prompts the body to rid itself of material that consumes the most calories, namely lean muscle. When you begin to reduce your lean muscle mass, you damage your metabolic rate -- your metabolism. The body's ability to burn calories for energy is directly dependent upon the amount of lean mass we have. Our lean mass is actually our calorie burning machinery. Calories, specifically fat, are burned in our muscles. So if you decrease your amount of muscle, you lower your ability to burn calories. Once this happens, you've effectively lowered the amount of calories you can consume on a daily basis without gaining weight. When this happens, it literally becomes necessary to live off of 1,000 calories or less for the rest of your life if you want to keep your weight down. So now you not only get to eat less, you have a harder time losing weight. You can actually mess with your metabolism enough that it can get to the point where you basically can't lose weight and can't get proper nutrition out of the small amount of food you can eat.

Up until the 1950's the average American woman took in 3,000 to 5,000 calories per day. As we become more dependent upon appetite suppressants and commercial weight loss centers, we have also become largely a more unhealthy society due to incorrect dieting practices and destroying our metabolics.

In order to truly alter the body's appearance and maintain that appearance, a person must adhere to a program that includes identifying the proper amount of daily food intake based on body statistics and realistic goals, the appropriate amount of aerobic exercise, the proper amount of diet augmentation, and the correct amount of resistance training.

References
(To view, roll mouse over the "References" heading; to hide, click on the heading)