With the start of every new year comes a bevy of promises to lose some weight from all across the nation. It seems like almost every adults wants to — or knows they should — lose at least a few pounds, but sticking to a diet is tough if you work long hours, have a busy schedule, and are dealing with the everyday demands that crop up from work, kids, and personal commitments. However, given that over two in three adults are either considered to be overweight or obese, we need to be paying attention to our lifestyles. A third of young people (ages six to 19) are also overweight and obese — is that the kind of example we want to be setting our children? If you’re invested in losing weight — and keeping it off — looking into weight loss clinics is a way to achieve dieting success for good.

What are the Health Risks Associated With Being Overweight or Obese?

Many people are hoping to shed some weight to improve their physical appearance. But losing weight if you’re overweight or obese can also improve your health. Just losing 5-10% of your weight can minimize your chances of getting heart disease, for example. Those who are obese have a much higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Indeed, there seems to be a direct correlation between our BMI and our chances of developing diseases like those mentioned above, according to researchers.

Losing weight may even help reduce back pain, improve your quality of sleep and give your sex drive a boost, and reduce your risk of cancer. And these are just the tip of the iceberg — there are countless other health benefits to losing weight as well.

Okay, So How Are Weight Loss Clinics Going to Help?

For one thing, weight loss clinics provide structure. We’ve all tried to diet on our own and it’s terribly easy to get waylaid. Weight loss clinics offer a firm plan to follow and check in to keep you on track. They also offer encouragement — which can be hugely important if you’re feeling discouraged — and may also provide medication that can assist with the weight loss.

Weight loss clinics also help with helping you to formulate healthy practices and skills for when you leave the program. Calorie counting is one approach. If you want to lose a pound a week (which is the safe amount to be losing per week), you’ll need a 500-calorie deficit per day, which should be achieved by exercise and a changed diet. Generally speaking, to lose one pound of fat, you’ll need to burn through about 3,500 calories.

If you’re looking for a weight loss program tailored to you that will provide more than just pounds lost, you should check out weight loss centers to see if there’s one in your area.

Is There Support After the Program is Finished?

Often, yes! Some weight loss centers will offer you the ability to check in and track your progress, and you may still be able to get in touch with your counselor or adviser from the program. Hopefully, the skills you learned during your time in the program — eating well, tracking your fat intake and counting calories, incorporating exercise into your day, etc., — will set a good foundation that you can build upon.

If you do the program with friends — or even make friends in the program — they can also help cheerlead and keep you accountable after the program is finished.

Target programs that do offer this kind of support if you think it will be helpful to you on your weight loss journey.

Live the “look good, feel good” mantra with a more organized weight loss plan. Weight loss clinics can help you get results — and keep those results in a way that dieting yourself often can’t. The weight loss experts will create a personalized plan for you that’s safe, effective, and hopefully long lasting!