Long-term weight Loss – myth or reality?
I am sorry to admit but there is a dismal track record of weight loss camps as a whole – half of the campers return next year. Well, some of them come for the same weight problems and some, mostly kids, come because they want to spend just another great summer with their last year’s friends. Too expensive in both cases, if you ask me.
Is too bad for people who come back again and again to the weight loss camp because of an unsuccessful maintained weight loss during the year. Finally they will come up with the idea that either there is something wrong with them and will eventually stop trying to lose weight, or that the weight loss camp is not working the way it has pledged to work for all – to lose weight and keep it off.
Weight loss camps – how do they work?
In fact weight loss camps for adults, kids or teens work in two directions: first limit calories consumed through the portion controlled meals, and second increase caloric and fat expenditure through increased activity – fitness, exercises, trips, games and so on. Of course this can lead to a short-term weight loss.
Unfortunately this approach fails to teach young people, and especially kids and teens, how to develop their most powerful inner defined skill called self-monitoring, which can help anyone successfully maintain long-term weight loss.
Weight-loss camp counselors
Though most weight loss camps for adults do provide counseling, usually in groups, it is not as efficient for the individual, as it could be the individual approach to each person’s problem.
Here is the big problem of most weight loss camps for adults – they fail to address the fundamental behavioral and emotional issues – the way overweight people look in their own eyes and the way they accept their own bodies – this is a severe body and mind struggle.
Weight loss camp after-care weight loss program
When the weight loss camp is over and you come back home and start school, college or work again, you may not have so much time to spend in the gym exercising or doing even a small part of the things you were doing in the weight loss camp.
As for your calorie controlled meals and snacks at home – it’s not as easy as it may seem according to the monthly nutrition booklet, newsletter or nutritionist book, which you’ll be receiving from your weight loss camp, and which sole purpose is to aid in your weight maintaining process.
In conclusion
The answer to the question in the beginning of my post: “Weight loss camps” long-term weight loss – is it a myth or reality? is rather myth than reality. And although weight loss camps are an easy solution to any weight loss problems, they are not the best solution.