Before undertaking a meal replacement program, you should ask some simple but very important questions. Protect your health and your pocketbook by asking the following five questions:

1. How effective is the program? The first thing you'll want to know is whether the program you're considering actually works. After all, your goal in starting a meal replacement program is to lose weight. Avoid programs that can't prove their effectiveness or provide little in the way of real guidance and support. If the program can't provide examples of successful clients, consider looking elsewhere.

2. What kind of professional supervision is provided? Meal replacement programs should always be undertaken while under proper medical supervision. Emotional support and medical evaluation are both critical to any weight loss program, particularly a meal replacement program. Because you are spending your time and money in a program, the program should offer you in return the professional guidance you need to be successful at reaching your goals.

3. What kind of ongoing maintenance support do you offer? Losing the weight is only the first step. It is the very beginning of a lifelong change in lifestyle and dietary habits. You will need support to stay on track once you've reached your goal weight. Choose programs that help keep you motivated and connected with follow up support, and offer options for intervention should you start to regain weight.

4. How much does it cost? The important point of this question is not that you should try to skimp out and choose the "cheapest" program, but you should choose a program that gives you your money's worth. You could end up paying thousands of dollars for food, enrollment fees, and other hidden fees for a regimen that is poorly designed that doesn't work. Furthermore, it may offer no training or support. However, a program that is less expensive could be highly effective. All in all, choose the best program that fits with your budget.

5. Are there hidden costs, and do you provide refunds? A weight loss program that offers a money back guarantee is the true mark of a confident program. A program that has confidence in its product and the competence of its support staff will always give you your money back if you aren't satisfied with the results. Reputable programs will be upfront with you regarding costs and what you will ultimately end up paying.

When you consider each of these factors, Medifast stands out from all the rest. Medifast offers a proven and effective program backed by solid medical support. They can help connect you with a physician familiar with the Medifast plan, and the cost of the program is reasonable - even less than what a single person typically spends each month on groceries. Unopened, unused products can be returned within 30 days for a full refund. Coaching and support is offered online and in person at Medifast centers across the country. Like countless others, discover how Medifast can help you lose weight and keep it off.

Nobody likes the word 'diet'. It brings to mind scrimping and going without all the things you love. It's especially difficult to reinforce your will power after the holiday season.

But it's not all bad. There really are plenty of ways to lose pounds quickly without having to go without and it's much easier than you think - once you know how. You can start the New Year with some great weight loss results with these easy tips.

Here are the top nine tips to lose pounds in 2009.

1. Water Many people do not drink water at all, and yet it is the best way to naturally clean out your body and simultaneously shed pounds. Drinking enough water is so easy. Just drink a glass of water before every meal and snack and you will feel rehydrated and fuller so you will be less tempted to over-eat at mealtimes.

2. Fiber Fiber is a brilliant weight-loss secret that can help you lose weight at the same time as making you feel full. You can actually reduce your hunger pangs by eating enough fiber in your diet. Simple foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and beans will increase your fiber intake, make you feel full faster and help you lose weight quicker.

3. Snacks Staying slim does not require starving yourself. You should definitely snack throughout the day in between meals. Your metabolism will increase by snacking, helping your weight loss. Be careful however of what snacks you choose to eat; remember they should be healthy snacks. It's definitely okay to eat nuts, fruit, and even a snack size tub of yogurt or baked rice crispies. Moreover, just be smart about your snack choices.

4. Walk Take every opportunity to walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away from the store and walk the rest of the way. Stroll around the block with your dog or with a friend. Switch on your stereo and just wiggle to the music.

5. Grill it up Switch from frying foods to grilling them, order grilled when you go out to eat. Grilling is easier than and just as tasty as frying. It's healthier and has fewer calories than fried foods.

6. Side Dishes We as a society are conditioned to believe that a meal is not complete without a side of French fries. Try replacing fries with a salad or with steamed vegetables for a healthier option.

7. Processed Foods Pre-packaged deli ham, chicken and turkey are quick and easy to have available in the fridge, but they have high levels of sodium. Sodium makes your body retain fluid and makes it harder for you to lose weight. Don't buy pre-packaged processed foods whenever possible. Opt for fresh options.

8. Keep It Lean Red meat and poultry are not off limits; just remember to buy the leanest cuts available. Trim off excess fat and cut off the skin from chicken. Grill your meat to keep the goodness in and minimize the amounts of fat.

9. Meal Replacement Meal replacement diets can be a very handy way to shed pounds quickly. Simply replace your normal lunches with a great replacement shake so you're still getting all the nutrients you need without all the calories to go with it.

Keep up with these simple tips and you'll be surprised how easy it is to lose weight quickly.

We've all heard the old adage as it relates to weight loss. Eat less and exercise more is a simple solution to an all too common problem today. Everyone appears to be looking for the shortcut. The question is not, "how can I maintain a healthy lifestyle", rather it is how can I do what I want to do and then find a colon cleansing product to purify me from the poison I put into my body. Colon cleansers can be a great tool however they should not be thought of as a quick fix to help you loose those last few pounds.

At this moment, many of the statistics say that you probably have between 4 and 9 pounds of fecal matter attached to the walls of your colon. The side affects of this can be as simple as constant constipation, gas, indigestion and maybe even acid reflux disease. The reality is that if you are faced with most if not all of these symptoms, perhaps the time has come for a complete cleanse. Many of the best cleanses to use are the natural products that are specially prepared to cleanse the colon and detoxify your liver. They key is that you should feel better after a more alert and refreshed after a colon cleanse and not the reverse.

It's when people decide to use colon cleansers as a weight loss tool that things become "ugly." First of all, if you have a lot of weight to lose, then colon cleansing is not your answer. An initial cleanse will only result in about 4-8 pounds lost. After that, you will simply be eliminating everything you eat, nutrients and all. This is not healthy. Using an herbal remedy for colon cleansing, you could jump-start your weight loss journey with a clean colon. Maintaining a healthy diet after cleaning out your colon would be a safer choice.

There a number of different types of colon cleansers. Liquid cleansers, which require you to eat nothing, and pills that are consumed in conjunction with a diet high in fiber and raw foods such as fruits and vegetables are the most common types. Colon cleansing is not a quick one-time solution for weight loss. For a colon cleanser to have the most optimum effect, one still has to change their diet and lifestyle. Otherwise, the weight is going to keep coming back.

Think of your body as a sponge. When using that sponge in the course of a day, it can get really dirty and dingy. Now what happens when you run water over the sponge in an effort to rinse it out? The debris and dirt fall away from the sponge down the drain. If you squeeze the sponge, even more of the residue is released. Well, the same is true of our bodies. Yes, a colon cleanse may cause insignificant weight loss but think about the lasting benefits of having all of the gunk out of you.

So in an effort to respond to the question, are colon cleansers safe, yes most of them are safe however they can be harmful if not properly followed and supervised under a doctor's care. On the other hand, if you are simply trying a colon cleanse simply to lose weight then you are under a false impression and are taking a colon cleanser for the wrong reason. It would be in your best interest to identify a proven diet program and follow it to the letter versus following some claim made on late night television.

Do you arm yourself with a candy bar when battling your worries? I did, for more years than I'd like to admit. When I turned to food to fix my worries, food fixed me real good! The more I ate, the fatter and more stressed out I got. But for some strange reason, that didn't stop me from heading for the refrigerator or grabbing a few of my favorite candy bars when I was upset. And I was upset A LOT.

I was the RN supervisor of a large medical-surgical floor in a hospital-telling everybody what to do to get healthy, and I felt like a dummy because I couldn't stop overeating even though it made my blood pressure soar. My doctor told me I could have a stroke if I didn't lose weight, so guess what I did: I went home and ate everything I could get my hands on. A doctor I worked with congratulated me for being pregnant--when I wasn't--and I swore I would eat 500 calories until I wore a size 3, but I'll bet you can guess what I did instead: I ate until I was about to pop.

I wanted to be thin more than anything in the world, so why couldn't I quit overeating? I didn't understand it then, but I do now. When we eat, our bodies secrete feel-good brain chemicals--neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. So eating really does relieve stress temporarily.

The problem is that when we turn to food to fix our problems, they only grow, and so do we!

Twenty-five years ago, after a lifetime of overeating and stressing out, I began discovering practical ways to lose the weight and worries that weighed me down. Here are three things that did, and still do:

I started writing in a Prayer Journal about things that were stressing me out. I learned that resentments are fattening, pouting puts pounds on and worries widen hips so I cast those cares on God, and not on the refrigerator. I stopped playing games with my eating. Some of my favorites-- "Broken Cookies Don't Count," "Fudge Is My Fortress," "I've Already Blown It Today So What I Eat Now Won't Hurt Me."

I joined a group of people who wanted to lose weight. I love talking to others who think like I do and have the same struggles with food I used to have. We have fun while getting to the roots of our overeating. After awhile, most of them are amazed to find themselves shrinking outside while growing inside.

I joined a group of people who wanted to lose weight. I love talking to others who think like I do and have the same struggles with food I used to have. We have fun while getting to the roots of our overeating. After awhile, most of them are amazed to find themselves shrinking outside while growing inside. So join me. Make 2009 THE YEAR you lose your weight and the worries that weigh you down!

Julie Morris is the author of 12 books and founder of Guided By Him-a brand new light and easy 12-week Christian weight-loss program.

One question that we get a lot is "Does Isagenix really work?" Another question we get a lot is "is Isagenix safe?" These are both great questions, especially since people all over America are starting to hear more and more about the body cleansing and Isagenix. People all over North America are starting to see friends or relatives doing some type of "Body Cleansing" and seeing what is doing for them. If you are nor cleansing your body, then you should seriously start to reseach the benefits of doing a cleanse and think about doing one.

If you are looking to lose weight then you should seriously look at the "Isagenix Nutritional body cleanse". When you are cleansing your body, you are eliminating the toxins in your body and once you start to rid yourself of the toxins, your body also starts to release fat. Over 140 people have lost over 100 pounds, and some over 200 pounds (and kept it off) while cleansing their bodies with the Isagenix 30 day cleanse. Your mental clarity and energy will improve, and while Isagenix is working on the inside, you will start to lose pounds and inches on the outside.

Most people have always wanted to have a beautiful and a healthy body. Face it, we all want to look attractive. You need to take care of your health and have a better diet void of junk food, if you seriously want a newer and more healthier body. Eating a proper diet isn't easy for many busy people who are always eating on the run and are too busy to make healthier home cooked meals, and then the end result is the start to gain excess weight and many become obese over time. With the Isagenix 3o day nutritional system you are daturating your body with high nutrition with the Isalean shakes and you are also cleaning out the toxins that we take in every day. The end result is a leaner, more energenic body.

Have you ever taken diet pills? Not a very safe way to lose weight. Too many bad side affects. Body cleansing is getting very popular nowadays. Many doctors and health professionals are now recommending their patients to do some sort of cleanse. Isagenix's nutritional body cleanse is a popular cleanse that the health professionals are now recommending. It is a fast and safe way to lose that excess fat. The pounds and inches literally melt away by detoxifying your body of excess waste and toxins.

You can order the isagenix food and nutritional fatloss system online. The shakes offered by this company are very nutritional, as well as delicious. They burn the fat fast and add nutrition to the body so that one can remain active throughout the day. To help get rid of excess weight one should always avoid high calorie foods. If someone has a nutritionally balanced body then he would feel less hungry and would consume less food. You need to follow all the instructions properly if you want to get the best result from the Isagenix fat loss products.

We all want to be healthy, but we must also understand the effort it takes to stay healthy. Looking for quick ways to lose weight is not always the route to go. Starving yourself for weeks, or taking dangerous weight loss pills should certainly be avoided. If you want to lose weight quickly the best way to do so is the natural way. As with everything in life, it is not going to be easy, but with a little effort you will certainly accomplish your goals.

Ditch the soda and drink water instead. A great way to lose weight is to drink plenty of water. For most people, drinking 64 fluid ounces a day is enough. Use a water filter to save money. The only difference between bottled water, and filtered water is that bottled water is more expensive. This is the most natural, and healthiest way to lose the excess weight.

Go out for a walk. Walking is actually a very good way to exercise. Try to walk at least 30-45 minutes a day if possible. The more you walk, the more calories you burn. Walking up a hill is far more effective than walking on a flat surface. The best times to go out for a walk is early in the morning, or 2 hours before going to bed. This is a great way to work on your over all health and well-being.

Trying to lose weight might not be the most exciting thing you will do in your life, but it also does not have to be the most boring either. You have to keep yourself motivated when trying to lose weight, and the best way to do so is to have the right friends. Chances are, your friends want to get into shape as well. Ask them to join you, it makes losing weight and exercising a lot more fun.

Boost your metabolism to burn more calories. The average person eats 3 big meals per day, and follows a daily 2,000 calorie intake diet. You can boost your metabolism by eating 5-7 smaller meals a day instead of the standard 3 meal diet. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it helps to kick start your metabolism. You should eat the most food during breakfast, and the least amount of food during dinner.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. It is important to follow a well balanced diet. Try to always add a salad, or some sort of fruit with your meals. You should always eat a variety of foods to provide your body with the nutrition it needs. Never eat more than you need to, eat just enough to satisfy you hunger.

Those were just some tips you can follow to lose weight. You don't have to follow all of the tips above at once. Start slow, make one change at a time until you are happy with your weight. The important thing is to never quit and give up. You have to keep yourself motivated because after you lose the weight, you still have to keep it off. Keeping the weight off is going to be more difficult, but with the right attitude and effort it can be done. Everyone's body is different, try to experiment with different methods, and once you find the best one, stick with it