(BPT) – Everywhere you look, you’re bombarded by ads offering solutions to help you lose weight. Each product or program claims to have “the secret” to weight loss. Celebrity endorsers and before-and-after photos offer compelling testimonies, but how can you sort out fact from fiction? Here are some simple steps to make sure you’re making the right choice.

Determine your goal and timeline

Ask yourself what result you want. Are you looking to drop a quick 10 pounds for an upcoming occasion? If so, you can find dozens of quick-fix diet solutions. These plans generally provide simple, easy-to-use programming to help you lose weight — at least temporarily. The trick is keeping it off once the plan ends.

However, if you’re one of the millions of Americans who’s tired of dieting year after year and are looking for a long-term transformation, quick-fix solutions won’t cut it. Instead, you need to find a plan designed to provide long-term changes.

Build long-term, sustainable health

“Most weight-loss programs simply focus on calorie reduction until you hit your goal weight,” says Chelsie Comstock, a registered dietitian and a Profile health coach. “But after you hit that number, you’re right back to your old nutrition and activity habits. Sure, you hit your goal, but you haven’t changed your behaviors or made meaningful changes along the way.”

For true transformations, it’s important to set process-based goals. Rather than sticking to strict deadlines to complete a task with an end date — like losing 10 pounds before your high school reunion — the goal is to develop a consistent routine and healthy habits over time. Process-based goals might include reducing takeout meals to twice a week or committing to three months of strength training. At first this can be difficult, but a professional health coach can help you develop a plan and support you along the way.

“Many of our members are tired of the yo-yo diets and failing time and time again,” Comstock adds. “It’s not that they failed — they’re just focused on the wrong things. That’s where health coaching makes all the difference.”

Benefits of working with a health coach

Most people seeking to lose weight or improve their health will benefit from working with a health coach. Even if you’re an independent, self-motivated individual, a wellness professional can take you further in your health journey. Studies have shown that people who work with a health and wellness coach lose more weight than if they did it on their own. Some of the many benefits to working with a health coach include:

• Flexible/customizable plans: A health coach can help you set realistic, measurable goals, and personalize a program for your unique situation.
• Accountability: It can be challenging to stay on track with any lifestyle change. Profile health coaches meet with you each week to discuss your progress and support you throughout your program.
• Non-scale victories: It’s important to recognize certain milestones that are not tied to weight. Non-scale victories (NSVs) better track your overall health and fitness, and may include gaining muscle mass, increasing endurance, or simply fitting into your clothes better.

To connect with a health and wellness coach and learn more about a process-based weight loss program to help you meet your long-term goals, visit ProfilePlan.com.