First and foremost, an effective weight loss program will center on calories consumed as calories expended. The program will help you determine these amounts. If a diet does not take this into consideration, it might help you lose weight initially, but we cannot consider it to be an effective because it's not sustainable over time.

Good programs will have some tracking mechanism for how much food you take in. Whatever the method, it's important to keep track of EVERYTHING you eat during the day. You should keep your food diary strictly, including that mouthful of chili you sampled while cooking.

Then, you can find out how much energy you burn during a day. This calculation may involve some tricky math, but an effective weight loss program will have a way to figure it out. The standard rule applies: have a 500 calorie deficit each day to lose a pound a week.

The second hallmark of an effective weight loss program is a good exercise routine. This should include both cardiovascular and some sort of free weight (anaerobic) training. A combination of the two will accomplish your weight loss goals the quickest, because in addition to burning fat it will add muscle, which will add to your calorie deficit.

The third hallmark is help from the staff or author. This is not always possible if a diet has been around a long time. However, if you can have nutrition experts or weight loss specialists on your side, it will take the guesswork out of losing weight.

The fourth hallmark is maintenance, an extremely important part of your diet and exercise program. Does it leave you in the dark after you reach your goal weight? An effective weight loss program will at least have an extensive explanation of how to continue your success, but better yet, it may even have on-going support.

The fifth hallmark of an effective weight loss program is proof. A good diet and exercise regime will have people who are willing to give testimonials. You can often spot fake testimonials if you notice that they all use similar language. You may see the phrase "Results not typical", which is OK as long as you can find out what "typical" is. An effective weight loss program will be able to show you proof it works, at least for those who stick with the program.

The sixth hallmark is cost efficiency. If a diet and exercise program is more than you can afford, it will cause you undue stress. This is counterproductive when dieting, as stress releases hormones that tell the body to store fat - working against your efforts. That expensive bottle of pills or that high-class gym membership may not be the best place to start if your finances can't support such items. But remember - a program doesn't have to be expensive to be effective.

There are hundreds of programs available to choose. All you need to do is a little "due diligence" and you'll soon find which is the most effective weight loss program for you.