IF you're one of the millions of people who are dieting right this minute, or even thinking about it, here's some good news: you don't have to throw a lot of money at the problem to see results. In fact, you may not have to spend much at all.

Every year consumers spend billions of dollars on supplements, diet foods, books and meal replacements. But the truth is that success depends not so much on what diet plan you choose or what program you join.

"What matters most is your level of motivation and your willingness to change," says Kelly D. Brownell, a psychologist and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.

A study published in the Feb. 26 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, for instance, compared four popular diets and found they all produced similar results. After two years, the dieters in each group lost an average of nine pounds. Notably, the dieters who attended more counseling sessions lost a little bit more, which may support the notion that behavior is more important than diet alone.

Motivation, though, is not always easy to come by - especially when it involves changing habits. Some people may need a little help to kick-start a weight-loss regimen, whether that means following a popular diet or enrolling in an organized program. Your goal, though, should not be short term.

"Keeping weight off permanently is a lifelong process," says James O. Hill, a psychologist and a founder of the National Weight Control Registry （www.nwcr.ws）, a database of 6,000 people who have lost weight and kept it off.

How ready are you? The more committed you are, the less you will need to spend. Try the no-money down, do-it-yourself approach first. If that doesn't work, or you know you need more structure, move on down the list below.

$0.00 D.I.Y. If you're highly motivated but low on cash, this approach is for you. You will need to reduce the calories you consume, increase the amount you exercise and learn new eating habits.

Your primary care physician can give you basic guidelines for a healthy, low-calorie diet. You can also look at the dietary advice on the Weight-Control Information Network, a site developed by the National Institutes of Health （win.niddk.nih.gov）, Mr. Brownell suggests.

Your new diet should include as much fresh food as possible, especially items high in fiber and low in fat. If you already eat well, you can just reduce your portion sizes. Weigh yourself regularly to keep track of your progress and try to get 30 to 40 minutes of exercise a day.

Hard? Yes. Possible? Of course. About half of the members of the National Weight Control Registry lost weight on their own, says Mr. Hill, who is also the director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, Denver.

$ BUY A GUIDE BOOK For just $20 or so, a book can give you some inspiration and wise advice. If you want a plan to follow, try "The South Beach Diet" （St. Martin's Griffin, 2005） or "The Best Life Diet" （Simon & Schuster, 2006）. Both provide realistic, healthy programs.

Another good book is "The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan" （HarperTorch, 2002）, which explains how to build a diet around foods that make you feel full.

Chronic dieters should read the new book by a former chief of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. David Kessler, called "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite" （Rodale, 2009）. In it, Dr. Kessler explains why and how we get hooked on unhealthy food.

"When I was a kid, we ate three meals a day," he said in an interview. "Now fat, sugar and salt are on every corner 24/7. It's become socially acceptable to eat bad food all day long." In his book Dr. Kessler explains how our brains become wired to crave unhealthy food and provides tips to help control your impulses.

Mr. Hill's book, "The Step Diet" （Workman, 2004）, is ideal if you're determined to keep weight off.

$$ JOIN A GROUP Formal organizations like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig can provide support, education and a healthy dose of peer pressure.

Weight Watchers is a good place to start, because it's relatively inexpensive. You'll pay an initial fee of $15 to $20, and then $13 to $15 for each weekly meeting. In exchange, Weight Watchers will teach you how to use its points system and provide you with that all-important weekly weigh-in.

Jenny Craig is more expensive, but may suit those who need one-on-one guidance. A yearly membership costs $399, and an additional $83 a week, on average, for Jenny's Cuisine meals. "There's not much evidence, though," Mr. Brownell says, "that programs that provide meal replacements are more effective than those that don't."

$$$ TRY A HOSPITAL PROGRAM If you need to lose a substantial amount of weight and have a condition like diabetes, you might want to invest in a hospital-sponsored weight-loss program.

"You'll get individualized help from people who are quite knowledgeable," Mr. Brownell said.

At Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore, for instance, you pay $250 for an initial four-hour assessment with a medical doctor, a registered dietitian, a psychologist and a trainer. Follow-up visits are $125 a week, but that includes food.

Most people stay with the program for several months or longer. It's costly, but a medically monitored program may be more effective for those who are obese and who have related health conditions, says the program's director, Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin.

PRICELESS: KEEP IT OFF If you become one of the lucky losers, you'll need to fight hard to protect your losses. One way is to exercise - a lot.

"Diet is a key for losing weight," Mr. Hill said. "But physical activity is the key for keeping it off."

To maintain their weight, members of the National Weight Control Registry ideally exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day. Another key is to enlist the support of family and friends. If your buddies are mocking you for eating a salad while they're inhaling beer and pizza, Mr. Hill said, it's going to be tough to succeed.

如果你是此刻数百万节食者之一，或仅是想到节食的话，那我告诉你个好消息：你不用往减肥里砸大把的钱来看结果。实际上，你可能根本不必花费太多。

消费者每年花费数百亿美元在补给品、减肥膳食（diet foods）、保健书籍和替换餐（meal replacement）上。然而，真相是：减肥成功并不太依赖于你选择的膳食安排或你参与的健身计划。

"你的动机程度和你打算改变的意愿，才是最重要的。"耶鲁膳食计划及肥胖症研究中心主任兼心理学家凯利·D·布朗奈尔说如是。

例如，发表于《新英格兰医学杂志》（New England Journal of Medicine,二月，第26卷）的一个研究，对比了四种流行的减肥膳食，发现它们均产生相似结果。越两年，每组的膳食者平均减掉9磅（约合4.08 公斤）.值得注意的是，那些更多关注于咨询活动的膳食者减掉的更多一点，这也许可以支持"行动比单纯膳食更重要"的观点。

诚然，动机并非总是能轻易获得，特别是当它涉及习惯改变时。无论是使用一套流行的减肥膳食，还是加入一个健身组织，有些人也许需要一点帮助来勉强开始减肥之路。当然，你的目标不宜是短期的。

"永久减肥是一个终身的过程，"心理学家詹姆斯·O·希尔说。希尔是国家体重控制库的创建者，该库记录了6000个减肥者的资料。

你做了多好的准备？你越专注就越少付出。先试一试"不花钱，自己来"（no-money down, do-it-yourself）法吧；如果那不行，或者你想你需要更多的安排，那就接着看下去吧。

$0.00 自己来 如果你的动机很高而阮囊羞涩，这种方法适合你。你需要减少自己吃的卡路里，增加运动量并学习新的膳食习惯。

医师能给你提出的，大抵就是健康低卡膳食的基本指导。你还可以看看体重控制信息网（Weight-Control Information Network）的膳食建议，那是布朗奈尔先生推荐的一个由国家健康所开发的网站。

你的新膳食应当囊括尽可能多的新鲜食材，特别是那些高纤维低脂肪的。如果你已经合理膳食，那么你就能够减掉你的部分斤两。有规律地量自己的体重，以记录你的减肥过程，并尝试每天锻炼30到40分钟。

难？对。可能吗？当然。丹佛科罗拉多大学的人类营养中心主任希尔先生指出，大约有一半国家体重控制库的成员都是自行减肥的。

$ 购买一部指导书 仅需差不多20美元的一本书，就能给你一些灵感和良议。如果你想跟一本书练习，试试《南部沙滩膳食》（The South Beach Diet, St. Martin's Griffin, 2005）或《最佳人生膳食》（The Best Life Diet, Simon & Schuster, 2006）.两者提供了实用而健康的计划。

另一本好书是《可测体重控制计划》（The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan, HarperTorch, 2002）,该书教你怎样搭配出让你感到饱的膳食。

做好长期节食准备的人，应该读一读前任食物与毒品管理处（Food and Drug Administration）处长大卫·凯斯勒（David Kessler）博士所着的新书《不再过多饮食：扼住贪婪的国人胃口》（The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, Rodale, 2009）.在书里，凯斯勒博士道明了为何人们锺情于不健康食品。

"当我还是个孩子时，我们每日三餐，"他在一次见面中说。"如今每时每刻每个角落都充斥着油糖盐。终日服食不健康食品已经成了社会接受的事情了。"凯斯勒博士在书中阐述了，我们的大脑是怎样蜕变到渴望不健康食品，并给了一些有助于我们控制的小窍门。

对于下定决心减轻体重的你来说，希尔先生的书《步骤减肥餐》（The Step Diet, Workman, 2004）很理想。

$$ 加入一个小组 像体重监控（Weight Watchers）和珍妮·克雷格（Jenny Craig）这样的正式的组织，能给你提供支持、教育和一剂同龄人的心理减压药。

（这两段涉嫌做广告，且与中国国民关联不大，故不译）

$$$ 尝试医疗项目 倘若你需要减掉大量体重且情况特殊（如罹患糖尿病）,你可能要把钱花在医院资助的减肥项目里。

布朗奈尔说道，"你可以从经验丰富的人那儿，得到非常适合自身的帮助。"

在巴尔的摩的约翰斯·霍普金斯体重管理中心，假如你付了250美元，让医师、注册营养师、心理学家和健康教练，给你做了一次为时4小时的个人健康评估。那么，接下来只用每周125美元，而且还包括用餐。

大部分人坚持该项目数月或更长。项目主管罗伦斯·J·切斯金博士说，这项目很贵，但是受医学监控的项目，对于那些肥胖症者以及情况特殊者可能更有效。

减掉肥肉金不换 如果你成了幸运减肥成功者中的一员，你将需要顽强坚守你的成绩。其中一个方法是锻炼--大量的。

"膳食是减肥的关键，"希尔先生说。"不过，体能活动是减掉肥肉的关键。"

为了保持体重，国家体重控制库的成员们理论上每天运动30-60分钟。另一个关键是号召家人和朋友。希尔先生说，如果你吃着沙拉，而亲友们大啖啤酒、匹萨并取笑你，那么你的减肥成功将是严酷的。