Whether you have some serious weight to lose or just want to tighten up, you are a target for a host of companies promoting plans, fads and theories. Regardless of the diet or program you choose, every credible expert agrees that any effective weight-loss program must include regular exercise. But the marketing wizards have figured this out, too. So, in addition to myriad weight loss plans, numerous pieces of exercise equipment are being force-fed to you through the media every day.

Your challenge is to determine what exercise equipment is best for you. In most cases the best will be the program you are really going to follow, or the equipment you are really going to use. (Do you already have an expensive rowing machine, stationary bicycle or treadmill in your basement gathering dust?)

Fitness equipment can be expensive and mean a lifestyle change. COMBAT suggests you first “exercise” good judgment in evaluating advertising claims for fitness products.

Look for equipment that offers a total workout. The fastest road to fitness is one that includes a variety of physical activities as part of a daily routine.

No exercise device can burn fat off a particular part of your body. To turn a beer belly into a washboard stomach, you must combine sensible eating with regular exercise that works the whole body. Everything you eat has calories and everything you do uses calories. Your weight depends on the number of calories you eat and use each day. Increasing your daily physical activity will burn extra calories.

Be skeptical of outrageous claims. Ads that promise easy or effortless results are false. Ads that make big claims about the calories you’ll burn also may be deceptive. These claims are often true for athletes who are already in top physical shape but not for everyone.

Be skeptical about dramatic testimonials or before-and-after pictures that may not be typical. For example, celebrity endorsements don’t necessarily mean the equipment is right for you. Celebrities can afford personal trainers, expensive and highly regimented programs, and chefs who prepare special meals. Of course celebrities look good … it’s their business!

Determine the total cost of the product including sales tax, shipping and handling, delivery, and set-up fees. Get the details on warranties, guarantees, and return policies. Check out the company’s customer support and if replacement parts are available. Call toll-free numbers before you buy to confirm that product support is really available.

Consider your schedule and lifestyle. Determine how long each session should be and how many days a week you honestly can commit. Enter exercise days and times on a calendar just like any other event. Make exercise appointments with yourself and keep them. Only after you are sure you can commit to a program should you consider buying equipment (unless you get a real kick out of selling things for half price or less in your yard sales).

Finally, think about two of the most effective pieces of exercise equipment ever invented. They are called FEET! We are coming into Maine’s beautiful months (all one of it). It’s a great time to walk around your neighborhood and town every day. You can do it all summer and fall and when the weather gets grim, walk the mall. Then, if you still lust after abs, thighs or ”buns of steel” and have shown yourself you can commit to a program, get right on the phone and order your Thighmaster or some other medieval-looking apparatus for your basement.

Consumer Forum is a collaborative effort of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT. Send questions to Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329. COMBAT is a nonprofit organization with annual dues of $10. For membership information, write to the above address.