Weight Loss On Your New Year’s Agenda Prepare For The Top Weight Loss Scams Of 2006! PART 1
June 25th, 2008 by Go Weblog
I’ll admit, scam may be too harsh of a word for what I’m about to relay to the weight loss wanting public this New Year but many people’s efforts will end in frustration due to misleading information; not lack of commitment or follow through. In fact, people fail to get a fitness or weight loss result for one reason and one reason only: THEY’RE MISLED which eventually leads to lack of commitment, motivation, etc because they WERE’NT GETTING RESULTS!.
Scam would insinuate an attempt to defraud or lie but when companies are chomping at the bit to rake in beaucoup profits this year on “so-called weight loss solutions” millions will waste a good amount of time, energy, hope and yes, money on things that cannot possibly work to deliver long term success. So in essence you may as well be scammed.
This is going to be a four part series because there’s quite a bit of info and needed clarity to cover on each topic. The FTC has been on the hunt for bogus weight loss products since the 1920’s and the amazing thing is that many of these products are regurgitations of what’s been done in the past and you know what? I WANT YOU TO USE THEM! You’ll find out why I said that later.
So here’s Part 1 of the Top Weight Loss Scams of 2006.
1. Any Thing That Has The Word “DIET” In It.
Now how is this a scam you might ask? Diets are always going to be the number one choice for would be pound droppers and whether or not you choose to go weight watching, be like Kirstie Allie and talk to “Jenny,” go with Nutri-System, Atkins, South Beach, Dr. Phil, your own system of just “eating healthy,” etc, etc, etc I’ll bet you the vault at the Belagio in Las Vegas that future frustration will inevitably mount leaving yourself making yet another New Years weight loss resolution. I discussed the “Top 5 Reasons You Should Not Go On A Diet This New Year” in another article “Top-Five-Reasons-You-Should-NOT-Go-On-A-Diet-This-New-Year” so check that out for some much needed clarity on the matter.
So where’s the “scam part” with this whole diet thing? “Lose 9 pounds every eleven days, lose 30 pounds in 30 days, eat like a pig and lose weight, etc.” Those are just a couple blatant false promises that believe it or not many people allow their common sense to be bypassed and fall victim to these bogus claims. In all honestly, anything that has the word DIET in it has about a 98.99% chance of failing. Believing the diet “worked” in the past is the biggest trap diet victims fall into which always has them blame themselves for something that failed them.
That’s just the blatant false promises. Others are much more sneaky and although they are not scams in the literal sense they do in fact mislead people which adds to the frustration so many Americans face with weight loss.
A few people may be ticked off by this but America’s favorite weight loss center (name withheld) that has you counting points maintains the same failure rate as the rest of the diet industry. Sorry, but it’s true. Of course there are a “handful” of long term success stories out of the millions who embark upon the program but for those that have been to the meetings you know that pretty much every body there is a repeat customer. Well if the diet “worked” in the first place then why would you come back to it? If an eating program has you continually cut back on calories to keep that friendly relationship with the almighty progress tool (the scale) then you can be sure it’s a form of calorie deprivation that will inevitably slow metabolism. However, some credit should be given to them for the fact that they do seem to have a genuine concern for helping people lose weight even though the approach is flawed.
Here’s what I want you to do. If you’ve chosen to go on a diet in an effort to lose weight this yearI want you to go on a DIET if that’s what you’ve set out to do! I know this is harsh, but I want you to lose those deceptive 5-7 pounds the first week, I want you to cut way, way back on calories that will eventually slow metabolism, I want you to give up all those foods you love that you think are bad for you, I want you to experience those awful cravings you believe are a lack of willpower that will inevitably have you “blow” the diet and I want you to gain all of the weight back. Harsh, I know but here’s the one thing I DO NOT want you to do: DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF FOR FAILING! So yes, I am sincere when I say I want you to go on one of these commercial diets but I do however realize that there are health implications with certain forms of dieting so as a warning, exercise caution and consult your physician.
Stay tuned for Part 2: The Ephedra Free “Natural” Fat Burners Or Anything In Pill Form That Claims To Be a Solution In And Of Itself.
David Otto is a Personal Trainer in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. To receive David Otto’s e-newsletter “The Otto Report: Getting Real With Fitness,” simply send an email to celebpt@yahoo.com and request your copy.
Tags: carb, carbohydrate, diet, fat, health, lose, nutrition, obese, obesity, overweight, protein, weight loss, womenYour Brain Can Help You Lose Weight Or Make You Fat!
May 28th, 2008 by Go Weblog
Have you done this before?
You have set your weight loss goals and mapped out your plan to lose all those excess pounds that you have been dying to get rid off.
In your mind, you have psyched yourself up — this time you are going all the way out to lose all those pounds! “Nothing can stop me,” you tell yourself.
Then, you rationalize that…
1) In order for you to succeed in your weight loss goals, you must follow a super-strict diet and exercise routine.
and/or
2) If you happen to go off track in your diet or exercise routine by eating your favorite high-calorie junk food and skipping your exercise session, this means you have totally blown off your plan altogether.
Sound familiar?
I sure hope not!
This train of thought can be very detrimental to your weight loss efforts, but it’s all too easy to fall into this trap. And not only is it very harmful to your body, it actually lowers your self-esteem too.
Your brain can help you to lose weight, or it can make you fat.
If you want to lose weight successfully, you’ll need to have the right thoughts in your brain. Conversely, holding on tight to the wrong concepts can (and will!) jeopardize your plans!
Here’s what you should do instead…
1) Get rid of the word “DIET” from your thoughts
Firstly, you must shake off the idea that you absolutely have to follow an extremely restrictive diet in order to lose weight successfully.
In fact, most people who are able to lose their unwanted weight successfully DO NOT diet. What they do is simply change their lifestyle such as practicing portion control, moderation, cutting back on calories and curbing their emotional eating bouts.
It’s time to change your focus from weight loss to weight management. It is not just losing weight, it is about changing your lifestyle so that you can maintain your weight loss.
And do you notice how most women like to use the word “diet” every time they want to lose weight? We “go on” and “go off” diets after every holiday season; we say “I start on Monday” only to go off it by the weekend. Nobody says “I start my new way of life on Monday.” But that’s exactly what we need to do. An effective diet isn’t just for Christmas or just a very special occasion, it’s for your whole life.
We need variety not only for our nutritional reasons. It is also to satisfy ourselves, and to take care of our “wants.” So, you need to create your own healthy lifestyle… the lifestyle that you want, and one that’s sustainable for the long term.
Be wary of any plan that restricts entire food groups, or if it relies on just 1 type of food (e.g. soup or salad) as its mainstay.
Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. If you go on a diet that requires you to eat all the food that you hate or totally omits your favorites, you are going to dread your meals and are bound to fail. Even if you manage to lose the weight, all your pounds (and probably more!) will creep back once you are off the diet.
2) Do NOT give up your favorite foods
Another thing that most women would do initially is severely limiting their food intake. Or they completely cut off their favorite foods.
This is one thing that you should never do.
“Why?”
Well, by doing that, it sets you up for binges and your temptation for these foods would definitely increase.
Instead, you should reduce your consumption slowly. For example, you always have desserts after dinner. Instead of cutting off totally, you start by reducing your portion size to half. Thus, the temptation becomes much less powerful when you have just the taste of something “bad” now and again instead of telling yourself that it is off limits for good.
After a while, you will find yourself accustomed to the new portion sizes, and you’ll be able to satisfy your craving with just a small amount of your “super sinful” foods.
3) Forgive and move on…
So, you decide to keep your favorite foods in your weight loss plan. You allow yourself a chocolate cookie everyday. But, you could not resist the temptation and you finish half of the pack. Next day afternoon, you finish the remaining half of the chocolate cookies pack for your afternoon tea.
Gee, have you blown your weight loss plan again? Does that mean you should just give up the idea of losing those extra pounds and go back to my old eating habits?
Well, not allowing yourself to make mistakes is the worst mistake you can ever make. Seriously.
Having this all-or-nothing thinking is a way to let you off the hook. It is an escape route that you create for yourself. In your mind, you could be telling yourself, “Oh well. It is all gone. I guess I don’t have to bother anymore. Give me my cookies.”
There’s an old saying that goes, “No matter how far along you are down the wrong path, it’s never too late to turn back.” So don’t think just because you made bad choices today, you can’t start over tomorrow.
Everyday is truly a new beginning. You do not have to wait until a new year, a new month or a Monday to start all over again.
You can’t erase last night’s binge, but you can aim for a much healthier today!
4) Create a lifestyle you want
Many times, when you want to lose weight, you will plan up a very strict diet and exercise routine for yourself. Well… there is a high chance that you would not be able to execute it successfully. To make things worse, you hate it.
Why not aim to create a healthy lifestyle you want so that you do not give up your favorite foods?
You must create a realistic and achievable weight loss plan. After all, you want to plan to SUCCEED, not to fail, right?
If you find difficulty in creating a good plan for yourself, or if you can’t seem to discipline yourself to stay true to your plan, I suggest that you engage a personal trainer to help you.
5) Celebrate your small victories
Every time you achieve a small milestone, go ahead and reward yourself.
But do not over-indulge. For example, you can reward yourself a small ice-cream once you have managed to complete your first week of exercise routines. Or when you lose your first 3 pounds, you can treat yourself a slice of cheese cake.
Remember, it is alright to reward yourself for the small challenges you have overcome so that you won’t give up so easily. Let it be something you look forward to every time you surmount a challenge.
If you set up your rewards properly, they’ll motivate you on a daily basis and you’ll find it easier to follow your weight loss plans!
Bonus: And here’s one more extra tip… Don’t stress yourself. Take it easy on yourself as you’re learning how to be a new, improved and healthier you. After all, you’re only human… a soon-to-be-much-lighter human!
Copyright 2006 Tracy Lee
Tracy Lee is the owner of the “Weight Loss for Women Over 40″ site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report “9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear” instantly here:
http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/
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Tags: concepts, diet, exercise, health, lose weight, problems, strategies, tips, weight loss, womenThe Foolproof Diet
May 14th, 2008 by Go Weblog
Weight-loss gurus often tout impractical and absurd diets. They push their products and posit their heft-reducing theories, each claiming to have unlocked some previously undiscovered or undisclosed secrets. These hucksters market all kinds of nutrition plans, from the never-eat-anything-bigger-than-your-fist to the fill-up-with-enough-fiber-to-start-your-own-gas-transmission-plant variety.
One man I know (whose name I won’t mention) has been following a high-fiber diet so long that he’s become a hazard to others’ health. In fact, he should be forced to wear a sign that reads: WARNING: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE.
The sheer magnitude of weight-loss programs today causes me to develop apathy toward the entire industry. Why would I want to join some fat-reducing organization from the West Coast when I live in Texas? Who wants to spend their time counting points or calories? And what’s so great about drinking unsweetened green tea? This is the Southwest (home of “sweet tea”)not the Orient.
If I have to purchase prepackaged foods sold only through authorized distributors to banish my bulge, then I’ll keep my fleshy rolls (and my yeast ones, too), thank you very much. So stop asking. No, I haven’t called Jenny yet!
I prefer to follow a healthy eating program that includes all my food groups: chocolate, ice cream, pizza, fried potatoes, and specialty breads. And finally somebody has developed one; it’s called The Flavor Point Diet.
Now, if I correctly understand the concept, The Flavor Point Diet works by flooding your taste buds with one central flavor for an entire day. So on tomato day, for instance, the diet recommends eating tomato products at every meal. The next day, you’re instructed to switch to a different flavorlike pineapple.
On tomato day, then, I would eat cold pizza for breakfast, tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on tomato/rosemary bread for lunch, and lasagna for dinner. Somehow I don’t see myself shedding much weight on a plan like that. But from a foods permitted standpoint, this program I’ve come up with a weight-loss program of my own. Here’s how it works:
Allow yourself to eat only bland foods at every meal. Appropriate dishes include plain, unsweetened yogurt, boiled oatmeal without added sweeteners, salad greens with no dressing, celery (no dips), plain chickpeas, and tasteless vegetables such as hominy.
If you’re uncertain whether a specific item might be appropriate for this diet, here’s a simple test to help you find out:
1) Take a bite of the food in question.
2) Swirl the sample in your mouth.
3) Determine if this morsel tastes good. Depending on results, follow
“a” or “b” below:
a. If this food holds no appeal, swallow and continue eating.
b. If you’d like a second sample, spit out contents. This is not suitable fare for the The Flavorless Diet plan.
Follow this diet for one week and I guarantee you will have no desire overeat. You’ll feel no craving whatsoever to excessively consume any of these foods. And you will absolutely lose weight the whole time you stay on this programeven if you don’t exercise.
There’s only one drawback; dieters following The Flavorless Diet are advised to wear a sign. To be safe, they’ll want to warn those nearby to exercise caution when lighting a flame.
Diana Estill has been a freelance journalist and humor columnist for ten years. Her work has appeared online, in magazines, and in newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, and The Dallas Morning News. She was a finalist in the August 2005 America’s Funniest Humor Contest. Her book, Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road: Humorous Views on Love, Lust, and Lawn Care, will be released in June 2006. To see more of her work, visit http://www.DianaEstill.com
Tags: diet, diets, eat, eating, fads, food, humor, weight loss, women, womens