Weight Loss Fads

Okay BL participants....by now you should be starting to get a generalized idea as to what will work and what won't work for you in losing weight.

We've all been talking about it...we all have different ideas. Maybe you count calories, maybe you restrict carbs, maybe you are on an all-cupcake diet (SOUNDS AWESOME, but probably not working), maybe you are switching up your exercise routine. There are millions upon millions of different ideas for "The Best Weight Loss Secrets". And, we get flogged by them daily.

Here's what we all see when we are at the grocery store trying to buy our healthy meals....

WHAT? Lose 7 lbs. in 7 days? AMAZING! Hell, if Jennifer  Aniston says her  plan is "easy" I can do it!  Suck on THAT Brad and Angelina!

Ohhhh, those Royals have it DOWN! Not only will I learn their slimming secrets, but I will do so with an awesome British accent! (PS: I typed that with an awesome British accent!)

Wait...Janet "Miss Jackson if you're nasty" lost 60 in 4 months...I'm getting THOSE abs!

 10 pounds! Do able! All I need to do is buy THIS magazine AND a pair of shorts just like that!

I will try EVERY Star Diet until I find one that makes me skinny! THIS magazine is my answer!

I take numerous issue with the idea behind these magazines. First and foremost -- our bodies are all different and we need to accept that what works for some may not work for us. We have to be willing to individualize our body's needs. For example...even with Andi and myself -- we can't do the exact same thing and expect the same results. 

Secondly, for a successful "diet" to work -- you have to make it permanent. The word "diet" itself implies that this is a temporary fix to a permanent problem. Can you do this for the rest of your life? 

Thirdly, is this safe? A healthy eating lifestyle should promote well-balanced eating, regular exercise, and mental clarity. Pills, powders, starvation, deprivation, etc....those all may work on a temporary basis, but your body needs HEALTHY and SAFE changes for a lifetime. 

And finally...where do you find these magazines? At the check-out stand. Next to the candy bars. That's just crazy! They are hitting us at our weakest moment. Literally, we feel as if we have a fat tubby devil on one shoulder telling us that "after a day like we've had we really need a Snicker's bar to make it all better" and a delusional anorexic angel on the other shoulder telling us, "Ohhh...I just saw that actress on Dancing With The Stars, they've got their act together, let's eat whatever they eat." Really, it's a lose/lose situation. 

Listen to your body...it'll tell you way more than these magazines will. There ARE some great resources out there with sound healthy advise. By all means, read those. But if it says, "Lose 10 pounds in 5 days and Magic Rainbows will shoot out of your belly button, men will beg to see your naked body, and all your dreams come true"...it's probably a waste of your money.