A Fat Cat Industry
Hundreds
of diets are created and shared with us every year. We spend billions
of dollars keeping the weight-loss industry alive. And the fat cats who
run these major corporations are not slim when it comes to offering
consumers diets, gimmicks, beverages, powders, pills, equipment, and
more. We find these every month in women’s magazines, hear about them
from friends, and see celebrities promoting their new “diet” books and
products through commercial advertisements and infomercials. Not all of
these are bad but be a selective consumer. Many diets claim to take off
those extra pounds painlessly and effectively. Trends come and go,
promising fast and easy results. I can see how you might get confused by
everything out there, but don’t worry, I’ve sorted through the junk for
you. Finally you can get the results you desire (as long as they are
realistic) with the sound, direct, and to-the-point information I
provide in this program.\ Weight-Loss Red Flags
We live in a world that
has recently seen tremendous scientific and technological advances. With
all this progress you may wonder why they haven’t invented a pill you
could pop that would allow you to eat all the goodies you wanted and
still look spectacular. Unfortunately that magic potion has not been
invented. Losing weight is just one of those things in life that cannot
be accomplished through a quick process. It takes some discipline.
(Which isn’t a bad lesson to learn anyway!) As much as you may want to
believe grandiose claims, an immediate red flag should go up if you see
promotions like these:
- Miracle results
- Breakthrough
- New discovery
- Quick weight loss
- Magic pill, magic formula, or magical cure
- Secret formula
Not all products are bad
if they use promotional terms. Most companies would not stay in business
without some emotional form of advertising. However, be savvy and look
beyond the packaging. It’s your responsibility. Don’t be sucked in by
those fabulous success stories and promises like “drop ten pounds in a
week,” “shrink your stomach,” and those remarkable before and after
pictures. Are these really the same person? Why wouldn’t you be
intrigued? It sounds so good. But that may be just it—too good to be
true. Fad Dieting—Fact versus Fiction
I have to tell you
straight up—losing weight the healthy way is not without its share of
obstacles. But it can be fun and you can feel great for life. It
requires much planning, insight, motivation, and of course a sense of
humor. Fad dieting, on the other hand, is just that—a fad. Fad diets are
trendy. They do not stay around for any length of time. They also can
be risky and dangerous, and they rarely provide long-term, effective
results. Most people gain their weight back and even add on more.
Your Desire to Lose—Quickly and Painlessly
Is it really so important that this weight come off today and now? Let’s begin by looking at why you are desperate to lose:
- Are you so obsessed with the idea of losing weight that you would sacrifice your overall health?
- Do you often compare your size to that of another person?
- Do you think being obese makes you lazy, sloppy, and undisciplined?
- Do you believe that losing weight will make you well liked and popular among your friends?
- Do you insist on crash dieting before a big social gathering?
Responding positively to any of these questions puts you in the category for possibly being obsessed with your weight.
Trying Anything and Everything
Are you the type of
person that wants to knock off those pounds really badly, so badly that
you’ll do anything to get them off? Perhaps you are willing to try any
diet, weight-loss drink, and concoction available. You may even seek and
follow advice from others. You know—the incredible diet you got from
the waitress who heard about great results that her astrologist got from
his sister who heard about a new diet from her masseuse who lost thirty
pounds in a week. These “credible”—or, more directly, not
credible—experts are the ones that too many people follow. You have to
stop and think about what this non-authority advice could be doing to
your body.
Many of these diets work
initially and, yes, a few pounds come off. Who wouldn’t get excited?
However, the weight usually returns. Before you know it you are back to
square one. This vicious cycle begins again and again. Sometimes you can
be even worse off than when you started. Read on before you spin out of
control. Why the Hype?
Bad fad diets are
categorized as those that promote quick weight loss. Usually they don’t
work, offer unrealistic promises, are restrictive, and can lead to
health and related problems. Following are some common denominators that
can be found in bad fad diets. Use this information to help you avoid
frustration and possibly a feeling of failure.
- These diets are usually well below caloric recommendations, though not advertised as such.
- These diets are deficient in many nutrients, including carbohydrates and fiber, and many vitamins and minerals.
- These diets are well out of balance of dietary recommendations,
requiring too many proteins and fats and too few carbohydrates or too
many carbohydrates and too little protein and fat.
- These diets cause initial weight loss from body fluids, thus giving
dieters a sense of accomplishment, when in fact the weight will soon
return, and accomplishments will turn into failures.
- These diets do not promote portion size. They do not teach consumers how to eat in moderation.
- Many recommend that dieters follow suggested eating plans for extended periods of time.
- Often these diets discourage long-term compliance, knowing how harmful they may be if followed for extended periods of time.
The initial thought of a
quick fad diet is encouraging to many people—just lose a quick five to
ten pounds. However, the long-term consequences are much greater. Bad
fad diets just don’t work. Don’t start a habit of being drawn in to
these programs. You will just set yourself up for disappointment and a
feeling of failure. Gradual changes that require long-term modifications
to your eating patterns and lifestyle make more sense. If you are
really willing to try anything to lose the weight, do it the right way.
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