I Lost 23 Lbs. in 6 Weeks!*
With all the miraculous weight loss plans offered in the United States you’d think Americans would be the beacon of health and fitness. Whether the person pictured in the ad is unknown or a celebrity the weight loss claims are always followed by an asterisk and barely readable fine print that the “results are not typical” or “results may vary.”
It is unfortunate magazines and television stations continue to run these deceptive ads with their dramatic before and after photos. At least with the help of a magnifying glass or microscope you can read the disclaimers in the magazine ads. The disclaimers in television ads appear so briefly, you need to recorded the commercial and freeze it to be able to read the entire disclaimer. The fact the disclaimers persist indicates the there is less truth to the ad than meets the eye or ear. Celebrities are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, provided with nutrition consultant and exercise program. But unless you read the fine print you’re led to believe the weight loss was achieved by eating delicious, perfectly proportioned, nutritional balanced meals.
Perfectly proportioned is corporate marketing jargon for melas with 350 calories or less per serving. And it is assumed you only eat one serving. Nutritionally balanced includes lots of salt, preservatives, additives and artificial color and flavor. Delicious is not how most plan participants rate these processed and frozen lab created foods. By the time you microwave and eat a frozen entree it can be months old. The corporations that produce these foods also down play or don’t mention the cost of their diet foods. You most add fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy which adds to the the total cost.
Another statistic these diet plans fail to mention is that most people who lose weight on their program eventually gain it back. A diet should be a way of life. Instead many people “go on a diet” to cut calories and lose weight.
Most of the prepared meal diet plans make huge profits for investors while doing little to curb overweight and obesity. When people are bombarded by ads for food, supermarkets with thousands of processed and fast foods of every thing no matter where you go from food courts to vending machines it is difficult to not over eat.
The best diet plan is one that provides fresh, nutritious foods loaded with essential nutritants, vitamins and minerals. And it is OK to indulge in an occasional desert, cookie or sweet. If your goal is losing weight, start by evaluating your diet and then cutting 100 t0 200 calories per day from your diet. That’s one sugar sweetened soft drink, 1 pounce of potato chips, one candy bar, a bagel, two slices of bread or equivalent. replace a 400 calories toaster pastry breakfast with 200 calorie rolled or steel cut oats. You’ll feel fuller longer and oat fiber reduces LDL cholesterol.
Try the buddy system. It helps having a friend or family member joining you on your journey. If you don’t have a buddy and need support join a proven weight loss program like Weight Watchers.
If you are tempted by one of the rapid weight loss ads, remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.