Diets are Hogwash. Don't waste your money.

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Added: Fri. Jul 29, 2011 8:15am
Posted in: Weight Loss

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The diet industry is huge. More than 40 billion is spent every year in the U.S. alone. Why? Because we want a magic bullet. We have tried everything and we continue to hope that the next diet fad, whatever it is, will be the thing that speaks to us, that sparks our weight loss and keeps us motivated. Is it going to work? no. It's hooey. Balderdash. Snake oil.

Here's how I know. Every diet book, program, product and supplement boils down to this:

Eat fewer calories. Get more exercise.

No matter what made-up hoopla, scientific proof, or hare-brained idea drives it, no diet product will work unless you follow those instructions. Want proof? Here are a few links:

Jenny Craig FAQ - read about the goals of the program, and you'll find that it offers a restricted calorie diet and encourages exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Is it a bad program? Absolutely not. It's exactly what you should do - eat healthy, live healthy, and get more exercise.

Alli - Hey guess what? Healthy eating, fewer calories, get more exercise. Seems like a lot of diets are throwing in "healthy lifestyle" and addressing things like stress management. Sign of the times, I guess. I'll be honest, products like Alli make me nervous. I'd rather eat less saturated fat than "eliminate" it in potentially horribly embarrassing ways. I really don't need to be trained.

The Biggest Loser - You've seen the show. They go for extremes, backed up by teams of doctors, nutritionists, and trainers. I wouldn't advise that at home. But what does the program boil down to? Eat less, exercise more.

I could do this all day. There are a million books, diet programs, services, supplements, etc. on the market. Some of them are pretty good. But the reputable ones all have exactly the same goal: Eat fewer calories. Get more exercise. So why do you need to spend the money? Walk to the market and buy some nice fresh fruit and veggies instead. Know what you're eating. Read labels and use a free nutrition tracker to check your daily nutrients. If you find a diet that doesn't include fewer calories and more exercise, tell me about it. Personally, I'm going with what I know works and what makes me feel great. Less food, more exercise, plenty of water, low saturated fats. There's my diet plan, and you can have it for free.