Guest Post: Why Not Eat a Box and Other Crazy Ideas for Weight Loss
By some stroke of unfortunate web surfing, I just landed on a story about Jennifer Aniston embarking on a “baby food diet”. In general, I am completely oblivious to the lives of Hollywood stars (I’ll confess I just had to look up the spelling for Aniston’s last name), but I was reminded by this article that people actually pay attention to this stuff, emulate these eating behaviors and expect to look like these people. Then I remembered that I’ve been sitting on a guest post about this very subject.
Tom Potter is associated with Ultimate Fitness Gear, a hyped up site slinging programs like P90X and Shaun T’s “Insanity Workouts” (these look like P90X on crack based on the preview video). Having done P90X a few years ago, I can assure you it works. These kind of programs are based on some of the fitness and nutrition principles that I do believe are effective – hard work, will power, perseverance, dedication. (Secretly the fitness nerd in me wants to try the Insanity Workout but my Internal Accountant won’t let me blow that kind of cash).
His post tells us stuff we already know, but sometimes need to be reminded of. His “one small change” advice is probably the best part of this short article.
Why Not Eat a Box and Other Crazy Ideas for Weight Loss
By Tom Potter
If you have never noticed any of the wacky ideas that are floating around out there, when will your television or computer be repaired, exactly? Nutty ideas are everywhere. This magazine suggests that we only eat ten bites of each meal and then walk away from it. Another supposes that we should only eat small meals, and that baby food may be the perfect solution. Still another will give us the hint that if we do not eat after 3 p.m. each day, the weight will magically fall of us in no time at all.
And to add to the glossy photos and the slick words of a highly paid writer are lists of hot celebrities, showing off their bodies that they allegedly got by following these very methods. Sure, if they paid me ten million dollars for my work, I would eat jars of baby food, too; but would the average person? Can you really take your boss seriously if you spy her taking a collection of little baby food jars out of her briefcase at lunchtime? Sure, she can still fit in those power suits, but does she still have as much power with strained peas on her breath?
We are all literally bombarded by these insane lose-weight-quick plans, endorsed by celebrities of every ilk. It is almost impossible to avoid them – they are on the television, the internet, magazines, and even in national newspapers. Some of them may work, but how safe are they really? And, how much do you have to exercise in addition to eating the crazy concoctions that they suggest?
Think about this: Those celebrities have a veritable army of assistants and trainers who tell them what to eat, when to eat it and how much they are allowed to have. Trainers come in and make them work out, sometimes for hours a day. They rarely see their own children because they are slogging away in some gym, trying to look as if they have never given birth. And why do they do it? So that they can earn those ten million dollars – playing a loving mother on the silver screen.
There are far more sensible ways to lose weight – ways that do not include eating pureed foods or snacking on rice cakes that taste like cardboard. Your first step should be a trip to your doctor. Get all of your numbers analyzed so you see just how much work you need to do. Find out how overweight you really are and set a reasonable goal weight to work toward. Make sure that your blood pressure, your blood glucose and cholesterol levels are all within normal range, or if they are not, discuss ways to lower them safely. Ask for a sample eating plan and discuss options. Make one small change per week, and then add another. You did not gain all of your excess weight in one night; you will not lose it that quickly, either.
And finally, find a source of support. Connect with others. Tell people what you’re up to. This will keep you accountable because others know what your goal is and what you are doing to accomplish it. It also allows you to see that you are not the only one struggling with weight loss and nutrition issues. There are others with similar stories that you can draw strength and comfort from. You will reach your goals, but you have to be able to get away from the crazy ideas and eat realistically, like a real person in the real world.
Article written by Tom Potter of Ultimate Fitness Gear, Get Insanity Workout and get in the best shape of your life.
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