PROMISES OF QUICK WEIGHT LOSS
We have yet another fad diet on the market… Have you seen the Six Weeks to OMG diet? I typically ignore all of these diets but this one really got my attention. When I was a teen and early 20-something, I fell for all of these little “tips” and “tricks”.
So many of us know the “calorie theory” or “exercise physics” but we do not see the bigger picture. We are constantly fed bits and pieces from the media but they fail to give us all of the components that make up the full picture of health and fitness.
Chart from the January 2003 edition of Dr. Fuhrman’s Healthy Times
It is my mission to help “connect the dots” for you. I want to help you to understand which fitness and nutrition concepts and actions are “boulders” and which actions carry the weight of a grain of sand… You can’t out train a bad diet and I am proof of that!
I would eat the spiciest foods because I had heard that it would raise my metabolism and nearly burned the lining of my intestines (ok, maybe an exaggeration but you get the picture). Well, that didn’t really help with the GIANT container of Thai food I had consumed! (ummmm portion control? LOL!) Those measly 10, 20, MAYBE 50 extra calories that were burned due to the spiciness did NOT make up for that 1400 calories or so that I chomped on.
Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Then there was the drink iced water because your body has to bring the temp up which burns calories… but how many calories and is it significant? From my research, it is about 20 calories per liter. Unless you already have a great grasp on your nutrition, that amount is NOT going to make you a lean machine.
Then there is the question of fasted cardio (or cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning). Sure, it can burn a little extra fat, but if you are not able to perform your workout at maximum level due to lack of energy or dizziness, what is the point? You would have been better off fueling yourself a bit and then hitting it hard.
I will admit that I have not read this diet book throughout… that I have only been exposed to the reviews of it and the interviews with the author. He may have added crucial info such as the importance of portion control, nutritional balance in the 3 meals that he does recommend eating, and properly fueling your body, BUT that is not the piece that is being reported. The bits and pieces that the media has latched onto are not the full picture so when you see these headlines, you must dig deeper.
What are some “tips and tricks” that you have come across? Wondering if they are considered boulders? Or the weight of a grain of sand? Let us know! We will help you to paint your picture of health.
I am all about painting a full picture. Want to know more about the dangers of yo-yo dieting? We have ALL heard that yo-yo dieting is bad, but do you know why? Do you know how to break the cycle? Read it here.
