Lets talk about GOAL 3. Reach my goal weight of 160 lbs. and maintain it.
Weight loss gets a lot of hype for an intangible object. Everyone wants it. Everyone sells it. Everyone claims to know how to obtain it; people spend wads of money trying to do just that. A classic Supply and Demand situation. And the want to be thin (aka:vanity) isn't going anywhere. As far as the economy is concerned, the weight loss industry has both hands on base, 'nany-nany-boo-boo' to all those other businesses that got tagged out there.
If everyone knows how to lose weight, why isn't everyone thin? What's the hold up? I mean, we've all seen Jenny Craig commercials. We all know that Chuck Norris really, really believes in the Total Gym workout. We have all googled weight loss at least once. There is such a large supply of information, so many different guaranteed ways to LOSE! Lose fast. Lose slow. Lose with supplements. Drink weight loss shakes. Follow the food pyramid. Shun the carbs. So... which method is right? Is there only one true way to lose weight? If so, where are the scams? How do we identify the truth from the propaganda?
Think about it... apply this scenario to a tangible object. Let's say Cars. Even in today's green society, people want cars. Lets say there is a basic need for a dependable machine that will get us where we want to go. One that has all the right parts: tires, steering wheel, engine, seat belts, etc. Demand identified.
Now we have choices. What kind of car do I want? Where am I going to get this car? Who should I trust to sell me said car? Enter Supply. There are lots of different types of cars out there along with different types of people that want to sell them to you. They're known as Car Salesmen. As people that live on the planet Earth, we are instilled with a clenched gut reaction to people who choose a profession in sales, even if they are someone you know, even if you are also in sales because it's very possible that these people are trying very hard to rip us off. It's possible that they will tell us anything to make a sale, wether it's true or not.
The same is true with weight loss. Which weight loss method will result in a dependable machine that will get us where we want to go? Which method will give us the right parts: healthy heart, strong bones, lean muscle mass, energy, nutrition, hydration, etc.
Does it help to eliminate carbs? People say it does, but carbohydrates are like gasoline for our machines. They fuel our muscles. They are literally 'brain food'. Does that diet pill help drop pounds? Yes, but what does it do to your body? According to ABC News, The two FDA approved diet pills as of Feb. 2008 could cause diarrhea or increased blood pressure. It's like putting sugar in your gas tank... eventually, it's going to cause problems with the way your body runs.
Does that starvation diet help you drop pounds? Yes, but what's in those pounds? Answer: lean muscle mass. Read: Your body eats your muscles because you don't eat enough food. Ever hit your goal weight with one of these diets? Good for you! Are you still at that weight now? A starvation diet could be one that consists of 1,200 calories/day, unless of course, you already weight about 120 pounds. Then 1,200 calories is probably okay, as long as you check that with a nutritionist. A week ago, I thought that consuming 1,200 calories per day was a healthy way to achieve weight loss. I personally should consume near twice that amount to sustain daily activities and training workouts and maintain weight loss. Surprise! I was starving!
I don't know all the answers, but I do think we should be educated on what we do to our bodies, just like we should research the market when we purchase a car. Here are some interesting sites I found just while posting this rant... and my other rant on another site. I'll leave it up to you to determine wether or not they are credible sources. Notice that you don't see a Jenny Craig link... Jenny don't know squat.
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