Weight Loss Psychobabble

Weight Loss FACTIOD - "The "FAD" weight loss industry consisting of gadgets, creams, belts, and supplements is a 20 Billion Dollar industry." Why are we as a society still not thin?

It is everywhere you go. "Try this, do that, switch to this, lose 40 pounds on the Hollywood 48-hour miracle diet."

The things that make us overweight are also everywhere. Fast food on every corner, serving sizes that have over the last 10 years moved up in range from Large on up to Biggie size, and eventually came the Mamma of them all - the SUPER size!

Restaurants are not any better – especially in America. Huge serving sizes along with more than one offer from our server to have dessert and other goodies have really cost us as a whole. It is any wonder it is so easy to gain the weight?

After the tremendous portions of food arrived and we all got overweight, then came how to get rid of the weight and fat. First, we were told to only cut calories. They explained how it would work and why we would lose weight. Overall, it did not work!

Then, we were told to cut out fat and were given products like low fat cheese, bread, sour cream, and even low fat WOW Doritos and Lay's potato chips. That was 7 years ago and we got even fatter! Something is wrong!

Then, the fat burners, weight reducers, cellulite creams, and vinegar pills arrived on the market, along with the scams that promoted them. We had numerous celebrities talk about how they lost the weight and kept it off, and we followed their advice, bought their books, exercise gadgets, and listened intently to them on the talk shows.

Funny though, somehow six months to a year later, there they were – FAT AGAIN! We had books from the medical community and a host of weight loss plans.

We have Scarsdale, 48-hour Miracle Diets, Tahitan Noni Juice, Herbalife, Atkins, the Zone…and we wonder why all these

contradictions make us feel like we are living in the Twilight Zone – or at least we know they are!

Weight loss centers began popping up all over the place leaving the old stand by Weight Watchers in the dust. Many had their own food you could purchase – and the food was not inexpensive.

Then of course, you had the Slim Fast crowd. Slim Fast is an interesting case - you know - "A Shake for Breakfast, one for Lunch and a balanced Dinner? I did that and gained 7 pounds.

My friends and family all tried that way of doing this and we all had two things in common. We were always hungry and we ALL gained weight.

Two liquid shakes are just not going to satisfy your body, nor the YOU that needs to get under control. IF you feel deprived you are not going to win the battle of the bulge.

There has also been a lot of "press' lately about a little hormone that is getting a lot of blame in the overweight challenges of Americans. It is call Cortisol, maybe you have heard of it?

The hormone Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to any kind of physical or psychological stress. Experts have likened it to an auto response of the body to stress.

Again, back in the days when we ran to stay alive and ate to run…there were periods of good eating and long periods without food. The body, under stress would release this hormone that would direct the body to store fat – especially in the abdominal area.

In modern times, with the combination of high fat foods, high levels of stress, and the sheer speed at which we live, your body tends to work against you by slapping on a layer of fat RIGHT WHERE YOU DO NOT WANT IT!

Further, if you are stressing out about getting fat you are actually making yourself more susceptible to gaining weight! Right away the pill makers popped up all over T.V. and Radio touting supplements to reduce, block, absorb, and flat out stop Cortisol from doing its dirty work.

You have to understand the scientific jury is still out on this and so I do not recommend jumping on this expensive band wagon. I have yet to meet ONE person who lost weight on a long-term basis from simply taking a pill, without making any dietary or physical activity changes.

Furthermore, history tells us that these fad approaches end up causing more harm to people than any good. I have personally (as I always do) investigated these products and right away have found a very misleading campaign of how these work.

Keep in mind this information is not generally revealed until you have opened the packaging and read the fine print. The main basis for these products is that they will "Help you to reduce stress thereby reducing Cortisol production and the belly fat it causes your body to store."

That's right folks, they reduce your stress. Now, if that was all it took to lose significant weight and build a healthy lifestyle, then we would have all been able to sleep off our weight issues.

It is my belief that good nutrition and a basic understanding of how the food you eat works is going to help you reach the health goals you desire. Unfortunately, Cortisol is not the only misleading supplement based approach out there….there are more…many, many more!

So, who do you believe then? This was my MAIN problem. I was not losing weight doing any of this stuff, nor had I ever met anyone who had lost and significantly kept it off any length of time past about 3 months. I am glad I was able to discover the truth when I did.