In a society geared towards dieting and weight loss it is no wonder that weight is a huge issue in our country. However, for as many weight loss products as there are gracing the shelves of the stores, the obesity problem is growing to epidemic proportions. Why is this? How can their be an obesity problem in a country to that splashes size zero actresses across their magazines and enough diet pills to make an elephant lose weight? There are a few answers.
The number one thing that everyone should know is that DIET PILLS DO NOT WORK. I say this with confidence as I have probably used all of them. They may work in the short term but not without a price. Do you really want to use a product that is going to put stress on your heart and make you feel like a mexican jumping bean because of the jittery effect it will have on you? These diet products are pretty much legalized speed and they will not even make you lose that much weight. Save your money and your heart by just losing weight the healthy way. By using diet pills and expecting a miracle, you are setting yourself up for sabotage later on.
Your friends and family. You love to spend time with them and most of the time those get togethers include food, and not of the garden variety. This is when you need to stand up for yourself. It happens all too often that we want to be one of the crowd, that we want to enjoy the same foods they are damn it! So we do, and then we feel guilty afterwards. So guilty that we might throw in the towel and eat even more on our own. Then we feel even more guilty. You need to put yourself first in these situations. Nobody is going to lose weight for you, and trust me when I say Nana will get over it if you do not have seconds of pie. Take only what you love most and if you truly do not want something, say no! Saying yes to everything will make everything follow you to the scale.
Fast food commercials and advertisements. There you are, enjoying your favorite trainwreck reality show when suddenly you are hit from all angles during the commercial break. McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King. They are all calling you through the television to come to their kingdom of lard. Is this enough to sabotage your weight loss efforts? Not always, but it sure does not help us get our mind off what we need to stay away from. At these times it is best to have a snack on hand that fits your weight loss journey. Low fat string cheese, sugar free jello, and other similar snacks can help keep you in check. If it is truly too much to handle, turn off the TV and go for a walk to get your mind off of it, and no I do not mean a walk to some deep fried palace!
The scale can always sabotage your efforts. Yes that very instrument which is supposed to keep you in check. We are a country of instant gratification and when we do not get it, frustration occurs and sabotage rears its ugly head. "Lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks!" may be a great advertisement but in the real world of hips and thighs, it is near impossible and very dangerous. Aim for slow and steady weight loss and tell yourself that it took you a long time to get where you are and in turn it is going to take you some time to get the weight off. Be kind to yourself at these times. After all, turning to junk food is what got you here in the first place, so giving up and going back to it is only going to prolong the cycle.
These are just a few reasons why you may not be losing the weight and getting the body you want. You have to ask yourself what you truly want out of life. Do you really want to be healthy for life, or do you want to find yourself throwing your scale against a wall and cursing last night's drive thru run to get fries? Dieting is not about losing as much weight as you can in as little time as possible. In fact, dieting is why this country is in trouble. If we throw out the word "diet" and insert the words "healthy lifestyle" then it is a step in the right direction. After all, we do not want to be on a diet for life, but ideally we want to be as healthy as we can so we can live life.