Don't Believe Everything You See

My husband recently told me about a conversation he overheard between two coworkers the other day.  They were two middle-aged overweight men, both smokers, talking about the type of fuel they put into their manly trucks.  They were comparing regular octane to premium octane gasoline and both agreed that they are only willing to fuel their tanks with the best, premium fuels, in order to achieve maximum performance out of their vehicles.  Here were two fast food eating, overweight, underactive men willing to treat their trucks better than their own bodies. Shouldn't their own bodies deserve the best in terms of what they put into them;  healthy, well-balanced diets providing their bodies with the fuel they need for maximum performance.  No? Don't they realize the irony in their statements?  Apparently not!

This conversation, as well as Kit's recent blog post, got me to thinking...  Why don't we have more respect for our own health and what we do to and put into our bodies?  Are we too lazy to care?

How often have you heard someone say they tried P90X and it "didn't work" for them?  Or how about, "I wanted to complete the program, but it was too hard."  Or, "I did the workouts, but wasn't as strict with the nutrition plan."  And how many of those people do you think actually "tried their hardest" to get the results they wanted.  Probably none of them.

We are a culture of instant gratification.  We want results now and we don't really want to work all that hard to get them.  Just take a pill, with "natural ingredients," to suppress your appetite and drop lbs instantly!



What about commercials for losing weight in your sleep?  Or by hypnotherapy?


Or how about getting firmer abs in just days by wearing a vibrating belt around your waist?  

How many of these methods do you think really produce lifelong results?  None of them! What these diet and weight loss companies don't tell you (or write extremely small in the disclosure line), is that none of these people got the results they desired by following said advertised programs alone. In fact, what is usually written in small print is "results not typical."  Most of the models in these commercials have participated in some type of diet and exercise program along with taking/using advertised products. But the commercials don't tell you that directly.  All they advertise is instant results with little to no effort on your part. You have to be smart enough to know there's more to it than what meets the eye.

Only diet and exercise together will produce results and there is no "quick" way to achieve overall fitness.  Sure, you might drop a few pounds by taking a diet pill, but are you any healthier because of it?  You probably still eat the same unhealthy foods, don't exercise enough and make yourself feel better about it by using the ab firming belt while watching your reality T.V. programs.  Why do you think so many gastric bypass and lapband patients continue to gain the weight back?  It's because they haven't changed their mindset; and until they do, they will always struggle with weight and overall fitness.

In life, you get out of it what you put into it, and that applies to every aspect of your life.  If you are looking to lose weight and keep it off permanently, you must be willing to continually work at it.  Otherwise, once you give up, the weight will find it's way back to you.  Change is difficult, but it must be met with an open mind that is willing to put in the work.  Nothing comes easy, and without sufficient effort you will continue to be disappointed in your quest for health and fitness.

Until next time...