Trying to Lose Weight? Don't Fall for This

A client came to me the other day with a diet and exercise plan from a celebrity trainer. The headline: "All you have to do is repeat the three moves below for 20 minutes and you will burn away the belly fat FOR GOOD. " The three moves included standing in place while punching as fast as you can, a lateral arm raise and high knee raises. And of course, there was a "healthy eating plan" included, with the promise "Lose 5 pounds in 5 days!" I looked at the meal plan and it was a calorie restrictive plan, and the calories were coming from crap food. Many of the options included highly processed packaged food items. One of the dinner options included 2 slices of frozen pizza.... Oh, and don't forget dessert- a glass of milk and 2 cookies!! This type of marketing makes me so angry!!! Really Mister Celebrity Trainer? That's all I have to do to banish my belly fat? Three random exercises and eat a low calorie, low nutrient diet that I know I won't be able to stay on for longer than a week??? I felt badly for my client because she has been a yo-yo dieter since her high school years - and she is in her late 40's now. She has been desperately searching for that magic bullet. I call it "diet desperation." When you are so frustrated because the scale won't budge, and any diet that promises a quick fix looks like a reasonable solution. Maybe you can relate? I know I can. I can remember when I was so uncomfortable in my clothes and unhappy in my body. I was constantly wearing 'stretch' pants and baggy shirts and I was so desperate to lose my belly fat. In that 'diet desperation' mindset, I always believed that the next quick fix would be "the one" thing that would finally solve my problems. The diets never worked, and in fact, they made me sicker and fatter. The sad truth is that this cycle left me feeling out of control, overeating, gaining weight, never really understanding why, and then rushing to the next new fad diet. I'd buy each new diet book, figuring a different approach would miraculously melt away my belly fat. I kept trying and failing. After consulting with a holistic practitioner, I learned that all the yo-yo dieting messed up my metabolism and made losing weight nearly impossible. Not to mention that the food that I was eating had caused many of my health problems. The lack of energy and bloating was a direct result of eating processed, refined foods, as well as omitting certain food groups all together. It took me a while to change my habits, but once I did, I started to feel better. I had more energy, my belly was no longer bloated and the weight started to come off. I realized that lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes each and every day. And making sustainable lifestyle changes is part of the work that I help my coaching clients with. I help them transform their goals so that they can achieve them. So, if it's a workout you're looking for, I'm all about high intensity training, but there ain't no such thing as "spot reducing." We each have our trouble areas and a good overall workout will help you lose fat and build muscle. And as far as going on a diet, my mantra is "Just say NO." I'm a proponent of eating real food. Food that doesn't have a long list of ingredients. Food that may have no ingredient list at all, like an apple. Food is the gateway to good health. And choosing real foods that are naturally nutrient dense will not only allow you to lose weight, but there is an added bonus: Most chronic diseases- like obesity, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol - can be prevented with the right foods. Now those are magic bullets I know will work!