In the land of free fast food enhancement, the stigma of weight gain can be as sticky as the sugary sodas many of us use to satiate it. Whether you’re a fan of “quick fixes” from the car, or just someone who pays more attention to the TV Guide rather than the calories on the back of food packages, chances are you’ll struggle. like the rest of us to keep off the pounds. off-and it’s starting to affect more than just your waistline.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 67 percent of all Americans, about 200 million, are overweight or obese. That number has doubled since 1980. Today, about a third of American children are obese or at risk of becoming obese, and while being overweight can increase your risk of everything from high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, Low self-esteem accumulation of psychological and social problems can only make things worse.
I have seen it before. From the patients who walk into my office to my own family and friends who gather around my dinner table, the struggle they endure while embarking on a diet or weight loss program just isn’t fair. Yes, I did. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, those diet plans (Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers) may not be the answer for you.
I know, I know, I’ve heard it all: “I ate nothing but soup and lost 10 pounds!” However, “I haven’t had a single carb in two weeks and I’ve lost five pounds!” The common denominator of all these “fad diets” is just that: they are fads. Like those flared pants you once loved so much, eventually the allure wore off. How many times have you thrown a missing diet in the trunk of the attic, like you did with those pants?
I should probably admit something before I go any further: I’ve fought the temptations of the cookie tray just like anyone else. But I’ve learned that if there’s any rule to live by, the quick and easy fix: magic diet pills, fad programs, etc., just don’t work.
When all else fails, stay positive and back off the ridiculous and outrageous diet table. I hope that those who continue to lose themselves, on the road to weight loss, never stop trying to reach their destination.