Weight Loss Wake Up Call

A few nights ago, T and I were watching a special on the multi-million dollar "weight loss" industry, and we started talking about the different pills, fad diets, and workout equipment we wasted money on. I admitted to trying the Green Tea Fat Burner pills, SlimQuik pills, and the Master Cleanse. While all of them promised amazing, lasting results, I did not have any success with any of them. Sure, the pills suppresed my appetite and made it easier to reduce my calories. But we all know what happens when you stop taking the pills: my appetite returned, stronger than ever, and I gained back the weight I lost.

Now, the Master Cleanse was interesting. This cleanse is also referred to as the "Lemonade Diet" or the cayenne pepper diet that Beyonce allegedly used to drop the weight for Dream Girls. I tried it with some coworkers, and we struggled through ten days of just drinking a concoction of water, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Sure, I lost weight (almost 15 pounds), but the point of the cleanse is to transition to a vegetarian/vegan/raw foods lifestyle, and I had no desire to do any of that. So of course I gained all the weight back.

T admitted to trying Hydroxycut pills, with the same results that I had with the diet pills. The package inidcated that he should drink at least 14-16 glasses of water when taking the pills. With his job, he cannot chug water and run to the bathroom every 10 minutes. So, of course, he threw away the whole bottle.

After trying all these "quick fixes", T and I decided to try the real route to long term weight management: lifestyle change! We like to call it "diet and exercise", but it won't be long lasting if you diet and exercise until you reach the desired weight, and then let it all go afterward. So we are making a pledge to make better food choices and increase our activity together. Sounds corny, right? But that's our challenge,and we're sticking to it!

Breakfast of Champions! Strawberries, pineapples, and blueberries are sweet enough to replace syrup on my waffles. {personal photo}