I am constantly approached by people who want me to be a part of their team and sell a product promising weight loss. Have you ever noticed that I don’t sell products or align my brand with another company? There’s a reason I don’t.

THERE IS NO MAGIC

There is no product out there that will alone help you lose weight, keep it off and do so in a healthy manner. No matter what product you use, if you do not exercise and eat right, you will not have long term success. I know this for a fact, I have seen it happen time and time again, and I will not subject my clients to false hope in order to make a couple extra dollars.

In order to be truly healthy, you have to concentrate on creating a healthy lifestyle. You have to create habits that lead to success:

• Sleeping well
• Reducing your stress with healthy coping techniques
• Good Mental Health
• Good Emotional Health
• Daily Movement
• Hydration
• Safe Exercise Plan
• Healthy Diet with calories that support your body’s needs and is nutrient dense

EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY IS NOT PROVEN

In 1994, The Dietary Supplement Health and Education act put the responsibility on the federal government to prove the purity, safety and efficacy of a supplement instead of on the supplement’s manufacturer. What does this mean to you? It means that a manufacturer of a supplement does not have to prove that the supplement is safe and pure. They can create it, sell it with no responsibility that it actually produces the results it promises, is truthful in the ingredients and/or that it is even safe for you to consume. Once the supplement is out, the FDA has to prove that it is dangerous to get it removed instead of the manufacturer being held accountable for it’s safety.

INGREDIENTS CAN BE DANGEROUS

Supplements can contain ingredients that are not listed on the label and have no warning for the consumer. For example, they could be laced with undeclared prescription medications (like diuretics.). Recent examples show that 49 out of 61 weight loss pills are inaccurately labled. Not only are you possibly using a product that is unsafe, it may also contain an ingredient that could produce adverse effects or interact with medication you are already taking.

Some of the common ingredients used to produce “energy” and “weight loss”:

Green Coffee Bean Extract: contains caffeine which is a diuretic (meaning you might lose a little WATER weight) and is a stimulant.

Garcinia Cambodia: shown to have little to no effect on weight loss. (another one of those “exoctic ingredients from the rain forest” I tell you is a selling point with no real backing.)

White Willow Bark: acts similar to aspirin in the body, working on pain, reducing inflammation and possibly thinning the blood.

Take a look at this list of the most common weight loss product ingredients and some information about each one.

FAD DIETS WORK FOR ONE SIMPLE REASON

No matter what diet book, fad diet or MLM weight loss program you choose, they are going to work if you follow their rules. Do you know why? They all cause you to reduce your caloric intake. And when we get down to the very basics of weight loss, it is about calorie balance. But when you are looking at trying the latest and greatest fad that your friend/relative/co-worker lost tons of weight doing, can I encourage you to consider the following?

• Is it sustainable? Can you really eat cabbage soup every day for the rest of your life? Is drinking a shake for lunch and dinner every day doable?
• Is it healthy? Is it really safe for you to cut out most carbs and eat a high amount of fat forever? What does this do to your cardiovascular system? How does it affect your cholesterol and blood pressure? Does eating this way increase your all around health?
• Does the diet promise fast weight loss? Keep in mind that lower numbers on the scale does not necessarily mean you have lost fat. It can be muscle mass loss, water loss or fluctuations due to hormones. Fast weight loss typically means that your fluid balance is being changed and you are doing something that is not sustainable for the long haul. Also, fast weight loss is usually followed by fast weight gain, typically with the person gaining more weight than what was lost.
• Is it balanced? Are you getting all of your nutrients, vitamins and minerals from food? Are you eating carbohydrates, fats and protein?
• Are you being sold a product? You can bet that if you are being sold a supplement, shake, wrap, pills, shots, etc. that this is a company out to make money and not really concerned about your overall health.

See my short video about fad diets here.

I don’t care what product you take, you cannot supplement your way to good health. It has to come from the choices you make every moment. If you want to be truly healthy, you must make the change and choose a healthy lifestyle.  Balanced eating, controlling your caloric intake, moving more, exercising and being on an actual fitness and nutrition plan will help you reach your goals. Instead of jumping from one fad to the next, isn’t it time to learn how to do it right? There’s a better way and if you are interested in learning how to change your lifestyle and be successful for the long run, I can help!  I am available for online coaching and in person coaching in Ocala.