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When Diets Don’t Work.

When promises of fast weight-loss results fail to become reality, many body conscious men and women leave themselves open prey to diet and weight loss gimmicks. But, do they really work? Let's take a look:

Liposuction.
The process of liposuction literally sucks the fat out of specific areas of the body. Tubes are inserted in half-inch long incisions in the thighs, buttocks, upper arms, abdomen or hips, and the fat cells are vacuumed out.

Support bandages must be worn for two to six weeks after surgery, and the entire procedure, although available on an outpatient basis, is costly.

Contrary to popular belief, liposuction is not recommended for obese individuals. Many doctors require that their patients be regular exercisers and usually not over the age of 35 (skin must be resilient) before undergoing liposuction.

The procedure has proven most useful for individuals who follow healthy exercise and diet guidelines, but are unable to reduce fatty deposits in one particular part of their bodies.

However, if proper eating and exercise habits are not used in conjunction with liposuction, the remaining fat cells will enlarge to replace those suctioned out.

Liquid Meal Replacements.
Do you remember Oprah Winfrey's well-publicized weight loss episode? It brought national attention to liquid meal replacement programs. She was thrilled with her “new body.” Her subsequent weight regain, however, dramatized the high failure rate that most people experience with these liquid fasts.

In theory, an individual drinking two or three shakes (at about 600 calories per drink) and eating one balanced meal a day would lose weight. Available as both physician-supervised (Optifast, Medifast, etc.) and over-the-counter (Slimfast, etc.) programs, these high protein drinks do bring about rapid weight loss, but statistics suggest that weight gain is inevitable, often in amounts greater than what was lost.

Though research is ongoing, liquid diets are also associated with certain health risks including possible loss of lean body muscle and potassium, gastrointestinal discomfort and possible heart damage.

Packaged Foods.
Many commercial weight loss centers sell their own packaged foods. Recently, we’ve seen a rush of pre-packaged meals like Real Meals 360 and My Fit Foods. While the meals are usually nutritionally balanced, and great for convenience the biggest problem with this methodology is that it focuses on caloric restriction and weight loss rather than skill-building.

By fostering dependence rather than independence around making healthy food choices, graduates often find themselves at a loss when they try to live in the real world of multiple food choices. My recommendation: Use these meals for their “convenience” only and not as a way of life.

Our culture's focus on weight has brought about a number of fat-fighting strategies, but the best one involves self awareness. Love who you are and always seek ways to improve your health (physically, emotionally, spiritually). When you do this, a beautiful & healthy body can’t help but become the end result of your actions.

As always – Live Your Life Well,

John Aaron Villarreal
johnaaron-massage.com

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The content and information on this site is not intended to diagnose,
cure, treat or prevent disease. Please consult your physician
prior to starting any exercise or diet program.

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