Which Weight Loss Program Is Right?
By Eric EngelThis article isn't going to separate the scams from the tried and tested weight loss programs. It's not going to point out the dangers of alternative medicines or the legitimacy of them. Instead, we're going to look at the beginning of weight loss...where it all starts, and why the starting point is important. Then we're going to see what goes wrong from point A to point B, and discover what's missing from modern weight loss programs.
Weight loss starts from a desire...something in the head and not in the body or on a plate. It might be the desire to look good. It might be a desire to stay fit. More often than not, it stems from a negative desire and not a positive one. For example, most people aren't into weight loss to look good, but want to lose weight so they won't look bad. Or maybe a recent visit to the doctor made someone aware that they're suffering from overweight, and it may contribute to heart problems.
There's nothing wrong with a negative motivator, but for long term commitment, positive inspiration is almost always more effective. So perhaps one of reasons weight loss fails for binge dieters, is that they're not focused on the positive aspects of weight loss...or perhaps the positive aspects aren't reinforced by outside influences.
Weight Loss Then and Now
To illustrate this, we can look at today's weight loss trends and compare them to what was happening twenty years ago in the eighties. Right now we have programs like Atkins. We have Kirstie Alley telling us how great she looks and how much weight she lost. We have pill and formula vendors telling us weight loss is as simple as the thirty second routine of taking a drug.
We also have an obesity epidemic on our hands.
What did we have in the eighties? Richard Simmons. Whether you loved him or hated him, you have to admit that he ruled the weight loss industry for a long time. Some people say his success was because he was so different. Some say it was his energetic personality.
I beg to differ. His success (not just as an industry leader, but in the number of people he helped lose weight) was his positive focus. He encouraged the audience, and he connected with them on a personal level.
Richard Simmons made a difference because his message was more than "you can loose weight." His message was, "You're worth it." So many people are trapped in the weight loss quandary...but it's not because they loose hope on losing weight. If a person has no self-worth, hope is almost useless.
Compare weight loss to a simple task like repairing a wooden kitchen chair. Someone without any carpentry experience might try one or two things and finally decide to throw the chair out and buy a new one. It's not that they felt hopeless to the point of despair. They just didn't feel that the chair was worth the effort.
Most people with chronic weight problems aren't of the mind that weight loss is impossible. It's more along the lines of, "Am I really worth the effort?"
And that's why Richard Simmons took the weight loss industry by storm. He came right out and convinced people of two things. "You're a special person, worthy of all the effort you put into this, and weight loss really is possible." These two messages combined weren't just motivators...they became the reason for people with weight problems to continue their lives.
What Changed in the Weight Loss Industry?
Over time, his VCR tapes and TV programs were replaced by the 'Buns of Steel' type of programs and jazzercise at the local YMCA. Oh, they had beautiful trainers like Kathy Smith to give us a little pep talk and keep us swinging those arms and kicking those legs. But let's face it, there's no comparison.
Now here's the dirty little secret about the weight loss industry and why it continues to fail for those with serious weight problems. The industry focuses on people who don't actually need to lose weight...not on those with real problems. As an experienced copywriter, I can tell you that the ads do not speak to overweight people.
In short, there's just no money in fat people. The only solution for them is expensive (and some might argue dangerous) procedures like stomach stapling. And then, of course, there are the thousands of fly-by-night scams offering an overnight solution. I won't point out which ones are worthless and which ones aren't. I'll only say that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
I'll also point out that even scams miss the mark when it comes to advertising. They always (following the classic marketing templates) focus on the benefits of losing weight. They never take their message a step further the way Richard Simmons did.
How do You Choose a Weight Loss Program Now?
Exercise and healthy diet...these are the physical keys to loosing weight. As for the different methods and techniques, some might work better than others. But if exercise and diet aren't both included in the program, you should keep searching. After you find the right program, the rest is in your head.
You need to find a way to reinforce your self-value. This usually means surrounding yourself with positive people. Not just someone who points out the fact that you need to lose weight, but who will point out that you're worth the weight loss effort...and who will think of you as a special person whether you lose the weight or not. This is more important than any of the available techniques. It starts at the desire for weight loss (because you want it) and fortifies it with positive reasons to keep going (because you're worth it).
Written by Eric Engel - founder of The Free Weightloss Site at http://looklean.com/
PRICES NOW REDUCED ON MY WEB SITE WWW.EBOOKS4SELFHELP.COM
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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 5:28 PM
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