Last Updated on July 23, 2017
There are various quick ways being advertised for instant weight loss. We are bombarded by such constant advertisements everyday. I have tried none of these (except the diet pill that my mom made me take when I was 15) but here’s what I know from others experience:
- machines that promises to ‘shake’ your fat away– all you need to do is to stand on them and let the machine do all the work to shake off the fat.
- diet pills– yeah, my mom had me try them when I was 15- ended up gaining more weight that I’ve lost. Also, you’ll never know what they put inside those pills or if proper testing have been done. Pharmaceutical companies produces these pills and some of them are recalled every year because it’s found to be dangerous to health- this shortcut can result to possible liver and kidney damage. I remember a neighbor of mine tried some diet pills- and develop severe allergy reactions- her whole body was swollen and pimples (with pus) developed all over her face. She had to be hospitalised.
- creams that you can apply on problem area and miraculously the cellulite on that part is supposed to dissapear- they normally don’t.
- meal replacement shakes– they’re a torture to take and no one I know can keep off weight long term by taking them.
- taking laxatives- take the food, following by a strong laxative so that the food is purged out. It’s very unhealthy and causes the body to lose crucial nutrients- it affects the digestive system and in the long run, health goes downhill.
- slimming centers– you spent tonnes of money on them on them- and they’ll do some kinda slimming wraps or herbal or chili or whatever wraps that’s supposed to help. And they’ll give you some eating plans emphasizing on low calorie diet- these plans or recipes- you can get it for free from so many websites out there. And you have to keep going back and pay through your nose- else, you’ll gain the weight back easily
- liposuction– very painful coz it’s literally flushing all the fat out from your body. If you are not careful, you’ll gain it back within 2 months.
- gastric bypass surgery– cutting off a part of the stomach- normally people who are so fed up because they can never seemed to lose weight finally resort to making their stomach so small that it’s not possible for them to stuff themselves with food. Al Roker (American TV newscaster & singer from Wilson Philips & Heart have done that). I strongly feel this is not a solution- uncontrollable food cravings are physiological and biological- why not address the deeper issue instead of taking a shortcut. Furthermore, the person had to be on supplements, medication and planned meals their entire life. In my opinion, unless it is life threatening, a person who resorts to this as a form of plastic surgery must have a deep self-hatred and are not capable of accepting themselves for who they are.
Story of Deanna Adler-Finding Faith in Myself (Shape magazine, July 2006)
Deanna was going to undergo gastric bypass as she weighed 275 pounds and is a candidate to the surgery. She decided to make a last ditch effort to lose the weight 100% by her own efforts and ended up losing 125 pounds. Read her story . (Note: The story was originally published in Shape Magazine, US version but when I checked the link, it was removed. I managed to find out that Deanna has her official website)
The best method
The best and safest method to lose weight and keep it off longer is through sensible eating and exercising. Going for various kinds of weight loss gimmicks/short-cut may endanger your health, make you lose muscle instead of fat, lowers your metabolism (making it more difficult for you to lose weight later), etc. In the end, the regained weight may further lower your self-esteem and self-worth.
Nothing can beat the feeling of accomplishment- whereby you know you succeed entirely through your own hard sweat. You may have 100 pounds to lose- but if you do lose it healthily one pound a week, you’ll lose at least 1/2 of that within a year. Many people, like Deanna Adler above can do it through sensible eating and exercise. You just have to give yourself time and a chance- no more yo-yo dieting- eat what you want to control the portion (initially, it’s good to cut the sugar and starch to a minimum, workout to boost your metabolism).
As you progress towards to goal, seeing results will motivate you further. You develop faith and confidence in yourself, knowing that one day, you can also have your own success story. Coming out of this intact, more energetic, fit, slimmer and happier, the way you view yourself and others view you will change forever. You are no longer the useless person you once thought yourself were- and you see other areas in your life started improving.
