Waste of Time Weight Loss Methods

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In our time starved world the last thing we want to do is waste time trying to lose weight. You put the effort in…you want to see results. Since the dawn of time, at least the dawn of dieting, people have tried practically everything to lose weight from eating only lemons for days on end to purposely swallowing poisons to induce vomiting. Not only are these weight loss methods dangerous, but most are also completely ineffective and a waste of time. While they may cause some initial weight loss, the results are not permanent.

As a Diet-to-Go fan you know that Diet-to-Go is all about helping people make smart choices when it comes to eating healthy. And you know that we advocate a sensible approach to losing weight: one that can be sustained over the long haul. Sometimes it just feels good to have your knowledge validated. And in the spirit of enjoying being right, we’ve compiled some of the more popular waste of time weight loss methods.

Don’t waste your time with these!

The HCG Diet

At Diet-to-Go we’ve talked about the ineffectiveness of the HCG Diet. The theory behind this weight loss method is that with daily injections of the human growth hormone, Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), in combination with a very low-calorie diet (only 500 cal/day) you’ll lose weight. The HCG is supposed to trick your body into losing fat and preserving muscle tissue. The reality is, there has never been any trusted third-party research supporting this theory. While you may initially lose weight, nobody knows the long-term effects of altering your hormones. Plus, you are only allowed 500 calories a day on this diet. That’s just too low. Your body needs more nutrients than 500 calories can provide. And once you stop taking the hormones and eat normal amounts you will inevitably gain back any lost weight.

Body Wraps

Wrapping our bodies with assorted fabrics at varying temperatures in hopes of losing weight has been around for ages. Come on, really? Does any one really think just because you squeezed your waist and made it smaller (temporarily) that will really result in actual weight loss? The truth is, body wraps and waist belts do not shrink fat cells or burn body fat no matter what type of wrap is used: bandages, plastic, foil, vinyl, or rubber and regardless of what you are wrapped in: herbs, minerals, enzymes, seaweed, clay or mud. Any change in your body will be temporary.

Diet Pills

Diet-to-Go has addressed this topic in the past too. While it would be wonderful to simply pop a pill and poof you’re skinny, it doesn’t work

that way. Most diet pills contain dangerous stimulants, diuretics, anti-depressants and/or other scary chemical concoctions, which pose many scary side effects, not, the least of which is, death. Remember the fen-phen scare of the mid-90s? You have to ask yourself, if being thin was as easy as taking a pill, why would we have the obesity epidemic that we have?

Purging

Purging includes forced vomiting, fasting as well as abusing laxatives. Regular purging causes a whole host of problems including serious dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Vomiting is so hard on the body. Food is meant to stay in the stomach, not travel back up through your esophagus and mouth. When food does come back up the acid that is in your stomach preparing the food for digestion and absorption comes back up and can cause erosion in the esophagus, mouth, and on tooth enamel, which can increase risk for certain cancers and tooth decay. Our bodies cannot take this type of abuse for very long. Eventually the purging has to stop and when it does, so goes the weight loss facilitator.

In a nut shell

While these and many other quick fix weight loss methods may provide short-term results, true weight loss doesn't come quick. It comes from a lifestyle change. Long term, permanent weight loss comes from eating healthy and exercising. Don’t waste time trying to find a short cut to losing weight. Invest the time in yourself and in establishing smart, sensible and sustainable eating and exercising habits. It will be time well spent.

Author: Sue Ridgeway

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