Who's Fad?
By Paul Bunting

Want to get lean? Great, better yet how about dropping that unsightly fat, along with cleaning your entire body out, and having the energy of a toddler…IN 48 HOURS!! Want to know where you can sign up? Dreamland is a good start. With a constant string of new diet plans coming out it seems as though at least one of them has your name successfully written all over. Some of these "wonderful" eating plans allow you freedom to indulge on an endless source of fats, while others permit you to drink their delicious "nectar" all day for a couple of days, and then come out leaner and more energetic almost overnight. After hearing an advertisement for such a seemingly good plan, one that even the famous Hollywood movie stars that you know and love using one may start to believe that it will work for them.

Well, it would be nice if these fad diets really worked as well as they claim to. Before you race to the store, or call an 800 # with credit card ready there are a few variables to consider about these "Miracle" diets. First and foremost is the principal of healthy eating in general.

About a week ago one of my personal training clients, Charles who I have been training for about a year and a half were reflecting on the time we have worked together. Charles is in his early 50s and had been training on and off for the last 15 or so years without a lot of focus on the nutritional aspect of fitness. When I started training him I very comprehensively covered nutrition and how it related to fitness, and more importantly how it would shape his body. Charles has done a great job overall with practicing his new way of eating, and he has definitely made the changes in his body to show it. The reason that I am even bringing this up is a statement that Charles made to me, "Paul, I think I know why so many people do not stay on an exercise that long." Of course I wanted to know why he had this thought, the response was: "I have come to realize that you get out of this exactly what you put into it, and it is hard work!"

Wow, that was a pretty powerful statement. Very direct, exactly what people do not want to hear, and painfully true. You only get out of a program what you are willing to put into that vary program. If you are wondering how this even remotely works into a fad diet it is simple. Take for instance the 48-hour diet program that is all over the radio airwaves. Let's say that you invest some hard earned money into this fix, and for 48 hours follow it to a tee! Maybe you will be one of the rare cases that actually lose 10 lbs for the weekend. You may feel great about your accomplishments. You may even brag to your friends, and people you have never met before about your wonderful feat. The question that remains is what next? Now that you have lost this weight really fast what are you going to do to continue losing weight, or keep the weight you have lost off?

Maybe the 48-hour diet was a bad example, after all there are other popular programs people use to get thin fast. Cutting carbohydrates out is one of them. Chances are you will notice a drop in body fat levels, and quite possible rapid weight loss, but is this something you are going to do forever? Are you going to go through life without eating carbohydrates? While this may be a silly question, it is a factor that is quite often overlooked when someone is thinking about starting a diet. Simply put, most people are not going to go through life depriving themselves of foods that our bodies are designed to function with.

Unfortunately a person's decision to go on a diet is almost all of the time an emotional decision, not a logical one, and this is no secret. One of the most common questions I am ask pertaining to fitness is how can I lose this fat? Taking a look at that statement, it is purely based on physical appearance, and has virtually nothing to do with overall well being. Physical appearance and overall well being can be different all together. Many times people will go to great measures that are costing them their own health and state of well being to look good.

Just as there are people who will risk anything to achieve certain physical attributes, there are companies who are willing to sell a quick fix or fad diet that sounds like a great way to achieve these goals. A product that delivers results almost immediately, which brings us back to the statement that Charles made. This statement goes something along the lines of getting out of a program what you are willing to put into a program.

There is a common trend that typically goes along with a fad diet, and that is the rebound period. Some of you reading these words know exactly what I am speaking about. After the "diet" is done, where are you going to go? A great number of people will go right back to the way of eating that got them to the point of desiring to change their physical appearance. This is where feelings of failure and resentment set in, and the fad has ended for yet another person. Attaining a physical appearance that you want and achieving an overall state of well being are not out of the question at all. However, to achieve this a different approach must be taken.

Instead of striving for immediate weight loss look at the big picture. There may be many factors affecting the level of energy you have and how you look. Amount of sleep, type of foods you consume, level of stress you are under, and how you feel about you are a few of them. Being lean and beautiful is a by-product of your overall lifestyle. This is an extremely difficult realization to make. In essence what this means is that if you want to feel and look good, and you feel you do not, chances are you are going to have to change your entire lifestyle. Sorry to say that drinking some juice for the weekend is not enough to do the trick.

To experience success with weight loss on a long term basis you are going to have to look at the big picture. A rational eating plan coupled with a good exercise and cardiovascular program will ensure long term success. Yes this will require a lifestyle change, which is not all that difficult if it is taken one step at a time. Realizing there are areas that need work is the first step to actually correcting those behaviors. If there is no problem, then there is nothing to fix. The point being if you do not see an unhealthy pattern occurring you will not do anything to correct the problem.

Fitness and well being is a lifestyle, not a weekend fix. The best possible way to transform yourself is to take things one step at a time. Do not rush into anything, and be sure to consider all options about any decisions to change your eating habits. Think long term and success is yours!

About the Author
I am a Fort Lauderdale, Florida based personal fitness trainer.
For the last 12 years of my life physical fitness has helped me
Overcome a great number of obstacles and excel at sports.
For more information about services I offer please visit
http://www.efitnessprograms.com or
E-mail paul777@attbi.com


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