(Three Dreaded Words) By DeBorah Heggs
Diet and Weight Loss! Three words that can send chills up your spine, making you cringe at the thought of ever getting on a scale. For many of us, battling the bulge is a fight that starts at sunrise and continues way after sunset. We religiously tell ourselves, “don’t eat this…. don’t drink that,” and although we don’t always practice it, consistency, our biggest alley, is a formidable adversary against the bulge. We limit carbohydrates and try to eat sensibly, often ignoring those food cravings that call to us in the middle of the night. For others, weight loss is a lifelong war, which is lost more than won!
The world is obsessed with weight and beauty. The weight loss industry makes billions by dangling their idea of the perfect body and face in front of us, and we chase it every time, often falling short of the prize…a perfect 10! What happened to the old adage, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Does that mean you’re not beautiful if your frame isn’t a size 4? Are you less handsome because you went up a pant size or two?
Many of us have tried almost every diet and weight loss program known to man; some of them worked…some of them didn’t. Here are a few of my favorites: The Grapefruit Diet, where you eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice before each meal. That’s fine if you’re not susceptible to the heartburn which grapefruit or its juice can cause. Oh…then there’s the Melt Away Diet Plan, which promises a reduction in body fat if you to drink 64 ounces of water daily, and drop 2-3 fat dissolving tablets into your bath water. The claim is that these pills would suck the fat out of your body while you’re soaking in the tub. Did I try it? Yes I did. Did I loose weight? No I didn’t. Not a pound. The results: After soaking for two hours I looked like a prune; a very large prune. Then there are the Prepackaged, Pre-portioned Foods; and yes, they do work. However, once you go back to eating regular food or stray on a consistent basis, the weight returns and you’re fat again; or worse…. even bigger.
Advertisers would have us believe that we can lose weight by purchasing their magic pills, amazing elixirs, unpalatable foods or costly exercise equipment that will have you spinning, rocking, or twirling like a circus acrobat; pulling a muscle long before effectively loosing a pound.
It’s a known fact that as one gets older, weight is much easier to gain but poundage becomes much harder to shed. Although diets have their place, their effect is short lived against the battle of the bulge. In battle we need a warrior that guarantees results. EXERCISE! This coupled with healthy eating will ensure that the weight comes off…and…stays off! Exercise is fundamental in any weight loss program. It helps to burn fat, increases the metabolism, and strengthens the heart, but most of all; it’s an alley in the war against those three dreaded words. Changing eating habits and implementing a cardio routine will yield much desired results. In no time at all, you’ll be able to trade those three old words, diet and weight loss for six new ones, I’ve lost the weight… For good!
About the Author: Philadelphia resident DeBorah is the author of the new suspense thriller “She Never Uttered a Word” which released in May 2009. Although DeBorah is a newcomer to the literary world she writes like a seasoned professional. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and the Long Ridge Writers Group in Connecticut. Deborah can be reached at (215) 242-8730/ or online at www.deborahwroteit.com