6 Worst Ways To Lose Weight… Part #1

By Michael Under Diet, Lose Belly Fat, Mike's Favorites

As I am sure you know, the weight loss industy is made up primarily of half-truths and people claiming to have the next weight loss breakthrough. Nonsense.

[ Just because something seems to be a good idea, doesn't mean that it is. Take G.I. Britney Spears for example. ]

There’s so much misinformation out there that even “health care professionals” and people you would assume can help you, just end up sending you for a ride on the yo-yo diet train. Or even worse, that train never even leaves the station but you end up losing a lot of $$$ and precious time.

It’s not that every product out there is a scam, but even the products that do produce results are shrouded in lies and marketing hype instead of the bare bones truth. And that equals rebound weight gain. Now, perhaps these businesses are low lifes, but I think its more likely that they don’t have a clue either.

I’ve seen a lot “diet experts” that are either overweight, or have no idea how to manage their own weight without copious amounts of exercise and ridiculous diet schedules.

That’s not a solution, that’s a personal prison.

Here’s my list of what I consider ridiculous (and some dangerous) paths to weight loss, and my take on them.

#1. Surgery

By now, we all know that any sort of surgery is dangerous. Even those surgeries that are necessary can produce long term complications from scar tissue or medical malpractice. Also, any elective surgeries that are successful for weight loss over the long-term aim to suppress appetite (stomach stapling, slim band, etc.), which is just further proof that a reduction in calories is the ultimate answer… PLUS no one gets to carve you up like a Thanksgiving day turkey. Win/Win.

Bottom line: Any chance of long-term benefits are totally cancelled out by the possibility of long-term consequences. (see: death).

#2 PILLS!

Let me make this perfectly clear, any pill that’s main selling feature is weight loss is an out and out lie. Fat burners may have a slight affect on your metabolism, but nothing significant enough to put you into a caloric deficit to trigger any real weight loss on its own.

However, if the added energy in one of these pills motivates you to live a more active lifestyle and somehow eat less, that’s great, but get real, the pill itself is not “burning the fat off your body”. And anyone that tells you differently should be off your advice list.

Now let’s take a look at a popular pill that drives me crazy, its called Orlistat (sold as Alli). If you go to their site, it looks really fancy and helpful, but the pill (which is approved by the FDA I believe) is ultimately useless. The company sells you their pill and then puts you on a reduced calorie diet and “prescribes” exercise. Wow. Revolutionary.

Take a look at this regarding their “proven studies” except from Wikipedia:

The effectiveness of orlistat in promoting weight loss is definite, though modest. Pooled data from clinical trials suggest that people given orlistat in addition to lifestyle modifications, such as diet and exercise, lose about 2–3 kilograms (4.4–6.6 lb) more than those not taking the drug over the course of a year.^[6]

4-6 pounds more over the course of a YEAR! Not much of a benefit considering some people have experienced liver failure and have to suffer through OrliStat’s awful “treatment effects” of loose stools and a steady case of Superbowl type flatulence. Sexy, I know.

I could go on for another post altogether regarding the harmful uselessness of this drug, but I’ll stop here to be kind to you.

Bottom Line: Pills DO NOT equal fat loss.

#3 Exercise Alone

Exercise is great for a lot of things. It helps us move easier, slows aging, prevents disease, and not to mention muscle attracts the opposite (or same) sex. Exercise clearly has a lot going for it. But what exercise can’t do on its own… is help you lose weight.

I know that is going to be tough for a lot of people to swallow, but its time to suck it up and accept the truth.

My favorite saying is, “You can’t out run/train a bad diet.” Allow me to put that in perspective.

Tomorrow morning I could bike to the gym, swim for two hours, lift weights for an hour, and then bike home. On the high side, maybe I’ve burned away 1000 calories (realistically its probably less). Now, from that start of a champion morning, we would all feel like we deserve a reward. A lunch at Pizza Hut or any McDonald’s combo will easily flush two of those fat burning workouts down the tube.

Bottom Line: To lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat. I am a firm advocate of regular and fun exercise but we should all know its role and function so not to mislead ourselves.