How to Detect SCAM Weight Loss Products

Miracle Weight Loss Deal Just for You!

US Dieters spend about $50 billion dollars annually on diet scams and programs to help them lose weight.  A majority of them gain back any weight they've lost, and more.  We are lazy.  We want a quick, painless, effortless fix to an age old problem, and there isn't one.

To lose one pound (about 1/2 kilo) each week, you need to eat 3,500 calories less than you  need.  If a weight loss product doesn't advocate eating less and exercising more, then it's most likely a scam.  No "product" can make you lose weight by itself.

Here are some weight loss scams to watch out for:

**Weight Loss Miracle:  Lose up to 50 pounds in 8 weeks!**

According to an FTC Staff Analysis, it is extremely dangerous to lose more than three pounds per week without being supervised by a healthcare professional.  The side effects can include gall stones and, if the "diet" is part of an extremely low-calorie program, it can even lead to serious health problems or death. The most weight you can safely lose each week is about 2 pounds.

**Revolutionary Diet Plan:  Eat Cookies, Lose Weight - it's that simple**

Diets based on "one food" can cause an extreme nutritional imbalance and lead to health risks, they are boring and, even if you lose a few pounds, you will gain them back when you start to eat "normal" again.

**Alli:  Weight Loss Wonder!**

Well, Alli is what I would call a semi-scam.  Alli blocks an enzyme that helps you absorb fat.  So you absorb about 25% less fat when you take Alli three times a day.  The problem is that the fat is flushed out of your system when you have a bowel movement and some of the side effects include:  flatulence, with oily spotting of your underwear; loose and more frequent bowel movements; and bowel movements that are hard to control.  I don't see anything "wonderful" about this product, do you?

**Lose that fat without dieting or exercising**

According to the FTC, if you buy a product like this the only thing you lose is your money.  It's impossible to lose weight without eating fewer calories than you burn each day and exercise is an integral part of burning calories.

**Eat all your favorite foods, and still lose weight!**

So, you're going to lose weight if you eat at McDonald's every day for lunch, eat donuts for breakfast, and pizza and beer for dinner?  I don't think so.

Eat healthy, eat less than you burn each day, and exercise.  That, and patience, will bring you success in your weight loss efforts.

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More on Fitness Roadblocks

What happens when you let yourself go? 

Drew Manning before and after 

I wrote about my own fitness frustrations in the prior post. Time is a large roadblock for me in my quest for a better level of fitness. It is a temptation for many including me to just give up.

Many people don't even make the effort. The responses in the Biggest Loser contestant survey found over half of respondents didn't exercise at all. 

Imagine what kind of frustration and challenge it would be to be really fit and then lose it all. That's exactly what personal trainer, Drew Manning, did... ON PURPOSE!

Drew stopped exercising and ate poorly and in six months put on an amazing 75 lbs. The above before and after picture show the amazing transformation.

I discovered Drew's story on the blisstree website, and you can read the full story. The things that struck me the most in Drew's story were his loss off stamina as well as his change in mood.

Drew's story has a happy ending. He went on to lose all the excess weight and return to a healthy state. He shares his story and fitness tips on his website, fit2fat2fit. You can also checkout his book (affiliate link).

Fit2Fat2Fit

Biggest Loser Survey Shocks and Saddens

I just read an article recapping  responses from a recent survey of people who responded to a Biggest Loser contest.  


10,000 people responded to the contest survey. The results while not surprising were to me still very worrisome. In spite of all the health promotion educational campaigns both local and national, unhealthy habits still remain a persistent problem. Here are the major highlights from the contestant responses

1. Gym membership - 56% have no gym membership
2. Fast food - 81% eat fast food occasionally or 2/3 times per week
3. Exercise - 51% do no exercise at all
4. Water drinking - 46% drink no water during an average day 
5. Knowledge gap - 46% said they didn't know what to do to get healthy 

Church Changes Man into a Runner

Most changes decided in church are spiritual. But, I found this inspiring story of a man who made a decision to change his health and fitness from a pastor's challenge.

This story had further relevance to me as I look forward to a 5K next weekend. My 5K is a small community 5K that includes a children's 1 mile fun run which is a great way for the entire family to create a fitness habit.

The 3.1 mile 5K is a good, attainable goal that even people without much running motivation or ability can realize benefit. There are numerous couch to 5K guides  available.


The Spring weather is an inviting time to try something new in your fitness and weight loss journey. It doesn't matter if you run, run/walk, or walk the race. I encourage you to consider training for a 5K run. The goals for average folks like us for a 5K is to enjoy the moment and savor the achievement.

Below are links to the couch to fitnesss apps for 5K to cough for iphone or android phones. Please get checked by your doctor before starting any type of training if you have any concerns about being medically able to train for a  5K.

iphone couch to 5K app

android couch to 5K app 

Biggest Loser Hawaii Show Recap

I can't lose weight on vacation

My first reaction to this week's excuse - Why would I want to lose weight on vacation? 

The relevance of whether or not most people want to lose weight on vacation aside, the episode offered a chance for contestants and viewers to enjoy beautiful beach views of Oahu.

Biggest Loser Contestants learn to surf with Soul Surfer

Contestant had an inspiring visit from Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton. She offered encouragement and a chance to learn to surf.

Challenges and workouts 

We are treated to two challenges during the episode. I love the mental challenges! The practical knowledge tested in these challenges is key in my opinion to long term success . The nutrition info challenge was won by Chris who gained a 1 lb advantage.

The physical challenge was a classic elimination style race that we've seen before. In this challenge, hawaiian leis were put on an opposing team member's tiki to eliminate him or her. Wrassler Kim was first eliminated. Conda and Jeremy's teamwork gave Conda the win and immunity.

I'm baffled why Conda didn't have more people trying to take her out. She doesn't seem very likeable or trustworthy on the show. I can only assume she isn't seen as a longterm threat or that the folks actually like her.

Few workouts scenes were shown in this episode. I did absolutely love Bob's ocean swimming workout followed by the beach workout. The guy astounds me with his creativity.

Drama from "Wrassler Kim"

 A lot of the show focused on Kim. I understand that the show places a lot of stress on people, but she seems way too upset about Emily's departure from the show. I think the woman is getting a bit too intense and paranoid. In the end, this show is about an extreme way to reclaim health.

Season 13 Contestants Nasty Bullies?

Kim certainly is honest about not liking any of the contestants left. Bob Harper also weighs in on season 13 contestants. 

However, Kim doesn't make "Bob's nice list" in the story.

There is an interesting scene with Pastor Mark reaching out to Kim with hints at an alliance. My cynical side says this is gameplay.

My verdict is still out on whether or not Kim is basically a good person. I wouldn't be surprised if she is one of the people who walked out at the mutiny.

Aloha Nurse Kim

Nurse Kim and her daughter, Megan fall below the yellow line at the weigh-in. It is no surprise that Mom asks to be sent home.

The elimination was disrupted by Wrassler Kim having an Aqua team momment. Just like Daphne and Adrien, she can't keep her mouth shut.

Use the salad entree to bust the weight

Biggest Loser Turkey Salad 

Greens + meat = salad entree!

Salad no longer has to be a boring side to a main meal. There are so many options now to dress up salads with a sensible portion of meat to create a healthy, satisfying meal. A salad meal can be a great stand-alone meal that can fill you up, give you vital nutrients, and manage your daily calorie count.

The key for using salad entrees is control of the ingredients, dressing, and dressing amount. You  want to be very cautious when adding cheese, croutons, or nuts to a salad as these ingredients can add calories quickly.

Dressing should be very light such as a vinaigrette style. Consider putting the dressing on the side for dipping greens and meats.

Biggest Loser has a taste of the island turkey salad recipe as shown above.  

Eating out when counting calories is not out of bounds using a salad entree option. You will need to review ingredients and may need to customize the salad order. Most importantly, pull the dressing off the salad and put it on the side.

Pei Wei has a very healthy chopped asian salad that comes in at 200 calories without the dressing.

Last night's Biggest Loser: The Bad, The Good, and.....

On the road today with a crappy, slow hotel internet connection. I am still dragged down by cold symptoms. I am so ready to get to my nose and hearing back to normal.

I got thru last night's episode with a little DVR assistance before my trip today. I think that episode needs two posts to cover all the stuff. Here's my burst of thoughts.

The BAD

Being obese is not a happy state of existence for most of the contestants. We get personal pain shared from "Wrassler Kim", "Nurse Kimmy", and Cassandra. "Wrassler Kim" deals with sadness and feelings of abandonment. She is adopted, and she is away from her daughter's birthday. It was very touching to see Dolvett talk with her and give her the chance to speak with her daughter. She's a tough lady with a soft side.

"Nurse Kimmy" shares her struggle that many nurses deal with in their relationships. They are caretakers who  sacrifice their own needs to care for others. She is learning to change her priorities and help herself. I am happy for her change of mind.

Cassandra shares the saddest of the stories in her diary entry. Feelings of worthlessness and depression jump out of the pages. I felt strong compassion for her, and I am proud that she has take the challenge to move towards a better, healthier life for herself.

The GOOD

I think there is a much brokenness in some who struggle with significant obesity. The three stories really support this concept. Chris (Mrs. Claus)'s meltdown a few shows ago as well as her continued insecurity are also an example of this struggle.

It is good for BL to allow these folks to express their struggles and give them the opportunity to work on their issues. Moving beyond the pain and addressing the hurts in their lives will help clear a path for health and maintaining a healthy body weight long after their time at the Ranch ends. In addition, their stories may touch viewers and lead to a positive life change.

AND...... THE REALLY UGLY

Oh, Daphne, to be continued.

Biggest Loser Contestant Shares Struggles after Show

I am always a bit curious about what happens when BL contestants move on from the show. My original search was a check on Season 9 winner, Michael Ventralla. Michael was a really likable guy. His tremendous loss of weight and continued path of health are inspiring. I found recent updates from Michael on twitter, @bl9michael.

As I scrolled through his tweets, my search took a detour to Shay Sorrells. Shay was eliminated during Season 8. Shay had a compelling story growing up in foster care. She was raising a family but struggled with dangerously high obesity with a starting weight of 459 lbs.

Shay shares on her blog post from last month the seven biggest mistakes made after leaving the show  .

I think her post breaks down the struggles that anyone truly committed to weight loss faces including:

• Focus on managing their food choice and portion
• Awareness of physical limits and need for "training smart"
• Need for emotional health 

 I hope her story inspires you and help in your own quest for better health.

Quick tips to keep focused on diet

Feeling tired or stress?

I passed on working out this morning. I woke up feeling a little sick and needing extra rest. The beginning of this year has been challenging to keep balance between work, family, and health.

Eating healthy has also proven a challenge in the last few weeks with meetings and Valentines day chocolates. I decided to write some quick diet tips since I'm out of commission for exercise for the next day or two.


Here are a few quick tips to help with accountability and focus with diet.

Tip 1: Make a game plan

You can do the research and figure out a calorie target that is right for you, but you also need to figure out how you can move forward towards that target.

• What foods will you eat?
• What foods will you avoid or severely moderate? 
• How many meals will you eat daily? 

Write down your goals. People who write down their goals and review them regularly are more likely to achieve those goals.

Evaluate successes and reward yourself when you achieve a goal. Consider also what combination of steps allowed you to successfully achieve your goal.

Prepare ahead of time with a stock of healthy food. Do menu planning for a week or at least several days.


Tip 2: Be responsible and accountable 

Share your plan with family or friends and keep them updated. They will support you when you achieve success or experience a set-back.

A set-back doesn't mean you've failed.  Success is not a guarantee, and it's a reality that must be anticipated.   If you eat something that's not on your diet or overeat, adjust your eating the rest of the day. Also, there is the next day to begin fresh.

Superbowl Health Inspiration

Football conditioning workouts

Last night's Superbowl was a fun event. The competition was great with a close game, and the commercials were good too. Jillian Michaels looks hot in the GoDaddy commercials.

Football players are elite athletes whose intense workouts keep them at peak performance. I was thinking while watching the game that football workouts would add some variety be a good way to get in shape and lose some weight.

My only experience with drills from football workouts is the running suicide drills as shown below.



Here are five more football conditioning drill ideas that you can do at home. Have your own personal football league now that the football season is over.

Belated recap from last week's show

Short and Sweet 


Having only an hour show was actually a really good thing for me this past week. Last week and the upcoming two weeks will be extremely busy for me without much chance for TV watching. Management of time will be a premium. I have even seen last week's episode of the Fox series Alcatraz
The Challenge 


A classic obstacle course challenge combined with mental challenge. I love it!  Contestants had to answer nutrition questions to move forward in an obstacle course. Wrong answers sent them through a mud pit. Poor Black team! They answer every question wrong and were incredibly muddy by the end.

Winners of the challenge got exclusive use of the gym for the week.

Drama 


This week's drama centered around Black team's Chris and Red team's Conda.  Chris experienced a major meltdown and was ready to leave the Ranch. Even Santa (her husband Roy) was able to change her mind. I wish I could find the video clip of her talk with Bob. It really touched me. There was blatant honesty about emotional struggles and fears in Chris's life. The paths leading to obesity come in many forms, and I believe that emotional barriers are a major path to obesity as well I think a MAJOR reason for remaining obese.


Conda's continued bad attitude was shut down by Dolvett who kicked her out of the gym. Conda is shaping up to be a brat this season and Dolvett is not gonna take it.

Elimination 

Gail was sent home. Bob had major frustration with her constant complaining and lack of work. Even the loss of weight below 300 lb at the weigh-in wasn't celebrated.

Aqua Team



We'll get to see brother and sister from the Aqua team weigh-in this coming Tuesday for a chance to return to the Ranch. Dolvett paid them a visit this week for a work-out. I like them from the clipis that I've seen, and I hope they will be able to return to the Ranch and benefit from the intense training.

Biggest Loser Show Recap for Jan 17th

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... I HATE TEMPTATION CHALLENGES!

These kinds of challenges totally undermine the journey towards a healthier life and reward bad behavior.

NBC PLEASE...get rid of this kind of Biggest Loser challenge.

Joe Leaves Biggest Loser Ranch 

Now that I'm done ranting about temptation challenges, I have one other mini-rant about the episode. A big deal was made about Joe being the FIRST CONTESTANT EVER to quit the show.




Ummm... what about Rulon Gardner? 

Rulon did definitely leave the show early without being voted off. When asked why he didn't show up for the season finale, he said that he had forfeited eligibility by leaving the show.

The only difference between Joe and Rulon is that Rulon announced his decision in front of everyone rather than leaving as suddenly and quietly as Joe.


 Why does Biggest Loser give Rulon a pass when he was really the first contestant to "quit the show".




Main Challenge and Contestant Weight Loss 

The result of the temptation challenge was that the Black team created head to head competition between one of their members vs one of the Red team members. Cassandra got the choice of teams and stacked the odds way in favor of the Black team. As expected, the Red team lost the weigh-in.

Most of the contestants lost little weight for the Week 3 weigh-in. It seems to me that weight loss has been less this season compared to last season. Perhaps, it is because the contestants are not as obese.

The elimination was a bit of surprise as the contestants chose Lauren to be eliminated. Lauren, herself, seemed to have been surprised.




Drama Teasers for Next Week 

We finished off with drama teasers of the Conda vs Cassandra feud as well as the Bob vs Dolvett feud. Bob vs Dolvett is likely all totally contrived.

Early week motivation

Remember that even small actions can help you in your journey towards better health. 

Small changes that you make early in your week can help carry you along. Consider these small changes:

• Do a brief (20-30 min) workout before breakfast 
• Pack a healthy lunch the night before 

Diet Focus on Last Week's Biggest Loser

Finally got to watch last week's episode, and it didn't disappoint me. I've said before that I don't care for bogus temptation challenges. This week focused on the power of calorie counting and eating healthy.

We got to meet the Biggest Loser dietitian, Rachel Beller. She took contestants to the grocery store for healthy shopping along with practical tips. Her best practical tip was

Eat a snack before shopping to avoid impulse buys at the store
Make a shopping list before going to the store

Rachel also paid a visit to eliminated players, Adrian and Daphne, and gave them tips on achieving their 50 lb weight loss goals.

The Biggest Loser website included some additional tips including this Breakfast Burrito Recipe

Elimination was a lot of drama between Mike and other red team members. Mike shared a lot of his personal struggles. He seems like an overall nice guy who is just rough around the edges.

The Power of Calorie Counting

I have this week's episode still to watch in the DVR. In the meantime, I'd like to change the focus a bit from the prior posts on home workouts.

In my opinion, there is way too much complexity when it comes to approaching weight loss. I think the Biggest Loser really helps to underline the fact that weight loss is about the balance of calories eaten and calories burned. The Biggest Loser takes obese people and places them on a calorie restricted diet. In addition, the weight loss is supercharged by daily calorie burning exercise.

Losing weight by burning calories is a extremely difficult job. Consider this fact...

3500 calories burned are required to lose a pound of weight. 

Truly, few people are able to burn 3500 calories daily on a consistent basis. This fact alone makes it very clear that calorie intake is the dominant factor in either losing or gaining weight.

Calorie counting combined with mindful eating is a powerful weight loss tool. The targets from the USDA for daily calories are shown in the table below:

Counting calories requires focus and practice but can be well worth the effort. Eating 10%- 15%  less than your daily calories will put you on the path for weight loss especially if combined with an exercise program.

Addition of a calorie calculator can help with counting calories. You can work out how many calories you need to perform daily activities or exercises to give you more control and knowledge about how many calories you should include in your diet.

Lastly, mindful eating combined with calorie counting completes the plan. Mindful eating simply means looking at the content of your diet. Eating lower fat foods and avoid high sugar foods are some powerful steps.

No Excuses - Start a Workout Program

This season's biggest loser is about no excuses. It is easy to find tons of reasons for delaying changing an unhealthy diet or a workout plan.

However, any effort no matter how small you might believe it is represents a turn in your life path. Commit yourself to even 15-20 minutes per day of a workout. Workouts don't require a gym membership or even time outdoors for a start. An investment in bands, medicine balls, or dumbbells is a start.

I pulled out some medicine balls and just finished 30 minutes workout in the house in my PJs. Below is a video with some good ideas for medicine ball workouts.

As always, please check with your doctor first before making any radical changes in physical activity.

Biggest Loser Season 12 Finale Summary

Congratulations to John Rhode for winning season 12. Below are the stats on the players. I want to dig into the stats a bit more in future posts.



FINAL THREE 



John Rhode Age 40
Starting Weight: 445
Weight at finale: 225

Total weight loss: 220 -  49.4%




Antone Davis Age 44
Starting Weight: 447
Weight at finale: 245

Total weight loss: 202 -  45.2%



Ramon Medeiros Age 27

Eliminated week 10, qualified by winning marathon
Starting Weight: 355
Weight prior to finale: 245
Weight at finale: 201


Total weight loss: 154 -  43.4%



AT HOME FINAL THREE 




Jennifer Rumple Age 39
Eliminated Week 6
Starting Weight: 330
Weight prior to finale:228
Weight at finale: 185
Total weight loss: 145 -  43.9%





Vencent "Vinny" Hickerson Age 27


Eliminated Week 11
Starting Weight: 426
Weight at finale: 242

Total weight loss: 184 -  43.2%



Patrick Ferrari Age 26
Eliminated Week 3
Starting Weight: 387
Weight prior to finale: 296
Weight at finale: 236
Total weight loss: 151 -  39%







OTHER ELIMINATED PLAYERS

Week 1 


Deborah "Debbie" Lounds Age 60
Starting Weight: 239
Weight prior to finale: 215
Weight at finale: 206
Total weight loss: 33 -  13.8%

Week 2 



Ohn "Johnny" Forger Age 65
Starting Weight: 328
Weight prior to finale: 269
Weight at finale: 231
Total weight loss: 97 lbs - 29.6% loss


Week 4 

Mike Danley Age 62
Starting Weight: 309
Weight prior to finale: 239
Weight at finale: 223
Total weight loss: 86 -  27.8%

Week 5 

Courtney Rainville Age 24
Starting Weight: 270
Weight prior to finale: 205
Weight at finale: 183
Total weight loss: 87 -  32.2%

Week 7 


Jessica Limpert  Age 26
Starting Weight: 254
Weight prior to finale: 185
Weight at finale: 174
Total weight loss: 84 -  33.1%

Week 8 

Joe Mitchell Age 46
Starting Weight: 348
Weight prior to finale: 230
Weight at finale: 215
Total weight loss: 133 -  38.2%

Week 9

Bonnie Griffin Age 63
Starting Weight: 254
Weight prior to finale: 186
Weight at finale: 177
Total weight loss: 77 -  30.3%


Week 11

Sunny Sinclair Age 41
Starting Weight: 277
Weight prior to finale: 181
Weight at finale: 171
Total weight loss: 106 -  38.3%


Week 12


Rebecca "Becky" Comet Age 51
Starting Weight: 238
Weight prior to finale: Sorry didn't record this info
Weight at finale: 150
Total weight loss: 88 - 37% loss

Marathon and one week until finale

Biggest Loser Season 12 marathon start

I was really looking forward to the marathon after last week's program. The marathon does discriminate against older players as well as players with leg or hip injuries. Unfortunately, the hips, knees, and ankles will take a beating if you're obese. This season's contestants have shown that to be true.

I hope that they continue the marathon concept tradition with subsequent shows. I like the concept that a person can be eliminated and work hard at home to regain a spot. Perhaps, they can create a multiple challenge that includes weight loss, knowledge, and physical challenge as a pathway to the finale.

Ramon won the marathon and joined two others for the finale. He has shown great effort this season; however, he is a long-shot for winning. It will be interesting to see what becomes of his relationship with Jessica in the future. Will it endure after all the Biggest Loser attention fades?

"Crazy Courtney" made an appearance in the marathon and again showed her hang-up for Bob Harper. She seems to have continued with weight loss, and I'm glad to see the stress fracture has healed. I'm sure she will offer some great material next week with the finale. Will Bob need a restraining order in the future?

Boston Johnny's alter-ego

It was fun to see Boston Johnny (aka Burgermesiter Meisterburger) in the marathon. It took him and Debbie over 12 hours to finish it, but they did finish - what heart, what optimism!

And speaking for heart and competition - what about Coach Mike. The guy finished in 9th or 10th place!

ELIMINATION

Becky did not deliver weight loss at the final weigh-in - only lost 10 lbs since going home. She strongly demonstrates the challenge that all players (really everyone who is on a weight loss journey) faces when living "real life".

The competition between Antone and John will be great. I personally like Antone, and I hope he wins. However, I suspect John will be the more likely winner. However, I agree with Dolvett that it is likely that John will regain his weight. I think he is still a wounded person who needs balance and healing in his life.

Show recap Nov 29th

Makeover Week 

Makeover week started out with the ever favorite weighted race challenge. I love the physical challenges! John continues to show dominance in challenges and weight loss. He is the person to beat on the ranch.

The makeovers themselves were kind of a letdown. I was prepared to be dazzled with all the hype, but only Becky really had a major change in her look. Her wedding ring moment with her husband was very touching.


Plastic People 


I continue with conflict on John. Is he is a game-player and manipulator or is he a confused, wounded person? He just doesn't come off as real to me. Everything he says including his talk about commitment to change with Dolvett just doesn't ring totally true. In the end, I am coming down that he is a wounded person who has been unable to be real with others. I am hopeful that his time at the Ranch will move him to a better place where he can remain and grow.

Anna isn't real. Nothing in her talk with Sunny seemed genuine or inspired. There is no warmth or personal connection. Again, glad she is going.

Weigh-in

I was surprised a bit that Sunny and Antone fell below the line. I had expected a closer competition. I was even more surprised that the voting members kept Antone - the stronger competitor! This is shaping up to be a great finale.

Next Week

Marathon is next week. I am excited to see old contestants compete. I am wondering how they will get down to three contestants for the finale. Maybe, there will be a red line to automatically eliminate the lowest player combined with a yellow line for viewers to select between the remaining two lowest weight losers.

Excitement to come!

Power of the portion

I am a big fan of Cooking Light. The 12 healthy habit program for the year has been very inspirational.

The last two habits of the year are particularly important when facing the temptation that the holiday season brings.

November's healthy habit is portion control. I've linked to 10 top secrets on portion control. It is a great article that I hope you enjoy.