No Quick Fix!

I finally feel like I'm getting a handle on this thing we call eating. After being on just about every diet that man has ever come up with I've melded together my own way of ...dare I say....dieting....that seems to be working.

When I say I've tried every diet - I do mean just about every one! Let's see...in the past 20 years I've tried the eating nothing but cabbage soup or grapefruit thing. I've taken Dexatrim and Redux. (Redux worked but my BP went up so I quit it.) I've belonged to Weight Watchers (4 times), TOPS and the Weigh Down Workshop. I've counted calories, counted carbs, counted fiber, counted fat.... I've got a whole bookshelf devoted to weight loss. Probably at least 25 books and I've read 'em all. And what do I have to show for it? Until recently I was fatter than I'd ever been in my life.

I think I was looking for - as we all are if we admit it - that magic bullet that is going to melt the fat away effortlessly, painlessly and with as little sacrifice on our part as possible. Every author - every infomercial - every weight loss organization is out there to do one thing. Make money. And we poor fat saps buy right into it and help them do just that. The weight loss industry is about as saturated as it can get. Those slick marketers will market anything with the promise it will transform us into skinny minis and we will buy it. I mean come on...I know that the number one reason I will buy a magazine at the new stand is for the amazing new weight loss miracle that is touted on the cover. All those infomercials and all those ads that show the before and after - ever wonder why there is ALWAYS a disclaimer that says results not typical? Because they aren't!

I've come to the conclusion that the weight loss method that is going to work for me - or just about anyone - is that we need to take an honest look at how much we eat - and how much we move. Then we need to decide what changes we're willing to make to fix the areas that need fixing.

I'm not saying all diet books, plans, etc. are bad. If they are the motivating impetus for you to get off your duff and makes some changes - then go for it! But don't rely on the plan. Or the pre-packaged foods - or anything else that if taken away would cause you to fall. Rely on yourself! There is some good information out there about fats, and carbs, and fiber, and vitamins and minerals, and everything else under the sun the relates to our bodies. But there's also a lot of crap. A lot of conflicting information that will change as quickly as the wind does. I say glean from the best - and toss the rest!

I'm still hot on the book I read You On A Diet . Not because it holds some miracle cure all - but because it was the first time I ever really read something that taught me about food and how it relates to my body. Now I know why I need certain foods to prevent heart problems. I know why I need to avoid certain foods if I want to be healthy. I've been able to makes some changes that have really made a difference. In the way I feel and the way I look and ultimately in my weight as well.

Another thing has made this journey different from the others is that I'm not going it alone. The tips and support and encouragement I get from fellow bloggers is amazing. We are all on this trip together and all at different places. Some have 100+ pounds to lose. Some have a lot less. but we all face the same obstacles. Our demons are all too familiar.

So I guess I just want to say thanks to those of you whose blogs I read, and to those who read mine. I know there truly is strength in numbers and that we can win this battle if we stick together.