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We’ve all seen them – those eye
catching diet control adverts which make big claims and
give us hope there’s a simple solution to losing weight.
Their claims are most often unjustified
… in fact just straight BIG Fat Lies!
You should be skeptical
of what you read in the thousands of weight-loss products
advertisements you see in magazines or on television.
Here’s some examples …
Lie #1
Lose 20 pounds in just 7 days!
We’ve all seen the ads which promise
that their product will make large amounts of excess fat
‘melt away’ in days, or even disappear as you sleep! The
truth is that it is impossible to lose huge amounts
of weight that quickly.
Even if you could lose anywhere
near that much weight it would be mostly fluid. Losing
any more than 3-4lbs a week can cause gallstones and other
health complications. The best - and safest - way to lose
weight is gradually …that way it’s much more likely to
stay off.
Lie #2
Eat as much as you want and still lose weight
Some ads say you can continue
to eat whatever you want and you’ll lose weight as long
as you’re also taking their product.The truth is
it’s impossible to eat unlimited amounts of food – any
kind of food – and still lose weight.
The only way to lose weight is
for your body to use up more calories than you take in
through food. If you don’t make changes to your diet and
lifestyle to get that balance right then you won’t lose
weight by just popping a pill. Some products may help curb
appetite or cravings but you still have to watch what you’re
eating.
Lie #
3 Lose weight without exercising
Another BIG FAT lie! Being a
couch potato does not burn many calories!
The truth is that exercise
boosts your metabolism and makes your body burn more calories.
The only way that some weight loss pills boost your metabolism
regardless of exercise is because they contain massive
amounts of stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra. The
unpleasant and possibly dangerous side-effects of such
stimulants are well known.
No pill in the world can substitute
for the positive effects of exercise, but a quality weight
loss supplement (which doesn’t contain high amounts of
stimulants) will work with your body and exercise to boost
your metabolism and help burn fat faster.
Lie #4 “Natural” means safe
Many advertisements for weight
loss pills promise the product is safe just because it
contains herbs or other ‘natural’ ingredients.
The truth is that natural
does not necessarily mean safe. Some natural substances
can have unwelcome side –effects ranging from unpleasant
to dangerous, or they may interact with other medications
you might be taking.
Caffeine is a common ingredient
in many weight loss pills (often disguised in green tea,
guarana or kola) but very high doses can cause palpitations
and in extreme cases, even heart failure. If you have blood
pressure problems you need to be particularly careful about
your choice of weight loss product.
Lie #5 “Ephedra-free means no
jitters”
We all know that ephedra is a strong
stimulant which can cause unpleasant and sometimes dangerous
side-effects. That’s why it’s been withdrawn from use in
weight-loss products.
The truth is that manufacturers
of many weight loss pills have simply substituted one strong
stimulant for another! They now include high amounts of
substances such as citrus aurantium (also called bitter
orange or synephrine) or caffeine (in the form of green
tea, kola, guarana or yerba mate). These are all strong
stimulants and can cause exactly the same unpleasant side-effects
as ephedra.
Lie
#6 “Backed up by scientific proof”
Many weight-loss product advertisers
shout about scientific research to back up the claims for
the key ingredients in their formulas. What isn’t so obvious
is that the studies often used different amounts of the
key ingredients to the amounts used in the product. Often
the products contain such small amounts of the key ingredients
that they’re practically useless.
A common trick for disguising
the low amounts of key ingredients in a product is to bunch
them together under the term “proprietary formula”. The
amounts of each ingredient are usually not shown so you
can’t see how little you’re actually getting for your money!
The truth is that very
few weight-loss ingredients have been clinically proven
to work at the levels that can be practically used in a
weight-loss pill. So next time you see an ad which shouts
about scientific proof take a few minutes to read the fine
print!
Lie #7 “Targets trouble spots
such as tummy and thighs”
Wouldn’t it be great if you could
just take a pill to reduce excess fat in certain areas
of your body?
The truth is that it’s
just not possible and any advertisement which claims that
its product can spot-reduce is lying. Exercise can tone
up muscles in specific areas and give the appearance of
weight-loss but actual fat-burning is a process which occurs
evenly throughout the body.
Lie #8
The more ingredients in a formula the better
Scan the labels of many weight-loss
products and you’ll see that many contain a long list of
ingredients thrown together for no apparent reason, or
under the pretext of some vague claim.
The truth is many of these
ingredients are either unproven or they’re included at
amounts which are ineffective. There is only a handful
of really effective weight-loss aids. Some of the ingredients
to look for are forskolin, green tea, hydroxycitric acid,
gymnema, chromium, carnitine and hoodia.
So if you’re
looking for a magic pill to help you lose weight without
diet or exercise, stop now. There isn’t one!
However a quality supplement can
be a valuable tool to help you lose fat and improve body
composition when used at the same time as controlling calorie
intake and increasing exercise.
Make sure you choose a product
that;
- Doesn’t make outrageous promises
- Supports it’s claim with credible, relevant scientific
research
- Contains effective amounts of proven weight-loss ingredient
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