Lose 10 pounds in 1 week!

Lose at least 6 inches in two weeks!

Lose weight without ever feeling hungry!

Lose weight without pills or shakes!

Lose weight while you sleep!

Lose, lose, lose!

If all these claims worked, we probably would not have the amount of obese and overweight people that we do walking around today. I am including myself in that number as well.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in 2015-2016, there were 71.6% of people aged 20 years and older who are overweight, including the people who are considered obese. These numbers are based on the BMI index which deals with weight in proportion to your height.

There is obviously a big problem (pun intended) with weight. These problems can lead to many health risks if they are not addressed. Some of these problems are heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

We know it. We have learned it. We have all seen it. It is around us every day.

But what can be done?

According to the billions of dollars dedicated to the health industry every single year, there are lot of things that can be done.

But do they work? Are they safe? How expensive are they? And do they work?

Yes, I repeated that last question (in case you missed it).

As a person who needs to lose weight myself, I thought I had heard of many of these diet plans, but there were some I had not heard of.

Popular Plans

The most popular names that you are probably aware of are: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem and Atkins.

I have seen a variety of commercials on television with many celebrity spokespeople touting these programs. In addition, they all have a lot of food products that are available in the stores. I am sure you have seen them in the frozen food sections. There are even ways to get them delivered straight to your door.

You can sign up for the programs. Some have monthly charges; some you need to buy their pre-packaged foods; some have shakes and bars that replace your meals; some have meetings to attend; some have counselors or mentors to help you along the way.

There are many things that these programs have that MAY help you lose weight, but you must figure in the costs involved too.

So, if you do decide to pursue one of these programs, look at the charges and expenses that are associated with them. Also, you may find deals, coupons, and incentives that may help you with the program costs.

Other Diet Plans

There are many, many, many other types of diets as well. So many. Maybe too many. After a while, it could make your head spin.

There are many diets but a lot of them have similar concepts. The majority have their own style or flare on high protein, low carbohydrate, lower fat diet.

Some of the diets that you may have heard of are:

• Zone Diet (40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 30% fats)
• South Beach Diet
• Keto
• Paleo (eat like a caveman- hunters and gatherers)
• Mediterranean (tops on a lot of lists)
• Biggest Loser
• DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension)
• Ornish
• Nutritarian
• Flexitarian

Diets, diets, diets.

I am someone who has been on and off with diets since I was about 10 or 11 years old.

My earliest memories of being on a diet was eating Lean Cuisine for dinner when everyone else was eating the regular dinner. And we are talking about early 1980s (yes, I am admitting that). Lean Cuisine was around then. I just googled it, because that is what I do, and they came out in 1981.

Back then, you had to boil the plastic bag of spaghetti and the plastic bag of sauce (they were separate) in the water for minutes and then put them together on the dish. It was a small amount, just like the prepared meals are now and not filling.

I still buy them for lunches. The reason is that you know how many calories they are, and they are handy to have in the freezer. It is hard to control the calories, but it is easier when it is right on the box for you.

What Should You Do or Try?

Don’t you hate when there are a million different people trying to give you their advice? Me too.

I can give advice on many varied topics. I cannot tell you what to do to lose weight. But, I will give some advice that I have learned over the course of many years of being overweight.

There is not one way to lose weight! Blew your mind, right?

What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. We see it every day.

Billions are spent on the weight industry every year! Yes, billions with a capital B!

I am hoping to find what will work for me, in my case, with my body, and my flaws and weaknesses. If you have read my earliest post, you see that I am trying to trick my brain ten pounds at a time!

Diet Plans Similarities

These are some things that a lot of the diet plans have in common.

• Low carbohydrates (avoid the pasta, potatoes, rice, bread)
• High in protein (helps you feel fuller longer)
• Low in fat (should be a no-brainer)
• Drink lots of water
• Exercise

You can spend money on diet programs, gyms, personal trainers, the latest technology or gadgets to track your fitness, meal plans, shakes and bars, but so much of it comes down to what we ALL already know.

Is it easy? No, definitely not. If it was, we would not be where we are with this industry.

Is it necessary? Well, with almost ¾ of the population in the overweight and obese categories, I guess it is necessary.

If you have been blessed with a great metabolism and do not have extra weight, more power to you. You are a minority!

But, just remember, the ideas mentioned above are still healthier for you overall. Even people with healthy weights can have medical issues like heart ailments, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

As for me, maybe soon I will be able to tell you that I have lost those first pesky ten pounds and I am on my way to the next ten.

Here’s hoping…

How about you? Have you tried any of the diets mentioned in this post? How did it work out for you? Are there diets that you know of that were not mentioned? Comment below and let us know your experiences.