Tools of the Trade

     I get so annoyed when I see commercials for "magic bullets" for weight loss.  Get real people.  There is no pill, powder, or potion that you can take that will magically melt off the pounds.  If there was, no one would be fat.  Ever.  Some of my "favorites" include:

Lipozene:





    Any pill that claims to cause you to lose weight without altering your eating and exercising habits is complete BS.  Plus, I just love how this commercial states emphatically that you should not use this product unless you are "seriously over weight" since it will cause such dramatic weight loss.  Can we say manipulative marketing?  My absolute favorite part though is when they refer to the product as the "final solution."  Wait a minute, I think I've heard that phrase used before and I don't think the results were anything pleasant.  But hey, those other "final solution" folks definitely lost weight.  (I admit that was crass, but I seriously think about that every time I hear that phrase on this commercial.  Couldn't they have chosen better words.  Seriously seems like someone should have caught that.)
      I'm not even going to touch their choice of spokes people.  Watch it.  Make your own judgements.

And then there's......



Sensa:



Sensa claims that you can lose weight by sprinkling some magic powder on your food.  Lame. If you buy that then I've got some magic beans I'll trade you for your cow.  Who believes this crap?

      The bottom line is that you don't NEED to purchase ANYTHING in order to lose weight.  It's a numbers game pure and simple.  Calories eaten vs. calories burned.  Programs such as Weight Watchers work for lots of people.  These are legitimate and I have no beef with them.  But I will tell you that for those on a budget, there are plenty of calorie tracking programs available for FREE online. www.sparkpeople.com works great for me.
     Even though you don't have to buy anything special to accomplish your goals, there are some products out there that can really help you in your weight loss quest.  Here are a few I would suggest:

Good Quality Scale:


     A scale helps you keep track of how much you loose.  I would suggest a digital scale because it is easier to read and more accurate.  Scales are available in a wide range of prices.  You can get a decent model for under thirty dollars.  If you want to invest a little more, there are even scales that will input your weight directly into your computer or weight tracking program.  For me, the scale is about motivation.  Nothing spurs me on more than seeing those numbers go down.  It is a fantastic feeling.

Heart Rate Monitor:  

     The model you want has a watch like wrist receiver and a chest strap.  These are much more accurate than the wrist only models.  A starter model costs between fifty and eighty dollars.  Heart rate monitors help you to keep track of exactly how many calories YOU burn during your workouts.  I have found that the trackers on gym equipment or the calculations online are not nearly as accurate as the reading I get from my device.  Plus, I like the fact that I visually see the calories I burn when I'm running, walking, or otherwise exercising away from the gym.  This motivates me to push on when I know I might otherwise quit.

I-pod:  
  
        This is my salvation!  Having music or audio books playing while I work out really helps distract me.  Keeps my mind on something else other than how much I don't like to work out.  Plus, I like how you can program workouts into your I-pod.  It really is motivating for me when that voice tells me exactly how many minutes I have left in my workout.