Not all that glitters

“Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light.”

"This is no ordinary apple. It's a magic wishing apple. Now, make a wish, and take a bite!"

2 Corinthians 11:14

Leigh Peele  (author of the Fat-loss Troubleshoot) is not only an expert in fat-loss, but also a very funny, candid blogger.  If something stinks, she’ll sink her teeth into it and shake it around until the BS is exposed.

Recently, she tore into Jillian Michaels’ book: “Master Your Metabolism”.

Here is a quote:

“Most of the book, and really I do mean that, is filled with wrong information on studies, how things work, and personal stories that have no relevance to science in anyway,  shape, or form.”

Read the rest here.

Now you might be thinking, “If she is so wrong, how do all of those people lose so much weight?”

Well, I’ll tell you something that is screamingly obvious, but is oh so important: the contestants on that show have accountability like you wouldn’t believe.

Now tell me: if you were asked to do something, something you strongly disliked, and at the end of the week all you had to do was look in the mirror and say, “You did it!” or “I failed!”… would you accomplish the unpleasant task? Perhaps, if it was absolutely necessary, or if you were having a good week, right? But what if it was something that could slide another week? Do you think it might find it’s way into your “I’ll do it later” pile? You bet it might.

Now what if, for some strange reason, this unpleasant task had to be done by the end of the week, or else you’d have to look into a TV camera in front of millions of people and say “I failed!” Do you think you might be more compliant? Think you might be scared stiff into doing it? Me too.

So what is my point? It’s this: “eat less, exercise more” works. How you do it is up to you. If you do it is also up to you. That’s why Weight Watchers clubs work better than buying a book and trying to lose weight on your own: the members weigh-in together. It’s why working out with a friend or a trainer brings better results: there’s someone to push you.

It’s why The Biggest Loser contestants lose weight and you often feel like you can’t.

So try a little experiment: #1: Choose a fat-loss plan. #2:  Choose 5 people you trust to report your weekly progress to. Choose people who care about you, not a workmate who might just tease you or forget to check in with you.

Make it really simple. Once a week, in person, on the phone or email, have them ask you these questions:

1. How did you do this week? And you respond with a “5″ (I did great!) or maybe a “3″ (I did ok) or you may have to say “1″ (I screwed up).

2. What made this week a “5″? or a “2″? And you tell them what made the week a “5″ (I worked out all 5 times and I stuck to the meal plan throughout!) or perhaps a “4″ (I worked out 4 times, but I was exhausted on Thursday so I skipped that day, and my eating that night wasn’t good either) or a “2″ (I worked out on Monday and Tuesday, but then couldn’t get back in all week. Breakfast was good most days, but I usually lost track of my food after lunch…)

3. What can you do to improve on a “2″? or What things will you repeat to make this next week a success? And you explain your plan to change the factors that screwed you up… or what you intend to repeat this next week to keep up a successful run.

It won’t match the ungodly stress of being on national TV, but then, you likely don’t have 100+ pounds to lose either.

There are many plans that work (and there aren’t any “secrets” or “magic pills”), but only one way to make them work for you:  compliance. Find a way to make it happen!