"Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here"

I wish wish wish exercise was all it took to lose weight.  I've got that covered!  I am one of those people that enjoy and look forward (most of the time) to working out.  Exercise is a key part of the weight loss equation. However, your eating habits carry far more weight (pardon the pun) in your weight loss success.  I was reading one blogger's review of diet plans and scams and I was ashamed to realize that I have at one time or another tried a majority of them.

It began with the Slim Fast plan.  It was mid-80's so the convenient premixed cans weren't even around yet.  You got a shaker and the powder.  I remember holding my nose in an attempt to squelch the taste of it going down.  Over the years, I've been foolish enough to try some crazy diet scams.  The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet.  Heard of this one?  You basically eliminate all carbs during the day.  Then for one hour at night you are allowed to eat whatever you want.  ONE HOUR.  On your mark.....get set......gorge!!!  Let me just say that I had that one meal planned to a "T".  And heaven help the person that got in my way in that 60 minutes.  Luckily,  my daughter was still pretty young at the time....so she won't be scarred with visions of her mother scarfing down plates and bowls of food before the buzzer went off.  Fast forward to the Atkins Diet.... Xenedrine pills....Metabolife.....Alli....and my personal favorite:  the banana/hot dog/boiled egg diet.  Now, I can't claim to have actually done this one.  But, I have seen it in action...(if "you" are reading this, "you" know who you are).

Live and learn,  right?  What is that saying?...."Everything you need to know, you learned in kindergarten".  Well, I'm not sure we learned about the Food Pyramid when we were 5, but if we did, then that saying holds true. To think, the dieter's holy grail has been right under our nose all this time!  I know deep down that this way of eating is what works -- I do admit that temptations for the quick and easy fix has gotten me under it's spell on more than one occasion.  Did I lose weight?  Yes.  Did I gain it back?  Yes. 

Every time I have  tried to recover from one of these crazy plans, I fall back on the one sure thing I know.....eating "clean".  I must continue to remind myself to stay strong and guard myself against the lures of the quick fix.  Summer is coming....I've got my game face on.

*  I encourage those that are not sure of good nutritional guidelines to check out "Why Weight?".  It's a nutrition class offered at my gym.  If you look at the blogs I follow, you can see their blog for more information.

* Also, a friend and personal trainer recommended a good book you should read - "The I Can Do This Diet" ....check it out.