Oh Puh-lease!!!!!

As I was reading the paper this morning I ran into one of those advertisements for some 'miracle drug' that promises to get you into the best shape of your life. I normally bypass these ads without giving them a second thought but this particular one got my attention.
Why? Because they fervently preached that their product does work and that working out to lose weight is futile.

I swear, I nearly choked on my own spit reading that gibberish. I know this is going to sound cruel but if you're working out hard and still not getting favourable results, then maybe it's because you're not doing it right (note how I said 'maybe' because I understrand that there are people out there who have deficiencies that may cause them to put on weight easily and, conversely, others who naturally experience difficulty losing weight). Whether it is improper form during training, impatience, lack of ambition or lacking the DISCIPLINE needed to train AND watch what you eat, you can't expect a quick fix when it comes to weight loss. Sure, there are some products and drugs out there that claim to be able to get you there faster, but as far as I'm concerned, nothing beats the old-school method. Besides, who's to say that clever advertising isn't just conning people as they usually do into wasting their hard-earned cash on products that don't even work?

This ad even provided some arguments against diet and exercise from 'professionals'. Apparently, sleep helps you lose weight faster and working out makes you hungry. Well, sleep is an important part of losing weight. It's the process in which your body repairs itself and therefore, it is an important PART of your training. Did these people ever stop to note that your body repairs itself better during sleep when it is strong, fit and healthy? Yeah, bet you guys didn't see that!
As for that other argument, have these people ever heard of the fact that the more you work out the more you're SUPPPOSED to eat? The body would need nutrients to recover from a rigorous session and to maintain a strong metabolism and so you've got to feed it often - hence why serious gym junkies eat four to six small meals a day. A person just needs the self-discipline and will-power to make healthy choices and not splurge so much on junk. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out!
Oh yeah, and you are allowed to splurge once in a while, but only if you keep it at that - just every once in a while. In fact, any nutritionist or trainer will tell you that 'cheat days' are good for your sanity!

Finally, after all these arguments the ad outlines how the product works. I'm not going to go into it, but let's just say that it absorbs fat and cholesterol, it SUPPRESSES your appetite and makes weight-loss so easy that you won't have to change your diet and lifestyle. I'm sorry, but I'm not falling for that tosh. No disrespect, but that to me sounds like encouraging laziness and suppressing your natural appetite? Really!!!??? So this 'miracle' has the power to stunt your body's natural urges??? WOW!!!!! Way to rob people of their natural will-power, guys! I know I'd rather keep things natural, keep my powers of discipline sharp and stand proud and claim that I got myself into shape ON MY OWN rather than become a drug-dependant fool who panics when they don't get their dosage.

But hey, like I said this is just my opinion. To anyone out there who is seriously considering, or currently using this product, well that's your decision and you're entitled to it. But me myself, I'd rather stick to the good, old, tried-and-tested method of eating right and working out. There's no reason for me to mess with a winning formula.