By: Dave Schreck

This year I’ll count calories and reduce my dietary fat intake

You think that if no fat touches your lips, then no fat reaches your hips. You’ll even skip breakfast and eat rice cakes for lunch! You just bought a ticket on a hormonal roller-coaster that will increase insulin levels, lower blood sugar, and guarantee fat storage. You get hungry, real hungry. You reach for anything and consume too much, and you’re off on your daily ups and downs. The central theme to understanding the Zone is thinking hormonally (insulin control), rather than counting calories. When you follow the Zone guidelines, (Quick Start Guide) you won’t be counting calories, you’ll feel satisfied and you’ll look and feel better.

I’ll exercise more (Did you say that last year?)

The newest USDA guidelines now recommend we engage in at least 60 minutes of “moderate to vigorous intensity” physical exercise daily just to maintain our weight. You’d have to run more than 26 miles just to burn one pound of body fat? That’s more than a marathon! And as you may have experienced, exercise makes you hungry. So that one pound you burned up during the week could be wiped out the next day. Researchers have discovered it’s more complex than calories in and calories out. Sure some bodies are programmed to send calories to the muscle to be utilized for energy, but for most of us it’s shuttled to the liver to be stored as fat. Why? You may have a “fat trap.” A fat trap? That will be explained in Dr. Sears’ next book, “The Toxic Fat Syndrome.” There are many reasons to be physically active; losing weight is not one of them. You’d be better off watching TV while in the Zone. See “The Zone” Chapter 6 “Exercise in the Zone.”

I’ll go on a diet to lose these extra pounds

Diets are only temporary solutions. You lose the weight and then return to your old habits. The Zone is a lifestyle that’s easy and simple to follow. Along with weight loss you will reduce your risk of chronic disease by reducing silent inflammation. What’s the point of looking good in a swimsuit if you feel lousy and suffer from a chronic disease? Once you look and feel better, you won’t want to go back to your old ways. And if you do slip up, it’s OK. You can get back into the Zone with your next meal. A slice of pizza sure tastes good once in a while...

You believe that a pill is your weight loss answer

There were more than 288,000 results when I searched for “weight-loss pills.” The ad copy sounds so good, you get your hopes up, and you get ripped off.

A few examples:
Eat more, exercise less, and lose up to 30lbs in 6 weeks, Guaranteed!
My formula lets you eat: hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, steak, ice cream, sausage, bacon, eggs and cheeses! And STILL LOSE WEIGHT!”
The amazing ‘Fat-Sponge in a Pill’ that lets you eat more, weigh less and finally…yes, finally…slim down for good for the rest of your life.

If they worked, then why is there an obesity epidemic in the US? Remember what happened with the FDA approved Fen-Phen. Unfortunately, most medications and over-the-counter weight-loss pills have side effects… like death. If you don’t have the courage to risk it all perhaps an unexpected accident (the most common side effect) is okay. In fact wearing dark clothing or keeping an extra pair of pants at the office is suggested by the manufacturer. To read Dr. Sears comments on this product click here: http://drsears.com/tabid/399/itemid/10215/New-diet-drug-is-not-your-ally.aspx or check out the archives for Zone Monday at www.drsears.com. Title: “New diet drug is not you ally.”

But what about our weight-loss products? Note the name “weight-loss support.” These specialized supplements are intended to be used in conjunction with the Zone program. We make no unsubstantiated claims. Key benefits are followed by footnoted research. See: http://www.careudiet.com/products/productdetail/tabid/144/p-19-weight-loss-support.aspx

Bottom line: believing that a pill alone is your answer will only make the situation worse. You must take positive action and make a few easy and simple changes in your diet that you can follow for a lifetime.

We all would like to look good in a swimsuit; however, as we age, our greatest concern should be controlling silent inflammation, the underlying cause of chronic disease, so we can enjoy life. The best way to prevent and reverse risk factors is with the Zone program: Controlling insulin coupled with omega 3 supplementation (see Products/Omega-3 concentrates) is your best defense for a better life and maybe just enough weight loss to good in that swimsuit.

Here’s to a Zoneful New Year!