Recently I received an email asking me to look over some short videos related to a “new” fat burning program and see if it's something my readers might like to hear about. The “p.s.” at the bottom of the email said that the program costs $197 and I would get an $80 referral fee out of that.
Here was my response to their email:
I finally had time to look over the videos. I have to be honest, if there is a cost, I won't recommend it to my readers. I don't believe there should be a fee to learn to eat right. Thanks, anyway! Kelly
After thinking about it more, I came up with two reasons why someone might consider paying for dieting information…
1. Money Talks
Maybe if you're paying for a dieting program, you might be more apt to stick with it, if you know that quitting means losing all that money…?
2. Accountability
I know the main reason Weight Watchers has been popular in the past has to do with the accountability of weighing in, but what if you just got a group of friends together to meet weekly and do your own weigh-ins?
What about you?
Have you ever paid for a dieting program? Was it worth it?
Be Careful You Don't Fall For the Fat-free/Sugar-free mentality
By the way, Weight Watchers recommends a lot of crap in their diets. Yes, it can be adapted to make it healthier (eat low-carb, don't skimp on healthy fats and proteins, etc.), and I know a couple people who have lost weight that way. But I think most who have tried Weight Watchers are pulled into the whole “fat-free, sugar-free” mentality: “Wow, I made this with fat-free this and sugar-free that and it was only (fill in the blank) points! Then I could still eat (fill in the blank) and not even use all my points for the day!”
When I hear that a food is fat free or sugar free, this is what goes through my head…
- The ingredient list on that food must be a mile long.
- It must be chock full of FAKE ingredients and weird chemicals to make something so unnatural still taste good.
- I'd rather just eat the real thing since healthy fats don't cause weight gain, but CARBS do!
Your turn! How do you feel about this topic? I hope you'll share in the comments below!
Kelly says
I’m tired just reading all that. Although I do think it’s time I switched up my weight training a touch…I’ll check out Crossfit.com. Thanks!
Kelly
TrailGrrl says
Katrinad,
You can go to http://www.crossfit.com and do their workout of the day (WOD) but it is not for the faint of heart. They will kick your booty with bootcamp bodyweight exercises (pushups, pullups, burpees, squats, etc.). I do that style, not necessarily what they have posted, as I do not get into Olympic style lifts or gymnastic rings unless I am somewhere where I have a spotter. Medicine ball slams are one of my favorites. I like functional exercises that I can do anywhere. Regretably, the Marines and Army really do know how to get someone in shape, but those types of workouts are really hard.
If you are bored, figure out why the program bores you. I prefer to trail run to all other types of exercise simply because I like to be outdoors. That might not work with everyone’s surroundings, but we have been blessed with safe park trails that are really nice, except now in winter it gets dark too early. I banged myself up pavement running. But I also have been known to enjoy running on an indoor track. Treadmills and ellipticals I hate with a passion.
Try doing “rounds” of something rather than this is leg day or upper body day. Pick 3 or 4 things and do them one after the other for as many rounds as you want to do or have time to do. This will keep you in an interval workout but also provide strength training. And if you vary what you do as your rounds, you won’t get as bored because it will never be the same combination of exercises. Doing these things for time rather than reps can also add a new dimension (30 seconds of some things feels like it’s been about 5 minutes). You will get the most bang for the buck from compound movements like a squat or lunge, overhead press, pushup, dip, and a “core” static position like a plank or side plank held for several seconds.
TG
TrailGrrl says
I’ve paid money for personal trainers and got so-so results. When you go off the calorie restricted diets you gain it back. Now I eat what I want (as long as it’s REAL FOOD), and do my own workouts, and I’m in the best shape I’ve been in 10 years. One big thing is not buying into all that processed protein drink and bars crap. Even the practically “holy” Kashi stuff is way too sweet for me now.
I’ve always been in the best shape when I set my own agenda and was doing it for my own reasons and not being accountable to anyone but myself. I was a size 3 with no “food journaling” or other nonsense. And now that I have returned to that mindset that not many so-called experts know what they are talking about and have taken control of what I do and don’t do, I am again seeing great progress.
Trust me, I still drink plenty of beer and get my tortilla chips in. In fact tonight is Mexican food night. But most of the time I am low-carb paleo-WAPF-primal or whatever you want to call it. My workouts are short or medium in length, I take leftovers for lunch, and I am a lot less stressed out by not constantly worrying about food and measuring and writing it all down. I know that if I have to eat something bad or have a sugar crash, that I can get right back with the program and that some days that kind of thing is going to happen. It’s very freeing in a way. And these past few snow days have made me realize how nice it is to cook and not be in a hurry.
TrailGrrl
Katrinad says
Ok, I agree with you 100% about the eating aspect–most of those sites are all about low-fat and fat free and that I don’t agree with. Having said that, I hand over @$50 every 3 months to Jillian Michaels.com for the workouts. I have found that her workouts are the only things that work for me and I like the way the website switches them up and the books just really don’t. She also has menus on her site but those do nothing for me as they are pretty typical of most diet programs. As for whether or not it works…..well….I lost ALOT of weight at first–eating very typically and working out using her plan. I was also still nursing. Now, 2 years later, I’m eating the NT way and working out using her workouts and I have gained back about 10 of my pounds lost….but I’m also much stronger physically than I have ever been in my life. Would I like to get that last bit of weight back off? You bet…..Will I? I’m doubtful so I’ve been on a journey to simple contentment. At my largest I was a 12 pushing into a 14 and at my smallest I was a 4/6. Now I’m in a 6/8 which is pretty good. I have learned that in GAP petites I have to wear a 10 and the KILLS me mentally but I have had to just get a grip and remember that it’s not about the number on the tag…..right? And I really need to have those particular pants tailored–let me just say that God was good and blessed me with some “chind-bearin’ hips”. 🙂 Praise the Lord! 🙂
So yes, I pay for the workout program and to be honest, I hate to see that money flying out the window every three months. I suppose I save that money on the eating out that we’re not doing plus I’d like to think I am revamping some of that on the medical issues that I won’t deal with years from now that I see my parents deal with on a regular basis.
Having said that–if anyone knows of a good, FREE workout plan that I can have e-mailed to my inbox every morning that won’t bore me (BIG issue here) then please, I am game and ready to save some more hard earned cash.