Exercise LIES

[rabid_child]

As I've recently increased my formal exercise time (to approx 5 hrs a week for the past 5 wks, which was up from 2 hrs a week for the 5 months before that, which was up from nothing besides casual running about), I've become more and more aware of all the commercials on TV and articles in magazines promising perfect abs and a beautiful body and tons of weight loss in like 4-6 wks. I'm also becoming more and more frustrated watching them. There is NO WAY that 50 y/o woman lost 17 lbs in 5 wks using a bowflex 20 minutes 3 times a week (unless perhaps she also stopped eating). And I really don't believe if you do the pilates ab exercises featured in prevention magazine you'll have a beautiful midsection in 4 wks. Yet these advertisements just anger me, like other people are getting away with something easy and getting rewarded and I'm working really hard and not getting anything. Am I the only one who gets irritated by these things? I think there needs to be way more truth in advertising.

[annabanana]

I copmletely agree! Especially when they have, like, "Tammy" or something, who lost 50 lbs. in 2 months, and then right below the picture they say, "Tammy's results not typical." C'mon now, people, whatever happened to honesty and reasonability? There are so many people who fall into those traps, too

[Christy]

Ugh. I've lost count of the Xenadrine ads I've seen in magazines. And I still can get sucked in to the exercise machine infomercials. The last one was the Ab Swing, until I heard how flimsy it is. For $89.99, it had better not be.

[clusswoman]

All those adds make me cringe. I swear the government has a file on me from all the letters I've written to senators and congressmen begging them to change legislation. These advertisers are cold, miserable people that are no different than criminals who come into your house and steal money. Plus, they're actually (in a lot of cases) making people sick because there's nothing worse than yo-yo dieting and putting things into your body that it doesn't need.

Anyone want a book that really works? I know this works because my husband and I did it and lost weight and shaped up. (big time) It's Body for Life by Bill Phillips. It isn't a miracle drug or anything like that...it teaches you to eat "clean" and how to do strength training. 3 days of weights and 3 days of cardio...one day of the week to eat whatever you want....it's smart, sensible, and works like no other.

[Christy]

Oh, I was almost sucked in by TrimSPA. Anyone know the ingredients? I'll go look it up.

ETA: Hmmm. The fat blocker is mainly vitamin c and chitosan. Not sure what to think of the X32 stuff.

~chants to self: don't get sucked in~

[missleigh]

Trimspa is just some hoodia and a bunch of caffeine. Stay away! (unless you just love to be jittery and want to waste 39.95)

[clusswoman]

I promise you, there is no instant cure, I don't care how much they're charging. If there was an expensive cure to weight gain, there would be a lot of really buff rich people walking around. Frankly, I haven't seen very many.

[Formerbaboon]

Don't take diet pills. I used to take a bottle a day, and they can make you so sick...

[NDvegan85]

And those before and after pics, give me a freakin' break.

[Christy]

Sorry, I have a weakness for them. I once took a Metabolife knockoff (about 3 years ago), CLA, and now Naturalean (7-keto DHEA) and green and white tea extract (I read somewhere that it helps). I get a little carried away.

ETA: But I am working out 4-5 days a week, and (mostly) watching what I eat.