Wednesday 20 August 2014

Lose Pounds without Losing £’s

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic,so it’s no surprise that there is a huge market for weight loss aids and health products, all claiming that they will help you look good and feel great at minimal cost.It is easier for some individuals to lose weight than others. In frustration and haste, some individuals are willing to pay large sums of cash for a quick fix. Top trending scams from the fat busting world include pills that promise to boost your metabolism, or block carbs or fat, diet patches, weight loss herbal teas andslimming wear.

Many websites offering these goods will use language such as “hurry now” or “limited offer” in an attempt to disillusion the reader that signing up is an opportunity not to be missed. Look out for conflicting information and be wary of websites that have already ticked in agreement to terms and conditions on your behalf. Often these websites have something to hide within their conditions, preferring them not to be viewed.

Raspberry Ketones is the latest online diet pill scam, pulling out all the stops to take advantage of the insecurities of the overweight population. The company proposal is around £5 in order to “trial” their product which claims to “melt away the fat,” or so the slogan claims. Revelations from the company spokesman of Beach Inc. have enlightened the consumer world “most of the studies are done on mice and rodent but you can find one study that has been done on humans.” Whilst the drug may have supporting scientific evidence to aidfat reduction in mice, there is no evidence that this is the case in humans. Buy this product and you could end up being the lab rat. More worryingly, the FSA or Food Standard Agency has never approved the drug for sale relative to weight loss. It has been authorised only to be used to perfume and flavour foodstuffs. Upon occasion, fad dieting pills have been found to contain harmful ingredients not intended for human consumption.

BBC watchdog interviewed a victim of the Raspberry Ketone scam and discovered that the company’s manipulative capabilities were far beyond initial impressions. Debra Cutter explains “When I received a second lot of pills, I didn’t expect them, which I thought was a mistake in case they thought I didn’t receive the first lot, and then my daughter was going through my bank statements and realised that roughly around £100 a month was coming out of my bank.” There was no mention during the registration of any subsequent payments required,anywhere on the website.

The entrapment was instead hidden within the Terms and Conditions. Stating that unless the order was cancelled within 14 days with the original pills returned, then customers will have signed up to pay £95 for the original bottle and following this the same price will be charged monthly with an additional charge for postage. Essentially, entering into this agreement results in a contract called a Continuous Payment Authority.
Registered dietician Althea Zanecosky states "There have always been quick weight loss schemes out there because nobody ever believes that you can't lose weight faster than you gained it, A more realistic timetable for lasting weight loss is to lose about a pound or two a week.” In a hurry to achieve the bikini body, consumers chose to ignore the overriding behavioural element involved in controlling diet that no quantity of products can overcome.

In similar news a product that markets itself as “Slimzene” adopted an advertising strategy that certainly caught the eye. Using celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Adele and even the Duchess of Cambridge to manipulate their target audience, knowing that media pressure is a prime factor in instigating weight insecurity amongst many women. The legitimacy of the advertisement was further supported by websites such as Facebook and Twitter, displaying them as sponsored advertisements.Fuelled by public outrage the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned all Slimzene ads from the internet.The watchdog said “Slimzene failed to show that Adele had used or endorsed the product, failed to prove that it could contribute to weight loss and failed to make clear what appeared to be an article about the singer was actually an advertisement.” As a result there are many celebrities that are taking legal action against diet product companies that have not requested permission prior to advertising.

Weight loss is usually a gradual process and requires a combination of a healthy balanced diet, alongside plentiful exercise and a lot of willpower.This can be a daunting prospect. There is a great variety of support available from dieting books, dieting clubs. Now it is even possible to order all of your meals and snacks ready-made toguarantee that you crunch down on the calories or cut down on the carbs.

Free Support

You don’t necessarily have to spend extra money to shed the pounds. You can sign up online for a free Weight watchers newsletter with recipes and advice to help you stay on track at www.weightwatchers.co.uk. Some newsletters will contain vouchers to use in conjunction with weight watcher products. There are plenty of online forums and message boards where you can share ideas, recipes and chat to other people for moral support.

If you don’t fancy scrupulously counting the calories or following a strict diet plan, there are many other things that you can do instead to aid weight loss such as;

  • Setting aside longer for meal times.Allocating 20 minutes to each meal, eat slowly and concentrate on flavours and textures. Your body will feel more satisfied from smaller portions. Eating quickly can prevent release of hormones that produces the full feeling, leading to over indulgence.
  • Catching up on much needed slumber is definitely not over rated. An additional one hour of sleep could help an average person drop up to 14 pounds per year. Concurrently, research shows that fatigue is a main contender in increasing appetite.
  • Simply serving more fruit and vegetables is a great way to lose weight. With high fibre and water content, it’sa low calorie cheat to help you feel fuller.
  • The addition of whole grains in a diet is especially beneficial. Generous helpings of brown rice, barley, oats, buckwheat and whole wheat are low calorie stomach fillers. It has even been suggested that they may play a role in cholesterol reduction too.
  • Try replacing meaty pizza toppings with vegetable alternatives; this could minus up to 100 calories off your favourite takeaway meal.
  • A major contributor to piling on the pounds is high sugar content in food and drinks. By choosing water instead of a sugary, fizzy drink you could avoid putting on unwanted weight. When serving your drinks, choose a tall, thin glass rather than a short tumbler. People are prone to consuming more in tumblers, whilst in taller glasses you could consume 25-30% less.
  • Alcohol has a high calorific content;more so than crabs and also protein.Instead, opt for non-alcoholic beverages in between your chosen tipple. Although drinking in any quantity may increase the temptation for naughty nibbles.
  • A great deal of self-awareness and mindfulness is required to lose weight. A relaxing way to improve these elements is to practice yoga, which encourages awareness of both the mind and the body. Studies have found that women who practice yoga weigh less than women who don’t.
  • Avoid snacking by chewing sugar free gum.
  • Reducing the size of your plate can have a beneficial psychological response. Recent scientific research has shown that people will automatically eat more with larger plates. Selecting a smaller plate means potentially cutting out 100-200 calories per day.
  • Be consistent with smaller portion.
  • When dining out, share a starter with a friend or order as a main. If the starter is a smaller dish, why not add extra salad to fill up.
  • Choose vegetarian alternatives to aid slimming. It has been found that vegetarians weigh 15% less than the average meat consumer. Try beans and lentils for fibre rich foods that fill you up with fewer calories.
  • It is possible to lose up to 10 pounds in a year by simply burning an extra 100 calories per day. You can do this by; walking a mile which should take approximately 20 minutes; gardening for 20 minutes; cleaning the house for 30 minutes or jogging for 10 minutes.

“Having support from other people in your situation can really motivate you to lose weight,” says Dr Campbell. Your GP can also provide free information. By first assessing your BMI or Body Mass Index they can advise of a healthy weight for your height and suggest simple lifestyle changes to help you achieve this. It is only as a last resort that doctors will recommend medication or surgery.

On a final note,  for many is a challenging endeavor. There are many weight loss aids out there that can be beneficial and will not weigh too heavy on the handbag. Making positive steps to lose weight is largely supported by behavioral changes. Patience is the key to healthy weight loss. When considering buying any product online, take time and care to research both the effectiveness and reputation of the product. It is always advisable to study the terms and conditions before signing up.You don’t have to be out of pocket to achieve your goal, tricking yourself into eating less may even save you money in the long run.

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