Four More Scary Facts About the Weight Loss Industry and Why They Want You to Fail

I recently shared four of the worst lies that the weight loss industry continues to promote that have a direct negative impact on your ability to achieve your weight loss goals. However, these lies only scratch the surface of why your weight loss attempts to this point have universally failed. Allow me to illuminate four more of these dangerous lies:

Fact: The Media Is in on it Too

George Orwell once pointed out, "The people will believe that the media tells them they believe." And though he was talking about communism in the 20th century, the same is true today. The media of the 21st century is one thousand times worse than the realities that Orwell faced as the 24-hour news cycle places every major media outlet at odds with not only others, but the internet in general. Everyone is in search of the next sound bite or cure-all for eager consumers.

What makes this all worse is that these media outlets line their pockets with advertising dollars. And these dollars come from the weight loss industry for one, and the food and medical industries for another. Every time a member of the so-called "health and fitness" media recommends a new product, system, or solution, you can bet that there is money behind that endorsement. And the internet is no better-bloggers routinely receive products, subscriptions, and perks for "reviews" from major companies.

Fact: The Industry Has Lost Its Appeal

On the heels of their failure and the intense focus from the news media and internet to promote anything that will get them viewers, the sad fact is that the weight loss industry as a whole is losing ground. Consider these statistics:

• In Australia alone, a country with a population of 22.6 million, only around 4 million people actually have a gym membership and of those, only about one tenth actually use it on a regular basis (in other words often enough for it to be effective!)
• Though new health and fitness businesses open constantly, a staggering 80% of them fail within the first 12 months.
• Most exercise programs are designed for and by those who are already fit, turning away overweight people who feel that the achievements are outside their abilities. What's worse, studies consistently show that the negative image of exercise and overweight people portrayed on shows like The Biggest Loser are far more likely to demotivate people to get up and move.
• And those in the industry actually propagate this attitude as several implicit association tests on these supposed "professionals" show a higher-than-normal sense of anti-fat prejudice among them. And their prejudice gets stronger the longer they've been in the field.
• Despite a consistent push for more respect in the industry the ease with which people are able to attain so-called "personal trainer" certifications directly contradicts this and leads to a field full of people who don't fully understand what they are doing and who are too afraid to admit it.

Fact: The Crisis of Confidence Has Been Left Unaddressed

Most, if not all, obese people have tried (and failed) to lose weight in the past. Most new health and fitness programs know this and sell these people not an actual solution, but hope. They hope that this time the program will work. They also hope that this change will be quick and painless. The problem is that they aren't. They either don't work fast enough or are painful and people drop off the bandwagon with their confidence lower than ever.

Fact: We Like Our Food Fast and Our Weight Loss Faster

Fast food culture has impacted the weight loss industry at an alarming rate. Our attention span is short and our need for instant gratification infectious. We want quick results and new options so the industry opts for obscure solutions rather than proven strategies all in an effort to rise to the top of the pile, get noticed, and make more money. You've already tried (and failed) in your previous attempts, unless this one is shiny and new, chances are, you won't even start it in the first place.

The TRUTH

So what's the payoff here? How do you successfully lose weight and keep it off? Clearly, the industry isn't helping you do it. In fact, the only person who can is you. You need to find a program that recognizes that fact and puts you in control of your own weight loss.

Are you looking for this sort of weight loss plan? At Love Your Weight Loss I provide just that sort of targeted, personalized approach that bucks these industry trends and exposes their lies. Find out more today at https://www.sallysymonds.com.au/

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My Secret to Losing Weight: Neuromuscular Stimulation

It is no secret that most overweight people hate exercise. I get it. That was me once and it is part of the reason that week one of my Love Your Weight Loss program only asks you to get up and do something, anything as long as it is activity.

However, there is actually a science behind the simplicity of this edict. Not only do I want my clients to take control of their lives and their journey through choice, there is a clear reason why doing something, not everything, works the best.

This theory relates to the physiology of exercise, how it stimulates your body, and how your body, in turn, reacts to that stimulation. The basic premise: as long as simulation is provided, the body reacts and losing weight begins.

This is especially important for people unaccustomed to exercise. Inactivity causes the pathways between your brain and your muscles to actually 'switch off', a phenomenon known as 'lazy muscle syndrome'. Once you begin to exercise again, the switch is flipped back onto the 'on' position, but it takes time for the pathways to clear.

I like to use the analogy of a bush track for this. Just as an unused track begins to grow over with grass, so do your neuromuscular pathways. Once you begin to drive through a track again, it takes a few trips to clearly define the tyre tracks. So, too, must you repeat an action several times before establishing a clear neuromuscular link. This explains why new exercisers often find that they only get an exercise 'right' on the last rep of a set.

My term for this phenomenon is neuromuscular stimulation and I see it as a central tenant of my Love Your Weight Loss philosophy. The idea is that by constantly adding stimulation to your muscles through a varied exercise routine we not only forge new paths but keep the process interesting and new.

I 'discovered' this phenomenon through my own weight loss journey quite accidentally. Since I hated the idea of exercise, especially the boring bits of doing the same routine day in and day out, I constantly swapped things around. As a result I lost about 1.5 kg a week for 33 weeks straight. It was only later that I discovered the scientific reason behind not only the weight loss success but the absence of loose skin as a result of that loss.

But don't take my word for it. This idea of constant change is actually at the heart of the Cross Fit experience. Using a whole-body philosophy that focuses on seemingly random exercises and movement, Cross Fit has revolutionised the way people work out. And, while I do not advocate the 'go hard or go home' intensity of this program, nor the tendency for lasting physical injury related to it, I do agree with its core principles of exercise variation.

And that's it in a nutshell. The concept of doing something, anything as long as it's activity takes advantage of your body's natural tendency to adapt to change quickly. However, the 'step up' approach to exercise I take in LYWL (whereby clients start slow and gradually increase their activity) is proven just as effective as 'go hard' methods and far less dangerous, especially since it utilises the same core philosophy of varied neuromuscular stimulation.

There's good news and bad news, though. Unfortunately, the time it takes for women to create these pathways is longer than men. That's why men lose weight so much faster than women. On the flip side, no matter who you are varied stimulation is the best way to lose weight. What's more, through a varied approach to exercise, you eliminate the boredom factor of your routine and increase your long term chances of success.

I use neuromuscular simulation as a central tenant of the Love Your Weight Loss program. Through this method, your loathing of exercise will become a love that you cannot live without. I combine this with other techniques, personalised instruction, and a robust online community at http://www.sallysymonds.com.au

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Common Weight Loss Mistakes Real People Make Every Day

You are a real person, and you need to lose weight. However, knowing this and executing it are two different things and you will make mistakes. That's okay though, as long as you recognise these mistakes for what they are and take steps to remedy them.

Real Person Mistake #1: Short Term Thinking

Turn on the television or go online and find a weight loss advertisement and take note of 'how long' they say it takes. 30 days? 60? Maybe it's 12 weeks? These numbers are unrealistic at best and flat out lies at worst. Losing weight is not and cannot be about quick fixes, magic pills, or simple solutions. Real people are not simple, so why would real weight loss be simple?

That is not to say that you cannot lose weight participating in these short-term programs. The real problem is keeping it off. Regardless of how many calories you burn in any given 12 week period, the only way to stay slim is to continue to burn those calories for the rest of your life.

Real Person Mistake #2: Same Program, Same Results

Let's be honest, most 'new' weight loss programs are essentially a repackaging and rehashing of what is already out there. We know how to lose weight, we need to consume fewer calories than we burn, it is that simple.

However, using fad diets, crazy exercise programs, and pills or shakes or any manner of pseudo-food products to achieve that over and over again will simply net you the same result: failure. What's even worse is that all these years of failure actually reprogram your brain to accept failure as inevitable. You don't actually expect to succeed, so you do not.

What you need instead is a new program, a new outlook, and a boost of confidence. This is about more than 'thinking outside of the box', you need to toss the box out the window. Only you have the power to dictate your weight loss success or failure. Diets don't work. Crazy exercise routines don't work. Pills don't work. It's time to change your approach.

Real Person Mistake #3: Lack of Control

Everyone wants life to be easy and the same applies to losing weight. We don't want to think about the process, the food preparation, the exercise routine, so we allow others to just tell us what to do. But humans are autonomous creatures and we can only live inside of someone else's box for so long before we forcefully break out and go on a rampage.

YOU need to take charge of your weight loss. Not only are you the best person to set the rules and set the routine, the sense of control you gain in doing so will serve as motivation and help you achieve that all-important mastery over your weight and your life.

Real Person Mistake #4: Negative Images

Do you think that losing weight is all about deprivation and discomfort? You're not alone, but it is just this kind of attitude that will lead you to fail over and over again. If you want to lose weight permanently and keep it off you need to make lasting change and if you see that change as a negative you will not stick to it.

You need to embrace not only your goals, but the journey you need to take in order to reach them. Remember, 'it's the climb' that makes life. If you cannot learn to Love Your Weight Loss, and have fun while doing it, failure is not far behind.

Real Person Mistake #5: This Is Not a 'Lifestyle Change'

I know this phrase is all a-buzz in the weight loss industry these days, but it is misleading and dangerous. Not that weight loss isn't a lifestyle change; it absolutely is. What I object to is the cliché attitude towards that phrase nowadays. Plus, there is so much more to successful weight loss than just lifestyle. This physical, psychological, and spiritual journey is intensely personal and unique to you and you alone. Weight loss is a step-by-step process that takes months and that takes months years to master. It is not as simple as waking up one day and saying, 'well, I'm going to change my lifestyle' and that's it. You need to look at the big picture.

Just because your real world weight loss journey is personal does not mean that you need to go it alone. Join me at http://www.sallysymonds.com.au where my Love Your Weight Loss community will give you additional tips, tricks, and insights to make your journey a success rather than another string of mistakes.

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Five Unique Weight Loss Tips

If you are like most people trying to lose weight you have likely tried every diet, ever exercise regimen, and ever 'trick' written in the book. You may worked yourself so hard over the years that you are about ready to give it all up. The trick, however, is to work smarter, not harder. Here are five unique weight loss tips to help you do just that:

Unique Weight Loss Tip #1: Food Substitutions

Find unique ways to substitute proteins in your diet. Especially if part of your exercise plan is strength training, getting adequate protein is a must. One of my favourites is using Haloumi cheese in place of bread or toast. This cheese doesn't melt, but rather turns brown under the toaster.

Unique Tip #2: Pay Attention to Equipment

Upper body strength conditioning is great, but for it you be the most effective you need to pay attention to the equipment you use. Thicker handles force you to grip tighter, building more muscle over time in important places like wrists, fingers, and forearms. There's another major benefit to his gripping method. We all tend to favour one side of our bodies, our so-called 'dominant' side. Using thicker grips to strengthen the smaller muscles in your arms corrects this 'bilateral deficit' by strengthening the oft-ignored muscles in your non-dominant hand.

But before you go and but new equipment, stop. You can achieve the same effects by wrapping hand towels around the grips of the weights you already own.

Unique Tip #3: Drink Water the Right Way

You know you need to drink at least 2 litres of water a day, more when you sweat, but how you get that water is important. Invest in a good water bottle, preferably made of stainless steel rather than plastic. Also, get yourself a decent water filter. Clean water, free of chemical run off and xenoestrogens is better for your body, and the environment benefits as well!

Unique Tip #4: Your Body Piercings May Be Holding You Back

The metal in your body piercings, regardless of their location, affect the flow of energy around your body and impact energy levels. If you cannot part with your favourite earrings permanently, make sure to at least remove them when measuring body fat since you want to make sure to get an accurate reading.

Unique Tip #5: Consider Acupuncture

Especially right before a workout, the energy flow benefits of acupuncture can have a huge impact on your results. Acupuncture works by activating the nervous system and releasing important chemicals and hormones in your brain that affect energy levels, reaction, and recovery time.

Using unique tips like these, my Love Your Weight Loss program at http://www.sallysymonds.com.au empowers real people like you to get up and finally lose weight, permanently. This is not a diet or an exercise plan, instead we offer a guided, personal approach to weight loss that puts you in control of your weight and your life.

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Regaining Weight: The Reasons Why

How many times have you started a new diet or exercise program, reached your 'goal weight', and then simply put it all back on-and more-within a short period of time? You're not alone. This is a fact of life for most people trying to lose weight out there. There are many reasons why it happens, but in my experience people's definition of 'goal weight' is at the heart of the problem.

Many times the 'goal weight' people set in a new program is at the upper end of their ideal weight. It's easy to achieve, which gives them a sense of accomplishment, but also not 'enough' to convince them of its benefit. There are two effects that reaching this 'goal weight' can have which actually negatively impact your ability to keep the weight off over the long term.

You Don't 'Look' Thin

This is especially a problem for women. For us, fitting into clothing, any clothing, is usually a superficial, but very real, goal. However, being at the top of what is considered 'healthy' for you doesn't guarantee that this is possible. You may be able to squeeze into the clothes, but they are not likely to look the way you want them to. One client explained it this way:

Even after I'd reached my 'goal weight', I still couldn't wear what I wanted and l felt like I still had a weight problem.

To make matters worse, being 'healthy' in terms of numbers, yet not looking your best, impacts the way people treat you. Fat bias is a very real phenomenon, one I have experienced firsthand. Don't think that a 5 kg doesn't make as much a difference as 45 kg when it comes to the type of attention you receive from others. If you want the self-esteem boost that weight loss is supposed to bring, you won't get it from displaying your weight on a plaque around your neck-you want people to notice you. But if you are still at the top of your 'healthy' range and still 'looking' a little chubby, they will not.

You Don't Feel Thin

Apart from the superficial, weight loss directly impacts your energy levels. I can tell you from personal experience that my energy level at 67 kg (the top of my 'healthy' weight range) versus how I feel now at closer to 50 kg is significant. In fact, when I began my initial weight loss journey, I stopped at around 60 kg and hovered at that weight for around five years. Although I was well within my 'healthy' range by all accounts, I still felt 'off'. It was only after losing another 8.5 kg that I finally began to understand how closely energy paralleled weight. In fact, the difference between my first 45 kg weight loss and my second 8.5 kg weight loss was nearly identical in terms of my energy level increase.

The problem here is in our perception of what 'healthy' really is and really feels like. Most of us consider a constant state of fatigue 'normal', we think that the overwhelming exhaustion that we feel at around 3pm is a given. Well, it's not! Despite what society tells you is 'normal' or 'healthy', only you truly know what it is like to feel your best.

Final Thoughts

Making the choice to lose weight, whether for health or for looks, is a big one. However, without understanding what it really means to be 'healthy' all the reasons in the world are not enough. You need to understand that the goals you set are not meant to be 'easy' or 'empowering', they are meant to work. If you want to lose weight and be healthy, then understanding just how much weight you need to lose is essential. Remember, it's your life, only you have the power to win it back, and wouldn't you rather take the gold?

For more out of the box ideas on how to lose weight and keep it off through my online weight loss community at http://www.sallysymonds.com.au. Through my Love Your Weight Loss method you will learn how to reach not just a 'goal' weight, but your ideal weight for life.

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5 Ways a Bad Relationship Parallels Unsuccessful Weight Loss

There is nothing light about a bad or abusive relationship. And while I by no means want to trivialise this experience, it has occurred to me over the years that bad weight loss programs share some striking similarities with these bad/abusive relationships. Similarities, which, if taken with a grain of salt, expose to you why the ways in which you treat and view yourself negatively impact you from all ends.

Similarity #1: Control

This is really the crux of the similarities between these situations and something I will continue to come back to as I discuss the others.

Power and control are great traits in some situations, but when it comes to your relationships with others, or your relationship with yourself, they do more harm than good. Most ways of losing weight focus on control. You must control what, when, and how much you eat as well as where, when, and how much your exercise. The more control you exert, the more success you experience. Similarly, bad relationships usually rely on the dominant partner exhibiting control over the weaker one.

Similarity #2: Isolation

Feeling alone enhances control. Just as abusive partners try to isolate their victims to maintain their control so, too, do conventional programs for losing weight. You cannot go out to eat with friends or enjoy a party without feeling guilty and so you isolate yourself, maintain your bubble of perfection, and lose the best parts of your life, the people who truly care about you, instead.

Similarity #3: Rules

In both bad relationships and unsuccessful weight loss systems it is the rules that produce the control and isolation. You must comply 100% or risk 'failure' and harm. However, by and large, these rules are impossible to follow. They expect too much from you and breaking them only makes new, harder rules appear as you come to grips with your failure.

Similarity #4: Low Self-Esteem

Maintaining power and control is easier if the person being controlled doesn't feel good enough on his or her own. Usually people who end up in bad relationship or turn to radical ways to lose weight have low self-esteem at the outset, but it is made worse through the process. As you feel less and less able to 'make it on your own' the 'solution' becomes the abusive partner or program. Only through 'success', making them happy, will you be worthy. But that never actually happens. Instead, lowering your self-esteem only serves to reduce your ability to survive without the boundaries a person or program has set and keeps you coming back for more.

Similarity #5: You Cannot Live Without Them

Once the effects of low self-esteem drag you in, you reach a point where you cannot live without the approval, the actualisation that the bad situation provides. Abusers may literally tell you that you cannot make it on your own and so, too, do most weight loss programs. The problem is that your brain, a living, developing entity, cannot always distinguish these false claims for the hog wash that they are. So you start to believe the voices in your own head that inform you of just how useless you are on your own.

How to Make a Difference

Though the difficulty of walking away from a bad relationship is light years beyond the difficulty of finding a good weight loss system, the solution to both is the same. The only way to get help is to change yourself because you cannot change them. Good partners and healthy relationships exist, as do good, healthy ways to lose weight. You just need to gather the strength to go find them.

If you want to learn more about how you can create a healthy eating relationship with food, check out my online weight loss program Love Your Weight Loss! The program empowers you with the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding your diet, exercise regime and lifestyle. You will learn to love your journey, rather than struggle against it. So if you want to lose weight online and gain access to a variety of tips along the way, join Love Your Weight Loss at https://sallysymonds.com.au/ now!

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Attracting Men With Weight Loss - Relationship Tips For Single Women Over 35

Lose weight, attract a guy! I can actually visualize many of you saying "How shallow". The fact is neither of us is wrong. True love sees things beyond the physical appearance. However, ask an overweight or extremely skinny woman how it feels when a pretty-looking friend is asked by a man in front of her while no one pays her any attention. It is annoying! And, when this is repeated, it is frustrating.

If we get down to pinpointing the possible causes, a striking factor after social skills is physical appearance. Individuals decide who they would like to associate with based on how the other person conducts and carries himself in society. This is in terms of physical appearance, body language and behavior. Just as you would like to move around with attractive men in society, men too like to accompany women who attract them in an instant.

A heavy figure is often one of the major obstacles in this regard. Never mind! If you're over 35, single and heavy-weight, here are tips to attract men with weight loss. Also, learn other ways to draw a man's attention.

The Weight Loss Mystery

There is plenty weight loss information on the web. These are mostly general tips and precautions catering to wide group of women. The best and most effective weight loss program is one tailored to your body requirements. Therefore, start by identifying the reason for being overweight. Are you overeating or do you lead a sedentary lifestyle?

If diet is a problem, you can adopt the following measures:

• Eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grains and lean-meat to support the body's nutritional requirements;
• Get plenty of quality protein and fiber as they get your metabolism working and suppress appetite;
• Eat healthy fats in a moderate amount;
• Drink enough of water to keep the body hydrated and assist with natural cleansing;
• Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day and avoid skipping meals;
• De-stress to prevent stress eating;
• You can treat yourself to ice-cream, candies, cookies, cheese-decked burgers and colas, occasionally.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, adopt the following measures:

• Get active;
• Perform cardio exercises at least three times a week; Cardio exercises such as swimming, jogging, walking, cycling and dancing increase fat burning.
• Include strength training as it builds muscle.

Diet and exercise are the two most commonly considered factors. However, there is one more factor which becomes important when discussing tips on how to lose weight fast for women over 35. At and beyond the age of 35, women enter a new phase - menopause. Like puberty and pregnancy, the phase is characterized by sudden fluctuations in the level of hormones. Hormone imbalances are mainly the cause of weight gain in women over 35. It is advisable for women to stick with a sensible diet and regular exercise.

How else can you attract a man and keep his interest from waning?

In addition to improving your appearance, there are a few personality traits that will be of use.

• You should be confident
• You should have a positive outlook on life
• You be independent
• You should be intelligent and prompt
• Avoid being to clingy and possessive
• A good sense of humor is also welcome.

So, it all boils to losing weight fast. Besides, if you lose belly and thigh fat, you will also lead a healthy life enabling you to give the best you can to your relationship.

Imagine how would your life be if all men would admire you and would want to date you?
To learn exactly how a 35 years old mom lost 70 pounds after she almost lost her husband because she was overweight, and how she makes all men crazy about her now, even her husband, just watch this video to Learn how to become incredibly sexy in a few months: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=492m4LARJtc

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