BIG promise fat loss ads....

Today's Post:  Thursday, 7-28-2016

Not sure how it happened or if the woman I know even sent the email.

But yesterday I got an email with an ad for a fat loss program – apparently from her.

It had testimonials and pictures of people who were said to have succeeded with it.

I’ve found there are three kinds of such promotions:

1.  Legitimate methods that can work for some people.  These are often a bit over hyped to get some people to try them.  They may not work as fast as the ads suggest for many; but people who do the methods well do lose fat because of it.

2.  Methods that don’t do much for fat loss in most of the people who try them; but recommend things that are at least beneficial for health.

3.  Methods that don’t work or only work from a placebo effect AND recommend things that are actually bad for your health or at least of very questionable value.

The one I got in this email was the third kind!

So I made sure to get that info back to her.

I’ll list that one and my reply here. 

Then I’ll give examples of the other two kinds.

3.  Methods that don’t work or only work from a placebo effect AND recommend things that are actually bad for your health or at least of very questionable value.

Here’s the one I got yesterday:

It recommended a combination of CLA and safflower oil.

To the best of my knowledge, the fat loss effects of the natural form of CLA are quite modest; the form in supplements that contain about half the natural form and about half a different form that is not natural and which may be mildly carcinogenic according to some sources.

The safflower oil is far worse.  To the best of my knowledge it has zero fat loss effects.  And, ingesting extra safflower oil every day boosts proinflammatory omega 6 oils. 

And, extra inflammation from way too much omega 6 oils is a cause of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoarthritis! It also helps cause or worsen many cancers.

(See the book Anticancer for a very clear idea of why most Americans have 10 to 20 times too much omega 6 intake already!)

So, I emailed her the message below; and then got her a short summary too:

“CLA in things like milk and cheese from grass fed cows or meat from 100% grass fed cows or lamb is said to have mild fat loss and anticancer effects.

CLA supplements have half this kind of CLA and half a kind that is thought to be harmful.

The omega 6 oil in Safflower oil boosts the kind of inflammation that helps cause heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and some cancers.  

(Extra virgin olive oil has extremely well documented health effects instead! So using safflower oil means you get less of olive oil and less of its good health effects.)

This sounds like adding the CLA supplement to safflower oil.

Many kinds of fat loss ideas do get results from a placebo effect.

This stuff might have a real effect; but I'd not ingest any or pay money for it.

By the way, what DOES work reliably to cause fat loss that you can keep off

    plus a huge health benefit!  --  is to eat 6 or more servings of organic vegetables a day most of which are greens or cruciferous vegetables or both:

Organic Broccoli Florets, organic cabbage straight or in coleslaw, kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts, sauerkraut, Swiss chard, etc.  

These work well either raw or lightly steamed.  Both ways protect health but in slightly different ways.

It IS a challenge to eat that many servings a day!  But even getting to three or four as I've done is astoundingly protective for your health.  And it does help lose fat you keep off!”

2.  Methods that don’t do much for fat loss in most of the people who try them; but recommend things that are at least beneficial for health.

Green Coffee bean extract is the best example of this.  When it began to be hyped for fat loss, I was drinking almost no coffee – and, I read separately that coffee did tend to protect against type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

So I began taking it since at least I might get some health protection from it.

I got absolutely zero fat loss effect.

And, since I like coffee; and organic decaf instant from Mount Hagen is so incredibly good I discovered, I now drink the Mount Hagen decaf some evenings.

 And I drink Mount Hagen’s regular organic instant they make to provide some extra caffeine on Tues, Thurs, & Saturday mornings on days I do strength training because there is evidence this will help me lift more weight.

Getting my coffee this way actually has some chance to help me lose fat by helping me add muscle.

Needless to say I long ago stopped the green coffee bean extract!

1.  Legitimate methods that can work for some people.  These are often a bit over hyped to get some people to try them.  They may not work as fast as the ads suggest for many; but people who do the methods well, do lose fat because of it.

Adds for some kinds of exercise equipment, exercise routines, and yoga fit here.

People who do these programs well and keep doing them often do experience fat loss.

But some of them like Crossfit and similar methods only work well for young people who have less fat to lose and a high ability to recover from workouts that strenuous.  They also often cause injuries which set back your fitness and fatloss.

Others sell abdominal exercisers.  If you use them well and keep using them several times a week, they do work. 

But so do abdominal exercises done that well with no equipment other than a pad or rug to do them on.

Jump ropes cost far less and can be much more effective for fitness and fat loss – and in shorter sessions.

Others teach some form of yoga.  The people who actually use the videos and learn to do the style taught and do it regularly often do get results.  But few who buy the videos get that far.

Others teach doing a series of some kind of combat or martial arts or boxing moves in series doing each one superfast.  Those work and can add to your self-defense ability.

But, here again, few who buy the videos get that far.

Jump ropes cost far less and can be much more effective for fitness and fat loss – and in shorter sessions.  And, it’s a LOT easier to learn.

The best of the bunch for people is a legitimate martial art.  It likely produces the best fat loss effects.  And, many areas offer step by step introductory classes to help you learn it.

It also saves people who will only do fun things for fat loss because once you learn it you can do it to dance music!

Wikipedia has this:

“Capoeira”….”is a Brazilian martial art with its roots originating in Angola and the Congo, that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music, and is usually referred to as a game.

It was developed in Brazil mainly by West Africans, beginning in the 16th century.

It is known for quick and complex moves, using mainly power, speed, and leverage for a wide variety of kicks, spins, and highly mobile techniques.”

If you are at a stage where you only have a moderate or low amount of fat left to lose or you are working to not gain fat back you lost, taking a Capoeira class until you are proficient and then practicing it a few times every week, may work very well.

Or just doing strength training twice a week and jump rope or vigorous abdominal exercise a few times a week can get great results if you back that up by eating right.

Hope you find these examples helpful in sorting between the junk, the good stuff you won’t actually use, and things that WILL help you!