Common Sense.
            Two easy words.  A hard way to live.
            We exist in a world of instant gratification.  You want a new car?  Just $500 down and sixty easy payments will get you on the road!  Pull out your credit card and you can bring home the living room set that took your parents months or years of scrimping to buy on layaway.
            So, when our mirror tells a scary story, someone online or in print promising INSTANT RESULTS really gets our attention.  After all, if they’re selling it, it has to work.  Right?  And, they promise a double your money back guarantee!  All you have to do is buy their pills, join their program, or subscribe to their newsletter, and (heads up...here’s the kicker...) follow an exercise program and a sensible diet...
Or are we just being sensitive about hucksters who promise you amazing weight loss while eating the foods you love! (Look at the fine print...it often says “results not typical.”)
            Any program that touts unbelievable results from “Sarah J.” or “Mike T.” is pulling the wool over your eyes. Who are these people? What credentials do they have? Probably none. That program is too good to be true.  More than likely, somebody has a horse in the race...usually to sell a “miracle” herbal remedy or a “colon cleanser.”  Watch out for “compensated spokesmen.” If an outfit is spending a pile of money to market the product or program, you had better believe they expect to milk buckets of dough from folks who are desperate to get off the diet—“regain”—diet—“regain” merry-go-round.
            There are organizations and programs that are working a different sort of mission than pure profit.  Take a look at Weight Watchers, for instance.  They offer meetings for support and meal plan guidance to help you whether you are in Detroit or Dallas.  The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association have strong, informative Web sites full of weight management ideas that are based on scientific research.  Even the federal government (We know—the classic oxymoron: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”) has Web sites devoted to helping Americans make smarter food choices and lose weight. One thing all of these have in common is that they point you toward eating a balanced diet...nothing extreme.
            Let’s all get back to a common sense approach to weight management.
Start living right and eating smart.  Deep down every single one of us knows what we need to do in order to live healthier lives.  Most of us learned it when we were kids. 
·         Eat a balanced diet. 
·         Eat three meals a day. 
·         Watch snacks and “treats.” 
·         Increase exercise.  
            No special potion, mystical meal plan, or magic pill is the answer to weight loss.
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist. 
You just have to be willing to take charge of your life.
 

Whitfield and Jacobson are the co-authors of Roadcookin: A long haul driver’s guide to healthy eating.  They are regular contributors on The Lockridge Report on Sirius 147/XM171.  The book is available at http://store.roadcookin.com or at www.amazon.com .  You can also see more at their YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Roadcookin . This is a brief excerpt from their book.