Things That Make You Go Hmmm?

I was reading through the latest copy of Oxygen magazine when I came across an ad for Bob Harper's new weight loss supplement line.  I must admit that I was a little taken aback with Bob's latest venture based on the fact that his endorsement of weight loss supplements contradicts everything and anything Bob has ever promoted about weight loss.  Mind you, Bob's not the only one to venture into the weight loss supplement industry.  Hist partner, Jillian Michael s, from the "Biggest Loser" is another one who made this transition a few years back after collaborating with QuickStart and coming out with her line of EXTREME Maximum fat burners.  Not too sure how far  her line went after facing a series of law-suits shortly after the line came out.


So what gives?   Why is it that celebrity trainers who once endorsed nutrition and exercise as the only means to healthy and sustained weight loss now endorsing quick fix diet scheme as an alternative to weight loss?  I had a good chuckle reading a quote by latest ad where he states that he's, "tired of good people getting ripped off by diet products that don't work!".  Is Bob for real?  Has he lost his mind?  From the early days of Biggest Loser, Bob and even Jillian were adamantly against any quick fix scheme that endorsed weight loss, and that included weight loss supplements.  So why the shift?  Why are they endorsing something that they've lead the public to believe goes against the grain of their soul?  

Photo-source: www.google.ca

Beyonce on Pregnancy and Diet

"I've been really conscious and I've been trying my best not to lose control because I've met so many people who say, 'My second baby, my third baby, I learned my lesson,'...I haven't been going crazy. I know that it's important that I don't lose myself."






Article-source: www.thehollywoodreporter.com


Photo-source: www.google.com

Diet in Review: The P.I.N.K. Diet Method

I was catching up on PVR'd Dr. Phil episodes this evening, when I came across a show Mr. Phil himself did on the new P.I.N K. diet method.  The show piqued my interest as Dr. Phil touted the program as being a revolutionary weight loss program and one to put an end to dieting forever.  For those of us who have struggled with FAILED previous weight loss methods and programs, Dr. Phil claims that this is the one program that guarantee success and will help one reach their weight loss goals in no time.  "Weight loss program to put an end to dieting and guarantees results?"  Excited to learn more about what this program had to offer compared to any other popular weight loss method, I watched on?  And as I watched on, my patience grew thin as I eagerly waited to learn just what this program had to offer, but unfortunately reached the end of the show without being much more informed than I was when I first tuned in.  So I got on the web, did a bit of digging and came across a bit more information to help me fully understand the program in it's entirety.   

According to the little information I came across on the programs website, the P.I.N.K. method diet is a program that is mainly based on a system that combines nutrition and exercise as a proven method for weight loss.  


The nutrition program is split up into 4 phases or what they refer to a "4 diets in 1 concept" and is broken down as follows:

1. PINK Reset: is a  short-term detoxifying diet designed to jump-start your metabolism.  One can expect to see super-fast results before moving on to the next phases of the program. 

2. PINK Primary:  During this phase, high-energy foods are reintroduced to one's diet as a way to fuel physical activity for phase 1 of the fitness program.  You pretty much stay in this phase until you are 5-10 pounds from your goal and then you move on.

3. The 7-Day Shred:  This is a seven-day programwhich incorporates nutrient rich “Shred Soup” in order to blast away those last few stubborn pounds and prevent you from hitting weight-loss plateaus (nutrient rich shred soup-my eye-brows our literally raised). 

4. PINK Preservation: This is the maintenance program that you follow once you complete the entire program.  It is in this phase that you work towards making the program a lifestyle change.

As for the exercise component of the program, 3 different exercises are introduced as a part of the P.I.N.K. diet:

Phase 1:  Is the beginners phase of the program and lays the foundation to build a strong base and gradually increase endurance in preparation for phases 2 and 3. 


Phase 2:  The intensity of the exercises are revved up, and cardio is introduced as a way to improve your endurance and muscle tone. 

Phase 3:  In phase 3, your strength and endurance is challenged even further in order to help you achieve maximum calorie burn. 

My personal thoughts on the program:

• First things first, I'm a little weary about any program that puts a whole bunch of dollars behind marketing and endorsing itself without giving you much to go by as far as what its program entails.  A major critique in watching the programs endorsement on Dr. Phil is that the program focused way too much on the exercise component of the program.  There was hardly much to go by as far as what the diets in the 4 phases contain.  
• Phased diet programs???  Such programs literally make me want to cringe, especially having tried programs such as the Atkins and South Beach diet where you literally cut out whole food groups for weeks at a time and then reintroduce them as you progress further into the programs.  I don't think any realistic and sensible program should force you to cut out anything in order to achieve your weight loss goals..
• Results-the P.I.N.K diet definitely guarantees results, but at what cost?  From watching Dr. Phil and following the weight loss success stories of participants who had followed the diet, results are not all that different from anyone on any other diet program.  If you compare this program to that of Weight Watchers (which I'm currently doing now) you can expect to lose the same amount of weight, in the same amount of time on both programs; however, the only difference is that while following Weight Watchers you don't cut out anything for the duration of the program + you get an extra weekly allowance to splurge in which ever way you like...yeah, Weight Watchers is a definite winner in that regards.  Why torture yourself in the early beginnings of a program just to lose weight? 

All in all, the P.I.N.K. diet, in my humble opinion, is another one of the weight loss gimmicks that guarantees fast results in a short amount of time.  There's no difference between this program and programs like Atkins, South Beach and the latest Dukan diet (I've been meaning to do a review on this one) where you cut out whole food groups until you reach goal and then slowly re-introduce them back-talk about unnecessary suffering all in the name of weight loss.  From someone who has tried every last weight loss program out there including Atkins and Southbeach, what one needs to keep in mind while following these programs is that if you don't stick to them in the long-term, you can bank on gaining all the weight you lost + a good 10-20 pounds extra (trust me I know).  

Just because I'm not a fan of the program, doesn't mean that some of you might not be either.  In all fairness, I've posted up the programs website link for those of you who might be interested in learning more about the program.  Check out:www.pinkmethod.com

Article source: www.pinkmethod.com

7 Year Old Releases Book on Obesity and Bullying

It's not everyday you hear of a 7 year old publishing a book, but 7 year old LaNiya Bailey has done just that by publishing a book about obesity and bullying.  LaNiya's book was inspired by her own weight struggles which started at the tender age of three.  Despite consulting with their family pediatrician, LaNiya's parents knew something was wrong when her weight continued increasing rapidly, spiraling to over 100 pounds by the time she reached age 7.  LaNiya unfortunately has been the victim of bullying as a result of her weight but has used her experiences to in-turn help other kids in dealing similar issues by publishing her self-titled book, "Not Fat Because I Wanna Be".  LaNiya message is clear and simple, she wants people to know that "bullying isn't cool" and hopes her book will make a difference in the lives of children her age.  


So inspiring to see a young child using her experiences to inspire and instill hope in other children!

Article source and Photo-source: www.clutchmagonline.com

Janet Jackson in Harper's Bazaar Arabia

In the November issue of Harper Bazaar Janet Jackson dishes on life including her brother's death, her new relationship with her new beau, her life long battles with weight loss and her new book, "True You".


Photo-source: www.ybf.com

Jennifer Hudson Ebony Magazine Feature

Don't miss the December/January issue of Ebony Magazine with Jennifer Hudson.  In this issue, Jennifer opens up about her relationship with fiancee David Otunga, being a mother and her amazing weight loss transformation.  

Photo-source: www.necolebitchie.com

Mariah Carey Joins Forces with Jenny Craig

"I feel better in every way...to me, it's mind, body and soul. I was in a bad place physically during my pregnancy."


Looks like Jenny Craig has added another household name to their camp after joining forces with Mariah Carey and signing her up as their new celebrity spokesperson.  Carey started the program in July and has lost a total of 30 pounds in the process.  In a recent interview with Gayle King, Carey told King that she was approached by three different weight loss companies while pregnant, but picked Jenny Craig because she clicked with company reps and loved the fact that they had a vision beyond that of weight loss.  


For someone who has experienced her share of emotional and weight-loss struggles, Carey is in a much better place and is using her success with Jenny in hopes of inspiring others to follow in her foot-steps.