The Dizzying Diet Section

Anyone who knows me will tell you that no shopping trip with me is complete until I have stopped at a bookstore.  It's a lifelong addiction that those around me have learned to tolerate and indulge (it keeps me calm and happy).

My thought today, was to find a book on nutrition.  (I finished and submitted my application to college today and thought I'd get a bit of a head start.)  I headed off to the health/diet/cookbook area.  Something struck me before I had even begun my search, does anyone know how many diet books there are?

I couldn't believe it!  There were no less than 4 entire bookcases full of diet books!  That didn't even include the cookbooks, that were really diet books in disguise.  Then I started looking at some of the titles, are these people nuts?  Here's a couple of examples: 

"The Cheater's Diet: The Sneaky Secrets to Losing Up to 20 Pounds in 8 Weeks, Eating (and Drinking) Everything You Love"

Really?  I tried that!  If I spent 8 weeks eating and drinking everything I love, I'd gain 20 pounds!  Is this author serious?  That's like saying - do whatever you want and you can still lose weight?  Are they high?

How about this one:

"The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life"

This one is one of my favorites!  First they make up words:  Fexitarian?  What is that?  Then the book talks about being a vegetarian but eating meat!  I think someone is seriously confused!

"The Hormone Diet"

Now it's the fault of our Hormones!  It isn't our fault at all!  If we can magically control our Hormones we can lose weight!

Okay, I know that I am following a diet of my own the Dtour Diet.  But honestly, some of these diet plans on the market are just horrible.  They are preying on our emotions and insecurities and promising things that are impossible!  They are setting us up for failure.

I spent my time in that isle vacillating between laughter and anger.  As I stood there, I watched numerous people (mostly women)  come up and study the shelves as if they held the answer to a prayer.  It sort of hurt my heart.

I know I'm making jokes, but really, this is a serious matter.  How many of us have tried every fad diet on the market and lost weight, only to gain it and more back within weeks?  Fad diets don't work.  The only thing that will work is will, determination and a commitment to change our lifestyle.

And exercise.  I forgot about the exercise.  I try to forget the exercise.  I'm still working on it.  I'm trying!!