I have almost purchased a Groupon for Liposuction every day for the past three weeks. I have vacillated between the more expensive traditional types of lipo versus the newer laser lipos that promise shorter recovery times and usually a lower price point. I have also considered doing HCG again and thought about trying to find a specialist to prescribe an appetite suppressant. And yet if you look at me, you would probably roll your eyes and tell me to “shut up.” My BMI is in a healthy range, I’m currently a size 8, and by all accounts I should be happy with how I look. But I’m not. I’m absolutely miserable; I don’t feel comfortable in my skin.
What’s worse, working in this field, I know exactly what to do to lose the extra pounds of fat that are driving me nuts. Being a fitness coach and having been through the Optimally Balanced program as a client first, I very much know the right foods to eat, the right exercises to do, even the way to address my stressors and negative mindset. But I don’t do it consistently. And I still look for the easy way out! I want immediate results and I am so tempted by the claims of losing inches quickly.
The problem with getting any type of Lipo or doing other short cuts to weight loss is that if you don’t keep up the changes in your eating, activity and mindset, you aren’t going to keep the weight off. And therein lies the irony… if I truly took the steps necessary to maintain the weight loss from Lipo/HCG/Appetite Suppressants etc, then I would just lose the weight on my own! Let’s think about this for a minute, there are many quick fixes on the market but they all require changes in your diet, exercise and mentality for long term results. The techniques that “shrink” our fat cells are great but if we continue to eat poorly and not exercise, our fat cells will refill over time. The techniques that suck out our fat cells sound even better, but if we continue to eat poorly and not exercise, our remaining fat cells can grow larger in other places causing different problems.
So basically, our neighbor who had fat removed from her thighs but who DID NOT change any of her eating or exercise habits regained the fat in her stomach and back. Similarly, the guy at the gym who had lipo on his stomach to give him six-pack abs, but who DID NOT maintain his healthy eating habits, gained fat on his sides and elsewhere else. Some people are okay with odd fat distributions, many others are not. While other quick fixes might not cause the same fat re-distribution, they will also only have lasting results if our exercise, eating and mentality changes. I have lost weight in the past with HCG but once I started having a few bites of cake here or too many carbs there, the weight slowly and steadily came back. Isn’t that depressing?
Quick fixes don’t really fix anything!
I have heard many similar horror stories over the years- my friend who did Atkins to lose weight for a wedding and then gained it all back the weekend of the wedding because she splurged on carbs and alcohol. Other friends on Keto who similarly gained back a lot of weight the minute they broke their ketosis. Clients who thought they had the magic injectable, pill, supplement or vitamin that gave them short term results or no results at all.
And even knowing this, even knowing it is probably a huge waste of money, I visit the Groupon app almost daily comparing the different lipo Groupons available. Because I want the quick fix to work; I want the results to be enough to trick myself into consistently eating well, exercising the right way, and keeping the right mindset. But I pause before I press confirm on my purchase because I know, deep in my mind where I can’t truly fool myself, I know that it is a waste of money. I know the truth- that if I just ate the right way, exercised the right way, didn’t sabotage myself, I would have the body I wanted! And it wouldn’t be a short term expensive fix… it would be forever.
If you would like additional guidance or information, feel free to reach out to me at Optimally Balanced!
