| October 2010 E-News | Playing a Game of Chance Right below the newspaper article about the lack of scientific evidence for the latest weight loss "miracle" was a large ad for a local doctor prescribing the stuff. Though he'll probably demand a refund of his costly advertising dollars, I seriously doubt the article will decrease the response rate to his ad.  Somehow, when there's a possibility of a payoff, no matter how remote, some people will take the chance. It's kind of like gambling. You know it's too good to be true but somebody has to win, right? Wrong.
I recently saw a woman at a dinner party who looked kind of "flat." I noticed she wasn't eating. She explained that she was sick of yo-yo dieting and was now on a program of hormone shots and 500 calories a day to "reset her pituitary gland." Apparently, this scientific-sounding explanation and her own desperation caused her to overlook the absurdity of it. This was not the first time she'd been taken in by drastic measures - and I'm afraid it won't be the last. Addiction to Restriction The $40 billion weight loss industry has continued to explode. If it actually did what it claimed, wouldn't the market be shrinking? We're lured in with images of happy people and promises of a quick fix for all our problems. Somehow the cost doesn't seem so high when the potential benefits look so great. This is akin to someone in financial trouble heading to Vegas with their last thousand dollars. They don't pause long enough to wonder, "How could they keep all these lights on if people actually won?" Somehow they manage to ignore their gut instincts telling them that it's too good to be true. Even people who don't usually gamble might plunk down a few bucks every week to buy a lottery ticket. Advertisements convince them that "you can't win if you don't play." They get hooked on the small payoffs and ignore the fact that very few people actually hit the jackpot. And most that do eventually end up right back where they started. Don't Bet On It Other than a few quarters in a slot machine for entertainment value, the lure of gambling has eluded me. Yet I was once willing to play the weekly weigh-in game until I realized that weighing, measuring, and counting was causing preoccupation, deprivation, cravings, and overeating. Just like gambling to get rich, the "solution" had become part of the problem. I could fool myself into believing that "this was the last time," but it never was. I finally admitted that I had become addicted to the eat-repent-repeat cycle. A Sure Thing If I wasn't willing to gamble my money, why was I gambling with my well-being? I went cold turkey: no more dieting. Instead, I made a true investment in my health - body, mind, heart, and spirit. I expected it to be harder, but it wasn't, because the wins were immediate, real, and lasting. I discovered true success: - Eating what I love without guilt or bingeing
- Meeting my needs in more satisfying, fulfilling ways than eating and restricting
- Living the vibrant, healthy, abundant life I craved
If you suspect you might be trapped in the addictive eat-repent-repeat cycle, take our quiz to find out. Write down your scores and download the report. If you've already read Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle or participated in an Am I Hungry? Workshop, take the quiz again to see how your investment has paid off! Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly!
Michelle May, M.D.
Am I Hungry? Facilitator Training YOU can help people break their eat-repent-repeat cycle! Our next Facilitator Training starts January 11, 2011. For more information or to register, please click here. NEW! Am I Hungry? Facilitator Training Online Coming November 1st: This online training course allows you to learn at your own pace. For details and registration information in advance, please email us at training@amihungry.com. |
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| Make Your Meeting Meaningful and Memorable Michelle shares her powerful approach to creating sustainable healthy lifestyles with health care professionals, corporations, associations, and organizations across the country. She delivers her crucial and timely message with passion, energy, humor, and insight that transforms the way people view eating and physical activity. Her popular facilitated mindful eating experiences will engage and inspire your participants to make lasting changes that support a vibrant, healthy life. Please visit www.MichelleMayMD.com for her preview video, keynotes, workshops, and spokesperson or sponsorship information.
| | |  |  | | Where is Michelle? | Wellcoaches Mindful Weight Management Masters Class
Tele-Seminar
Sept. 1-Oct. 27, 2010 Arizona Association of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
Phoenix Convention Center
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Banner Health
Gilbert, Arizona
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Big Sky, Montana
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