Why not, really? It might save you the trips to the gym, dieting, long sessions of repetitive exercises that you have never liked – or, at least, so the commercials promise. Wouldn’t that be great? Whether you are watching TV, or searching for something on the web, tons of flashy ads featuring some sort of wonder-product will get in the way and do anything to get your attention – even if it has to be as annoying as jiggling arms or layers of belly fat.
While these fat tissues may totally gross you out and make you pay for blocking the ads, there are also plenty of commercials with very attractive men and women flexing their muscles and showing off a perfectly sculptured body. It probably took years of hard work to achieve this, not to mention a strictly controlled diet, gym fees and many other “investments” (money, time and effort). However, we tend to assume – subconsciously perhaps – that we can get similar results for $**.99 “only”, with just a few minutes of exercising a day and changing nothing about our lifestyles. This may sound great, but it simply isn’t realistic, and if the best we can get is only a fraction of that result, or nothing at all, then $**.99 is probably a fortune to pay for nothing or “next to nothing”. Still, many people hurry to use that coupon or special offer and “order now” while the price seems so low.
We can laugh all we want at this – even laugh at ourselves for wishing to buy such a product at one point or another, but we’d probably better think why the ads and product demonstrations still manage to convince us that dramatic results are possible without considerable effort. Many people are very sensitive to the words like “secret research” or “secret ingredient”, believing that those must be the key to providing a quick “solution” to their problems. Where does that belief come from, and what has to be considered before your wallet loses weight effectively with such products?
Technological innovations for remarkable results
It makes sense, right? Many things that were once impossible or very time-consuming have become fast and easy – travelling, communication, data and money transactions, etc. Nearly every human activity has seen some progress with the development of technology and better tools or methods to use. So, we can easily assume there may be a chance of inventing a “magic pill” or a high-tech device for losing weight quickly and staying fit effortlessly. After all, the history of humankind is full of experiments aimed at creating a miracle-working “youth potion”, so perhaps the time is now, and the technology is advanced enough to finally enable this?
However, the way a human body functions hasn’t changed much. All sorts of health conditions and problems develop over time, and therefore can’t disappear instantly or be “fixed” quickly. Even the invasive and risky surgery methods require a certain recovery period, often a lengthy one. While losing some weight over a short period of time is possible, it is very unhealthy and may cause serious problems. Besides, any weight you lose quickly is not that stubborn fat you mostly want to get rid of, and it is also very likely to come back on as fast as it came off, or even faster. Honestly, this desire to “lose it fast” reminds me of people taking off all their clothes before checking their weight – just to see a slightly lower number displayed. Naturally, the clothes need to go back on – but it seems comforting to see a certain number, though in fact it may mean very different things.
Easy and comfortable
“You can get rock hard abs with no sweat”, “lean back and exercise without even leaving your chair” – does this sound like your dream? If yes, have you ever wondered how something contradicting the normal functions of the body can work within that body, let alone produce good results? If you wish to have any noticeable results, easy and comfortable is simply not the way it is going to happen. Likewise, in any other context, good results are not possible without stepping outside of your comfort zone. You have to challenge your body in order to see some changes, which are only possible through its adapting to something it isn’t used to. This is its natural function essential for survival, and it’s the only thing that works. Someone who always wants to stay comfortable and do everything by using the least energy possible is very likely to be overweight or out of shape, in the first place.
Read also – 8 Most Useless Workouts Ever
Change your way of thinking
If your dream fitness thing looks like a lawn chair or a swivel chair, a miracle in a bottle or in an electronic belt, forget about the results that naturally take lots of hard work, self-discipline and self-challenging. Since the body is a complicated system, the road to losing weight and staying fit is not a straight one – it is more like a busy intersection of diet and exercise routes. There are no shortcuts, no “secret” other ways, regardless of how the marketing professionals may try to convince you of the contrary. Results take time, working hard enough and changing your eating habits.
The fact that your body is a system is also worth remembering when some fitness gadgets promise to “burn”, “melt”, or “shake off” fat in a certain part of your body. Spot reduction is another myth we love to believe, but burning fat in a specific area is not possible, no matter how hard you exercise that body part. You can only reduce your overall body fat by combining a balanced diet with a complex exercise program.
That wallet of yours is likely to be the only example of spot reduction you’ll ever see. Weight loss will also occur mainly there, unless you are realistic in your expectations, know how your body works, and keep it in mind that everything sounding too good to be true is probably a scam. Do you have any fitness equipment that actually works, or have you ever used any products that don’t? Please share your experience, which may be very helpful for others.