Project TikGirl

1. Stop begrudging other people's "gifts"

Wasn't there always one person you envy for not getting fat? She or he might be a friend, cousin, sibling, among others, who can eat whatever, whenever, not minding how much and not gain a single pound. And how you would wish you could have the same body and metabolic rate, right?

Well, the truth hurts but not everyone is gifted. So wake up, wake up! If you really want to get that kind of "gift" -- so to speak -- you can't have it just by forever wishing and not lifting a finger. 

You can only accomplish that by exercising. It can be done by going to the gym, running, boxing or any other form of cardio exercises. Fitday.com reports that our metablic rate slows down as we age. Here's an excerpt:

Hear ye, hear ye! It's never too late. But don't get me wrong, don't even think that exercising would give you a license to eat all the food you want. Choose the kind of food you eat, go for natural -- organic if possible -- to get the kind of body you have always wanted. 

2. Starvation diet? Forget it.

Still, there are many people I know who would resort to starvation diet, thinking it would resolve their problem. They do this, of course, without even bothering to consult a dietitian or even good 'ol Google. All you need to do is to type in the keywords and thousands of medical websites and health-related blogs would tell you that starvation will not do you any good.

For the lack of a better term, starvation diet is like resolving a problem with another problem. Here's an excerpt from Live Strong.com: 

Not eating enough can slow the body's metabolism, making it harder to lose weight. The body can detect when there's been a shift in calorie levels and reacts accordingly. With severe food restriction, the body begins to conserve its fuel, stored fat. The result is that you burn less calories and stop losing weight. Then whether you are exercising, working or sleeping, you will burn fewer calories all day long. While "dieting" is supposed to mean deprivation and hunger, staying fed actually leads to more successful weight loss and maintenance.

This metabolic response to starvation demonstrates a protective mechanism of survival. When you don't eat, the body thinks you may be entering a period of famine. Who knows when the next food may come along, so the body conserves its stored calories for later use. This evolutionary protection of our ancestors makes an "all or nothing" eating pattern ineffective for weight loss. Even though sustained starvation over a long period of time will eventually result in weight loss, this is not a healthy or realistic weight-loss plan. Weight loss from starvation can cause lasting damage to the body and metabolism.

I have my own share of days I spent on starvation diet during my high school days. And I ended up in hospital bed because it triggered a gastritis attack. So forget it, okay?

3. Pills? Forget that one too!

I tried those diet pills before, too. And yes, it did work. But at what risk?

It was four or five years ago when I tried one of these over the counter diet pills available mostly in Chinese drugstores and in online shops. Sure thing, I lost several pounds in just one week without doing anything. All you have to do take a tablet or two in morning and in between meals.

That is definitely every woman's dream right? No wonder many women are hooked over the promises it hold. But again, I am asking, at what risk?

I remember how dehydrated I felt when I took those pills. I was so dehydrated that I could feel the my eyelids whenever I blink. At first, of course, I thought that it was "natural" and that it was side effect I did not mind to experience. But dehydration, no matter what caused it, is bad and dangerous to one's health.

It was instinct, I guess. I decided to stop taking the pills. And I was glad that I did because years later, I stumbled upon my high school classmate Martha Sta. Barbara's blog The Beauty Junkee. She narrated her harrowing experience with these pills. Click here to read her blog entry.