If pills and shakes don't work, why am I using them ?

Okay, I am a big advocate of learning to manage your body and health with real food and as much organic food as possible. I don't believe that diet shakes or diet pills ultimately work in keeping your weight off because the minute you're off that shake and confronted with real food you still have to learn about appropriate food and recognising when you're full and what your body really wants to eat.

I don't know anyone who has done the "shake diet" who has said "Oh, I'm too full to finish this one of three milkshakes that I will get to consume today." No, everyone consumes the three shakes and the allocated vegies and tries desperately all day not to obsess over food.

I know of one person, and only one person who has lost weight with shakes and kept it off. But he had a team of medical professionals helping him every step of the way and supervising his maintenance program and his new relationship with food. This cost him over $6,000. Some might say that this it is crazy to spend that amount on weight loss. But ultimately in the end, if you've gained back 10-20 healthy years in your life, others might think that it's worth it.

But back to the topic, I genuinely don't believe that you can pick up a box of shakes from the chemist and hope to lose weight and keep it off. Ditto with the appetite suppressant tablets. So this really begs the question "Why the hell am I doing it?"

Okay, let me explain it like this. As most of you are aware, I suffer from PCOS which has a large number of dreary symptoms, not the least of which is being unable to process carbohydrates like a normal person. I sat down with a medical expert in the field who explained how my cells works when compared with non-PCOS sufferers and she drew pictures to explain, visually, why they don't work. Of course, I couldn't explain it to myself the moment I left her rooms, let alone anyone else. On top of that, if I consume High-GI carbohydrates (like some rice, all gluten-free pastas, alcohol etc) I will begin to experience what seems to be hunger pains shortly afterwards and crave more inappropriate foods - hence the vicious cycle I often find myself in.

Protein shakes are a great and quick meal or snack option for me when I can't find anything appropriate to eat, or if I am too tired to cook. I throw in some berries and a tablespoon of some of my organic flavourings and flaxseed oil and I'm feeling very happy and satiated and not at all on a "diet shake" regime.

Now, I have also started taken a Blackmores Weight Loss tablet the reduces appetite and curb cravings for sugary stuff. These two areas (out of control appetite and carb-craving) are the bane of my weight loss life. I simply do not have a rational relationship with sugars and I am happy to try anything to cut the cravings. In the past I have carried a re-active tool (that is, something I use _after_ the cravings hit) in the form of a homeopathic cravings spray. Provided that I use it, it's extremely effective at stopping the cravings, however, if the cravings are completely upon me then very little works. Hopefully the Blackmores product will stop the cravings before they hit (kind of like a nicotine patch, but in the form of a chocolate bandaid ... mmm chocolate).

I will provide feedback on how it goes.

Also, I am going to put out a heap of posts this week on various topics that have been running through my head. Somewhere in there I will let you know how my project plan is going and my run in with the bitch in the sports store (who is know looking for new employment!)

Talk to you soon.

Kate