Happy Wednesday, Everyone!
Recently, Sean was reading a really interesting post on CNN News about the history of diets and I was both mortified, and slightly embarassed. It dawned on me that I am totally guilty of trying several of these throughout the years! Actually, when it comes down to it, if not for having documented all of the trials and failures, I may not have been such a prime candidate for Weight Loss Surgery (WLS). It’s no secret that most of us (as in, all of us, including the some of us who don’t like to be honest and say we practically sweated bacon fat during Atkins, for example) have tried a nice hearty helping of “fad” diets, and most of us weren’t very sucessful. At least, not long term!
I personally, was just REALLY hungry after, and that thirty pounds came right back once I ate a biscuit! And not even the kind from Red Lobster!
I thought it’d be fun to share this crazy list, and turn it into a pledge to myself to never do one of these crazy diets again (I’m not hating on the more sensible things like Jazzercise, I’m just saying; If Dexatrim has been around since the 80′s and is actually soooo effective…why would we be doing weight loss surgeries in the first place?):
1820: Lord Byron popularizes the Vinegar and Water Diet, which entails drinking water mixed with apple cider vinegar.
1903: President William Howard Taft pledges to slim down after getting stuck in the White House bathtub.
1925: The Lucky Strike cigarette brand launches the “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet” campaign, capitalizing on nicotine’s appetite-suppressing superpowers.
1930s: The Grapefruit Diet — a.k.a. the Hollywood Diet — is born. The popular low-cal plan calls for eating grapefruit with every meal.
1950s: The Cabbage Soup Diet promises you can lose 10 to 15 pounds in a week by eating a limited diet including cabbage soup every day.
Mid-1950s: Urban legend has it that opera singer Maria Callas dropped 65 pounds on the Tapeworm Diet, allegedly by swallowing a parasite-packed pill.
1963: Weight Watchers is founded by Jean Nidetch, a self-described “overweight housewife obsessed with cookies.”
1970:The Sleeping Beauty Diet, which involves sedation, is rumored to have been tried by Elvis.
1975: A Florida doctor creates the Cookie Diet, a plan where you eat cookies made with a blend of amino acids. Hollywood eats it up.
1977: Slim-Fast — a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, then a sensible dinner — becomes a diet staple.
1978: Dr. Herman Tarnower publishes “The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet.” Two years later he is shot by his girlfriend.
1979: Dexatrim, a diet drug containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA), appears on drugstore shelves. Its formula changes after PPA is linked to an increased risk of stroke in 2000.
1980s: A popular appetite-suppressing candy called Ayds is taken off the market after the AIDS crisis hits.
1982: The aerobics craze steps into high gear when Jane Fonda launches her first exercise video, “Workout: Starring Jane Fonda.” Her catch phrase: “No pain, no gain.”
1983: Jazzercise, founded in 1969 by professional dancer Judi Sheppard Missett, hits all 50 states.
1985: Harvey and Marilyn Diamond publish “Fit for Life,” which prohibits complex carbs and protein from being eaten during the same meal.
1987: In her memoir-slash-self-help book, “Elizabeth Takes Off,” actress Elizabeth Taylor advises dieters to eat veggies and dip each day at 3 p.m.
1988: Wearing a pair of size 10 Calvin Klein jeans, Oprah walks onto the set of her show, pulling a wagon full of fat to represent the 67 pounds she lost on a liquid diet.
1991: Americans go low-fat, eating foods like McDonald’s McLean Deluxe burger.
1992: Dr. Robert C. Atkins publishes “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution,” a high-protein, low-carb plan.
1994: The Guide to Nutrition Labeling and Education Act requires food companies to include nutritional info on nearly all packaging.
1995: The Zone Diet, which calls for a specific ratio of carbs, fat, and protein at each meal, begins to attract celeb fans.
1999: Victoria Beckham starts the blink-and-it’s-gone baby weight trend following the birth of her first son, Brooklyn.
2000: Gwyneth Paltrow lends cred to the Macrobiotic Diet, a restrictive Japanese plan based on whole grains and veggies.
2001: Renée Zellweger packs on nearly 30 pounds to play Bridget Jones. She quickly (and controversially) sheds the weight only to gain it back for the 2004 sequel.
2003: Miami’s Dr. Arthur Agatston adds fuel to the low-carb craze by publishing “The South Beach Diet,” seen as a more moderate version of Atkins.
2004: The FDA bans the sale of diet drugs and supplements containing ephedra after it’s linked to heart attacks.
2004: “The Biggest Loser” makes its TV debut, turning weight loss into a reality show.
2006: Beyonce admits to using the Master Cleanse, a concoction of hot water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, to shed 20 pounds for “Dreamgirls.”
2007: Alli hits the market. The nonprescription drug is taken with meals to keep your body from absorbing some of the food you eat.
2010: Jennifer Hudson loses a jaw-dropping 80 pounds on Weight Watchers.
2011: The HCG Diet, which combines a fertility drug with a strict 500- to 800-calorie-a-day regimen, invites interest — and criticism.
2012: Jessica Simpson loses 60 pounds of baby weight on Weight Watchers.
WOO! You’re welcome. I’m the crazy one giving history lessons on the internet. 
In other news….I wanted to share that I did in fact have my post-weight loss “excess skin removal” consult with the plastic surgeon, and she thinks I am an excellent candidate! It’s typical for health insurance companies to turn patients down when it comes to covering thigh lifts, based on them being too cosmetic. I’d be MORE than happy to have them accompany me to the gym, put a pair of Soffe shorts on, and assure them that this is serious stuff! But alas, all we are waiting for now is the insurance ok, and the nice lady at Scripps told me I should have an answer by the 21st of this month. The anxiety is somewhat excruciating! I just want to schedule it already! But time will tell!
In the meantime, I bought a bag of frozen pilsbury biscuits. You bake them as needed. I’ve only had one so far…no weight gain to report! 
This month, Alex introduced me to a new yoga studio in my dream neighborhood, San Elijo, and we just did a hot Yoga class this morning. And it was AMAZING! I plan to get a membership so that I can continue to partake. Sweating like that a few times a week will definitely have me bikini ready! But until then, what you see, my friends….is what you get! I haven’t walked properly since Sunday morning…
That’s all for now, but I hope you’re all having a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by! I’ll leave you with a laugh:
my LIFE!
‘Til Next Time!
XOXO
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