Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Don’t fall into the ‘Monday diet’ trap

According to a recent national survey on dieting attitudes, almost 80 percent of Americans promise to start their diets on Mondays, and one in four Americans start a new diet at least once a month. While Mondays may seem like the perfect time to start over, this approach can often be a self-defeating strategy that prolongs short- and long-term success.

“Americans have grown accustomed to the timing and predictability of Mondays,” said Laura Berman Fortgang, life coach and author of “Living Your Best Life.” “Our behavior of breaking commitments also becomes predictable. We must be held accountable for reaching our goals, and need to decide in every moment and every decision whether it will betray our best intentions or not.”

Weight management is one of the top priorities to maintaining balance in all areas of personal and professional life as Americans are bombarded with issues surrounding food and body image. The survey on national dieting attitudes was conducted by Harris Interactive for Clarinol CLA, and showcases how these issues affect many Americans.

“Weight can often be a huge driver or barrier to one’s self esteem,” said Fortgang.

To help overcome some of life’s obstacles including weight management, personal empowerment and professional growth, Fortgang offers these key strategies for success:

• Break your promise pattern. Make everyday count, not just Monday. You don’t need to wait for a certain day to begin making healthy choices.

• Break it down. Make your goal manageable with small changes, such as adding fruit for breakfast each day or attending two aerobic classes every week.

• Kick-start your body. If dieting and exercising alone are not enough, consider incorporating a safe and proven ingredient like Clarinol CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) to your diet to increase lean muscle mass and reduce fat storage.

• Emulate a role model. Whether it’s Britney’s body or Trump’s wealth, borrow the personality traits, discipline and attitude it takes to achieve your goal. Surround yourself with people who share your vision.

• Know the payoff. Always have your goal in mind. Make it your rule that every win counts, no matter the size or time of the effort. Don’t let one set-back sabotage your success.

• Define your time. Go beyond just meeting your day-to-day assignment deadlines. Make yourself accountable by setting a timeframe to reach professional goals, such as closing a deal within three months or receiving a promotion in six months.

“Make a commitment to simply break your pattern” said Fortgang. “The day or week isn’t ruined if you falter on a diet or any personal or professional endeavor. Take responsibility to make each decision count.”

Cited by Prevention magazine as “One of the Three Supplements You Don’t Know About (But Probably Need),” CLA is the newest functional ingredient proved to reduce fat storage and increase lean muscle mass when partnered with a regular diet and exercise program for the duration of eight to 12 weeks. Additionally, CLA helps reduce common dieting symptoms such as headaches and nausea. CLA has been reported in several leading peer-review journals such as the Journal of Nutrition, and has also has been proved in more than 20 human studies to show no adverse side effects.

Clarinol CLA can be found in Lifetime Fitness’s LeanSource capsules and nutrition bars, in addition to other shakes, bars and supplements. It is manufactured by Lipid Nutrition, a division of Loders Croklaan in Europe, which has more than 100 years of expertise in developing high-quality specialty oil and healthy lipid products. Clarinol CLA has been on the market in Europe since 1998.

For more information about Clarinol visit www.clarinol.com.

— ARA Content