Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, ready to give you the skinny on the latest diet fitness health tips and news.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a magical miracle answer for weight loss? I bet it would make the stock of gyms around the country plummet if such a thing existed. So why do so many people get suckered into trying so-called miracle solutions to losing weight? I blame it on hope – a hope that you can lose weight without trying at all. Well I hope that you’ll heed my advice about the following diet and weight loss scams – and I hope that they won’t get you!!

1. Supplements. Manufacturers don’t need to get their product registered with the FDA before they sell or market them. That right there should be enough to make you think something is fishy about them. Taking vitamins is one thing. Taking a dietary supplement that probably has false claims attached to it is sadly just being gullible. Detailed information about dietary supplements is basically only available through the manufacturer. And the chances that they are being fully honest with you about their product is slim!

2. Creams. “Just spread this cold cream over your thighs and watch the fat disappear. That’s right folks, step right up for the cream that absorbs calories!!” Um… I don’t think so. Unless that cream was designed and manufactured by David Copperfield, there’s no weight loss magic that’s going to result from applying a topical cream to your body. Be smart and ask questions about claims like this. Use your noodle!

3. Jewelry. Have you heard about the bracelets that magnetically or minerally set your body up for weight-loss success? Yeah, apparently Jacob the Jeweler was searching for a way to infiltrate the weight loss world. If you fall for one of these, you are wasting your money on a flashy piece of junk AND still not losing weight.

4. Patches. Most of the skin patches on the market have been proven to be blatantly ineffective and useless. The false claims made by some patch-producing companies have even earned them the distinction of getting slapped with lawsuits by the Federal Trade Commission. Apparently the committee found it in the public’s best interest to put a stop to the outrageous claims these patch companies were making. I’d heed their advice.

Think about how long it took you to gain your weight. How likely is it that it can be lost in a fraction of the time? Avoid the temptation to believe that there is a pill or patch that can save you from needing to make the necessary changes in your lifestyle. Go the healthy route of eating well and staying active, and remember – if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!

If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s podcast or any fun health diet or fitness tip, please feel free to email me at ladydietpodcast@diet.com.

Stay healthy, stay fit and stay focused with Diet.com... this is Lady Diet signing off!