I found this old post from my Blogger days. It was one of the first from the Losing It Series.  Thought I would share this since it is no longer on my active site.  I may pull some more posts from that series in the coming weeks.

I found the miracle cure for weight loss.  I found it on the internet, of course.  It is called the Tapeworm Diet.  I am not kidding.  There is a Tapeworm Diet; and yes, it involves a real Tapeworm.  Here is the information I found about this “diet”:

“So what does a tapeworm in your gut actually do? It secretes proteins in our intestinal tract that make our digestion of food much less efficient. A less efficient digestive systems means that you can consume more calories through your food since your “body guest” is also noshing on them for his own growth purposes. Some scientists estimate that those infected with a single tapeworm can lose up to one or two pounds each week.”

Extreme?  Maybe, but is it anymore extreme than allowing a surgeon to place a big rubber band around your stomach or cut out part of your intestine?   What about giving up sugar and carbs totally?  We could say it is easier than running triathlons, jogging for miles everyday, or spending your life and fortune in a gym.

Let’s look at those people on the Biggest Loser reality TV show.  They leave their life, families, and jobs to go and live in a big house with strangers.  They show off their layers of fat being pushed up by tight spandex to the entire TV viewing world. Don’t forget that they are beaten to death by two obsessed trainers.

I wonder if any of you reading this understand how desperate many of us are to lose weight and change our lives.  We have bad knees, bad backs, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many other health issues caused by weight.  We look at the clothing in our favorite store and then have to go to the “other” stores that sell fat clothes.  Oh, wait, sorry, I meant Plus Size.  I dream of the day I can fit into a size 16, while normal weight friends are mortified it they hit a size 14.

Many of us have tried the most popular solutions that have passed our way-Atkins, Sugar Busters, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, diet pills, Jazzercise, Aerobics, and more.   I have even been looking online for “fat camps or fat rehabs.”  They do exist, but not in my price range.  One week at a well known “weight loss spa resort” in Hilton Head costs $3400 for a 10 day stay.  They recommend 21 days at a special rate of $6900.  The truth is that I would gladly pay that and more if it would work.

If you are scratching your head and thinking, what about good old fashion calorie counting and exercise, you are not alone.   Sure it works.  Absolutely.  The problem is maintaining that for a lifetime.  I will write more about the “cravings’, the obsession”, the inability to stop once you start in another blog post.   I can’t eat ONE doughnut.  I can’t even imagine why someone would eat just one.    I often wonder why they make little bags for one or two doughnuts at Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme? One dozen is more realistic.

OK-enough for today.  Thanks for reading and following along with me on this journey.