Who hasn't heard one or more of these claims:

• You can have rock hard abs in just 5 minutes a day!
• Pop this pill and the pounds and inches will melt away!
• Buy this amazing machine and have the body you've always dreamed of!
• Take our supplements and you too can look just like a competitive bodybuilder!

I'm sure you have heard such claims, they are everywhere. If you are like me, you are wondering when all the nonsense is going to stop. I am not saying that all fitness products are bad, but without your own lifelong commitment to regular exercise and good nutrition, they are worthless. Today I hope to shed some light on some of these fitness claims and save you aggravation, time and money in the process.

I recently decided to do my own homework on several items touted as being a quick and easy way to lose weight. One such item was a chocolate drink mix which promised many pounds of weight loss in only one week. The main ingredients were sugar, cocoa, powdered milk, additives and preservatives, with vitamins and minerals sprinkled in to make it "healthy". Does this sound healthy to you? The consumer is supposed to substitute a normal breakfast and/or lunch with this drink and lose weight. I ask you, who wouldn't lose weight when they stop eating breakfast and lunch? The worst way on earth to lose those extra pounds is through dieting without exercise. Much of the "weight" you lose with dieting alone is muscle and water, remember it is muscle that keeps your metabolism in high gear. Quickly reducing calories actually causes your metabolism to slow down, which is the last thing you want if fat loss is your goal.

Another product I came across claimed to give you "washboard abs" in only minutes a day. If you have been reading this column, you have learned that "spot reducing" is impossible. Doing abdominal exercises all day long will not give you a smaller waistline. Instead eat sensibly and exercise all the muscle groups both aerobically and anaerobically.

As a bodybuilder, I have also seen many ads for supplements promising to give you muscle and get rid of fat. If it were this easy, the world would be full of lean, strong muscular people and gyms would be nearly empty. The majority of people in these advertisements have been bodybuilding for years, many at competition level. They will tell you that they did not get muscular by taking a powder, pill, or drink. I believe that supplements may have their place if enhancing performance is your objective, however, individual metabolic interactions are complex, and random supplementation can have serious results. The FDA does not regulate most of these products, so it is up to you to educate yourself before you spend your time and money and possibly sacrifice your health.

The bottom line is this: You cannot buy good health. There are no "miracles" when it comes to getting into great shape. Fad diets, exercise gadgets, supplements, and weight loss pills will give you only temporary results at best and can be costly and even unsafe. If you are smart you will realize that there is simply no substitute for old fashioned do-it-yourself hard work! We all must take responsibility for our own bodies, and find ways of making and sticking to positive lifestyle changes. If you feel you are "lost" when it comes to starting your exercise program, seek out a professional who is experienced in the field of fitness and/or nutrition, or begin researching the subject on your own.

You only get one body, and it is up to you to take care of it.

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