There are so many different dieting and weight loss plans, that it would probably take all the space here to list them.

Some of them sound crazy, and some don’t make sense, and some won’t work for everyone. For me, the plan laid out in the “90 Day Commit to Get Fit” program worked just fine, and that’s what I’ve tried to stick to since I completed the program two years ago.

While there are some diets I could never imagine myself trying, the one thing I know I’ll never do is turn to a weight loss drug.

Unfortunately, in today’s society, people want a quick fix. That’s probably why a lot of people who try a new diet or exercise program don’t stick with it, which is unfortunate. If you’re trying to lose weight, you have to understand, you didn’t gain it over night, you’re not going to lose it that way either.

But that’s just my way of thinking, and I’d rather not try to lose weight by taking a drug. I try to make that a general rule across the board.

When my allergies get bad,
I’ll take something over the counter, because otherwise, I’d rub my eyes out. Unless its unbearable, I try to power on through headaches. And if I get a cold that doesn’t require a trip to the doctor, I drink a lot of fluids.

This week, a company called Arena Pharmaceuticals announced that Belviq, its weight loss drug, would soon be available in the United States. The drug was approved by the FDA a year ago, but the release to the public was delayed for logistical reasons.

Belviq is the first long-term weight loss approved by the FDA in over a decade, according to a story by the Associated Press. It reportedly works by stimulating the serotonin receptors in your brain that are linked to feelings of satiety.

That means the drug tricks you into think you’re full. Its side effects include depression, migraine and memory lapses.

And in some studies done by Arena, a small amount of patients using Belviq experienced hallucinations and euphoria.

I’m not sure if the euphoria is because people taking it were losing weight, or because of the things they were hallucinating. I can say, that I’ve experienced feelings of euphoria after finishing some workouts, and I’d rather get that feeling from a tough workout than from a wonder drug.

Of course there is another side effect from losing weight through healthy eating and exercise.

It’s called satisfaction.

Joe Marchilena writes a weekly fitness
column for Hampshire Hills. To find out more information about the “90 Day
Commit to Get Fit” program, call 673-7123 or email hhinfo@hampshirehills.com.

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