Dateline: The Weight Loss Challenge

If you saw the show, you were probably amazed! If not, here's a recap. Dateline NBC met with six people that wanted to lose weight for their 25th high school reunion. Each person had to have a weight loss goal of 30 pounds or more. Each was given a dramatically different weight loss plan and agreed to be followed and monitored to see how well the diets worked..

The methods chosen were Weight Watchers, Slimfast, The Atkins diet, "Extreme" exercise, The Jorge Cruise Weight Loss Program.... and hypnotism.

At one week into the diets, the results are:

• Marc lost 13 lbs using hypnosis, and he's feeling fabulous.
• Rick lost 13 lbs on Atkins, but has headaches and constipation.
• Kathy lost 4.8 lbs on Weight Watchers, but is hungry all the time.
• Eleanor lost 3 lbs with coach Jorge's personal coaching.
• Mark gained 3 lbs using the SlimFast diet
• Lynne has lost no weight using extreme exercise.

Three weeks into the diet, Mark (on SlimFast) says: "I’m hungry. I’m hungry most of the day.... I’m still going to bed hungry and waking up hungry. Not a great way to diet. Too much pain if you ask me."

Rick on the Atkins diet, says he was losing weight, but he was also hurting... limping and suffering from painful gout.

The most interesting thing is that Marc, who used hypnosis, is happy! He feels good and the weight loss is happening "painlessly" and naturally.

[excerpt]
Suddenly Marc started exercising and eating well. Three weeks later the hypnotist told Marc everything he'd learned will be reinforced by the color red. "Brake lights, tail lights, lipstick, fingernail polish, clothing. Anytime you see the color red consciously or unconsciously."

Two months in, the man who originally couldn't get into his varsity jacket, now can't be held back. Marc was steadily working with a fitness trainer and he was religiously listening to his tapes of his hypnotist. After three months under hypnosis, his wife had a nickname for him. Incredibly, "droopy drawers" had lost the most so far, a staggering 40 pounds.
[end excerpt]

At the end of the weight challenge, Marc was in second place, with a weight loss of 40 pounds. What was truly incredible is that - despite being a pastry chef surrounded by food all day - Marc "felt good" and happy throughout.

Not only did he lose weight, but he changed his eating habits, became more physically active - and felt good about the changes in his life. And... seeing his results... his wife used hypnosis to stop smoking, too!

To purchase a VHS copy of this show, you may call 1-866-NBC-TAPE.
The full article: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3841501/

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