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Update
- October 28, 2004
By Phil Kaplan
The
purpose of this update? To protect you. Will you learn very
much as you progress through this article? Perhaps not, but
for many it will allow them to regain their common sense.
I will share the eight parts of an effective fitness and fat
reduction strategy, but more importantly, I want to make sure
that you learn to recognize the very cleverly disguised deception
that drives millions upon millions to give up both their money
and their beleif that physical change is possible. I assure
you, if you're living and breathing, positive physical change
is not only possible, it's guaranteed . . .if (and this is
a big "if") . . .you have the correct approach.
A sound technology of change.
With
that in mind, we begin the update . . . .
Who is the strongest
person you know?
 Think
about it and come up with answer.
OK, how many people
did you come up with?
One, right?
Of course!
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
 Who
is the smartest?
Think about it.
I'll bet you come up with one
person.
What is the fastest
car?
The McLaren F1? The Corvette
Sledgehammer? In order to answer the question there would
have to a decisive race, and only ONE would win!
 Who
is the oldest living human being?
What is the largest
continent?
All of those questions
have one answer. There is only one biggest,
one strongest, one fastest.
Using that logic,
it would follow that if I were to ask what is the most
amazing weight loss option available today,
there would be one? Right? Because the words, "most amazing,"
would direct you to choose the ONE product that
is in fact the most amazing.
Back in the Old Days
. . . .
. . . sellers of nutritional
supplements found their fortunes by pursuing direct mail campaigns,
and the more pages they put in their direct mail packages,
the greater their marketing costs and the more pressing their
need for a significant response. There would be a sales letter
presenting the pill, diet, or new formula as a revolutionary
breakthrough. There would be a brochure featuring attractive
pictures of the product and happy smiling people with fabricated
testimonials. There might also be an order form, a discount
coupon, or a "special bonus offer" to create a sense
of urgency.
The cost per prospect
was a primary consideration. Printing has its costs. Mailing
has its costs. Fulfillment has its cost. Many made millions,
but many millions struggled to find the message that worked
(wouldn't it have been really cool if they focused on creating
something of quality rather than something that would sell?).
Today, in the 21
Century . . .
. . . thanks to the
Internet, marketing cost has gone down, and marketers' reach
has been increased radically. Rather than limiting themselves
to the number of brochures and sales letters they can afford
to print and mail, on the web marketers can just add more
and more compelling copy, more and more testimonials, and
more and more promises and the additional cost is next to
nothing.
 You've
no doubt received emails promising a miracle cure. Somehow
you made it on to a list. Sure, we call that Spam and many
of us filter those offers out, but if there weren't people
responding . . . the ads would go away. E-mail blasts remains
the hottest trend for Internet marketers of weight loss products.
The success formula
is simple. Here's how it works. They secure a domain name
(a www address) containing the words "miracle,"
"amazing" or "magic," and they intersperse
the adjective with the words "weight loss," "trim
down," or "slim away." They then purchase lists.
E-mail lists.
Back in the days of
direct mail, lists could get expensive for marketers. They'd
buy lists of proven buyers and the more responsive the lists
were, the more expensive they became. This worked wonders
because they were all selling worthless products, so there
was a guarantee that a short time after a purchase, everyone
on that list would be prime for a new weight loss offer. Because
today, 2/3 of Americans are overweight, the new Internet marketers
know that if they just randomly email messages to hundreds
of thousands of "weight loss prospects," statistically
2 out of 3 people who read the email will have at least enough
interest to read and possibly "click here."
The email marketers
buy massive lists inexpensively and send out emails that use
several approaches to catch your attention.
1.
They simply say "Hi" and appear to be from a friend
-
SUBJECT:
Hi!
Body Text:
I know you've been waiting for me to send you the link
to the product that helped me lose all that weight, the
most amazing weight loss product ever invented.
I've been so busy with dates and my social life has become
amazing. It must have been a few months ago that I told
you I'd send the link, but better late than never . .
. .
2. They are
intriguing -
SUBJECT:
This is awesome!
Body Text:
If someone told me that one pill a day can get me to lose
86 pounds without diet or exercise, I never would have
believed it. Then a friend gave me a small bottle of little
pills, and I took one a day. The pills are herbal, they're
legal, and even doctors are keeping them quiet because
they don't want them to replace those expensive weight
loss drugs. Want to get the inside story on the most
amazing pill the world has ever seen? . . . .
3. They promise
a benefit -
SUBJECT:
Lose more weight than ever
Body Text:
Lose as much weight as you want, even up to 45 pounds
in the first month! People everywhere are shocked by the
amazing weight loss result super thinnythin wafers bring.
Best of all, they aren't pills or capsules. They're food,
so you never get hungry! Forget about those diets that
limit your weight loss to a measly 2-3 pounds per week.
Lose more weight than ever with the most amazing
weight loss food!!!!
4. They announce
a new discovery -
SUBJECT:
the miracle weight loss pill is here
Body Text:
Swedish researchers have known for years that they can
get people down to their ideal body weight by prescribing
a little-known drug. The problem is, the FDA wouldn't
allow it into the U.S. That was until Dr. Donald Duck
returned from Sweden and attempted to recreate the pharmaceutical
formula. Dr. Duck not only managed to invent an amazing
weight loss product, but by adding a very safe and natural
herb managed to lower cholesterol, increase sex drive,
and eliminate depression. This is the most effective
weight loss product ever developed, and for the first
time ever it's being made available to a select few who
respond to this announcement.
5. They share
a personal story -
SUBJECT:
100 pounds are gone, and it was easy!
Body text:
When I reached 318 pounds, my husband left me. It was
the most crushing moment of my life when I watched him
walk out the door for the last time. I didn't blame him.
He married a size two and wound up with someone who couldn't
even buy jeans that fit. For two weeks after he left I
stayed in the house nursing my emotional wounds with food.
I ballooned up to my highest ever, 329! I went to the
doctor to help with my depression and all I wanted was
to forget, to stop feeling miserable. I just wanted one
day without crying. The doctor stunned me when she said,
"you don't need a drug, you just need to lose weight,
and it's simpler than ever!" She took out what looked
like a large toothpaste tube and handed me the most
powerful weight loss agent known to mankind. I
couldn't wait to try it so I rubbed some on my thighs
and around my waist before I even left the doctor's office.
When I got home I weighed myself and I was back to 318!
Either my scale was broken, or this really was amazing.
Every morning I'd rub miracle melt away cream on my trouble
areas, and 100 pounds later I'm showing off my new body
in a brand new string bikini! If I ever knew it would
be this easy, I wouldn't have waited so long to start
enjoying life . . . .
Of course then the
text directs those who read it to the compelling website.
I started looking closely at these sites and here's what I
found. If you're looking for the most amazing weight
loss product, and remember, there is only one MOST
anything . . . you'll find hundreds of products all making
the promise, and amazingly, nearly every one of those promises
is complete and total fraud!
I have a spam filter
that works wonders. It's called Spam
Bully. At this moment I have 24,000 spam message in my
"Spam" folder and I cleaned it out only about 2
weeks ago. Before I wrote this article I scanned through the
folder to examine the fitness and weight loss offerings that
either used the words, "miracle," "amazing,"
and "magic" or used at least one of the five ploys
I just outlined. I found:
- 1400 offers for Viagra, Cialis,
or "better sex"
- 1200 offers for diet drugs
online through foreign pharmacies
- 850 offers for Multi-Level
Marketing products where an "independent distributor"
was going to both help me lose weight and make me rich in
the process
Here's the interesting
part. Of the emails I scanned through (I downloaded Google's
Desktop Search - it's really cool and saves me lots of
time when I decide to do silly things like count my emails),
more than 1000 of them promised to be "the most,"
effective, "the best" weight loss formula, or "the
most amazing" pill. 1,000 bests?
Marketers of weight
loss and fitness products have gone to such extremes their
compelling messages are pure fiction. In fact, they defy common
sense. Still, when we live in a society where people tune
in to watch overweight people starve, sweat, and compete on
"The Biggest Loser," where TV and radio become vehicles
to hypnotize the weight loss wanting public, and where the
Internet compels people to make purchases in private, purchases
that in many cases will do nothing but reduce their bank balances,
people will bypass their common sense and reach out in desperation
hoping, almost believing, in the new miracle.
Just for kicks, go
to your favorite search engine and type in, in quotations,
"most amazing weight loss." You'll probably get six pages
of links including CHOCOLATE LOVERS DREAM, collagen protein,
herbal formulas, hypnosis, CLA, Enforma System, and a host
of products, some recognizable, some completely out of left
field. Next, try typing in "weight loss miracle."
You'll find 2000 some odd links, promising the pounds will
drop like crazy.
Here's what's really
amazing. You.
 Your
heart beats without you having to rev it up or even think
about it. That's amazing.
When you sleep your
pituitary gland goes to work producing more Growth Hormone.
That's amazing.
When you eat your
body turns food into molecular nutrients and uses amino acids
to build new healthy cells. That's amazing.
If you recognize that
there's nothing amazing about any formula promising weight
loss, and you stop and think about how amazing your body actually
is, you should comfortably buy into my next statement.
The most amazing weight
loss program available today is the one that teaches you to
coax your body to gradually release fat, boost metabolism,
and add or maintain lean metabolically active muscle. The
most amazing weight loss program available today is the one
that starts not with a supplement purchase but with a mindset
adjustment. The most amazing weight loss program available
today is any program that applies the vital concept of Synergy.
All of my programs that assist
in fat reduction are built around a solid, proven, effective
strategy incorporating eight parts:
-
Resistance Exercise is a
must
-
Aerobic Exercise can be
kept moderate
-
Exercise the body as the
body is designed to move and avoid unnatural movements
that put undue stress on muscles, joints, or connective
tissue
-
There should be a slight
caloric deficit, but not too extreme and not achieved
through nutrient deprivation
-
Simple sugars and bleached
and refined carbs must be minimized
-
Activity and downtime (recuperation)
must be in balance
-
A balance of complex carbs,
fiber, essential fats, and protein must be ingested
frequently spread evenly throughout the day.
-
Change your exercise regimen
with some regularity finding new and creative ways to
increase intensity without relying on extreme exercise
volume. Simply challenge your muscles and your cardiorespiratory
a bit more than they're used to being challenged.
What's really amazing
is the fact that your body can adapt to the stimulus you throw
at it. You just have to make sure the stimulus is a sensible
one built upon, as I suggested at the onset, a sound technology
of change.
As I've continued to work with
thousands of people, as I've continued to explore thousands
of purported solutions, and as I've interacted with the elite
handful of coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and experts who
consistently help others achieve long term healthful fitness
and fat loss, I've continued to reinforce the fact that the
eight parts of the strategy outlined above result in control
over your body and your metabolism.
Clever marketing ploys to watch
out for:
A company with an address
in Canada produces a very slick and well produced sales
brochure disguised as "Plastic Surgery Magazine."
The company has used the name Denman Scientific, but appears
to have distributed similar magazines under different company
names. The "magazine" shows extreme (retouched
and computer enhanced) before and after images and directs
readers toward a supplement. This has been used to sell
Zymax, an ephedrine based product, and several other products
claiming to get rid of fat. The magazine is a fake, the
products way overhyped. If you receive Plastic Surgery Magazine
in the mail and it suggests you buy a supplement, recognize
it for what it is. A very clever scam.
Beware the seaweed based weight
loss patches. The FTC has already filed claims against
several promoters of these "big sellers," but
they keep coming in in the form of spam. The mechanism by
which this seaweed patch works is supposed to involve thyroid
hormone production as seaweed is high in iodine and iodine
. . . ingested . . . can alter thyroid levels. The catch
is, if it "works" you run the risk of slowing
thyroid in the long term. It's also important to note that
if it "works," a review of FDA laws would reveal
that it would have to be categorized as a drug. So . . .
bottom line . . . it doesn't work, regardless of what the
ads and emails say.
Beware the ads and come-ons
that say "no diet, no exercise." There could
be a third part to that statement. No results!
Beware the unrealistic "lose
pounds" offerings. The FTC stopped the manufacturer
of Thermoslim from marketing it using claims such as "95
pounds gone in 60 days," but with one company being
faced with a $1 million fine, there are hundreds of other
companies full willing to take that risk. Despite the efforts
of the FTC, there is virtually no limit to the number of
advertisers making over-the-top lose-weight claims.
When a product claims to be
a magic formula, examine the ingredients. If the primary
ingredient is collagen protein, you should know that the
FTC has already fined sellers of collagen protein using
weight loss claims significantly. As in the case of the
"lose pounds" offerings, they managed to shut
down a few fraudulent operators, but the deception is too
widespread for it to really be controlled.
I've been asked repeatedly
about the product Cortislim. You can read my most recent
review of the product at http://philkaplan.com/thefitnesstruth/update_08-05-04.htm.
Since that article was written, the FTC has continued to
pursue the company known as "Window Rock" and
the most recent FTC complaint alleges that the defendants
violated the FTC Act by making deceptive efficacy claims
for CortiSlim and CortiStress.
I can go on and on, but by now
you should get the point. If any of the new "miracles"
from the past decade "worked," would our population
continue its declining health trend? Forget the miracles and
find the magic within. Apply the 8 part strategy I shared
earlier and finally gain control over your body . . . once
and for all!
* * * * *
If
you live in South Florida and seek a positive physical change,
read the important note below:
Note: In 2005 I'll be
releasing a new and updated version of my TRANSFORM!
program which will include many of the elements from my
"You Can't Fail" workshop. The new program will
feature audio CD's and DVD's and will sell for $249.
Before I re-release the
program, I'm going to take 10 people through the program
myself. They'll meet with me in my Wellington (West Palm
Beach) office weekly over a 17 week period. $1200 covers the
entire 17 weeks and you'll work with me personally.
This is only open to 10
people. A $200 deposit is required to hold a spot. Once we
have the full group of 10 (as of the time I'm posting this
we have 4 registered), we will announce the start date (sometime
in early January). If you're interested, drop me an email
and include a daytime phone number. Holly or Brooke will call
you to process your registration. You can also call 1 800
552-1998 during business hours. Looking forward to the new
transformations!
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Phil Kaplan's Fitness is located at
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