America's favorite health consultant.

When I first heard of the “Rush Limbaugh Diet,” I thought “Why would anyone want to go on that?” Because last time I saw Rush Limbaugh, I certainly did not envy his body type. Turns out, I don’t look at him very often. The last time I saw Rush Limbaugh was about 60 pounds ago.

So, now people want to find out about the Rush Limbaugh diet. What is his magical, ingenious weight loss secret?

Rush Limbaugh shows … common sense?

Just as I wouldn’t have thought to look to Rush Limbaugh for diet advice, I wouldn’t expect pure, unadulterated common sense out of him either. OK, so here is the part where I have to admit that I am not a Rush Limbaugh fan. If you are, you’re probably not going to like this article very much. In fact, you’re going to hate it. You’ll hate it more than having to pay late fees on short term loans. If you’re a Rush Limbaugh fan, stop reading right now.

There. You’ve been warned. So, it turns out that the Rush Limbaugh diet, his magical ingenious weight loss secret, is to cut down your calories, eat a mixture of fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates and protein, and eat real food, not processed junk. Wow, how did he come up with this stuff? Quick Weight Loss Center is getting some of the credit for this Rush Limbaugh diet business, and there’s no doubt the company will make a whole bundle of money off this

Have some confidence, America

So, now all of Rush Limbaugh’s loyal followers are begging him to share the “Rush Limbaugh diet.” These people want menus, recipes, every tiny detail. They are apparently complaining that he isn’t giving “an explanation.” He, for once, seems to recognize how ridiculous his audience is. Here’s what he had to say about the whole thing:

I’m getting so many e-mails — because people see my weight loss on the Dittocam — and I’m getting so many e-mails, “Why can’t you tell us what –” Folks, it’s not that I won’t tell you, it’s just I can’t. It’s too complicated. I mean putting the menu together is a jigsaw puzzle every day. It would take me 45 minutes every day to tell you what the diet plan is and answer all your questions about why it works. All I can tell you is is that it’s about 1500 calories a day, but you don’t count ‘em. I don’t know the caloric intake of one thing I’m eating. All I know is that it adds up to about 1500 calories. It’s a factor, but it is the way the proteins, the complex carbs and the fats and even some fruit get put together during the course of the day. For example, you cannot have two proteins at one meal. So I cannot have one night Surf and Turf. I can have five and a half ounces of fillet, seven ounces of chicken or fish, but I can’t combine it. I can’t have three ounces of beef and four ounces of fish. I don’t know why. I just follow it and it works. I’ve never lost weight faster than this diet. But it’s not that I don’t want to tell you; it’s just I can’t. “Well, why don’t you put the menu up?” Because I’d have to put the recipes up and it’s not the business I’m in.

Wow, leave it to Rush Limbaugh to make a one thousand year-old bit of common sense sound like something impossible to explain. I guess he’s just used to just being able to say whatever he wants without having to use logic to explain it. It isn’t that he can’t explain it, people. It’s that the explanation has been around forever. Here’s your explanation: If you cut down on the number of calories you eat and stick to a sensible, healthy diet, you’ll lose weight. Capicé?

The Game On! Diet subscribes to the “safety in numbers” theory. As the web site that promotes the book “The Game On! Diet,” it’s not really a diet at all. It’s a strategy. The book’s subtitle is “Kick Your Friend’s Butt While Shrinking Your Own.”

Why someone would pay to be told that you’ll be more successful at weight loss, working out, eating healthy or anything if you have moral support and competition motivating you, I don’t know. Still, people have great things to say about the humor and ideas in this book, so I guess there is more to it than that.

Get  your Game On! for free

Because I like to help my readers save money, I have collected some of the wisdom sold in “The Game On! Diet” book and added a little of my own. You should never have to worry about getting a no faxing payday loan in order to learn to lose weight.

Sure, there are some pricey weight loss methods out there that do work. Most of them involve having someone else pick your meals and portions for you. Pills, drinks and other weight loss supplements are usually ineffective and often dangerous. Common sense is free.

Common Sense Item No. 1

I start this list of common sense items assuming that you went to health class in junior high. Thus, I am assuming you know about the food pyramid, regular exercise and calories. That said, Common Sense Item No. 1 is: Get a partner. In the case of the Game On! Diet, get partners. This book is geared toward pitting two teams against each other in a battle of self-control and motivation.

You know as well as I do that if you’re not already getting exercise on a regular basis, you’re more likely to start if you are obligated to participate in it with someone else. Whatever the reason is, whether it’s shame for not following through with goals and plans or because it’s just more fun than doing it alone, people are much more likely to follow through with plans that involve other people.

Common Sense Item No. 2

Compete. Humans are almost as motivated by competition as they are unmotivated to quit eating pizza. “The Game On! Diet” book gives participants a specific game plan. Unlike many other competitive weight loss programs, the Game On! Diet uses points earned, not weight lost, to determine the winner.

This is where I think “The Game On! Diet” is really smart. Instead of focusing on the scale and the number of pounds that drop from it, it shifts the focus to making good decisions every day. Points are awarded for eating healthy and exercising, not for losing weight. Points are deducted for snacking and making other unhealthy choices.

Common Sense Item No. 3

Use your brain. Clearly, the Game On! Diet is a very good motivator. One of the authors, Krista Vernoff, writes in the foreword:

On more than one occasion, I came home from a ten-hour work day, put the baby to bed, ate dinner, and watched TV with my husband, and then, at midnight, realized I hadn’t exercised, which meant losing serious points for myself and for my team, which meant that there was no way I was going to bed without exercising first. A working mom—a working writer—exercising at midnight? I think this may be previously unheard of in the history of the world.

But let me point out that she wrote the book. Thus, “The Game On! Diet” book was not around when she went through her transformation. She and a friend dreamed it up. So, if you don’t have $15 to spare, use your own thinking skills and come up with a healthy eating and exercise competition game of your own. I realize that could be easier said than done, so if you want to read about the successful method Krista Vernoff used, check out the book. You can read the first few chapters at that link, which just might be enough to get you going!

Turns out, you don't have to be an Olympian to be a runner.

National Running Day might sound like just another goofy holiday that some fitness fanatic made up, but perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to ponder the benefits of running.

Everyone knows that exercise is important and promotes both physical and mental health. Everyone also knows that gym memberships can be expensive. Furthermore, diets, personal trainers and books on losing weight and getting healthy can be expensive as well — especially when compared to the cost of running: free.

No-cost weight loss

Running burns tons of calories, is a great cardiovascular activity and it doesn’t cost a dime. Furthermore, keeping your heart and lungs healthy and maintaining a healthy weight can help avoid future medical costs.

Small investment, big payoff

It is definitely worth it to invest in a good pair of running shoes. Wearing proper shoes when running can protect your shins, ankles and feet from running-related injuries. Now, don’t run out and get pay day loans to buy a pair of running shoes. Shin splints and other stress injuries caused by running will only occur over a long period of time, so just wait until your next payday.

A really good pair of running shoes generally costs about $80. That’s about the average cost of two months of gym membership. However, a sturdy pair of running shoes will last you at least a year, probably two, depending on how much you run.

History of National Running Day

Here’s a brief tutorial on the history of National Running Day: at the time I wrote this, it was about nine hours old.

Yes, today is the first National Running Day ever. The official National Running day web site says :

Many of the major organizations within the running industry are joining forces in an unprecedented unified effort to nationally and locally promote running.

You don’t have to run alone

There are several organized National Running Day events all across the country. Check out the official National Running Day web site to find the one closest to you.

The Boston Globe reports that most National Running Day events come in the form of “5k fun runs.” However, if running more than three miles sounds like something you’re not prepared for at the moment, check out these tips from the National Running Day site to ease into a new, healthy habit:

Tips for “non-runners” from runningday.org:

Relax. Running is a natural act, like breathing or walking. Just about anyone can do it. It is, however, recommended that you consult a health professional before undertaking a serious training program. You may wish to start by walking first, and then gradually incorporating running into your training program.

Think positively. Don’t be discouraged. If you can get through the first several weeks of training, you will find that what seems like a big effort at the start will soon feel natural and easy to you. Within a few weeks, you will experience the pure joy of running down the street or along a park path.

Buy quality gear. The only equipment you will need is comfortable exercise clothes and good running shoes. Go to a running specialty store and get advice about the right shoes for you. You can get good running shoes for $80-120.

Train with a plan. Choose a running/walking course that is readily accessible to you. During your first two training weeks, try to run two or three times per week, on alternate days. When you feel ready, increase to four days a week, then five days. The idea is to build up gradually. Even top competitive runners take days off regularly to rest and avoid injury. Stretch your muscles on both your running and non-running days.

It’s okay to walk. Begin your first workouts with 15 minutes of alternating walking and jogging: Walk for five minutes, then run easily for two or three minutes; repeat. If you are comfortable jogging from the start, that’s fine, but do not run the entire time even if you think you can. Don’t worry about the distance you cover. On your third or fourth workout, try increasing your time to 20 minutes. After three or four more workouts, move to 25 minutes, then after another three or four workouts, try a 30-minute continuous run. Don’t force yourself to go farther or faster than what feels comfortable to you. The idea is to keep running regularly, and you’re more likely to do that if you’re enjoying yourself and looking forward to your next run.

Once  you’ve gone through these steps, there are more tips available at the National Running Day web site.

The web site for “The Instinct Diet” claims this approach to weigh loss is “the most science-based weight loss program ever designed.” More specifically, the Instinct Diet is psychology based.

The book by Susan B. Roberts, PhD, and Betty Kelly Sargent is on sale at Amazon.com for $16.47. I have researched the Instinct Diet to find out whether this book is worth the price.

Good reviews

In all of the articles I read about the Instinct Diet, and there were several, it got positive reviews. Women and Weight Website says the Instinct Diet will helps make weight loss less of a struggle.

On her web site Psychology Today, Roberts says:

The Instinct Diet “has been endorsed by more leading obesity scientists than any diet book ever-including researchers who’ve never before been able to agree on the same recommendations.”

How will it save me money?

The book is inexpensive enough that you probably won’t need a short term loan or even a credit card to purchase it. Because dieting generally causes people to eat less and to eat at home rather than eating out, you could potentially recover the money spent buying the book pretty quickly.

Also, dieting encourages people to plan meals and grocery shopping trips, which reduces the amount of food that doesn’t get eaten. However,  if the instinct diet really does help you shed pounds, you could end up having to spend money on new clothes. So maybe finances aren’t the best reason to try the Instinct Diet.

Another strategy

My first instinct when I read about this diet book was that I should try to find out the secret without having to purchase or read the book. So I set out to find out what I could, and here it is.

Five food instincts

Women and Weight Website shares the “five basic food instincts” that Roberts identifies. These are instincts that cause people to become overweight and to struggle with weight loss. They are:

1. Hunger: We have a strong and very normal need to satisfy our hunger.
2. Availability: We tend to eat whenever we can.
3. Calorie Density: The more calorie dense a food the more we like it!
4. Familiarity: We prefer and like familiar foods because we associate such food with safety and comfort.
5. Variety: The more food choices we have the more we eat.

The idea behind the Instinct Diet is to get these instincts to work with you instead of against you when it comes to weight loss.

Step one

Roberts herself shares some information contained in her book on her web site. There are three phases to the diet, and people can move to the appropriate state depending on how much weight they want to lose. Subjects in a test group researching the diet lost 10-50 pounds.

Roberts says hunger control is the first step in the process. She recommends these foods to help you feel more full and satisfied:

• High fiber foods (such as high fiber cereals, legumes, green vegetables);
• High protein foods (such as lean proteins like chicken breast, white fish, tofu);
• High volume foods (such as green salads and vegetable or bean soups);
• Low glycemic index carbs (such as legumes, again, and also wheat berries, barley, low carb breads, and non-starchy fruits).

The holidays have come to an end – at least for this year. As people scuttle to pack up the holiday gears and clear up the festival debris, the holiday weight will probably be the hardest thing to put away. All the holiday stress, inactivity and free-flowing sweets combined are enough to throw off a perfectly fit weight.

Watch Out for the Food Monster

Not everyone is fortunate to live in sunny Southern California. Perhaps that would mean that the rest of us are probably confined at home because of the snowy weather. Besides the possibility that you may need payday loans to help makes ends meet because of all the work days you’ve missed, beware; you could easily fall victim to the food monster. Distract your urges to over consume. Catch up on house cleaning, re-organize, or pop in your favorite Pilates DVD. There are so many things you can do to get back in shape; all you need is focus and determination.

Okay, so maybe you just cannot get over the delectable taste of chocolate melting in your mouth. There are weight loss programs that provide a way to lose weight just by eating your favorite foods, along with one-on-one motivational support. The Jenny Craig menu is packed with balanced and nutritious meals; like how PersonalMoneyStore.com not only offers payday loans, but also offers tips and guidelines on how to maintain a healthy budget. Jenny Craig Cuisine is high in fiber, moderate in fat and sodium but still has the great taste you love. You get three meals and up to 3 snacks a day so you won’t go hungry without overeating. Just like payday loans, the meals are absolutely convenient!

“Who is Jenny Craig?”

Founded in 1983, Jenny Craig, Inc. is one of the largest weight management service companies in the world. The company brings in annual revenues of more than $400 million and still growing. But who is Jenny Craig? Jenny Craig, whose real name is Genevieve Guidroz, was born in Berwick, Louisiana in 1932. While living in New Orleans, she met Sidney Harvey Craig after he hired her to be the director of the Body Contour fitness salon. Their relationship flourished and the couple was later married in 1979.

In 1982, the couple broke from their other business partners and sold out to a competitor. Because they were legally unable to open a new health center in the U.S. for two years, Jenny Craig and Sid decided to move to Australia. There they generated a new nutrition, fitness, and weight loss program. They returned to the U.S. in 1985 and introduced the Jenny Craig Program. At the same time, the Craig’s opened 14 centers; today their U.S. holdings include 285 centers in 18 states. Over the past 25 years, Jenny Craig has helped many people worldwide learn how to eat a nutritious diet that includes many of their favorite food and achieve their weight loss goals.

Physical Progress, Financial Retreat

Jenny Craig sounds great. However, not everyone can afford many of these weight loss programs. While payday loans can help make ends meet through your journey to weight loss, spending money you don’t have can be financially damaging. There are many other things you can do that are simple and inexpensive that can help get you back in shape; all you need is willpower.