This article is going to seriously knock many dogmas regarding, weight loss, health, fitness, elusive energy and training programs, in the head. For starters, I will begin with the type of clients that have I dealt with over the years, with regard to weight (fat) loss.
Type 1: Clients who have to do very little training and mild lifestyle modifications to achieve their desired results. I call them the extremely lucky ones and they are rare.
Type 2: Clients who need to work hard, but they can find their results with proper training, lifestyle modifications, and healthy nutrition. However, they tend to slip once in a while but still it does not unduly affect them. I call them the working lot.
Type 3: Clients who take a long time to understand that they are not like others. They need to closely document physiological status, nutritional state, stress levels, circadian rhythm, and every nitty-gritty which your grandpa preached you for health. They are typically the unlucky ones – they just can’t indulge and if their goal is fat loss and peak fitness they have to “just do it” like the Nike ad tag line. Very clearly they need to eliminate the thinking. They require to put in long periods of discipline and sustained focus towards their goal. Eventually they see results but at a very slow pace. I call them the tough nuts.
Type 4: Clients who have done everything like the 3rd kind but yet don’t see any change in their weight. These are the clients who have to undergo a food intolerance test and some pertinent blood work apart from their work out schedules. They need to adhere to the results of the tests and should abstain from the foods which are not appropriate for them. Do they have a choice? I call them the unlucky souls.
First and foremost if you are seeking the help of a fitness professional, I understand that it’s a goal and not just a wish. However in my many years of dealing with the clients, I sometimes get the feeling that clients are always looking for the lines that they want to hear. The sour point here is, they don’t get the desired results and blame it on irrelevant things which have no scientific evidence and that irks me a great deal. There is no clarity in the head. Decide what you want and go for it with your best foot forward-otherwise be happy where you are and deal with it. When a client seeks me for a fitness solution, I would prefer to be candid and professional, nothing more, nothing less. No little lies and assurances without an evidence-based study. Sometimes the clients become smarter than the fitness professional, They do not give a chance for the fitness professional to help them because they tweak their methods under the pretext that they know their body better. In that case they should never seek advice; they should stay at home and continue to tweak. A good fitness professional needs at least 6 weeks to find out where your problem is and also, for him to find out which category you belong to, may also take the same length of time. So trainers and clients please wake up and first take stock of the situation.
This is a very interesting study I have done over 26 years. If fitness solutions are that easy everybody who hires a trainer should be in pristine shape and there shouldn’t be zillion books on nutrition, abs and buns, six-packs, etc, etc. Everybody should be super fit. Genes, race, lifestyle, sleep-wake cycle, every detail counts, and believe me, my friends, invariably life catches up with you. So worry about maintaining fitness and take it from there. One tiny step at a time. Don’t tie yourself up in knots. Remember Alice in wonderland- how much ever I run, am still in the same place. Health and fitness issues are like that. Take a photograph of yourself on every birthday and how many of you can honestly say that I am looking younger than the previous year. Not many I guess !! First and foremost, the cosmetic goal is only an incidental goal, which can be achieved when the overall fitness levels and lifestyle improves. Even a lot of literate idiots think that cosmetic goals are different from overall lifestyle and fitness programs. And as for them, they are still asleep and life will wake them up anyway. Don’t cheat yourself, take stock of the situation, and let’s draw a plan first. Before we go to the plan, let me share some comic stuff with you all.
This is just for the lighter side of the article. Oft repeated lines I have heard in my so many years of practice
§ I have lost inches, but not in the scale
§ What kind of alcohol is good?
§ I make it up for my weekend by doing a few extra fitness sessions
§ My body responds very well, within a couple of sessions, I feel I have toned already.
§ I am on a low carb diet
§ My trainer says I am looking ripped
§ My doctor has advised me to walk, but a big no to weight training.
§ My knees are hurting, so I am resting.
§ My back is gone, so have stopped the gym.
§ I have no time, am too stressed.
§ I want to reduce my midriff
§ I want to reduce my calf, arms (women especially)
My only retort to all the above phrases is if you run your body like your business, ‘will you just speculate’. You will have an accountant and a set of consultants to analyse your growth and results. Why not with your body, after all, that’s your temple and all your manifestations to life starts with good health. My simple strategy to life and fitness is as follows:
- · Do I want to become fitter? Goal vs. wish, find out what you want.
- · Let me hire a good exercise specialist for a consultation.
- · If you are convinced with the specialist, follow what he says to the “T”
- · Do not tweak the program with your ideas, coz you will never know where your problem lies.
- · Test yourself periodically to see whether you’re progressing (sometimes you may never progress for many months, you might be the type 4 client.)
- · Do not listen to people; go with your measurements, DEXA scans for fat %, fitness testing only. Stop asking people. Over some time, your documented results will say that you have moved from A to B.
- – Take photograph of self periodically.
The above pointers are not some jump scares for the weak hearted- its reality. Stop being frivolous. Millions are wasted on stupid training programs and so-called diets without really having a cosmic view of a holistic lifestyle. If you have been sleeping till now, it’s time you wake up, come out of your cave and seek a very highly qualified Exercise specialist to help you move towards your goal.
Also be careful of the treacherous mind, which may play spoilsport in the following ways. Scroll below and choose between the left and right side of the sentence(choose the right side is my tip).
- · Let’s start from Monday – Today is the best day, make your change today.
- · I am too stressed, I will start after my problems are sorted out – Your problems will never end, start now or drown deeper
- · What’s the point, all my other friends indulge and they all look fine – Grow up, please.
- · My friend does everything and he is still very fit – Maybe he has a better gene, but he is also going to go down the drain if he abuses his temple (body). Life will catch up on him too.
Sorry if I have sounded rude thus far, but I believe in talking straight and biting the bullet, coz this is when you reach solutions. So the first action you’re advised to take after reading this article is to find one exercise specialist to take stock of your training, nutrition, lifestyle, and overall progress. It’s a time out; if you have difficulty in finding one, please contact me for professional help.
Cheers
