I remember one of my first mentors in personal training, Phil Kaplan saying, “The fitness and weight loss industry is unique because people pay a lot of money, fail to achieve the results they’re looking for, blame themselves, and then attempt another ineffective technology.
Some brain De-cluttering is in order
A really nice woman named Sue (that’s not her real name) recently called inquiring our Boot Camp program. As I probed her with questions, I learned that she had tried many diets in the past but nothing seemed to work in the long term. To me it was very clear what was happening. She was attempting to lose weight with calorie restrictive diets that had a 99% rate of recidivism. 99% of people gained the weight back.
This was part of our conversation….
Me: So, Sue tell me, what was the last thing you tried to reach your fitness goals?
Sue: I did the (insert diet) program.
Me: What was the result?
Sue: It was really great. I lost 50 pounds but unfortunately gained 70 back.
Me: That’s frustrating. It’s really hard to stay on such a restrictive plan isn’t it?
Sue: No, it was actually really easy. But then something came up. I can’t remember what it was actually…but I came off the program.
At this point I was completely confused. It it was so easy to stay on the plan, something that “came up” would not have caused a 70 pound weight gain.
This rant is not to criticize a particular diet (although I’m certainly not a fan of most diets). I simply wanted to point out the mindset of a typical dieter.
This type of thing can be really frustrating for me but extremely rewarding if I can help someone have an A-Ha moment.
While calories restrictive diets are almost guaranteed to fail, here are some things that will work…
- Consume whole foods as often as possible. Avoid processed foods
- Inquire about organic foods at your grocery store and in most cases, eat organic.
- Consume small frequent meals rather than fewer larger ones
- Drink non-caloric beverages such as clean water. Squeeze some lemon or lime in for flavor if needed.
- Journal your food intake – Even if it’s for only a week. People who write down what they eat and drink lose more weight an keep it off than those that don’t.
- Become a food label detective – Unfortunately there are loopholes in labeling laws for food products so it’s extra important to read labels.
These tips combined with a solid exercise program will give you a huge edge over people who are dieting alone.
Rock on,
Billy Hofacker BS, NSCA-CPT
P.S. If you’re interested in checking out Boot Camp, give us a call today and ask about our NEW Year Revolution program.