A few of the top New Year’s resolutions people make are to get in shape, lose weight, and get healthy. And there are a myriad of fitness influencers and diet gurus out there promising to help you burn fat, shed all those unwanted pounds, and get a muscular physique. Their pitch is often that you just need to eat this one food or food group, do this one exercise (included in their subscription program), or use special supplements (usually sold on their website).
They often share before and after shots that supposedly show the amazing transformations of the people who followed their programs.
Please never allow yourself to buy into these claims based only on transformation photos or how a person looks in these ads. Why? Because tricks in lighting and how a person is posed are often employed to fool the eye.
Take a look here and here to reveal the reality behind many of these transformation shots used to sell programs and products. Simply said, if the promises seem too good to be true— they probably are.
Also these photos are simply snapshots of what a person looks like on the outside at that moment in time. These photos don’t reveal how the person feels and if they’re actually healthy. The photos don’t reveal if the person can sustain the program or change in diet. The photos don’t reveal where the person will be at 4 to 6 months down the road.
And just because the person trying to get you to buy their program looks shredded, muscular, and fit that doesn’t mean their program works — even for them. They might be doing other things in order to look the way they do. And they may not be all that healthy either. As contrary as it may sound, it is possible to be fit and not be healthy.
So if you’ve trusted in the promises of fitness influencers and diet gurus who swore they had the secret to getting you lean and fit, only to find that the promises of their programs were empty and you ended up feeling like you failed — please, Shake. It. Off. The fault lies with the individuals who made the empty promises just to sell programs and products and to gain followers. You are not to blame.
The truth is small shifts in your daily lifestyle habits, done consistently, are what lead to sustainable success in achieving your health goals. You can succeed if you show up, do the work, and keep the idea of gradual progress in mind.
And if you’re thinking about working with a trainer or coach to lose weight or get in shape please ask questions. A good trainer/coach will welcome questions. They’ll want input from you in order to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
Ask the trainer/coach about their certification(s). Ask them to share a bit more about their program and how they approach health and fitness. Ask them if, and also how, their clients maintain their gains (or losses if we’re talking weight loss) once the program ends.
If you’re going to invest time, energy, and money to hire a trainer and follow a program you need to know if the trainer and the program are good fits for you.
Because here’s the thing — yes, you’ll probably lose weight and make changes in your fitness by working out for 90 minutes a day, six to seven times a week, while eating a diet of only skinless chicken breasts and steamed broccoli —but that’s probably not sustainable.
A good coach/trainer will work with you to help you achieve your fitness goals in a way that is both healthy and sustainable for you. A way that fits with your lifestyle. A path that works for you. A path you can mostly enjoy while doing the heavy lifting that change requires.
And yes, you’ll have to put in the work. Even the best trainer/coach in the world can’t do the work for you.
But a good personal trainer/coach will be in your corner and help you as you work towards your goals. They’ll work to motivate you and will tweak your training program as you go to help keep you on your health and fitness path. They will offer insights to help you improve your form on lifts and moves so that you can get the most out of your workouts safely.
So if your 2023 resolutions involve becoming more fit and losing weight please know that you can do it. And there are wonderful personal trainers and coaches out there who can give you solid assists. Some work in person and some online.
And when it comes to solid health and fitness follows online and in the social media realm — here are some to help get you started. Some offer online training while others offer sound information on health, food, and wellness. Some do both.
And if you’re not sure where to begin finding a trainer/coach I’m willing to offer any guidance I can. Just email me: sarah@asimplewellness.com
You’ve got this!