Fear and the agony of weight loss

I have heard some pretty lame excuses in my days as a trainer. Some of them I hear over, and over again to the point I want to scream…but I don’t because I know people believe what they believe generally from misinformation and simply out of fear.

Fear is a survival failsafe that is installed to help us thrive in the world. Unfortunately modern humankind has little in the way of predators or threats so it grasps at silly things to concern itself with.

The majority of people are afraid of change. Even if that change is positive like weight loss or adopting a healthy lifestyle.

One such unfounded fear revolves around diet. Our wonderful society has drilled such ridiculous notions of a so called "balanced diet" that people are actually afraid of starving to death if they miss one meal!! Trust me you will live……possibly even to your next meal if you are lucky and able to make it with only 80 pounds of fat to tide you over.

Folks…..if you weigh 400 pounds your worry should be based elsewhere other than starving to death or not getting enough B vitamins.

"But if I stop eating my body will store fat"

One of my favourites. When I ask people to show me ONE STUDY that demonstrates that they just answer "I read it somewhere" Yep, I read Santa was coming early this year too.

Lets use some logic and common sense here. Ever see the horrific pictures of concentration camp survivors?? These poor people are emaciated…I mean beyond skinny….their diets? 1200 calories a day IF THEY WERE LUCKY. Usually less. You see stored fat?? Me neither. I see ribs and cheekbones.

Ever see martyrs after starvation diets?? They lose POUNDS in days! They look like crap….and feel that way too…but I am talking raw reality here. Pounds come off, fat is converted to fuel to keep the body alive. That’s how nature built us…to use fat as stored fuel.

Do I recommend a starvation diet? NO! But you do need to understand that eating less does NOT make you store fat…..and need to eliminate any unfounded fears of the same. Eventually while starving your body will catabolize fat and also muscle, which is not good, but skinny you will definitely get.

Another somewhat humorous fear is when my clients who have never hoisted a weight in their life prefer not to exercise because "they don’t want to get huge like the bodybuilders on TV"

First off…..you are as huge as the bodybuilders but in a different more round way. Secondly, these bodybuilders work HOURS each day to get that way!; particularly women. The majority, if not all, supplement with all manner of enhancement drugs and have dedicated years to their pursuits. So you needn't worry that lifting up that 5 pound dumbbell will instantaneously turn you into Lou Ferrigno.

The fears go on…the excuses keep coming. "I'm too old to exercise" "My heart can’t handle exercise" "You need 2 servings of red meat a day to be healthy" "I'm too overweight to exercise"

And you know what….if that’s what you think…..then you are right.

Because whether you think you CAN do something or you think you CAN’T you will always be right. And if fear is overruling common sense and empirical evidence to the contrary, you should re-examine your beliefs.