10 things about weight loss to understand

MOST people go into exercise to lose weight. Here are 10 things that I hope people understand about weight loss:

1. The hardest part about weight loss isn’t exercise. It boils down to the person’s will, consistency, dedication and ability to stop eating too much.

2. We trainers and coaches can easily design programs for weight loss. Even a 10-year-old child can tell you what to do to lose weight.

3. Weight loss is not hard science. It all boils down to calories in versus calories out. So whether it’s HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), long runs or yoga, you will still lose weight as long as your calories out are greater than calories in.

4. Of course, those calories out should be greater than calories in for a significant amount of time, and not just weeks. You gained weight in the course of several years. It won’t take days to lose excess weight.

5. Weight loss doesn’t necessarily equate to good health. We’ve met people that got ulcer and gerd through their weight loss journey. And although they did lose weight, they did so in an unhealthy manner, which leads to my next point.

6. We’ve also met people who, in their eagerness to be fit and lose weight, suffer multiple injuries in the process. Again, weight loss is easy (any trainer should be able to help you with that), but losing weight in a healthy manner requires skill, patience and a sound thought-process.

7. Weight loss supplements might help people, but we do not know what short-term and long-term side-effects there are with those. Sadly, most people decide through fancy marketing gimmicks rather than scientific literature.

8. Most models aren’t skinny all the time, they prepare for shoots thru different practices; some unhealthy like dehydration, anorexia etc. But most athletes look good for most of the time. So if you want to look good most of the time, train like an athlete, not like a model.

9. I think the ultimate goal one should have, in my personal opinion, is to get to a healthy pace while losing weight. Same goes with getting stronger. Some/many people get stronger but they also get injuries. So ultimately, the goal is to get stronger without getting injured and burnt out from the exercise process.

10. I can have a look at a person and know what sort of health habits they have. I hope most people would focus on healthy habits versus weight loss goals.