For those of you who know me personally, you know that when I speak about fitness, I speak the truth from an educator’s standpoint, and not a sales or marketing standpoint. I do this out of my true love for fitness, and for all of you. When last you saw me, I may not have looked the same as I do when I’m actively competing as a Body Builder, right? Just as a Football Coach doesn’t look like he did when he was a player, a former Body Builder, and for the most part a Power Lifter has his “downtime.” A body needs this period to refuel itself. To this day, I still take from my birthday in September until Thanksgiving Day or later completely off from my training to let my body heal.

Now…have you ever noticed the disclaimer on ALL those extremely intense fitness infomercials on television that says “Results are NOT typical”? Has anyone ever told you the truth about what this statement means? Well, I will. You most likely will not look like these people when you buy these programs and use them for the same period of time that these people claim to. The “guarantees” that these programs claim cause the number one reason most people give up on their fitness regimens. They do not achieve the “guaranteed results” in the same amount of time, and get frustrated, lose hope, and revert back to their old habits.

Let me give you a similar scenario with a crazy guarantee: Your car is not working properly and your “Check Engine” light is lit. You know it’s time for a tune-up so you take it to a knowledgeable mechanic for needed general maintenance; oil change, tune up, tire alignment, etc. Instead of giving you a tune-up he tells you that your car is fine and all you need to fix it is to hit I-40 as fast as you can and drive it all the way to Barstow, California at top speed, nonstop, without checking the oil, nor the tires and there is no need for the “110-point inspection,” then turn around and drive it straight back to Wilmington, again, without stopping, or checking anything. Then “guarantee” that when you return to Wilmington, the engine will purr like a brand new car. Does this “guarantee” make sense to you? This is the same type of promise made by these television ads, boasting about their “latest and greatest” weight loss program. When your body is storing fat and you feel run down and you have no energy or drive, your body’s own check engine light is on and you have to get a check-up, or a fitness evaluation from a qualified and experienced fitness professional before you begin an exercise routine and the program should be customized for YOU.

TRUTH #1: You should NOT try to burn more than 500 calories in a day when attempting to lose weight. Do you even know how many calories your body needs just to make it through the day? If you do this, you will be burning a combination of muscle and fat, not only fat! I’ll say that a second time because it bears repeating: Not only the fat. The process of burning fat is a slower process. You can’t rush it any more than the construction of a new home. High-calorie burning exercises were designed to increase athletic performance, and you must eat more calories on an exercise day. This, in itself, should tell you that there’s something wrong with this solution.

TRUTH #2: All the new fitness fads and gimmicks do not a healthy body make. If you’re saying to yourself, “my friend does *&%$#-fit and they look great”, follow that by asking yourself “what did my friend look like before they started?” Body types vary, and simply because they engage in the latest “high-calorie burning” trend, and maintain their physique, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you to lose inches from your waist and keep it off.

Do not fall victim to the TV fads, magazine “this is what a healthy body looks like” advertisements, and the “run until you feel faint” advice of many of these instructors.

Stay healthy, my friends…

~ Nick