One of the biggest misconceptions within the health and fitness industry, one that is commonly advertised and pushed by companies trying to sell product is that it is possible to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. There are countless pills, products, devices, creams and other random and funky products that promise miracle weight loss and people are pushed into believing that you can lose significant amounts of weight in a short period time.
As an exercise professional and personal trainer I have worked with a wide variety of people that are as diverse as the world itself. It is no secret women and gay men particularly have a lot of body image issues, based on the sexual content of advertising we see often. It’s certainly understandable to want to look like that and many people are willing to do whatever it takes, take whatever product or supplement to achieve a desired look as fast as possible.
If you’re exercising to have those perfect abs and look like a male model and you want the results quickly, you will be highly disappointed and even a bit frustrated. Losing weight is great and as a country we certainly need to do that however it is not something that can be done in the short term. You can’t “kickstart” anything with one of the fad diets, products or workouts because once it’s over you can’t sustain it. Could you really live on smoothies for the rest of your life? I am sure you’ve heard “but it’s a lifestyle change” and that is true, now take that snarky voice out of your head and realize. Losing weight, building muscle and overall fitness and health only is possible if you work for it.
If you commit the time and energy in what you eat, how and when you exercise as well as minding other factors in your life such as reducing stress. It’ll make a big difference but tt won’t happen overnight. In fact it won’t even happen in a month. If you want the results you have to hold yourself accountable for it and commit to it. Not for a month, a week or whatever time that is advertised on your “miracle” weight loss pill/ supplement. If you can’t sustain it, you won’t ever achieve it.
Here’s some tips…
1. Put your workout on your calendar and make it a priority. It’s not something you can just skip if something better comes along. Make it important and stick with it. If you have a conflict then work around it but don’t cancel your workout.
2. Find an accountability buddy or hire a personal trainer. Someone to workout with and meet them at the gym. They are showing up and setting aside time in their day to workout with you, do the same.
3. Keep track of your daily food intake. Write down what you’re eating and how much you’re eating. There are hundreds of apps out there that can help you log the information and give you a clear picture on what your putting in your body.
4. Forgo alcohol and other high calorie drinks for water. Cut the number of drinks you’d normally have in half and replace it with water instead. Water not only hydrates the body but can help you better digest food, deliver oxygen to your muscles and keep you more alert throughout the day.
5. Make small changes to add physical activity throughout your day:
a. Use stairs instead of elevators/ escalators
b. Leave your car parked and walk or bike to more places.
c. Go for a daily walk
d. Sitting much? Try some of the same tasks while standing.
Read my the article "Killed for Convenience" to learn more!
6. Join an LGBT Fitness group or sports league. There are many ways to get involved and increase your physical activity without even making it a “workout” a sports team or group is a great way to meet new people, become more involved and exercise, plus it’s a lot of fun!
7. Get rid of stress! Exercise has been shown to reduce chronic stress but it doesn’t do much if you’re constantly stressing yourself out. Find what your stress instigators are and change them.
These are just a few of many ways you can increase your results, remember though only YOU are accountable. Regardless if you hire a trainer, have a stressful job, workout buddy always flakes or can’t afford healthier food don’t go finding excuses or blaming others for your lack of progress. If you’re not happy with your results, then figure out what you need to do to change that.
