So you have decided to make some health changes... maybe lose some of that dreaded fat and gain a little muscle. Maybe you want to have more confidence in your swimsuit this summer or just get excited about what you see in the mirror every morning. If that’s you, then trust me when I say, you are not alone. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t change something about their body if given the chance. This issue is why the topic of weight loss, body transformations, and diet plans are so damn popular and are not slowing down anytime soon. The health industry is a trillion dollar industry for a reason!
So why, if we spend all this money on transforming our bodies, are so few people successful at achieving their desired changes? An even more confusing question is for the people who do manage to make changes for the better -- why are they unable to sustain their results? You see it all the time and I would bet you probably know someone who's lost a substantial amount of weight, but then gained it all back. Why is so hard to maintain these changes? Well, there could be several reasons why, but there is one problem that affects the large majority of people which lies in these two simple words, “Quick Fixes.”
The health industry is littered with ads and tactical sales people promising that they can help you build 25 pounds of muscle in 1 month, or that you can lose 20 pounds in just 28 days. (These are two real claims I came across with a 2 minute Google search!) It sounds too good to be true, right? I hate to break it to you, but like your parents probably told you at some point, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
If we know these claims probably aren't honest or true, then why do we continue to try these things? This is something that used to baffle me, but I finally understand why people invest in these types of programs. For one, health and fitness is a very emotionally driven field where it’s easy to play on peoples’ emotions. Marketers can get people to invest in their products or programs based on targeting years of pain, fear, or unhappiness around health and fitness. Second, people are extremely good at advertising and marketing today. Corporations spend countless hours and millions of dollars get you to spend your time and hard earned money. Lucky you, right?
The reality of health and fitness is that change is hard and it takes time! It takes a lot longer than 28 days. If getting results only took 28 days, then don’t you think everyone would be walking around with bodies like Dwayne “The Rock'' Johnson or J-Lo? Not a lot of people talk about this because it’s not sexy and it doesn’t sell, but it’s the truth.
Here are a couple of scenarios to think about. First scenario, you go all-in for a couple of months, lose some weight and feel great about it. People are telling you that you look great and you even feel great... temporarily. You quickly realize that your crash diet and newfound extreme workout routine is not sustainable and there is no way you can keep this up. You revert back to your old ways of eating too much and lack of exercise, which leads you to end up in worse shape than when you started. Second scenario, you take your time learning the ins and outs of building the body you want. You learn the tools to sculpt, shape, and nourish your body, along with the proper application that is needed to sustain results for a very long time. This process takes several months, but ultimately you get to your goal. You are happier and in better shape than you could have ever imagined. It seems pretty obvious which method we should use, but sadly, most people choose scenario one over and over, and it turns into a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting and burnout.
In the US, roughly half of Americans try to lose weight sometime throughout the year, so chances are that either you or someone very close to you has attempted to lose weight recently. Statistics also tell us that a majority of those people will fail. A big reason they fail is because they go for scenario number one, the quick fix. This all or nothing approach is restrictive and unsustainable, and often leads to short term results, if any.
As mentioned earlier, there is a reason health and fitness is a trillion dollar industry. Yes, trillion with a “T”! A lot of people care about their health and fitness, and especially about their appearance. Breaking it down even further into the category of “weight loss”, this area is a multi billion dollar business. People are willing to spend lots of money on new diet programs “guaranteed” to help them lose weight, or a new piece of exercise equipment “guaranteed” to make them shredded... just as long as it promises to do so quickly and isn’t too difficult.
The quick fix sounds so much easier, and who doesn't love a little instant gratification? Think about the luxurious world we live in today, where you can order your favorite restaurant food and have it delivered to your doorstep while streaming a newly released movie, all from the comfort of your couch. Talk about convenience! While all these things are great (trust me, I love a good pizza night with some Netflix), it’s easy to allow the concept of convenience to become an expectation of all reality. I want to be fit and healthy, but I don't want it to take very long. It doesn’t quite work like and thankfully so! How fleeting would those things be if we were able to achieve them with so little effort or sacrifice?
Why Quick Fixes Don't Last
Simply put, quick fixes don't work because you skip the most important part -- the learning process! How can you expect to thrive with something that you don't even understand? That's like asking a lottery winner to be your financial advisor. Just because that person has a lot of money doesn't mean they are some sort of financial expert. It’s the same thing when it comes to health and fitness. I could easily give you a diet that would cause you to lose twenty pounds in six weeks, but what did that really do for you? Now you are twenty pounds lighter, but you have no idea how to sustain that or what to do next because the method you used is not sustainable and you didn’t learn anything along the way.
This is the major problem with the “quick fix,” there is no education or application involved. If you want to make permanent, lasting change you must understand the nuts and bolts behind the whole process. Here’s a study that will make you think twice about the quick fix. Most people have heard of the show “The Biggest Loser”. To summarize it, a group of very overweight individuals are coached and trained to lose the maximum amount of weight possible in a short period of time. Some lose insane amounts of weight; it’s not uncommon for a contestant to lose over one hundred pounds! In this study they checked on former contestants six months after the show when they were back into their normal lives. All but one had regained anywhere from 20 to 90 pounds putting them near and sometimes even over their starting weight! Do you still think quick fixes are the answer? The people on this show lose tremendous amounts of weight very quickly, but what does that matter if they regain it all back shortly after? Oftentimes this process can leave people feeling defeated, discouraged, and more likely just to give up all together.
What You Should Do
First, if you are looking for lasting change, then you must be in it for the long hall. You have to commit to changing both mentally and physically to become a healthier person. This is not an easy change for most people. Changing your body and mindset is hard, but it is certainly worth it. Take inventory of where you are right now and pick just one or two things you could improve on for 1-2 weeks. This could be going on a ten minute walk every day or eating a vegetable at every meal, or drinking water consistently throughout the day. It really doesn't matter what you choose, just as long as it is pushing you in the right direction and helping you build better habits. Once you master one thing, pick a new focus and repeat the same process.
As you continue this process, you start to build momentum, learn, grow, and even change your identity around health which leads to lasting change! Trust me, I know this doesn't sound as fun as getting ripped in a 28-day program, but the hard truth is that change comes down to simple and consistent effort done over a long period of time. Notice I said simple, but simple does not necessarily mean easy. Again, if it were easy then 50% of people in our country wouldn't be walking around overweight. Consistent effort and focus will lead to the results you really want. You must decide if it’s worth it for you. I can tell you from my personal transformation (losing almost 85 lbs) that it certainly is worth it, but you have to make that choice for yourself.
Remember What Matters
While reaching the final goal of getting your dream body is so enticing, it is important to remember that it is not the only focus here. What you learn and the person you become throughout the process is what will make your results not only more meaningful, but actually sustainable. The habits you build, the challenges you overcome, and lessons you learn will prove to be invaluable for years to come. These are things that no quick fix will be able to provide.
In reality, this process will take months and sometimes even years to get where you want to be. In my own personal health transformation, it took about fifteen months to reach my goal of losing 85 pounds , and there were a lot of ups and downs along the way. For some people that may seem like an extremely long time to commit to losing weight and a lot of work. Well truthfully, it is a long time and it was a difficult journey, but think about this... what's the alternative? You can choose to do nothing and be in the exact same place a year from now -- unhappy and unsatisfied. That time is going to pass regardless, so choose how you will spend that time wisely! Fall in love with the process of your journey. It becomes so much more enjoyable once you learn that in the process, the key to lasting change is found.
“Change is an opportunity for growth.”
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