Good evening, family.
It's the first week of 2019, and undoubtedly, you're probably seeing an increase in the number of weight loss product sales popping up in your news feeds, from supplements to workouts to "sweating your fat away".
We want to remind you of something -
You are not just a body. You are SOMEBODY. It is perfectly OKAY for you to aspire to improve your health, both mentally and physically (since the two are intricately connected). We are proud of you, regardless of where you're at. Everyone has the right to improved health, and of course you are completely free to experiment with new regimens, both nutritionally and workout wise.
But before beginning any new program, ask yourself:
"What tools will I learn from this?"
Many of us will or have fallen victim to marketing that isn't based on the truth, or is based on pseudoscience that confuses us into believing it's real. I know some of those ads are mighty convincing and they show you pretty charts and bar graphs and "statistics", but if you feel skeptical about "science" conducted in WTH laboratories in IDONTTHINKSO, Idaho, just skip over that crap. You are smart, you are capable of understanding how your body works, and we are here to remind you of some important fitness truths that we hope you will carry with you this month (fresh starts are an exciting and hopeful time, so resolution on, friends, we get it).
1) Truth number 1: There are zero quick fixes. As a doctor of physiology, I can assure you of this. What counts as a quick fix to us? Anything that promises a result in a month or less. Losing 10 pounds and so many inches in 10 days is due to water loss. PERIOD. Fat loss takes time. Red flags to anything claiming to give you big results in less than a month. It takes removing 500 calories per day to lose a pound of fat per week. That's a big cut from your diet, and that puts you on track to lose 4 pounds of fat per month. Diets that boast 10 pounds of weight loss per week or two do it by 2 ways: Either you lose an incredible amount of water, and/or you DRASTICALLY cut calories to a level that is extremely low (less than 1000 per day...yes, there is such a thing), which is MISERABLE and non-sustainable.
2) Truth number 2: To do this right, consistent progress trumps inconsistent perfection. every. single. time. Consistent progress can be frustrating. It's slow. There are times where it will feel like it's not working. But the results last. You cannot claim that a new program or nutritional routine doesn't work unless you have given it 3 solid months of effort. Change takes time. Lots and lots of time. And that's hard for a lot of us (ourselves included)
3) Truth number 3: The process isn't linear. It's like a roller coaster. There are days where you'll feel great and motivated, and others where you'll think it's all stupid and instead of going to the gym you'll decide to eat a pizza. It's okay. We're emotional beings. Don't beat yourself up for it. If that happens to you, you didn't screw it up.
4) Truth number 4: Speaking of screwing up, the only way you can screw this up is by quitting forever. That's it. If you skipped the gym for a week, you didn't screw up. Go back. Start again. If you skip for a month, it's okay. Go back. If you ate like a garbage disposal for a week, you didn't screw up. Start again. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
5) Truth number 5: You need support. And if you're reading this, you've already got it. Contact us. Come to class. Reach out. You will be heard.
We love you and believe in you, always.
-LA, Burke, and the girls.