Everybody has seen those ads on the side of a website. They show a guy with a huge gut, and then the next picture he has washboard abs, cut arms, a tan, and suddenly no chest hair. Half the time, it’s not even the same person. They talk about how their particular piece of equipment/exercise plan/routine will whip you into shape in only 20 minutes a day, three times a week. Other ads talk about a diet pill that allows you to eat whatever you want and still lose 40lbs in a month! Fantastic, right?
Don’t believe a word of it.
I stumbled across this article in the New York Times where Carl Foster, an exercise physiologist at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, took a bunch of guys aged 18-40 and put them through these “miracle 6-week programs.” They had a panel of judges and doctors look at pictures (with heads removed, in random order) and rate them on appearance both before and after the six week programs. When comparing before and after photos, they really couldn’t detect any discernible difference. What cracked me up is that the panel rated most of the test subjects far lower than they rated themselves, and specifically the women on the panel rated them even lower than that. Guys, this is not good! Apparently we think we look far better than we actually do. Ruh roh.
Back to these routines: they’re all a giant scam, and one that you need to avoid. Honestly, think about it, if you could look like the jacked guy in the picture by eating whatever you want and taking a pill while working out 3 times a week for 20 minutes…then EVERYBODY would look like that. However, very few do, and I see a new ad for “the next best thing” every freaking day…which means people are buying into the marketing ploy. Suck!
Let’s set the record straight: diet and exercise will get you where you need to be. It won’t be quick, and it won’t be easy. If you’re looking to get into shape, you need to set realistic goals. According to Dr. Kraemer from the University of Connecticut, “To make a change in how you look, you are talking about a significant period of training…In our studies it takes six months to a year.” And, he added, that is with regular strength-training workouts, using the appropriate weights and with a carefully designed individualized program. “That is what the reality is,” he said.
If you eat healthily and exercise regularly, you can aim to lose around 1% of your body weight per week on average, and no more. It’s a long process and a struggle, which explains why so many people are unhealthy…they get started and they don’t see immediate results so they get discouraged and give up. Some people to go to the gym and get nothing accomplished. You need to sweat, you need to be increasing your reps or weights each time, and you need to stay motivated.
Stick with your plan, push through the tough days, and have somebody to help you along the way.
To quote that movie with Tim Allen as a television actor playing a spaceship captain who actually ends up in space and has to save people (isn’t that an exact plot ripoff of “The Three Amigos” by the way?) “Never give up. Never surrender!” When you take it one day at a time, six months will go by much faster than you think.
-Steve
