Here at Fit, we believe that knowledge is power, and we would like to share the information we’ve learned about something a lot of time thinking about- weight management. Before we dive into the meat of it, let’s talk about what doesn’t work: fad diets and magic supplements.

We are constantly bombarded with advertisements for products and diet fads that promise to shave inches off our bellies and to help us lose weight fast, all without much effort on our part, and they all want us to part ways with our hard-earned money to do so. From weight loss pills to radical and restricting diets, there is always a company out there eager to make money off our insecurities surrounding weight management. Why? Because we keep falling for it. They know it doesn’t work, and they know that people will keep coming back when they ultimately fail to sustain the current fads. This is especially true in the age of social media. No one is totally exempt from wanting to fall for the next magic fix. Here’s why you shouldn’t fall for it:

While some fad diets can help with short-term weight loss, 95% of dieters gain it all back within three years (80% gained it all back in one year!), and most fad dieters will end up gaining MORE weight in the years that follow that fad diet than they did before they started. This leads a lot of dieters into a vicious cycle- start a diet, lose ten pounds, stop the diet because it is not a maintainable lifestyle (or in the case of pills, side effects can be disruptive and harmful), gain that ten pounds back, feel hopeless because they put the weight back on so they give up entirely. Then, when hit with the harsh reality that they have gained more weight than they started with, the cycle repeats. This is not only a terrible way to approach weight loss management, but it can be harmful overall to both your physical and mental health.

So, how can you avoid this cycle? Stop buying products that promise to help you lose weight fast. Stop starting diets that are not sustainable long term (I mean, really, who has the willpower to only eat cabbage soup or grapefruit for the rest of their lives? Or avoid certain foods forever?). Instead, focus on maintaining a balanced diet of healthy foods and change your mentality! Weight management really isn’t about the weight. It’s about how you feel. It’s about your physical and mental health. It’s about empowering yourself to make changes to your lifestyle. It’s about YOU taking care of YOU. Don’t lose weight to please anyone except yourself. 

Once you have decided to make positive changes for yourself, realize that weight management isn’t a diet. This is a lifestyle change! Your mental and physical health will improve with every good choice you make, and that improvement will be sustainable. Your goal is to improve or maintain your mental and physical health- the same mentality we bring to the gym. It won’t happen fast, and you will have to put in some work, but if you do this, you can improve your health, no matter where you are starting from. With that comes confidence from knowing you can make positive changes in your life! And nothing looks or feels better than confidence in yourself. You are worth living a healthy lifestyle! In the coming weeks, we will share long-term strategies that work, and have nothing to do with the latest Instagram ad.

Come back next week, as we continue our journey into weight management!