Some people are so full of shit that colonic irrigation wouldn’t flush it out.
You’ll find plenty of them hanging around the fitness and nutrition space setting out their stalls to sell you their wares.
They have all the answers.
They can prescribe the perfect diet, the perfect training programme, the perfect supplement.
They are the keeper of secrets. They know the secret formula for fat loss, and now (apparently) the perfect peptide protocol.
Wallets at the ready.
There’s always something you “need”
Health, fitness, and nutrition advice has never been more accessible. With an internet connection and ChatGPT subscription, people are practically doctors (not really).
On the flip side, it has never been harder to know who to listen to. Like reading a restaurant menu with too many options, it’s information overload.
Open X, Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube or your social media fix of choice, and you’ll be bombarded with someone telling you:
You’re not eating enough protein
You’re eating too many carbs
Seed oils are bad for you
Intermittent fasting is good for you
Eat breakfast vs skip breakfast
This supplement is God-tier vs this supplement is expensive pee
Train six days a week vs three is enough
Walk 10,000 steps vs walking is pointless
Running is the best sport vs running is bad for you
Peptides are king vs peptides are poison
Get the combination wrong and you’ll sabotage your progress (allegedly).
Confusion, decision fatigue, and inactivity kicks in.
Not to worry, there will be someone waiting in the wings who will swoop in and sell you the solution.
“It worked for me”
One of the most persuasive forms of fitness advice is also one of the least useful. I did X and got Y result.
Examples:
I followed the (insert name here) diet and lost 30 pounds
I started taking this supplement or drug and got six-pack abs
I ate steaks for breakfast and trained every day to gain 10 pounds of muscle
If these are genuine results, great. Pleased for you, pal. However, it doesn’t mean that one person’s anecdotal evidence should be prescriptive. What works for one person is not necessarily an optimal solution for another.
We all have different genetics, different preferences, routines, lifestyles, goals, time-availability, disposable income, relationships with food, motivation levels, and different barriers to entry.
You are not them and they are not you.
It might seem obvious and yet we repeatedly fall into the trap of believing that because something worked for someone who (apparently) has their shit together, it must be the ultimate solution.
There is no such thing.
Before and After Photos
Your body is not simply a before-and-after picture.
Granted, it’s great to see how far you have come. I’ve posted these. I will post again. However, just don’t forget about the part in the middle.
One of the biggest problems with social media fitness culture is that we only see the end result. Not everyone is honest about what it took to get there.
Things we don’t/can’t know:
What else they were doing
Whether they were using performance-enhancing drugs
What their real diet was
What happened after the photograph was taken
Yet we look at that one image and think, I want to be like that.
Someone can tell us exactly how to get it. For free.
Kidding.
Follow the money, find the motive
I’m not suggesting everyone selling something in the fitness industry is a scammer.
There are plenty of excellent coaches, practitioners, and businesses providing genuinely useful products and services, but I think it’s reasonable to ask questions.
Is this person actually solving a problem? If so, what?
Is there evidence to prove their claim?
Would they still recommend it if they didn’t want me to buy their product or services?
Lastly, what happens if I don’t buy from them?
If the answer is that you’ll fail, stay fat, lose all your muscle, wreck your metabolism, and spend the rest of your life miserable then leave your card in your wallet.
Fear is a very effective sales tool.
The newest thing isn’t always the best thing
There’s always something new.
A new diet, supplement, training method, gadget, a new injection, a new peptide, and so on.
Suddenly, what was working before is obsolete.
This drives me batty because while certain voices in the fitness industry are busy convincing us that we need the latest breakthrough, the boring basics remain unticked.
Eat a balanced diet
Move your body
Sleep/rest
Build habits you can maintain.
It’s not sexy, it’s simple. But, it’s effective.
Peptides joined the chat
Peptides are polarising.
Some people passionately promote them, others decry them. With the exception of licensed GLP drugs, scientific studies are rare and most reported results are anecdotal. If you do decide to try peptides, do your homework.
If you’re considering injecting yourself with something that can affect your health, it deserves more consideration than a dude sporting a six-pack telling you it’s the dog’s bollocks.
You don’t have to be anti-peptide, you just have to be willing to ask questions.
For the record, I’m on the fence. However, there is no doubt that the emergence of tools such as the GLP injections are helpful tools for those who need them, as long as they’re not abused.
You don’t need to do everything
You don’t need to follow every diet, try every supplement, copy someone’s morning routine, fast because an influencer told you it’s the secret to longevity, or jump on whatever fitness trend is currently doing the rounds.
You’re not failing because you’re not doing what everyone else is doing.
I’m not saying don’t listen to advice.
Listen. Learn. Ask questions. Just don’t automatically think that someone else is right because they sound confident. Having abs isn’t the same as being qualified. Having millions of followers doesn’t mean someone gives good advice and selling something isn’t proof that you need it.
Find a way of eating and moving that fits your life.
You don’t need the perfect diet, the newest supplement, the latest fitness trend or someone else’s definition of what your body should look like.
There’s a shitload of money to be made convincing you that you’re not good enough.
Don’t let someone else’s business model become your problem.
Your body is yours. Your body is not their business opportunity.
I’m a nutrition and mindset coach with 8+ years of running experience, 2+ years of strength training experience, and a background as a Run Leader and Female Captain of a hill running club.
Information is cheap. Years of training and coaching taught me that what most people really need is support, accountability, and a plan that works around their life.
Let’s work together.
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