Now I’m not one to criticise my competitors as I feel most of them are good at what they do.
Obviously, like any business, there are some charlatans out there who will try to get as much money out of you as possible while providing a really poor service.
I think that if I keep doing what I’m good at and concentrate on my own business, it doesn’t really matter what my competitors do.
Or does it??
I do have a bit of a gripe with one or two competitors in particular only because I think what they are doing is risking the health of some of their clients.
You may have seen programmes like this before – “Lose X lbs in 28 days and you’ll get the programme for free”. It could be 35 days or 42 days but you get the idea.
Usually, as it’s purely about weight loss, they determine that it should be a fairly high level of weight to lose, such as 15lbs or 20lbs.
The goal is to really push yourself in that period of time so that you achieve your 15/20lb weight loss. It involves exercise and a strict nutrition plan.
I have no issue with a strict nutrition plan if that’s what you choose to follow. It obviously makes sense that eating a natural, healthy, organic or free-range diet will make you feel energetic and more alive.
I’m not one for following a calorie-controlled diet. I just aim for natural, one-ingredient foods and try to avoid processed foods as much as possible.
The calories take care of themselves as long as you have a good mix of lean protein, healthy fats and fibrous carbohydrates.
What happens then when you aim to lose 15-20lbs in a short period of time?
Well, you need to watch your calories carefully. All sugary food, alcohol, caffeine etc is banned in that time (which is fine).
Along with the (vigorous) exercise programme, the weight should start coming off quite quickly.
But what IF you don’t have the weight to lose in the first place? I mean, I’m 12st 4lbs and it would be unlikely (no, impossible) for me to lose 20lbs in 4 or 5 weeks. Even if I starved myself.
But there will be people who have the weight to lose so this type of programme looks ideal for them.
But is it?
Say you get to day 33 of a 35-day programme and you still have 5lbs to lose to achieve your goal.
What happens then?
A number of people I know have tried it and, in their own words, they’ve ‘starved’ themselves for the last 2 or 3 days so that they could reach their weight loss goal.
Starved!!
Basically, they’ve lived on a few green vegetables for 3 days and guess what?
They felt ill!
They looked gaunt, had little energy and their health suffered because of it.
And this is called a ‘Healthy Weight-Loss Programme’??
Well, I guess that bit is true – it certainly promotes weight loss. Unfortunately, not the right kind of weight loss.
You see, when you restrict your calories, your body will try to hang onto its fat stores. You’ll most likely lose water weight and muscle mass.
Not good!
So, this is just a warning before you go on some sort of strict diet and end up feeling worse than when you started.
These programmes do have their place but just be cautious.
I recommend that you stick to a healthy nutrition plan without counting calories and start lifting weights too.
The combination will build your muscle mass, make you stronger and make you feel healthier and more energetic.
It’s also great to train with likeminded people – those in a similar position to you with similar goals.
Why not pop along to my studio for a chat and a look around? It’s free to talk and it’s the perfect environment to work alongside women just like you – all ages and all sizes.
Here’s my website where you can have a look at what I offer:
https://www.bodyandmindfitnesscompany.co.uk/
Thanks
Paul