A recent discussion at Lyle Mcdonald’s site got me thinking and that led to ranting. How much of the lack of will power is actually a lack of education? Is it application that is really the problem that some claim it is, or is it a lack of trust due to mis-education? That’s what we are going to dissect today.
The average person would say that the lack of fat loss is due to will power. A scholar would certainly say so.
Time and again I have said that my view is the majority, not the minority, fails in education.
I can see your come back now, “Yeah, because shoveling 3,000 calories of cheese fries in your face is lack of education.”
No, that isn’t what I am saying or more so that isn’t who I am talking about or who this applies to. This article is directed at those who are ALREADY attempting a dieting program. This article is directed at those who are making an effort, good or bad, to lose fat. Take your sarcasm and finger-pointing at people down for a second and realize that some people actually just don’t know what to do.
It isn’t their fault, I mean look at what we battle everyday.
In the mainstream world we battle anything Oprah is slinging and The Biggest Loser.
In this world, well, we make the telephone game don’t we? One of us discusses training strategies and nutritional approaches based on hypothesis at worst, at best a few studies. Next thing you know we have 300-pound women doing burpees on Bravo.
We are the underground, we are the ones who create the information that gets delivered to the masses. You think that’s narcissistic? No, because the other day I was told by a woman I barely know at a check-up that words I wrote in my blog were also published in an article in a popular magazine by a celebrity trainer. (Hi, you can email me anytime for more tips).
Not that this is stuff some people didn’t know, but you could have at least changed the wording a little. I guess I can’t be too mad though because in the end it was one of the best pieces written in the whole magazine. Well, that and the latest lip gloss colors for the summer. Usually it’s loads of contradictions, bad studies with even worse interpretation, a horrible training routine, and the celebration of 100-calorie snack packs (quick hint: they are the same as normal, just smaller and in a smaller bag).
In the end what is left? Confused consumers.
In a recent interview I did with Tony (Speaks ) he made a statement that for most is all too familiar-My problem was everywhere I turned everyone had the answer but it didn’t seem like people had the same answers to the same questions. Not only did advice conflict but it conflicted violently and it confused the crap out of me. Basically after trying to learn I was more confused than ever.
What this boils down to is education, yes, but also trust in that education.
I’ve been thinking about this type of thing a lot over the past few months.
I think it’s pretty rare that people don’t know what to do to move their fat loss goals along. But, it in the beginning, it was easy, relatively speaking. Then it stopped or slowed; what they did back at the beginning didn’t work anymore. The solution for most (eat less) wasn’t very palatable, so they keep looking to find all sorts of easier things that “work.” When those things don’t work or stop working, they get frustrated and allow themselves to just stop trying. I’ve been there.
A dose of reality and simple common sense is needed for most of us (I mean them! I’m fine…). For some, a little extra strategy can sure help. I’m sure that strategy is hiding some common sense, though.
Roland
I think you will find where I am going interesting because if the education is right and the trust is there then the “looking” for a different answer aspect is gone. Making people have less and less of a chance to put themselves in a special category is the ultimate goal. Education and making fat loss no longer an opinion is the way to help achieve that.
What would the world be like if our local news featured articles like this, or other similar topics, rather than “Artificial sweeteners will make you fatter than sugar, more on that in the next half hour ……………blah blah blah…………. but researchers say, more studies are needed”. So basically they said all kinds of words about nothing. Waste. Of. Time. The sad thing is, so many people believe what they see on the news.
Well, I am one of the people that ended up more confused than ever. Luckily I found you and am putting my trust in you to educate me. No pressure.
Angela-Ha no pressure right!
Thank you Sheila