Remember your school days when life seemed so joyful and
carefree? Yet unburdened with the harsh realities of adulthood, your heart
still had space for dreams and aspirations. Everything seemed so simple.
The only major issue, apart from finding out who was the
second hardest in the infants; and if Mrs Smith (the popular and attractive
music teacher) really was dating Mr Jones (the intellectually brilliant, yet
socially awkward science teacher) was getting your homework in on time.
For me, the rigours of homework followed a similar yet
effective pattern: 1, ask mum and dad their knowledge on the given topic. 2,
Research the topic further utilising the family’s set of encyclopedias (as a
family from the aspirational working classes this consisted of consulting the
‘Joy of Knowledge’. For the more middle class amongst you it probably meant
using the family’s set of Encyclopedia Britannica, and as for the upper classes
it probably didn’t apply. After all, what’s the point of homework when you
stand to inherit a sprawling 100-acre estate some day! Anyway, I digress) 3,
Assimilate all the information and rewrite it, by hand, using my own thoughts
and ideas. 4, (if there was time) include a nice pretty, hand drawn picture to
go with it.
Now as you can imagine this took a considerable amount of
time especially whilst simultaneously watching Saved By The Bell (no
self-respecting ‘90’s kid dared miss it) or Big Break (man I loved John Virgo’s
no dad waist coats).
And this is completely different to today’s kids. Set them
homework and they don’t have to go through the same rigmarole. They simply
‘google’ and ‘cut and paste’. Heck if you ask them to print it out they think
they’re doing you a favour! And I say this on good authority having been a
teacher for well over a decade!
The trouble is this bodge it and cutting corners approach has
crept it into the fitness industry too. Some
people might even say that it dominates it!
For example, fad diets grow ever more popular by the day
because ‘they work’ as I’m reliably informed by the ill-informed! Of course
they blimmin’ work. Any diet which cuts out entire food groups or drastically
reduces your food choices will work, because it causes you to eat dramatically less
calories and surprise, surprise lose the weight.
And don’t even get me started on the ‘detoxes’ or ‘cleanses’.
Heck there seems more of them on the market than a there are Premier League
footballers with tattoos!
IF NOTHING ELSE, REMEMBER THIS…
All fad diets, detoxes and cleanses work in the short term but
not the long term (a bit like Jennifer Aniston’s relationships) because they
simply are unsustainable. People simply can’t handle how restrictive they are
and they soon return to their old eating habits. The weight flies off at first
(but just like a distant relative trying to get hold of some inheritance) it
soon comes back.
I’m left baffled when people bang on about losing incredible amounts of weight in a
few days through some sort of cleanse or fad diet only to put it all back on
again almost as quick. And then repeat this cycle again in only a few short weeks’
time. Flippin’ ‘eck if these diet products were that good wouldn’t the weight
stay off longer?
The cynic in me might say that these weight loss companies
deliberately design products that cause dramatic weight loss followed by almost
as impressive weight gain as a way of ensuring repeat custom!
SO WHATS THE ANSWER?
The answer won’t make me rich but it means I can sleep
easier at night. The answer is to look at weight loss in a more sustainable
way. Make dietary changes that require little effort, but cumulatively have a
big impact. A simple example that has
worked well with my clients is eating meals from a smaller plate. You don’t
have to change the type of food you eat, or the times of when you eat it. You
simply eat smaller portions which in turn ensures less calorie consumption!
For more pragmatic, evidence based advice on weight loss please
don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If you’re after a silver bullet solution to weight loss
don’t bother getting in touch, as I (nor anyone else) will be able to provide
it. But who knows, with Easter just around the corner maybe the Easter bunny can!
(I presume if you believe in one, you must believe in the other!)
Thanks for reading,
Matt
TO BOOK YOUR FREE PERSONAL TRAINING SESSION, OR TO BOOK A PLACE AT MY BOOT CAMP CLASS, PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO GET IN TOUCH.
matt@mlrpt.co.uk www.mlrpt.co.uk 07939316401 www.twitter.com/mlrpt www.facebook.com/mlrpt www.twitter.com/mlrpt
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