Why I will Never Run A “Weight Loss Challenge”…

Let me say this straight up – I understand this is a controversial headline and that there will be some trainers/coaches who will just flat out disagree with it. That’s fine, everyone has their own personal philosophy. I am not trying to insult or disrespect anyone. These are my thoughts based on my philosophy of training. 

I only ask that you read the below with an open mind. I also would like to say that if a 12-week weight loss challenge is what it takes to get someone off the couch and into exercising, then more power to you. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. In saying that, I would like to outline why I do not feel that these types of challenge fit with my philosophy.

No end dates

First and most importantly I do not like the subconscious impression given in a weight loss programme that has an end date. By doing this it gives people the impression that the way to lose weight is to “go hard” for a few weeks and then just go back to what they normally did. This is not in line with my philosophy with regards to weight management or health. In fact, I see trainers who do this as setting their clients up to fail. Although it may be great for their business model – their clients will rave about the results they got in the short term and keep coming back when they need to lose a few kilograms quickly because it worked last time. 

The real question that I have to ask there is why has it not worked in the long term? And also why wouldn’t you want your clients to have long term results? As a trainer I believe that I should be working myself out of a job – my clients should learn how to manage themselves and their health for the long term. While my clients might want to keep training with me long term because they enjoy my training sessions it shouldn’t be because the only way they can manage their lifestyle/weight is with weekly or twice weekly training sessions.

Unwise choices

Many of the challenges I see come attached with prizes for those people who manage to lose the greatest amount of weight or the largest percentage of body fat lost over the specified time period. This is in line with the “biggest loser” model. This concerns me. Everyone loses body fat at an individual rate dependant on a number of factors. By dangling a carrot at the end of a rope it may lead people to make some unwise choices in their exercise and/or their nutrition. 

They may drastically under-eat for the 12 weeks (or however long the challenge runs for). This is concerning especially with a higher than normal level of physical activity that goes along with the under-eating. Over-exercising is also a concern for this type of programme. If properly monitored and regulated it will not be an issue, but if people push themselves to their limits it can cause overuse injuries and this can lead to people losing motivation and ending up worse off than before they started exercising.

Solid lifestyle changes

So if I disagree with this style of weight loss, what do I suggest in its place I hear you ask. This is a fair question. To be critical of one type of approach without offering my own is a pointless endeavour and no help to anyone. The 360 Degree Fitness philosophy is based around solid lifestyle changes. This means no crash-dieting, no going out and rushing into exercise like a bull at a gate, and no timelines other than the goals you will set when you start training with us. It is fine to have time-framed weight loss goals, but these should be realistic, and achievable. 

I am much keener to have you change a few small things initially and have slower progress than to lose a bunch of weight quickly and then have it be unsustainable and you lose motivation and put the weight back on just as fast. In essence, our philosophy is to make healthy choices in what you eat, get regular exercise throughout the week, and get quality sleep. In terms of nutrition, I also believe in everything in moderation (including moderation). This means that it is fine to have a takeaway meal every now and then – just don’t have one every night.

What's your thoughts?

In conclusion, while the weight loss challenge philosophy does not sit well with me, it may sit with you (as a trainer or client). That is fine, but if you are looking for long-term results then I believe that a lifestyle change is required. Habits are hard to break, but it can be done. Small improvements made regularly over the long-term can have staggering results. I would love to hear your views, success stories or frustrations in regards to the above training programmes. 
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I would love to hear what you think about this article.  Feel free to comment or recommend this post to a friend via social media.  It would mean a lot to me.