"Congrats! You've lost 2.4% body fat in the last six weeks!"
Client: "That's it?"
This is a scenario that every trainer is familiar with.
Besides the rare occurrence when a client drops an exaggerated amount of weight, most people are dissatisfied with their results when following a fitness program.
There are several potential reasons for this.
First, it takes a lot of effort to exercise consistently and eat healthier. One can argue that the results you get from a lifestyle change are disproportionate to the work required.
If you've ever busted your ass for an entire week at the gym and eaten salads for lunch, only to find out that you've only lost one pound, then you know what I'm talking about.
Perhaps a bigger culprit for your frustration is the impossible standards the fitness industry has promoted for decades. The transformations you see on Instagram have really skewed your perception of how fast the human body can truly change.
If you've ever seen those Men's Health headlines claiming how an actor put on like 30 lbs of muscle in a few months for a role, don't be suckered— it's bullshit. Anyone who knows even the slightest bit about human physiology knows that it's impossible to put on that much lean mass so quickly. Even with a heavy steroid stack, that would be difficult to achieve.
But this is what most people believe. They think they can lose 20 lbs of fat in a month if they really work for it (technically, you can lose this much, but it's not healthy).
Also, our culture has yet to accept the fact that bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Some people naturally carry more body fat, and that's ok. If you're one of these, you're in for a lifetime of disappointment if six-pack abs is what you seek.
It's important to manage your expectations when thinking about your fitness results.
Educating yourself and finding guidance from a responsible trainer can go a long way to help you feel like you're on the right track.
We at B-Fit, often have to remind clients that any amount of progress in the right direction, no matter how small, is a win. Let's take the 2.4% body fat example that I opened with. For someone who weighs 150 lbs and started at 25% body fat, losing 2.4% means they've lost 3.6 lbs of fat. Not water or muscle—FAT.
This is what 1 lb. of fat looks like:
So before you give up out of frustration, take a more objective look at how the process works. More often than not, the results you're seeing are perfectly normal and you're headed in the right direction.
We hope you've enjoyed today's blog post! Whether you are new to fitness or are looking for a way to kick your current routine up a notch, our team of highly trained and certified trainers at B-Fit Training Studios will help you reach your goals while having fun.
Ready to take your fitness to the next level? Click below to schedule your 15-min consultation and connect with a B-Fit Trainer today!