Written by: Fatimah Behagg
The fitness industry is becoming increasingly overcomplicated, and it does not need to be. We are trying to overengineer the basics to sell yet another unnecessary fitness product or supplement. We are being suckered into this notion that there is a ‘magical’ diet or exercise out there that will help us lose weight. Sadly, there is no magic. It comes down to hard work and consistency, but those notions do not sell. They are not savvy or sexy enough to sell, and so we fall into the never-ending hole of always searching for a quick fix and jumping into the next fitness fad or diet.
There is always a new ‘fast way to lose fat’ workout or ‘instant weight loss’ diet doing the rounds on social media. It has created a saturated information market of false fitness facts. It causes confusion and it is no wonder most of the general population does not know what is true and what is false. We seem to gravitate towards things that are ‘immediate’ or ‘quick’ when it comes to fitness, instead of just putting in the time, effort, and energy required to achieve results.
Becoming fit and healthy is not actually complicated at all and we should move away from this false notion of achieving things quickly. There is no fitness ‘quick fix’ that is going to be healthy for you and give you long-lasting results. That may be frustrating to read, but it is the truth. Most people are not even willing to do the basics consistently, yet expect the same results achieved by those who put in the work week after week over longer periods of time. You cannot obtain or sustain long-lasting results when you opt for short-term quick fixes. Instead of looking for instant gratification through quick wins, focus on building long-lasting daily habits that will support your fitness goals, now and in the future.
Long-lasting sustainable results are achieved by making fitness a part of your lifestyle. Fitness cannot be something you just do for ‘now’ to achieve a short-term result; it needs to be something you do repeatedly, forever. There is no magical diet, pill, workout, or plan. The key or magic to achieving your desired fitness results is consistency.
I have worked in the fitness industry for over a decade on a part-time and now full-time basis and have also worked as a corporate marketer for over 14 years. I am fully aware of the marketing tactics used to sell products and services. It disappoints me to read of the bad reputation the fitness industry gets because of the endless inaccurate information out there and false misconceptions created to hook people in and sell yet another ‘fat-burning’ pill or weight loss detox diet.
If you are looking to embark on a new health and fitness journey and are tired of not seeing results, here are my top 5 coaching tips:
There is no magical diet or workout plan.
You must be willing to put in the work to achieve results. Simple as that. Do not fall for fitness fads and expect to have your dream body or to burn body fat ‘instantly.’ Fitness takes time. You must do it repeatedly to succeed. There are no fat loss exercises to burn belly fat. So, the next time you see advertisements promoting ‘fat freeze injections’ or ‘weight loss pills’ just keep it moving. Literally.
Move your body. Exercise 3-5 times a week. Go for walks outside. Try new forms of fitness and see what you enjoy. You are more likely to stick to something you like doing. For example, if you enjoy spin classes, then go spinning. If you prefer Pilates, then do Pilates. If you love running, then go running. Combine these methods of movement and exercise with a form of resistance training such as weightlifting 2-3 times a week, and you will see results. I have clients who say, “I hate running, please do not make me run” and they are surprised when I reply, “ok no running.” If you think the answer to weight loss is doing endless hours of cardio on a treadmill, then you are mistaken. You do not need to do these things to lose weight.
There is no superior diet for weight loss.
Sure, you might have tried the Atkins diet, paleo diet, or perhaps intermittent fasting to lose weight. And you may have achieved results. However, any weight loss you experienced did not happen because that diet was ‘superior’ to a healthy balanced diet. The weight loss will have occurred because you were in a calorie deficit. This means you were consuming fewer calories (energy) than you were consuming before. Weight loss happens when you are in a deficit. You expend more energy (from exercise for example) than you consume, and over time that results in weight loss. Your carbohydrate-free salads are not the reason you lost weight. You lost weight because you were consuming fewer calories, and weight loss was the by-product. The greatest diet you can be on is a balanced diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The amount you should consume from each food group will differ based on your age, lifestyle, and goals. So, skip the fads and the juice diets and the carb-free life. These diets are unnecessary and not the answer to weight loss. The key to losing weight is being in a calorie deficit, and not skipping carbohydrates. Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates do not make you fat. Too many calories make you fat.
If you need help understanding how much you are currently eating, and how much you should eat to lose, maintain, or gain weight, hire a professional to help you.
Long-term over short-term quick fixes.
Whatever your fitness goals, expect them to take time. It will not happen overnight. It will not happen in a few days or just a few weeks. It will happen over months. And that is only if you stay consistent. You must be willing to put in the work if you wish to see results. Do not latch on to this notion of ‘fast’, ‘quick’, or ‘instant’ to lose weight. These methods are often unhealthy or unsustainable.
The same applies to short-term aesthetic-only fitness goals. Do not lose weight just for a holiday, an event, or an occasion, and then put it all back on again once that event or occasion passes. These goals may help you in the short term to achieve an aesthetic-specific goal, like getting into great shape for a wedding for example, but they will not serve your health in the long term.
Make fitness a lifestyle. Lift weights now to build a stronger body for the future. Eat healthily now to achieve health and immunity for the future. Your current health and fitness habits will determine your health and fitness in the future. Remember that next time you think short-term. Ask yourself, will my actions now help me in the future? Make fitness a forever thing.
Control the controllable.
‘Controllable’ refers to the daily habits that you do repeatedly as part of your lifestyle, that you can control. For example, going to bed at a reasonable time each night to ensure you get the recommended 8 hours per night. Drinking 2-3 litres of water every day to stay hydrated and aid a healthy digestive system. Getting 150 minutes of cardiovascular movement weekly to maintain a healthy heart and lungs. Ensuring you eat 5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables daily to support your immunity and so on. These things might seem basic and straightforward, but they are often overlooked. There needs to be an element of accountability when it comes to achieving goals. You cannot just have a goal to ‘lose 8 pounds’ without an action plan of how you are going to make that happen. You must note down what you are going to do to achieve that goal and address any obstacles which you might face. Ultimately, you must take responsibility for your own fitness and health.
For example, I have a few clients who are always late for their training sessions. There is always a reason, be it a ‘good’ reason or not, but there is always a reason for their lateness. The lateness might just be 5 or 10 minutes say every other session. In some cases, the lateness is up to 15 minutes 1-2 times per week. By itself, this might not seem like such a big deal. However, this has a big impact on results when you add up the minutes lost. If a client is late by say 10 minutes for a session, and that happens twice a week, that is 20 minutes of training lost each week. Now if that happens on a regular occurrence over the period of a month, that is potentially 80 minutes (20 minutes per week x 4 weeks) of time lost towards achieving their goals. So not only are they losing a full paid session (typically a training session is 60 minutes), but they are also losing precious time which has been programmed to hit a certain number of exercises, sets, and reps. If a client has a time-specific goal (for example if they are on a 6–8-week program) this can become a major obstacle as to whether they will hit that goal.
So, if you are someone who tends to be late, consider making changes to control this controllable factor. Set an earlier alarm. Get an earlier tube or bus. Set off earlier to find parking. If it is raining, depart earlier to avoid travel disruptions. You may not be able to be on time all of the time, but if you can be on time the majority of the time, then control that controllable.
Many people hire a coach or trainer to achieve their desired goals and think that the 1-2 hours they spend with that trainer each week will solve all of their fitness problems and help them achieve their goals. They neglect to think about the other 23 hours of the day they are not with that coach each day and overlook the impact of their daily habits and actions. Be accountable. If you are always ‘on the go’ try to prepare meals in advance or at weekends, so you are not skipping meals, or arriving to training sessions under-fuelled. Carry high-energy protein bars in your bag to avoid snacking on foods that will throw you off track if you are on a weight loss goal. If you are someone who does not eat enough fruit, try leaving a bowl of fruit right next to your door so you are more likely to grab a piece as you leave.
By themselves, these daily habits may seem irrelevant, but when you add them up, they make a big difference. Remember, control the controllable. Prioritise your health and fitness goals and remove any distractions or obstacles that might get in your way.
Surround yourself with positive uplifting people.
Your fitness journey will be full of high and low moments. The journey will not be linear. Life gets in the way. Work will get stressful. Your relationships may become stressful. You may experience financial hardships. You may fall ill or face a medical emergency. There is always something. It is for this reason that you should surround yourself with like-minded people to help you stay on track when times get challenging. Be around people who support your goals and who encourage and empower you to keep going. When working with new clients, I often ask them who is supporting their fitness journey and if they have people around them who are also trying to get into shape or help encourage them throughout the process. It is important to have people around you who care because it is too easy to fall off plan and lose momentum and consistency. When I first launched my fitness coaching business and started to work with clients on their health, I underestimated just how much clients would rely on me for accountability. Keeping clients motivated and on track is part of being a coach, however, many clients need more than that, and it is our job as coaches to be exactly what clients need us to be to help them solve their problems and achieve their goals. Many of my clients hire me as their coach not just because I will help them see results, but also because they are looking for someone who is going to lift them up when the journey gets tough. They hire me to provide that extra push needed to get them where they want to be. My clients know I am right there with them every rep and they can rely on me throughout the process. This ability to help someone stay on track and be consistent and to provide that positive mental attitude is very important. Consider who is in your ‘circle’ when starting your fitness program. Surround yourself with uplifting people to help you stay on track. Choose to be around those who can celebrate your strength and fitness wins with you and hype you up to keep going when you feel like quitting. Which you will. A hundred times over. It is normal. If you have never hired a coach or worked with a personal trainer before, consider doing so. Not just to help you get into shape, but also to help you stay in shape by giving you that extra push to get out of your comfort zone and achieve results.
Remember, fitness is not a fad. Fitness is a lifestyle. It does not need to be overcomplicated or overprocessed. The idea is to make the process as easy as possible for you to stick to so that it becomes a forever thing. Do not get overwhelmed by all the fitness labels out there and fall into the trap of always looking for a quick fix to your problems. There is no magic to achieving results. There is only hard work, effort, and consistency. You will not always be motivated to get it done. That is when your daily habits kick in, and discipline takes over. You will not always feel like doing what needs to be done, the point is to do it anyway. Consistency matters.
Make fitness a part of your lifestyle, and you will not look back.
If you are looking to hire a new coach or require assistance to achieve your desired goals, get in touch. would welcome the opportunity to coach you.
About the author:
Fatimah Behagg is a business owner, brand & growth marketer and certified fitness coach. She has over 14 years of experience as a marketing leader responsible for global advertising campaigns. She partners with start-ups as a consultant to build brands, and currently heads up customer experience for one client. Her mission when launching ‘Flex with Fatz’ was to combine her extensive professional experience and passion for fitness to improve the lives of others. She regularly hosts talks on the importance of mindset & motivation, and blogs frequently on all things health and wellbeing. Her long-term goal being to dedicate her marketing, leadership and fitness experience to inspire on a global scale.
