Extreme Advice Giving

You know from reading this blog that almost daily I dole out advice to people who seek 'how to lose weight'. It's always the same answer - control your food and up your energy output. Or as they say in the diet industry - calories out should be more than calories in.

When friends really push I will tell them to add in walking and cut their calories by a couple hundred a day and start slow. I have NEVER said - "extreme exercise classes are a great way to start a weight loss journey". But recently that is what a friend heard me say. When he is done losing weight I am sending him to get his hearing checked.

What really happened is this - he got a new job in radio and I suggested that one of the first things he should do was seek an endorsement deal with a gym. Then they could get him with a personal trainer and he could work his way into exercise and proper eating. This of course would lead to a slow and maintainable weight loss.

Not Radio Boy, he went straight to a place that offers extreme body shaping and got them to take him on. He went to the weigh-in, got the primer on what would happen and was ready for the first class.

He's in the first class warming up and things are going well. Then they actually started to work - he excused himself and went to puke... he comes back, starts working hard again - he excused himself and went to puke... he goes back for a third round of work and puke... he goes back to a fourth round - he maintains his composure (or he had no lunch left) and finished without puking again.

Lesson learned here? Even if the doctor clears you and the workout place cashes your check, it doesn't mean you won't puke. It's hell on your body to go from sedentary to training for "300". For most people baby steps are the right move or you (and your gut) will hate the workouts and not continue them.

Radio boy? I am proud to see he keeps going back for punishment. The simple act of puking three times and going back into that gym told me he was likely to. No man pukes from exercise with another man's knowledge and goes back if he's not committed. So, while I wish he had tested the water before he went off the 100 foot high-dive, I am glad he is getting moving none-the-less.

Now, for the sane people reading this, PLEASE consider easing in to exercise. No matter what the ads say, a hard body is not won overnight.

Yours in fitness, Kate

PS - This is a good time for a gratuitous picture of Gerard Butler as King Leonidas in "300", since I mentioned it in the post. ;)