Know your starting point. If you’re 55 and borderline overweight your Instagram feed probably shouldn’t be filled with 18-24 year old’s doing some crazy yoga pose or performing some crazy Cross Fit-esq like exercise.

Weight loss television shows and social media weight loss challenges have been around for a while now. We’ve learned a lot of negative aspects of fitness from watching and they have changed the average persons expectations. Drastic and sudden change is usually temporary and that the body has set points it wants to return to. Plus many of my clients think they aren’t doing a great job losing a half a pound to a pound a week. They think that losing 20 pounds per week is normal or healthy. False.

Air brushing, photoshop, lighting, extreme dieting for a photo shoot, plastic surgery , pharmaceuticals and other tactics are used to make these women and men have an unrealistic, unattainable, cartoonish like appearance. Please be aware of these tactics and realize if it seems too idealistic to be true, than it is.

All this being said I truly believe in being motivated by social media or weight loss challenges and pushing yourself to attain your own fitness goals. BUT being a realist is very important. Being unrealistic with your expectations leads to demoralization due to not attaining unreal expectations. Demoralization leads to inaction with your nutrition and exercise.

I encourage you to have goals and fitness role models that challenge you to be better, but don’t indirectly make you feel bad about yourself. Be a realist.

To Your Health,

Mark Radio