I've been in the field a long time, but I think I maintain a fairly objective view of what people who aren't in the field should and shouldn't know. How to choreograph a step class? Shouldn't necessarily know. That potato chips are not health food because they are made of potatoes, which are vegetables? Probably should know.
When I worked at the hospital, I implemented a hospital-wide team weight loss challenge. Just as it sounds, anyone who worked in the hospital could team up with any 3 other workers. They got their body fat and weight measured at the start of the program, then again at the end. If I remember correctly, the winners were those who lost the greatest percentage of body weight.
Since the whole idea was to promote healthy eating and exercise habits, my department (as representatives of the hospital fitness center) offered weekly emails with hints and suggestions, motivational meetings, free group personal training, and free fitness center memberships through the course of the challenge. I was the contact person for all of this, and all communication came from me.
My Inbox was filled each week with questions and concerns from many participants. I was glad to have the opportunity to help these people achieve their goals, so I didn't mind one bit.
But I started getting frustrated when the stupid questions came pouring in. I know that sounds really mean. But seriously, these were adults asking me things that I couldn't believe someone couldn't know.
For example, one lady asked me for a list of the foods with no calories. Really? Even gum has calories! I told her water and diet soda are the only two I know about, and there has been a lot of research suggesting diet soda actually increases your risk of obesity. I know there are some foods (celery and lettuce, maybe?) that have a reputation for containing less calories than it takes to chew and digest them, but really- was this person planning on living off of celery, lettuce and diet coke? If it were that easy, obesity wouldn't be such a problem in these United States!
Just today, someone approached me after an abs class with concerns that something was wrong with him because he couldn't come up into a full sit-up, in fact he could barely get his shoulder blades off the ground. And he was worried that, when doing the leg lift exercises, he felt pressure in his lower back. I explained to him that nothing was wrong with him, he just needs to strengthen his abdominal muscles.
I also love how girls come to me asking for a new workout routine to help them lose some weight, and when I ask them about their diet, I find that they're basically starving themselves. Sure, that might work in the short term, but eventually they're going to lose all their muscle mass which will slow down their metabolism, which will cause them to burn less calories on a daily basis. Not to mention that this habit can only be maintained for a short period of time before the ultimate binge occurs. Then all the weight will be gained back, with a vengeance, and there will be less muscle to counteract it, and they will be worse off than they started.
Maybe I'm being a snob, but these things seem common sense to me. I'm not sure why someone would come into an abs class and expect to be in as good shape as the instructor or others who have been taking the class a few times per week for the last 2 years.
I wasn't always a fitness professional. Back in the day, if I wanted to lose weight, for example, I read a book or did research on the Internet before confronting a professional with my concerns. At least that way I didn't look like a complete idiot. People are so lazy these days.
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