A new year and a new blog. A new year isn’t just a great time to make new plans and start fresh, but also to look back on the period before. In this blog, we reflect on what we’ve written so far. With 24 blogs now online, you might notice a trend if you read them all. They’re not filled with “facts” and “quick tips.” They don’t focus on “the newest” or “the best” methods, and you’ll mostly read things like “it’s not about…” or “…but this claim requires some nuance.” They’re sort of anti-blogs. In this blog, we’ll blend everything we’ve written so far into a concise piece of advice. If you prefer a more detailed advice, click on one of the links or check the list of all blogs at the bottom of this article.
As often happens in politics, the tactic of “pointing fingers” and “providing solutions” appeals to the masses. The greater the desperation, the quicker people turn to these kinds of theories. And desperate we are when it comes to fitness and health. It’s not surprising. We simply don’t have answers to questions like “How do we solve the obesity epidemic?” or “What’s the real cause of back pain?” These kinds of issues are incredibly complex and require a lot of nuance.
And while all attempts to pin the problems on carbohydrates, sugar, meat, or metabolism are undoubtedly well-intentioned, we often see that powerful claims like these lead people to focus on the wrong things and seek quick fixes instead of addressing the real problem. What’s the real problem, you ask?
The problem: calories, exercise, and psychology
We’re all becoming overweight. Since 1975, the number of people with obesity has tripled! While we’ve had a physiological explanation for this for a long time, that knowledge doesn’t seem enough to turn the tide. It simply comes down to how many calories you burn versus how many you consume through food and drink.
You could say there are two tactics for weight loss: either exercise more or eat less. While we encourage the former, the solution seems to lie mainly with the latter point. And that’s incredibly difficult. We, as humans, are really bad at estimating calorie intake. As a result, many people think they eat few calories while, in reality, that’s not the case. This confusion leads people to blame all sorts of other factors such as their metabolism, sugars (or even sugar addiction), processed foods, and artificial sweeteners.
The challenge of calorie intake
However, we shouldn’t look to physiology but rather to psychology. One reason we’re so bad at estimating calorie intake is that much of our eating behavior is unconscious. We’re constantly exposed to temptations in a society where calorie-dense food is abundant. This makes weight loss incredibly difficult and can make you feel like you’re constantly swimming against the current. So, you need to be strongly armed in this psychological battle. With powerful motivation and realistic goals. It might sound less exciting than all the hype diets you see on social media, but this is what it ultimately comes down to. Eating fewer calories in a way that suits you and that you can stick to.
But our problem isn’t complete yet. While more exercise doesn’t seem to be the solution to our overweight problem, it’s essential for our health. And we’re not just eating too much; we’re also moving far too little! Only 44% of Dutch people meet the exercise guidelines. This brings about all sorts of health problems.
Fit for life: the power of physical freedom
You don’t just exercise for weight control but also to maintain and improve your physical function and freedom. By that, we mean having the physical capacity to do things (pain-free) that are valuable to you. Like playing sports with your friends but also playing with your children without back pain and hiking with your partner during your vacation without holding up the group.
If you don’t move much, you’ll lose more and more muscle mass and therefore function as you get older. Your body works according to the “use it or lose it” principle. And while we often think that physical ailments and loss of function are just part of aging, the difference between aging fit or unfit really seems to be a choice.
Starting to train as early as possible can already be seen as investing in your retirement. It’s never too late to start, but the sooner you start building strength, conditioning, and flexibility, the better. Don’t be intimidated by the idea that the gym is only for bodybuilders or fit girls. It’s crucial for the super dads and super moms who still want to be super grandparents later on. Make sure you build up slowly and don’t be scared off by all the complicated claims about injuries. Strength training is safe, and the most common reason for injuries is not training wrong but not training at all!
You don’t need a Mars bar as a reward for refueling
Ironically, we want to close this blog, which started with the fact that all fitness charlatans “invent problems” and “provide solutions,” with what we believe is “the problem” and “the solution.”
However, the big difference is that you shouldn’t zoom in but zoom out. Not focus on one culprit but see it for the big complex problem it is. Not look for a quick fix but realize that you’ll need to drastically change course.
We’re all moving too little and eating too much. The jobs of today are no longer in the field but behind the desk. Food is no longer scarce but abundant. It comes in colorful packages with shouting texts and is promoted on billboards and at the front of the checkout. And while the food industry would love for you to believe otherwise: you don’t need a Mars bar as a reward for refueling, nor a croissant at the
kiosk while waiting for the train. It’s not for nothing that despite having had physiological knowledge for years, we all miserably fail to resist these temptations. It doesn’t call for a 30-day challenge but a life-changing journey. Our team is trained to guide you through this journey with physical training and mental coaching.
Would you like to reread all the blogs from the above blog medley? Below you’ll find them all listed again:
- SHOOT, I have SPIT!
- Dealing with back pain: load management
- What is pain?
- “But isn’t it then…?” Common claims about pain
- Struggling with weight loss? No, it’s not about the…
- Satan’s sugars: is sugar really such a culprit?
- Is processed food bad for you?
- Metabolism and energy balance
- You’re not that old: the relationship between age and physical health
- Aging and the ‘Use It or Lose It’ principle
- Active or inactive aging: aging and progress
- Strength training helps you stay fit at any age
- Losing weight and building new healthy habits
- Choices and temptations: the mental burden of healthy weight loss
- Obesogenic society: weight loss and the role of your environment
- Motivation: the why-question and different forms of motivation
- The BOOST way of training: the key aspects of physical training
- Strength training: everything you need and want to know
- Is cardio training the best tactic for weight loss?
- Is aspartame really that bad for you?
- Flexibility training: is stretching important for your muscles?
- Why weight loss is not just about eating less: you already know everything!
- You don’t lose weight in the gym but in the kitchen
- Sugar: is sugar addictive?
