At my gym, there's a personal trainer who lost over 25 pounds in less than 2 months. He has been telling people that he just cut out all carbs, and is eating clean.
One of his training partners who stopped training with him, revealed to me that the trainer is really taking a combo of Phentermine and Bitter Orange and that is why he is losing soo much weight so fast. The "friend" showed me the trainer's stash that he keeps in the gym owner's refrigerator along with his meals (apparently you have to take phentermine with food).
RANT:
It really steams me up how influential people, especially trainers, celebrities, and even regular folks, lie about how they are losing and maintining their weight loss. Lies just make it so much harder for people to determine what actually works, in terms of diet and exercise.
One of my weight loss support group friends was relaying a story about a bulimic former group member who wasn't telling people about her laxative and bulimia use, but rather extolling the virtues of veganism.
There were other members who tried veganism with dismal results based on that member's lies.
I believe the lying might be more prevalent among the famous. I hate reading about celebrity weight loss stories. So many of them don't mention their recreational cocaine use (which is known to cause weight loss), their secret stomach stapling, cosmetic or lap band surgeries (which is also known to produce better results than diet and exercise).
I think this is why it has taken so long for many of us who are losing through diet and exercise (no drugs, no surgeries, no weird eating issues such as bulimia), to figure out what works for us, and what is really effective. There is just so many lies and mis-information about what people are really doing to lose weight.
I remember when Star Jones wouldn't talk about her gastric bypass, and instead mis-informed all of us about her "active lifestyle" and dieting. What a croc. If she told the truth in the begining, it would save soo many people from punishing themselves and trying to figure out why their diets and exercise programs just weren't as effective.
Don't get me started on the biggest loser, and the rumors of starvation, liquid diets etc.
The trainer at my gym really brought my feelings about this whole issue to a head. There he is representing something that he truly didn't do by himself, and is now selling his services to others.
Folks: tell the truth, even the dark secret eating habits, drug use, surgeries etc. It will help society gain a real perspective on what works, what doesnt and how fast certain programs really actually work. Help us help each other.
I agree. I want to hear more about people who plateau a lot! I want to hear about people who lose large amounts but slowly. I want to hear that losing 4-8 pounds a month IS THE SAME as losing 1-2 per week, but that not everyone will lose it that steadily.
I'm not sure why some people aren't truthful. It might be that they start the lie and it just builds up and they can't stop it. Or they want to be upheld as a hero. Or they want people to not be discouraged with the struggle that does occur.
I'd also say that each of our weight loss efforts are unique. You do have to figure what works for you and not compare yourselves to others.
I try not to blame famous people or experts for the fact that I eat too much bread and butter and pizza, or skip my morning workout because "it's tooo coooold."
That is why this forum is such a blessing! The people on here, (yourself, included) Are doing this with integrity. Making good, informed choices and sticking with it. The WWers, CCers, IPers, MRCers and the WLSers are making choices that will keep them healthy long-term. They have shared not just their success, but their struggles too. It keeps everything so real for me.
That trainer, should not be a trainer. You are supposed to be able to trust your trainer, and lying about weightloss methods shows a HUGE lack of integrity. It is one thing to make that choice, but one of the big things I have learned here is that I have to OWN my decisions and my choices.
I believe that the OP meant that lying about weight loss discourages the rest of the population when they work just as hard and don't lose weight nearly as quickly. I didn't read blame for one's own bad eating habits into it.
I agree that it is discouraging when especially celebrities lie about weight loss - and to go so far as to espouse a lifestyle that may not even lead to weight loss. Veganism can be a healthy way to live, but it doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss - not by itself.
And The Biggest Loser ticked me off in the last episode when one of the contestants had "only" lost 15 pounds in 6 weeks, and Jillian proceeded to make it sound as though she should have done better (she actually is the least motivated contestant - but still). She made it sound as though 2 pounds a week is unacceptable. What she should have said is that 2 pounds a week is fantastic weight loss not "some people would kill to lose that amount of weight". Kill? I hardly think so.
Yeah, there is some reason why newer folks come in here day after day saying "I'm so discouraged, I only lost 1lb this week" and other such nonsense.
One reason for this is a constant barrage of marketing and endorsements telling them "you can lose 20lbs in just two weeks!" and "I lost 35 pounds and still ate all the chocolate I wanted!" and "Get a full body workout in just 17 seconds a day without breaking a sweat!"
It's all doubletalk (if not outright lies) and leads to unrealistic expectations. I don't know about you, but for me a huge part of this process is expectation-adjustment. I have read posts by kaplods saying she gave up previous weight-loss attempts not because she wasn't losing, but because she wasn't losing fast enough. Most of us have been there, have lost patience with the process at one time or another, and it's at least partly because we have these sorts of messages all around us. Lose weight fast!
I don't have enough data to say which of the OP's personal trainers is telling the truth and which has an axe to grind. But if it's true that a trainer is using supplements while telling his clients that his success is only due to clean eating and exercise, it's just plain irresponsible. I don't expect honesty from companies peddling weight-loss gimmicks, but I'd like to think a trainer would be more trustworthy.
i feel like you are blowing your trainers methods a little out of proprtion~ like comparing apples to oranges.
Using weightloss"aids" isnt like he used some magical pill to make the weight melt off.... Those EC's dont burn fat, they dont make your metabolism unnaturally high... all they do is give you a little more energy, which in turn leads to you moving more and thus burning more calories. Some of them help suppress the appetite, but so does caffiene! Its the same thing as taking alot of caffiene, really.... he STILL has to be in a caloric deficit, he STILL prob cut out all carbs, and still did it all himself...
Now, the women/actresses who are bulimic/anorexic, etc, flat out LYING about how they maintain or lsoe weight, well...... thats a little different
I try not to blame famous people or experts for the fact that I eat too much bread and butter and pizza, or skip my morning workout because "it's tooo coooold."
I don't blame anyone for my lack of success either. If I plateau I check why, usually its eating too much.
My issue is with people who make it look so "effortless". Those people discourage people who become dis-enchanted when they don't see similar results from the same programs.
In my office we have a biggest loser contest going on. I abstained, because after years of working on my weight I realize that I fluctuate in pounds lost, My weight loss is SLOOOOW, and that "racing to finish" is just a set up and enourages people to do things like I mentioned "to lose weight fast".
I think all the people who sign up with that trainer may have the belief in the back of their mind that they can get similar results. Its a shame that there isn't more reality in this game. That way we can have honest dialog about how slow and steady or not so steady the process can really be.
i feel like you are blowing your trainers methods a little out of proprtion~ like comparing apples to oranges.
Using weightloss"aids" isnt like he used some magical pill to make the weight melt off.... Those EC's dont burn fat, they dont make your metabolism unnaturally high... all they do is give you a little more energy, which in turn leads to you moving more and thus burning more calories. Some of them help suppress the appetite, but so does caffiene! Its the same thing as taking alot of caffiene, really.... he STILL has to be in a caloric deficit, he STILL prob cut out all carbs, and still did it all himself...
Now, the women/actresses who are bulimic/anorexic, etc, flat out LYING about how they maintain or lsoe weight, well...... thats a little different
No offense taken. I see your point, that Bitter Orange is a supplement. The thing is Phentermine IS A DRUG.
I just wish that guy and everyone else doing stuff like he does would be honest no matter what. I have had a trainer before, and many of them do offer advice about diet. Its dishonest and does a disservice to your clients if you don't disclose that you take "energy enhancing" products etc, to complete your rigorous routines, or that you take "things that are known to speed up the metabolism" (phentermine is known to speed the metabolism, google it at WEB MD).
I know I have had to DRAG through routines. I think its only fair that if you have some way that has boosted you through your routines that you should be honest enough :
a) to disclose that
b) not to pretend to expect similar effort from someone who is not taking any boosters
Last edited by Harsdottir; 12-09-2010 at 12:49 PM.
That is why this forum is such a blessing! The people on here, (yourself, included) Are doing this with integrity. Making good, informed choices and sticking with it. The WWers, CCers, IPers, MRCers and the WLSers are making choices that will keep them healthy long-term. They have shared not just their success, but their struggles too. It keeps everything so real for me.
That trainer, should not be a trainer. You are supposed to be able to trust your trainer, and lying about weightloss methods shows a HUGE lack of integrity. It is one thing to make that choice, but one of the big things I have learned here is that I have to OWN my decisions and my choices.
I totally agree. This forum is the best thing that happened to me. I visit all the subforums, from the exercise, to the maintainers even to the ones that don't apply to me such as the WLS. Its great to hear real stories from real people and see real results without the lies about what they did to achieve the results. I have learned so much about what to expect just from this site alone. I only wish I could pipe this forum into my headphones while I was on the treadmill, so that i could hear the real encouragement instead of the false competition and lies that seem to take place in gyms, tv and magazines across the world.
I don't blame anyone for my lack of success either. If I plateau I check why, usually its eating too much.
My issue is with people who make it look so "effortless". Those people discourage people who become dis-enchanted when they don't see similar results from the same programs.
In my office we have a biggest loser contest going on. I abstained, because after years of working on my weight I realize that I fluctuate in pounds lost, My weight loss is SLOOOOW, and that "racing to finish" is just a set up and enourages people to do things like I mentioned "to lose weight fast".
I think all the people who sign up with that trainer may have the belief in the back of their mind that they can get similar results. Its a shame that there isn't more reality in this game. That way we can have honest dialog about how slow and steady or not so steady the process can really be.
I guess was extrapolating on this - people get discouraged, give up, then say "well it doesn't work for me since I wasn't losing as fast as so and so." Rather than just sticking to their slow progress.
They are looking outside themselves for the motivation to keep going.
People lie because they don't want to admit they struggle too. They all want to be a success story. There is shame if you cannot lose like the expected "1-2lbs per week" or whatever theory is going around. It's a lack of control, and people who can't control their weight are given a low status in our society....
i feel like you are blowing your trainers methods a little out of proprtion~ like comparing apples to oranges.
Using weightloss"aids" isnt like he used some magical pill to make the weight melt off.... Those EC's dont burn fat, they dont make your metabolism unnaturally high... all they do is give you a little more energy, which in turn leads to you moving more and thus burning more calories. Some of them help suppress the appetite, but so does caffiene! Its the same thing as taking alot of caffiene, really.... he STILL has to be in a caloric deficit, he STILL prob cut out all carbs, and still did it all himself...
Now, the women/actresses who are bulimic/anorexic, etc, flat out LYING about how they maintain or lsoe weight, well...... thats a little different
I disagree. I was on a prescription drug very similar to phentermine in eight grade and high school. It works by both increasing metabolism and decreasing appetite, but it can't really be compared to caffeine. It's effects are far, far stronger than any caffeine product on the market. It's much closer to amphetemine. From what I hear about bitter orange, it's also potentially dangerous (more akin to ephedra which was taken off the market because of the dangers) than to caffeine. These are all strong stimulants. Sure caffeine would also be in mega-doses (but the side effects would be mega-sized as well, and would be just as dangerous). I worked in drug treatment, and kids would "snort" caffeine to get a cocaine like high - it was even more dangerous than cocaine - so even if the trainer were using caffeine this way, it would still be a very different story than what he's telling (and selling) to his clients.
The drug I took did a lot more than just "mildly help" me lose weight. It allowed me to lose 70 lbs quickly (most of the weight loss in less than a year). It was the fastest, least effort weight loss I have EVER experienced - in 40 years of dieting. I didn't sleep much. I ate fewer than 500 calories a day most days. I was jittery and prone to passing out.
I don't owe anyone an explanation of how I lost or am losing weight, unless I'm selling it. And this guy is selling it. There's nothing wrong with him taking these medications, but he'ls leaving a big piece of the puzzle out of the story he's selling.
If someone is telling you (and charging you) to "do what I do, so you can get the results I got" then it's unethical to leave out such a large part of the formula.
Lies about weight loss: A RANT
