Fitness Instructor On Facebook

ThinLizzie0802

So, I didn't really think this fit in the category of any constructive forum, and it is more a rant than anything so I decided to post it here.

This girl I am friends with posted the following status to Facebook:

"Ok. Weekend, you defeated me. 2 weeks to get the Mexico body!
Shakes, Juice, Shakes, Fruit, Shakes, Veggies, Shakes, Nuts, Shakes, Seeds, SHAKES, SHAKES, SHAKES!!! Ahhhh...I GOT THIS!

Oh and WORKOUT, WORKOUT, WORKOUT!"

Here's my issue with her approach to diet and fitness:
I used to go to some cardio classes she offered. She has a degree in Kinesiology, and I did enjoy her class. However, she started pushing Usana products really hard and as you can see from that post uses shakes and juicing as her primary source of sustenance. This girl is tiny and always has been and pushes her health claims 24/7 because it's her business but is ALWAYS SICK. I mean, every time I turn around she has a status about how sick her and her husband are. And just the other day she posted this:

"ah-ha! I beat that BUG! I was down for a day....but I am back!

I seriously think that the reason I am not sick for 7-10+ days now, is due to the extra nutrition that I have been putting into my body for the last year. Ben is the same way. We used to be down for days; now we are only down for hours. yay!

Get healthy people! "

Now, I've been sick lately, but I'm in poor shape and have really had a rough winter illness wise. However, I generally only have allergy issues and don't get sick regularly. This girl is sick 2-3 weeks of pretty much every month. I want to have a discussion with her and ask her "With all this information you use to educate your friends and customers regarding nutrition and diet, and these Usana products you sell, why do you think your immune system is so shot still?"

I'm genuinely curious. I know she does not have some serious underlying health issue (that she knows about).

She also drinks these Rev3 drinks for her workouts which I don't understand. Why is her energy level not sustained through the natural nutrition she pushes and from her workouts?

"But, I will agree that QUALITY caffeine does help you to stay in a fat-burning zone during your workout if you consume it in a QUALITY drink as a pre-workout. My trusted beverage is called Rev3. I love it. SO much healthier than a Red Bull and other pre-workouts. The caffeine is not chemically made; it is extracted from green and white tea. It's low-glycemic too. Red bull is packed with more than you know....can trust the label."

I like her but I feel like she needs to reevaluate all these products she pushes: Usana, Rev3, Nutrimeal, juice and shake fasting. Her product pushing is why I don't go to her classes anymore, plus I got tired of her being sick all the time!

Hornsby

I actually have a similar friend that promotes Advocare. She is a fitness model and like 8-9% body fat so it "sells" a ton of people I'm sure.

Holly_Roman_Empire

I actually have a similar friend that promotes Advocare. She is a fitness model and like 8-9% body fat so it "sells" a ton of people I'm sure.

I have several friends that promote Advocare, except she's not as fit as your friend. Probably why I hate it so much.

OP, yeah I have that rant in my head almost weekly. People just don't know and are blinded by marketing. My Advocare friends aren't even fit, and yet they swear by the positives of it. I don't understand it at all. My best advice is to hide that friend's news feed. I've had to do that to avoid arguments on fb.

dbmata

Man, some people's kids. Ya know?

Why can't they get on program and be exactly the way we expect them to be?

ThinLizzie0802

I definitely don't approach her about any of those subjects. They don't affect me so I don't argue with her, but it does always blow my mind that she gets so obsessive yet can't see that she is in poor health despite being small.
And I feel bad for the people who eat up the products she is pushing. Occasionally, she offers very valid and science-backed advice, but usually she is just on the latest fad.

Jerrypeoples

is it as bad as the IT Works cult?

ThinLizzie0802

is it as bad as the IT Works cult?

Too funny that you brought this up because she has started doing "research" on body wraps because some of her clients asked. Currently her stance is:

"Body wraps are interesting to me. I do not have the experience or the knowledge to tell you wraps are no good or that you are wasting your money, because frankly I don't know. I LOVE Spa treatments and that is kind of what a wrap reminds me of, you know? I love a good skin detox/exfoliation; it feels amazing! AND sometimes may even make your skin look more toned because of the detox effects. BUT, for a wrap to claim or lead a consumer to believing that it can shrink FAT cells or burn FAT cells is ridiculous. I want to see some pure science on it. Wraps remind me of spray tans...it makes FAT look better temporarily unless you continue to reapply. ha! But, like I said, I am not against a wrap (I may even try it out depending on the science behind it)....but it will NEVER substitute or excuse my diet, nutrition intake, and/or exercise, because that is what burns my FAT. "

So far she hasn't jumped on that fad, but she's borderline trying it. However, as she states she at least does not promote body wraps as fat burning. Thank god.

fortally

"ah-ha! I beat that BUG! I was down for a day....but I am back!

I seriously think that the reason I am not sick for 7-10+ days now, is due to the extra nutrition that I have been putting into my body for the last year. Ben is the same way. We used to be down for days; now we are only down for hours. yay!

Oh, I thought this was so interesting! You see - for the past couple of years I've been gaining weight, eating crap foods and generally feeling miserable. I found myself complaining that every time I went to Walmart or the grocery store I got sick! I blamed it on all those germy hands & dirty diapers touching those shopping carts. I even became *that* person that wiped the carts down with wet wipes before touching them!

Anyway - I joined MFP about a month ago when I committed to getting healthy again. Started eating a balanced, healthy diet and working out every day. I read your post and it made me realize that I have been to the grocery store MANY times since making the change and I haven't gotten sick once! No winter bug, no runny nose, nothing! And actually, over the past week I've noticed that I actually feel really great!

So - lesson learned - healthy foods + healthy lifestyle = healthier body. Good lord that sounds like such common sense, doesn't it? It's amazing how skewed my perspective was when I was eating junk. It wasn't the shopping carts that were the problem - it was the all the crap I put IN the carts that made me sick! *forehead slap* for stupidity!

Thanks for your post. The light bulb that suddenly went off over my head was blinding!

angel7472

It boils down to the fact that she needs/wants money and to do that she has to give what the consumer wants. The consumer wants fast results. Are they sustainable- No. Do they deliver- Yes. If people dont see something happening they figure its not working and want to move on to something else. Unfortunately your friend will eventually crash and burn. Just dont follow too closely.