Looks Can Be Deceiving

My old workout buddy, Daniel, wasn’t the most muscular guy in the world. But when he was lifting weights, you might never have known it. He’d regularly plop down on a bench press next to a guy twice his size and then proceed to out-lift him. And not by just a couple pounds. We’re talking 50 to 100 pounds more. Same thing would happen on the cardio side. He’d look like your average weekend jogger, only to go zooming by the seasoned marathoner. No one who saw him ever understood how or why this was possible. Why could Daniel, a toned but by no means “ripped” person, regularly out pace and out lift people who looked to be in much better shape?

The answer is a good lesson for our expectations. The first is a valuable lesson about what following Reshape The Nation means in terms of our personal weight loss and body transformation goals. While some people might see results in the range of David-Bekham-like-abs or Angelina-Jolie-legs, others won’t. But being physically fit and healthy doesn’t necessarily mean great abs, a killer butt, long legs, and every other airbrushed appendage on the glossy supermarket magazine covers. So don’t mistake “healthy” for “attractive.” While healthier habits can help with attractive features, attractive features are not the direct result of healthy habits. Sorry.

Just in case he’s reading today’s Reshape Blog post, I should point out that I don’t mean to say whether Daniel is or isn’t attractive—he’s a plenty-handsome fellow, I’m sure. My point is, however, that the body chemistry determining features humans find physically attractive are in part, but not entirely, related to those features considered healthy. Fat, for example, isn’t unhealthy. In fact, your body NEEDS fat. However, we all store our fat differently, and while we might be able to obtain the same BMI as Attractive Celebrity X, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll look like Attractive Celebrity X. Or have the same wasteline. Or be able to lift the same amount of weight. Or be able to play basketball just as well. Or be able to fit into the same outfit. Or… well… you get my point.

I’m not writing today’s post to dissuade people from getting healthy… I’m trying to be realistic. Too many weight loss program spend too much time selling ideals and not enough time selling real products. Being honest and open about the weight loss process is Reshape’s goal. We’re not trying to sell you a magic pill or a some lose weight quick scheme. And we’re not plastering our websites with bikini-clad women to imply that losing weight will equal instant super-model bikini-wearing status. It certainly can, but it’s not going to happen in a week. At Reshape, we work with you to build a healthier and happier lifestyle. The results of that new lifestyle—whether it’s being able to pose for a swimsuit calendar or just being able to play ball with your kids—is entirely up to you. But no matter where you envision your end point to be while on this weight loss journey, know that Chris Powell, David Smith, and the entire Reshape The Nation Team will be here supporting you.

Comments for "Looks Can Be Deceiving"

1. Amen, brother!

   Posted by Jeanine from san jose, CA on 07/28 at 05:29 PM

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