“My sister’s wedding is on in March and I want to lose 5kg by then”, ” Can I lose 10kg in 4 weeks?, “If I drink guava tea, will that help with my weight loss?”, “Take these weight loss pills for 3 weeks and see your weight half”, “Take this and your weight will drop by 3 kgs in 1 week without any exercise or diet changes”. These are just a few of the questions and statements/sales techniques I came across in the last few weeks. You see, to study more about the psychology of weight loss, I joined 50 weight loss groups from all over the world and aside from my news feed being flooded with weight loss subject matter I have really learned a lot from my experience.

The first thing I have learned is that people are great

The number of people posting up positive messages, stories and feedback were inspiring. I was blown away by some people in these groups; creating, managing and posting about weight loss, not for their own benefit but simply because they have been through a journey and want to give back. People post positive messages and support to people they have never met before and to put it simply; people care. It really is amazing.

The second thing I discovered is that about 20% of people in these weight loss groups are salespeople and for the purpose of the rest of this article we will call them sharks. Now, the thing you need to understand about these sharks is that; all of them want to make money. What’s wrong with making money? Nothing. Would you like to make money online? Of course, you would. The question you really need to ask when dealing with these sharks is, and this is a very important question you need to ask. Behind it all, are they actually trying to help people or are they just trying to make some money online? Now, I understand that it may be difficult for some people to differentiate between the two so I have come up with the shark net. The shark net is designed so that you can separate the good from the bad.

So with that in mind, let’s separate our sharks. Drum roll!

Introducing type 1

“My focus is on making money. I will not offer you any advice, other than buying my product that is. I have no actual interest in your result. Also, I am selling a product that I do not use myself and when I look deep enough I can’t justify standing by it”. These types of sharks are breeding at a very high rate and are rampant among the underbelly of the health and fitness industry. How often do you see a true health and fitness professional promoting these methods? Are the sellers of these products fitness professionals or are they a marketing affiliate for a so-called “fitness” company? I have come across many of these in the last few weeks. Beware.

Now you have type 2

I suppose I consider myself a type 2’er. Yes, I want you to buy my program and yes I want to make money. That is obvious. Anyone who tells you differently is just lying. The difference here, however, is that type 2’ers are qualified health professionals who have a service that they can offer in return for money. The majority of these people got into the industry to make a difference in peoples lives and to earn a living from it. They provide a service, for the most part, that they will stand by.

How do we know this? Well, simply because they actually advertise themselves as individuals and they put their face to their product/service. Yes, some of them know more than others, yes some of them may not actually be good at what they do but their intention is much different to type 1. The majority of these people care, have their own style and facilitate in providing amazing long term results. Just make sure you find the ones that offer real value for money. Some type 2’ers have their value systems unequal and you know that happens to everyone at some point. If you find the person who values making a difference over monetary value or even values them equally then you have hit a winner. Lucky you!

Thirdly, I found that incorrect information is rampant. Whether its type 1 sharks or people who are providing information with no scientific backup. Usually people with great intentions but people who do not do their research. The result is the same; people are getting info that holds no value to them or to anyone. It is a little whirlwind and sometimes people don’t know what to do and who to trust, which is understandable. This is a big problem in the health and fitness industry. So here it is. Here is the advice I offer you as a health and fitness professional.

The golden rule: “Don’t marry anyone without first getting to know them”

Stop and take a second to read the above statement again.

Can you imagine meeting someone and within 10 minutes agreeing to marry them?

If your friend did this, what would you say to them?

If you are taking advice from anyone, buying a package from someone (even if it is only 4$) or hiring them as a trainer/health coach. Find out who they are. Look at their Facebook profile, follow their Instagram, listen to their podcast and read what other people say about them. By doing this, you will find out very quickly if the information they provide is correct, if they are type 1 or type 2 shark and if what they offer is something you would like to follow. Trust me, there are plenty of amazing health professionals in this world.  

Anyone that is on a health and fitness journey themselves. Well done. The fact that you consider yourself on a health and fitness journey means you have already taken the first step. Now just find the right information, follow the right people and implement these strategies into your life.

I am grateful for what I have learned in the last few weeks. One of the main take things that stuck with me is that people are inherently nice and they wish the best for themselves and others. It was a brilliant eye-opener from the negativity and trolling that is so prevalent these days.

I hope this article provides some value for you. Good luck!