The Skinny Fat ‘Quick’ Fix Scam (And How to Protect Yourself)

Today, I’d like to discuss a topic that isn’t as practical as content I’ve written before, but one that can help guide you to better decisions.

What am I talking about? The ‘quick fix’ scam.

Let’s talk about it. 

The Mindset of ‘I Want it Now!’

We live in a time of instant gratification. Do you want something from Amazon? You can have it overnight. Are you craving some tasty pizza for dinner? That local place can deliver within 30 minutes. Interested in the newest iPhone but don’t have the money? You can have it right now, thanks to the many affordable plans.

We’ve slowly come to expect everything right away, and we get angry when things don’t happen immediately. The issue is particularly destructive with fitness because of two things:

1. People expect to achieve an overnight transformation. So, when they fail, folks get angry, give up, and go back to their old behaviors. In fact, many people resort to scam supplements, dumb diets, procedures like liposuction, and such to get quick results and be done with it.
   
   
2. Scammers and gurus take advantage of people by promising excellent results for a ‘humble’ price.

Of course, there is also an argument to be made that people who are gullible enough to believe such lies deserve to be ripped off. But is that truly the case? Everyone starts somewhere, and wanting quick results doesn’t mean a person deserves to be scammed. 

The Truth About Fitness Progress For Skinny Fat Folks

Here is something you might not want to hear:

People often believe (or hope) that improvements happen quickly and the ripped abs, bulging biceps, and massive quads are just a few weeks away. But, changing your body will always take longer than you expect. Regardless of where you are now, your goal will never be as close as you’d like it to be.

The typical skinny fat person often believes they need to lose a few pounds to achieve a lean and athletic physique. But, in most cases, the process is a bit more complicated, and significant improvements require considerable fat loss and muscle gain. What starts as a month-long journey to get fit often transforms into a year-long ordeal.

But what does all of that mean? Am I just writing all of this to get you down and make you feel bad about yourself? Of course not. I’m simply saying that genuine change often takes longer than we think, and you should be wary of anyone who promises quick results, especially if they are peddling nothing more than a routine, diet, or supplement.

Four Practical Tips to Enjoy The Journey And Stop Obsessing Over Quick Results

One of the most challenging things to accept about fitness is that results come slowly. So, I’d like to share a few practical tips you can apply to make the process more pleasant and stop looking for quick results.

1. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

We all carry the tendency to compare ourselves to others. It’s human nature to be curious about where we stand in relation to others. When most people start going to the gym, one of the first things they do is look around themselves and feel bad for how unfit they are compared to others. I should know; I did the same thing back in the day.

The problem with comparing yourself to others is that you’re being unfair. Sure, there will always be someone leaner, stronger, and more athletic, but does that truly matter? Does it impact your bottom line? I’d say no. Plus, you have to consider that you’re in one stage of the journey, and those you compare yourself to are in another. You might have been hitting the gym for a year, but do you genuinely think it’s fair to compare yourself to someone who’s been training for a decade?

Comparing yourself to others has become even more destructive in the last few years because of social media. We live in a time where models, influences, and all sorts of fit people are posting heavily edited photos of themselves looking at their best. First, what you see isn’t real but a carefully fabricated image. Second, the person you’re comparing yourself to could be taking steroids to achieve and maintain a specific look.

2. Track Your Progress

Tracking your fitness progress is beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, you get to see how far you’ve come, which can help you enjoy the journey and motivate you to keep going. Second, it keeps you honest. If things are going well, you should keep doing what you’ve been doing. But, if you’re failing to see the progress you hope for, you can start tweaking your process until things start moving in the right direction.

Another considerable benefit of tracking your training and progress is that you learn to appreciate the small wins and how they accumulate into significant changes down the road. Sure, adding 2.5 kilos to your bench might not seem that big now. But make that jump ten times, and your bench will improve by 25 kilos. Seeing this in action will make you realize the importance of small steps forward, motivating you to keep going and enjoy the process instead of obsessing over the finish line.

3. Take The Pressure Off

Putting too much pressure on yourself is a surefire way to stop enjoying the fitness journey and start feeling overwhelmed. Often, people bite off more than they can chew, resulting in unsustainable training plans, overly-restrictive diets, and chasing revolutionary tactics.

I’m here to tell you to take the pressure off and not go so hard at it. Of course, you should take fitness seriously and make time for it, but don’t set standards you can’t cover consistently. Instead of looking at the short term and how much punishment you can take in the next few weeks, ask yourself, “What is a fitness approach I can sustain for the next five years?”

For example, I’ve shared numerous training programs on my site, but you can always do what works for you instead of following everything down to a T. If my three-day program doesn’t work because you can’t spare an hour to train every other day, break it down and do what you can.

4. Develop a Chain of Consistency

Imagine that your fitness journey is like pushing a large rock uphill. It starts slow, you stumble and backslide, and the whole experience is frustrating. But then, as you persist, the stone reaches the top of the hill. From there, the terrain is mostly even with the occasional slope and incline. You still face the occasional challenge, but you’ve overcome the initial friction, and it’s much easier to keep going.

To achieve that, you need to develop a chain of consistency. Instead of doing the occasional perfect workout, dedicate yourself to at least some activity each day. For example, you can do five, ten, or fifteen minutes of daily exercise. If you prefer to follow a solid program, such as the ones I offer, do something active on your recovery days, be it a short bike ride, a walk in the park, or some stretching at home.

The point, of course, isn’t to overwhelm or overtrain yourself but to make fitness part of your life. At that point, working out becomes something as natural as brushing your teeth in the morning. You don’t think about it, you simply do it.

As soon as you start seeing results from your efforts, you will close the positive feedback loop. Your efforts will produce results, which will boost your motivation, leading to more efforts and even more results.