So I was gratified to read that Gym-pact is the brain child of a fellow woman, and a recent Harvard college graduate at that. Still, while I'll be the first to confess that as far as business ideas go, this one seems like pure gold, and much as I wish Yifan Zhang every success in her future endeavors, I must disagree with anyone who feels that this is a solution to making anyone stick to a workout plan.
Ask anybody who has been successful in achieving and maintaining any appreciable weight loss and they'll tell you the same - It's not about the money.
Frequently I've had people ask me - "What was the turning point for you? What made you decide to stick with it?" For me and the many others I know who finally found their own rhythm and are still sticking with it, it has had little or nothing to do with the pressure on our pockets or any financial retribution (real or imagined). It has everything to do with hitting your own wall, ceasing to be in denial and facing yourself, or as some will say - making up your mind to just do it. You have to hand it to Nike, they caught on a long while ago.
I remember a friend way back who paid a good sum to get her jaws tied. Barely one week later she had the wires taken out. Why? three days after her jaw tying venture, she came home to find that her sister-in-law had made a potful of mouth watering pudding. Her jaws had been fixed in such a way that there was no way she could possibly get in anything other than very thick fluid between her teeth. But she didn't let that deter her. With single-minded determination she selected the two largest puddings in sight and proceeded to cut each one into slivers so thin that she could fit them through her now severely narrowed dental occlusion. It was not until she was done eating both puddings that she realized the irony of her situation. She told me later that the dent in her pocket from the dentists bill was nothing compared to the pain she experienced when she had the wires taken out the very next day. My point? - It's not about the money. But then I digress.
I hear someone argue - what about those to whom money does matter? Those for whom the "pay if you miss a day at the gym" clause seems to be working? Well my answer is this - Do you remember when someone came up with this brilliant idea to improve the health of Americans in the workplace by creating financial incentives for them to increase their physical activity and improve their fruit and veggie intake? My question is: What happened to that idea?
More recently there's also been a move to discourage the intake of certain foods and beverages by imposing higher taxes on them. That hasn't seemed to work either; at least not in reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the USA.
Like I said - it's not about the money.
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That your friend literally forced food through 'clenched teeth' shows that she must be ill-disciplined. I am very sure that this is not the only area of her life in which she exhibits a lack of discipline. How come she's your friend and has not succeeded in influencing you; or are you painting yourself 'white' to make you appear wonderful? Perhaps your friend should be allowed to give her opinion of you.
ReplyDeleteWow, I remember those days when I convinced myself that if I invested money in a gym membership or some state of the art equipment, that all of a sudden I would become more dedicated and focused on my physical fitness. Ah, how much money I wasted then. Funny how now that I have access to 2 free gyms and a library of workout materials ( the same library I acquired years ago) and now I exercise every day.
ReplyDeleteI guess there is something to be said about discipline. And if discipline is the key, no amount of money can fix a person who isn't committed to taking a good hard look at themselves and making a change.
I wonder if this will just create a system where those wealthy enough to miss a day or two will do it and those who can't afford it will think twice about joining a gym.
@ Kehinde -
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, she's actually a very disciplined person; probably one of the most disciplined people I know. But then we all have our weaknesses, and hers just happens to be food. You're right about one thing though- when it comes to the issue of weight control, self discipline really is an issue that a lot of people struggle with. When you think that there's no permanent weight loss without learning to excercise control over the things we put in our mouths, it becomes obvious that this is a more complex issue than any fad diet or diet pill can solve.
Tell me about it! I've lost weight using expensive equipment at fancy gyms and in the sticks with nothing but a squeaky radio to keep me company. So it really isn't about money... unless money can buy discipline! Sigh
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if money has anything to do with it at all. But I do agree that discipline has a lot to do with it. And just as we need discipline in every part of our lives such as in school or work, when it comes down to it, discipline is very important in every aspect of our lives. Especially in weight control, weight loss and financial responsibility. So I agree that discipline & self-determination ("A Just Do It! attitude") will usually always win out above money $$.
ReplyDeleteI am not against financial incentives to help people win this weight war, because some people may need an incentive to help them get started. And Yes, I will root for the current goal to decrease health insurance premiums for those who keep themselves physically fit by exercising at a gym & eating healthy. Some companies will subsidize an employees gym membership, in addition to that same employee getting reimbursed by their insurance company after they have succeeded in maintaining a gym membership for 90 days or more. This is the goal of preventative medicine which states "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure" So in the long run if we can just spread the word about prevention of disease and ailments by working out either by gym membership or whatever means that is successful for each individual to reach their health goals! Kudos! :o) The goal should be to educate people about the benefits of exercise in general and to keep moving no matter what. Examples can be parking your car farther away from the store in a shopping market; taking the stairs vs. the elevator, or walking a mile or 2 during your lunch break. All these actions require motivation, discipline and self-determination to be consistent and succeed!
I don't think I would applaud the actions of the lady who had her mouth wired to prevent her from eating or indulging in food. Food is a necessity!! We need it to provide nutrition to our bodies. If she resorted to such a drastic step, she should have also taken an additional drastic step to isolate her self from society for a while, until she was no longer tempted by food. Because by staying in society you WILL BE TEMPTED. She could have gone away on a retreat. I actually think that she was ludicrous and the action of the dentist was not very smart or responsible either. But some people need such experiences to learn how stupid their actions really are and no amount of convincing, from sound minded people will help until they go through the experience. She would have benefitted more from an education about self-control and discipline and how to avoid certain situations in which she finds herself vulnerable. Also informing family and friends about your struggles should help them be more mindful about preparing such tempting delicacies while you're struggling with weight control.
But not to be too harsh in judgement since we all have our own silly experiences and struggles. I am also included in this.