If You Post Your Progress Online, Tell The Whole Story

Transcript

Welcome And Show Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to There is a Method to the Madness. My name is Rob Maxwell, and I'm an exercise physiologist and personal trainer. I am the owner of Maxwell's fitness programs, and I've been in business since 1994. The purpose of this podcast is to get to the real deal of what really works and most importantly why things work. Hence the name, There is a Method to

Quick Sponsor Thanks

SPEAKER_00 0:23

the Madness. Before I get to today's show, I want to thank Jonathan and Lynn Gilden of the Gilden Group at Realty Pros. They are committed to providing the highest level of customer service in home sales. Why don't you give them a shout and figure out what your home is worth? 386-451-2412.

Workout Check In And Mindset

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Good afternoon, everybody, or good morning, good evening, whatever time you're listening to this. This is afternoon time for me, roughly about 345. I had a good workout this morning. I did some upper body stuff, and uh as usual, it was good. I always enjoy starting the workout, starting the day with a nice workout, getting uh some blood moving, getting a little sweaty, and right now that's not too hard to do. Where I'm at in Florida, you can get sweaty just absolutely sitting inside. But anyway, that was all good. I always like to start out talking about what I did because ultimately I got into this line of work because I love physical fitness myself. I don't know that there is any better thing we can do for ourselves to make us make ourselves healthier in all ways, which is a great segue into what I'm going to talk about today. Now,

Ozempic Trends And A Middle Stance

SPEAKER_00 1:51

this topic is very controversial. I have ultimately stayed away from it from the uh standpoint of giving my advice on what you should and should not do regarding this. And when I say this, and I know I'm kind of keeping in the dark here, um, it's not just this, it's it's other things too. And uh, you know what? I'm still not going to absolutely tell you what to do regarding this. So I'm gonna talk about a side issue that comes along with this, and what the this is I'm talking about is Ozempic and the other weight loss drugs that are out there that are similar in design. So, roughly currently in the United States, 12% of Americans are on some form of Ozempic. 12%. That is a very high number. Now, I would have thought, and I literally just looked this up, I would have thought it was higher because I do see more and more people of all different elk taking these drugs. Like it could be celebrities that we see, it could be people I know, it could be people I kind of know, it can be people I don't really know, but I see around a lot locally, it could be people I see on social media, but it just seems like more and more people are taking some form of the Ozempic drug or something similar to it. Um, and and how do I know when I don't know? Well, we all know we don't know. In other words, like there is a certain um body look that's happening with people that are taking these drugs. Um, there's a gauntness often in the face, there is a lack of muscle tonicity in the muscles, whether it be upper body, um, you know, there's a saying that's going around in the fitness world that says osempic butt or osempic no butt, because a lot of the people taking the drugs are losing a lot of the muscle mass, especially in the glutes, um, an area where a little more body fat was stored to begin with. So it's pretty easy to know when somebody is taking the drug. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that somebody you've known for 20 something years who's kind of struggled with weight and they've tried every diet known to man, and then all of a sudden you see them and they're thin. I mean, it it you get a pretty good clue right there that they're probably taking some form of it. All right. So you might be thinking, just based on how I'm explaining this thus far, and talking about the Ozempic butt and the body type or the uh lack of tonicity that I'm very anti-Ozempic and the other drugs, which really isn't true. Um, the bottom line is like many things that are medically derived, I tried to stay out of it. I do believe, like I'm definitely not a black or white person when it comes to health and fitness and many subject areas. Like, I don't, I'm not one of those just purest of any form of well, nobody should take medicine or nobody should take drugs. And, you know, there are those people out there that are uh in those camps that line up on everything. They're either like no vaccines for anything or all vaccines for everything, or you know, that some people in the recovery circles are like, absolutely somebody sober should never be taking anything, even an aspirin. And then there are people, of course, that prescribe everything. So, I mean, there's always these camps of debate, and there are those regarding the weight loss drugs too. There are the people that are like, well, you know, everybody should go ahead and take them if it helps them, if it makes them feel good, if it makes them feel better. And then there's the nobody should ever take them. And I don't believe in either. I do think that there are cases where they can be very effective and needed. You know, I know that uh there are people that I know that um have become diabetic and they become diabetic because they've had pancreatic issues, so more type 1 diabetes, and I know that for them it's literally been a lifesaver. And when you get down to it, that is where these drugs were originated for and from is for diabetes, and then they have kind of turned into weight loss drugs. So, you know, that's a case where I think they're needed and necessary and helpful. And I think when somebody is morbidly obese and their life is impacted, their health is impacted, they have uh, you know, metabolic syndrome from being morbidly obese, meaning that they have high triglycerides and high cholesterol, and they have a very large amount of fat. They have a lot of brown fat, they have hypertension, they are hyperglycemic, if not diabetic. I mean, in those cases, absolutely they can help. And I think that's where things like that, drugs like that, do come in hand. Um, do I think the person that's been maybe 15 or 20 pounds overweight for them over the last, I don't know, 10 years should take it? No, probably not. I think that's definitely taking a shortcut. But again, that is my opinion on that, which again, I'm going to mostly stay away from on that. But so, in other words, regarding my overall opinion on these, I'm kind of in the middle. That I'm gonna leave that there. I'm in the middle. If it's uh if it's medically necessary and and your primary care physician believes that it's medically necessary, then I think they are of advantageous, it's gonna be advantageous for you. I think that if it's not medically necessary and you're looking more cosmetically and you haven't tried other means to do it, then no, I I don't believe that is probably the best solution you should take. So I'm in the middle on it. But what I really do want to focus on today is maybe the bigger picture on this. And if you listen to the podcast, or if you don't, by the end of this, you'll know my opinion on this.

Social Media Progress Without Full Context

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Um, I'm gonna go back and kind of like rant a little bit about the evils of social media when it comes to this stuff. This is where I have a pretty strong opinion on this. And earlier in the introduction, I said it wasn't just this because it's not, it's other legal drugs and supplements that people are taking and nowadays just prescribed. I mean, you don't even really have to say illegal supplements. I mean, about 30 years ago, I can remember there being a massive steroid bust in my hometown of New Smyrna Beach. It was a big time bust because steroids were just running through everywhere. Illegally black market. They were just everywhere. I mean, they were literally in the high schools, they were on the weightlifting teams, they were on the streets, meaning guys just wanted to get bigger, they were in the jails, I mean, they were everywhere. Now it really doesn't have to be like that because you can just go to a physician and have a little bit of a low testosterone score, and you can get it then, whether you are male or female. So now it's not even illegal. And again, I'm not going to box myself in and be black and white on this issue either, because once again, it's going to be the same thing. I think there are some that it's medically necessary for them, whether it be for their sex drive and those types of things, or obesity, even, if it really is medically low, and for some of the hormonal balances with women as well. If it's really thought to be helpful for your health by your primary care physician, that's great. If it's just a little bit low, and you know that you can get some fat burning boost and some performance-enhancing boost by upping your testosterone, then you know, I don't know. I mean, I don't believe there are any free lunches. I will say that. I I do think that with everything that we do and take, whether it is good or bad, which really we really can't judge, there are side effects, and there's just no way around that. There's absolutely side effects to even the best of things. So that is definitely going to be the case. So when I talk about this, it's not just the Ozempic and the other weight loss drugs, it's also a lot of the hormones that people are legally and prescribed getting on. So let me get to the point here of what I am going to be opinionated about. If you are choosing to do any of these things for your health or for your vanity, either one, I 100% believe that is your business, and you're right. Absolutely. Of course it is. But I do think it is your responsibility, to be honest. What I see is way too many posts on social media of people who are and some that who are not. I would say more that who are not, but some that are in the fitness industry posting how good they look and talking about what they're doing, and it rarely is what they're rarely doing. And I think that's a big problem. I do think we have a responsibility when it comes to this. You know, someone might say, Well, I'm not a doctor, you know. Legally, I don't have to tell people that I'm taking a certain drug or supplement. No, you're right, you don't. But I do think with anything, there's a responsibility, and you really owe that to yourself, too, when you get down to it, because I'm a big believer in there's no free lunches, and people are going to talk about it because that's what people do. I mean, the bottom line is if you're doing something like that or anything else, and you're seeing great results, and you're happy with yourself and you're happy with what you're doing, and you also kind of feel like it's nobody's business and nobody should talk about it, well, then don't post it. I mean, then don't put it all over social media about how much weight you've lost, you know, and putting memes out there like you gotta love the grind, you know, and showing pictures of you outrunning and taking a picture of your oatmeals with blueberry, you know, oatmeal with blueberries, you know, like almost insinuating that you've gotten this way through your discipline in your diet and your grind in your workouts. And I see this a lot, and I happen to know the people like when they're doing it. Like there are some that, yeah, I'm not sure, but I have a good idea, and then there are some that I absolutely know are doing it because they told me, and I'm thinking to myself, okay, now you're putting this out there, and you're not really like putting out there. So I started taking this drug on let's say March 31st, and I weighed 200 pounds. I've been taking this much of the same drug ever since. I'm now 165 pounds. This is my before pitcher, this is my after pitcher, and yes, I've been doing some exercise, and yes, I've been trying to watch what I eat, but they're not doing that. Like, it's just everybody knows, you know, but the reality is they're only showing part of it. Now, two things happen with that. Number one, let's say people don't know. Let's just say people are like, oh wow, man, you know, you've been posting your running miles now every month, and you're you're up to like 50 miles a month. Like you are between your walks, your jogs, and your runs, you're doing 50 miles a month. And and you know, if you're not on social media, if you don't follow people like that or whatever, you may not know what I'm talking about, but it's a very common thing for people to kind of either show their miles from their smartwatches or tell people about their miles. So that's a common thing. And, you know, the same folks might again show some healthy meal. Oftentimes they might be showing their brand a protein drink afterwards or something. And so the person who doesn't know is gonna think to themselves, wow, man, they are, they've really turned over a new leaf, and this is great, and this is something I should do. And then they ask more questions or they just start trying to replicate. Now, you should never, I was gonna say you know me, but maybe you don't. So if you listen to a show a lot, you know what I'm probably gonna say. You you really shouldn't replicate what you see anybody do on the social media anyway. So, but let's just say people don't get that message and they do. So you are really sending a bad example about that. You are really setting a bad example because you are giving false information, and people out there are gonna do it and then it's not gonna work. And what are they gonna do? They're gonna blame their running, they're gonna blame their nutrition that they thought they were getting squared away. In reality, you kind of have like your own little version of a cheat code in your back pocket and you weren't telling people. So I don't think that's cool. I don't think that's the right responsibility. So that's one thing that's gonna happen if you're only given a piece of the puzzle out there and you're leaving other stuff if you're you know you're holding your cards under the table. The second thing that's gonna happen is people are gonna know. They're gonna know and they're gonna talk about it. They're gonna be, oh, so and so is doing this, and they're out there pretending they're doing this all the time. But I heard from so-and-so they're doing this. And like I said, people talk, and like I said, starting all this off, like if you don't want people to, then don't post it. But I'm telling you right now, people are going to. There is not a day that doesn't go by because the line of work that I'm in that a client doesn't come in and say, Hey, did you see so-and-so on Instagram or did you see so-and-so on Facebook? You know, do you know if they're taking Ozempic? And I'll say, 'Uh, you know, I don't know.' Oh, there's no way they look this different in three months. And I'm like, Yeah, I mean, you're probably right. So people are going to talk. So you might as well give the whole story.

Short Term Tool Plus Lifestyle Change

SPEAKER_00 17:55

I mean, if you talk to primary care physicians about this, and I do because I have some that are clients, they will say that they think it's medically necessary in some cases for people to get on these things. So, again, I'm not against that. And they also tell me that these people are given the education and told this is not supposed to be forever. This is sort of a booster start for you. And we really want you to get into exercise while you're doing this. We want you to learn how to eat. We will send you to some courses, we will send you the information. Hell, I know some of them have sent them to me to make sure that they're doing the right thing along with doing this. So they are being told that this can be a solution, a short-term solution, a booster shot to get you started as long as you are changing your lifestyle. And if you do that, if you get those pounds off that have been dragging you down for a long time because you've needed medical intervention, and you set a new lifestyle up by learning how to eat appropriately and learning how to exercise, it can be a wonderful thing. There is no doubt. But I promise you, if you're just taking it with no other changes in mind, with no other changes, it is not going to last. You would have to be a fool to think it's going to last. I mean, you know, the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, come on, you're gonna go back to your old ways and you're gonna put the weight back on. It's not going to work. That's not what it was intended for at all. So you might as well, if you really feel the need to share your journey with others on social media, which number one, I don't fully get, you know, and don't hit me with it's the kids thing. No, it is not. Adults and adults my age, which I'm a Gen Xer and boomers, are the ones on Facebook, not the kids. It is not the kids that are looking for the constant validation on social media, it's my age folk people. It's the Gen Xers and the boomers. All right. We're the attention whores that are on Facebook and social media all the time. Not everybody, not everybody. Nope. But we are the generation of folks that tend to be doing it more than anybody, right? So I, you know, if you're gonna put it out there, I just think you really need to tell the truth because you know what? You're you are pissing people off. You are like making us fitness professionals go, dude, would you tell people the truth? Because now I got so-and-so wondering why, you know, they've been working their asses off and and nothing seems to happen. And, you know, they have this neighbor who's, you know, claims they're not and they're losing all this weight. It's like, just tell the truth. Like, if you're gonna put it out there, then just tell the truth. Or don't say anything at all. Keep it to yourself, keep it private, keep it to your loved ones. Don't post it. But if you're gonna post it, post the truth of what you're really doing. You know, uh Facebook starts off with that stupid prompt, you know. What does it say? Um, what's on your mind? I mean, could you can you be more narcissistic? You know, like the whole world really needs to know what's on your mind, you know. So it starts out that way. So if you really want to use that tool, well, what's on my mind? I thought I would tell you about my weight loss journey. I started taking Ozempic and whatever. I started exercising. This has been my progress. I thought I'd keep everybody up to date. Great. I think that's a responsible, ethical, moral way to handle it right

Legal Hormones And Amateur Performance Boosting

SPEAKER_00 21:53

there. Now, I want to also now talk about the other one. So it's not just the fat loss. Drugs. It's also some of these testosterone boosters and things like that. There are a lot of people out there also, like in the running community and other sports like endurance sports. It's becoming a big problem in some of the endurance federations with the amateurs. And you know, when I say amateurs, if you don't know, you're probably thinking, well, who cares? They're amateurs. You know, it's like, well, these folks like are amateurs, but they're really not, and they think they're not. Like some of these people take themselves like ultra serious and they're trying to get in these Ironmans and all these marathons that are filled up. And it's like, it's cutthroat. Like it is really, really hard to qualify for some of these races. And, you know, they don't really have a great testing protocol right now. But now you have men and women alike taking a lot of different hormones because it's legal. I mean, you're right. I mean, you can go to your doctor and say, you know, I got low T values, and they can check it. And if you're moderately low, chances are you're going to get the testosterone. And there are others that, like, even if they're not moderately low, you're going to get them. And in some of the less, you know, say ethical medical practices, there are some that literally are online, and you're going to get the testosterone and um the progesterone and these other things that could help your performance. And again, some people absolutely need it, of course. But there are people that are taking it just because, you know, they want to perform better. And it's legal. Like, like I said, back in the day, New Smyrna, if you wanted this shit, I mean, you were going to have to pay top dollar. And you, you know, you were, if you got caught, you're going to jail. You know, and if you're selling, it was a felony. And now all you have to do is go take a blood test. So, like, there isn't any difference, except, you know, I would say it's probably safer getting it from the pharmacy for sure. But I mean, there really isn't any difference as far as the effects on the body. I mean, you are taking steroids, you know. Everybody was was bashing Lance Armstrong when he got caught doping. Now, he was taking EPO and some other things that are a little more serious. And granted, he was a pro, and I get it. You can scream at me later about how the biggest issue was he lied. I get all that. But at the same time, like he was considered Mr. Doper. And now people are doing it left and right. Probably the same people that burned his books, you know, probably the same people that were like, oh, that guy, we bought his live strong bracelets, and you know, now we find out he was taking these drugs, and you know, then they're going to the pharmacy and picking up their testosterone so they can run a 5K a little bit faster, you know. I mean, I don't mean to be cynical, but it the fact remains it's going on left and right. I mean, that's also not cool. I mean, you know, if you're like showing like great times in the running world, and you know, um your physique looks like you're probably taking something and you're just making it seem like that's happening because you're just blessed and you run 80 miles a week, but deep down you you know you're not, and a lot of people know you're not. I mean, that's not cool either. So again, if you if you've got to take it, I just think you've got to be responsible, you know, and say, well, you know, my running time started to take a dip back in block, black, block. Uh, let's just try to make it realistic. My running time started to take a dip back in 2021. I was feeling a little more tired, so I went and I saw my primary care physician, you know, had a little bit low testosterone. So they I started injecting testosterone back then, you know. And you know, ever since then I got my energy back, my my run times are faster. Cool. You are being 100% above board on it. You are telling the truth, and you are being at least the best role model you can be for that.

Keep It Private Or Keep It Honest

SPEAKER_00 25:47

You're not like hiding information. So I'll just wrap this up by saying, you know, ultimately what you do, what you think is best for your health is your business, absolutely. But I believe 100% that you owe it. You you need to be a responsible person, and there's no police out there that's gonna tell you that this is what you need to do. But I do think you owe it to people, to be honest, if if you are going to post these things. And when I say nobody's gonna police you, I mean they're not, but they are. I mean, nobody gets away with that for free. I'm just telling you right now, and everybody knows what I'm talking about. You're gonna go, oh, that's true. I mean, you're not fooling people, so you might as well just come out and tell people. I mean, the even better bet, in my humble opinion, which doesn't sound too humble right now, I understand, is don't post it. I mean, ultimately keep your weight loss journey to yourself if you feel like there's something to hide. Then keep it to yourself and enjoy it and live with it and talk to your family about it and make your choices with your primary care physician. But if you are going to go public with it and you're running and you're taking a boost of whatever kind to improve your running, I believe 100% that you need to be honest with people and set the right example. All right. Now you might hear this and not follow the show anymore. If it's you, that's okay. But for everybody else, please share it because maybe you just need to understand that not everybody out there is doing what you thought they were. I mean, maybe that's your wake-up call to go, oh wow, I didn't even think of that. Maybe my neighbor is doing that. So, again, whatever you do, you do, but keep it private or keep it honest. All right, thank you everybody for listening to today's show.

Automatic Downloads And Sponsor Notes

SPEAKER_00 27:34

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