Starting Your Fitness Journey: The Reality vs. Social Media Hype

Team Brine

Starting a fitness journey is exciting. You’re pumped up, full of motivation, ready to crush your goals. Maybe you’ve got a fresh gym membership, a new workout plan, and a stash of protein powder sitting on your kitchen bench. But here’s the thing – fitness isn’t just about the first burst of motivation. It’s a long game, and if you’re only in it for the quick wins, social media might just derail your progress before you even get started.

The Issue With Social Media Fitness Culture

Let’s address the elephant in the room: social media is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to fitness. On one hand, it can be a great source of inspiration, workout ideas, and nutrition tips. But on the other? It’s a breeding ground for unrealistic expectations, misinformation, and straight-up nonsense.

Scroll through Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll see shredded physiques, 8-week transformations, and influencers pushing their “must-have” supplements. What you don’t see? The years of hard work, the disciplined nutrition, the unglamorous 5 AM workouts, the sacrifices, and sometimes, the questionable methods used to achieve those results.

Fitness isn’t about looking like your favorite influencer. It’s about your journey, your progress, and your goals. The sooner you shift your mindset from comparison to self-improvement, the better.

A general rule is that anyone who says, "This is the best way" or "This is bad" in general doesn’t know what they are talking about. There is no one-size-fits-all, and what might work for your friend, partner, or best mate doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.

The Struggles You’ll Face (And How to Overcome Them)

1. Lack of Motivation

That initial fire you have right now? It won’t always burn this bright. Motivation is fleeting. Life will get in the way, progress will slow down, and some days, you just won’t feel like it.

Solution: Build discipline. Instead of relying on motivation, create habits that keep you consistent. Plan your workouts, set reminders, and make fitness non-negotiable in your daily routine.

2. Expecting Quick Results

One of the biggest lies social media sells is “instant results.” You see a before-and-after photo and assume that’s realistic for you too. But in reality, fat loss and muscle gain take time – a lot of it.

The issue a lot of the time is people focus on short-term results. They see their friend losing lots of weight or getting amazing progress and feel like they are missing something or need to copy them. Again, this is short-term thinking in what is a long-term journey. If you can't keep this up forever, you will never be successful long term. You will see many people get quick results only to lose it all in 6 to 12 months.

Solution: Set realistic goals and trust the process. Focus on small wins: lifting heavier, running further, feeling stronger. Celebrate progress that isn’t just about aesthetics.

3. Feeling Overwhelmed by Information

Should you do keto? Intermittent fasting? Strength training? HIIT? There’s an overload of fitness advice out there, and everyone claims to have the “best” method.

Solution: Stick to the basics. Prioritize strength training, eat whole foods, get enough protein, drink water, and sleep well. Once you nail the fundamentals, you can tweak things based on what works for you.

4. Comparing Yourself to Others

You might see someone in the gym or online with your “dream body” and feel like you’re not doing enough. That comparison can be discouraging and make you feel like giving up.

Solution: Remember that everyone started somewhere. Instead of focusing on how far ahead someone else is, look at how much progress you’ve made. Your only competition is yesterday’s version of yourself.

5. Dealing With Setbacks

Injuries, bad workouts, weight fluctuations, and mental burnout – setbacks are inevitable. The problem isn’t the setback itself; it’s how you respond to it.

Solution: Be patient with yourself. Adapt your training when needed, rest when necessary, and remember that fitness is for life – not just for the summer, a wedding, or a holiday.

The Science of Weight Regain After Extreme Dieting

A study published in Obesity in 2016 examined 14 contestants from The Biggest Loser over six years. The findings revealed that, despite significant initial weight loss, most participants regained a substantial portion of the weight. Additionally, their resting metabolic rates decreased, meaning they burned fewer calories at rest than before the weight loss. This metabolic adaptation persisted over time, making sustained weight loss challenging. (Source)

These results highlight the body's natural resistance to maintaining weight loss after extreme interventions. It underscores the importance of adopting sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes rather than relying on rapid weight loss methods.

The Importance of Reverse Dieting

One effective way to prevent extreme weight regain and metabolic slowdown is by implementing a reverse diet. Reverse dieting is the process of gradually increasing caloric intake after a dieting phase to allow the metabolism to adapt and recover, rather than shocking the body with an immediate return to maintenance or surplus calories.

The Science Behind Reverse Dieting

Research suggests that slow, controlled increases in caloric intake help mitigate metabolic adaptation, reducing the likelihood of rapid weight regain. By gradually increasing food intake while maintaining activity levels, individuals can restore hormone levels (such as leptin and ghrelin), improve energy levels, and rebuild muscle mass without excessive fat gain. Studies indicate that controlled calorie increases improve metabolic rate and help sustain weight loss more effectively than sudden refeeding. (Source)

Reverse dieting is particularly beneficial for individuals who have undergone aggressive calorie restriction, as it allows for a more sustainable transition back to maintenance calories while minimizing fat gain.

The Takeaway

Fitness isn’t a straight road. It’s full of ups, downs, plateaus, and breakthroughs. The key is to keep going, stay consistent, and make adjustments along the way. Don’t let social media set unrealistic expectations for you. Build a strong foundation, focus on your progress, and enjoy the process – because the best results come to those who stick with it.