One area where we tend to be extra gullible and also faced with numerous ads, quick fixes and false information happens to be on the issue of Health and Fitness. It’s like all of a sudden, jobless housewives and your neighborhood slimming centre have become the authority on your health and fitness.
Just recently, I was exchanging thoughts with a Herbalife dealer, and it is sad to know that the entire focus on weight loss for them – is exactly that - weight loss, and not fat loss. Whether it’s HEALTHY weight loss or not, doesn’t seem to be much of their concern. That, for them, is being healthy and fit, and sadly, too many people have equated being thin/slim to being fit and healthy.
Friends, there are four major components of Physical Fitness:
1. Muscular strength and endurance – the maximal force you can exert, and for how long. Lifting heavy objects require muscular strength, while walking and climbing stairs require endurance
2. Cardiovascular/cardio respiratory endurance – the maximal capacity of your heart/blood vessels/lungs to deliver oxygen and nutrients to working muscles before becoming fatigued. E.g. those who can run consistently at higher speeds on the treadmill for a long durations show good cardiovascular endurance
3. Flexibility – the ability to move your joints through their normal, full range of motion. E.g. Ninie Ahmad would make most people jealous when it comes to flexibility.
4. Body composition – your proportions of lean body mass (muscles, bones, skin, blood, organs, nervous tissue) and body fat
Many experts also include ‘mind and body vitality’ as a fifth component to physical fitness.
Reference: ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription: 30th Anniversary Edition
By American College of Sports Medicine, Mitchell H. Whaley, Peter H. Brubaker, Lawrence E. Armstrong, Robert Michael Otto. Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005
So with a Herbalife drink, or any other so called weight loss program that encourages you to drink so much of this stuff to replace your meals - you will lose weight without exercise due to its very low calorie content, but that tends to be mostly water weight, and loss of lean body mass – which is exactly the opposite of what you want.
Now that you know the four components of physical fitness – you tell me - can a powdered drink mix that comes in a variety of flavours make you physically fit?
I know that by now, I’ve already stepped on many toes here because there are just too many out there who believe that Herbalife, or and any other similar program is the answer to weight loss, fitness, and better health.
Exercise is the missing link to all our health problems.
Looking forward to hearing more about your own similar experiences, and how it’s affected your pursuit of achieving better health and fitness levels.
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I agree with the gist of yr post, but didn’t appreciate the sarcastic labeling of ‘jobless housewives’. A housewife/househusband is a full time job filled up by never ending daily tasks!
Anyway, to prove your point, I recently went on 5 days Master Cleanse detox and lost 4kg. Everyone seems so impressed but I keep telling them that you lose yr stamina as a side effect but they don’t seem to care abt that - they just latch on to the weight loss. Anyway, I am quickly ramping up my calorie intake to regain my stamina during group fitness classes.
Your comments about Herbalife International and their product line after talking with a single Herbalife Distributor, is not what I call due diligence on your part. To condemn a 29 year old company, doing business in 70 countries on a conversation with just one obviously untrained and inexperienced individual seems to be a little irresponsible. I personally have lost over 80 lbs. without the aid of extensive exercise. As a coach I do encourage regular exercise in our weight loss program. But we first start with high quality nutrition.
Well there are loads of products that can aid in weight lost in the market but consumers need to know that these products will work in conjunction with a good exercise regime and good nutrition. Personally I don’t take Herbalife products because of the price but I few of my friends has achieve good results with their products.
Well I don’t blame DM for saying such things because IMO most distributor only care about selling their products. So the end result, most people think that supplements comes first in their goal. But the truth is
1. Diet comes first followed by
2. The right exercise program
3. The correct supplements to aid them in their goals.
Cheers
by the way, i heard that Herbalife product had some previously banned substance such as ma huang and they are in some legal tussles in the US with regards to some of these.
I think the US FDA sites also has some record of these stuff, can’t recall where i read it.
Mike: Tell me then, how the Herbalife way of life addresses the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association guidelines of needing:
Moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
8 to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week
Tell me also how the Herbalife way of life can give one benefits such as:
- Lowered risk of osteoporosis, hypertension and diabetes
- Avoid lower back pain.
- Increased bone density which is important for post menopausal women.
- Increased muscle mass which burns more calories throughout the day
I agree that nutrition plays an important role - but so does exercise. Herbalife plays down exercise and promotes the easy way out. And this is the case not only with Herbalife, but also Amway, Shaklee, Usana (stepping on lots of toes now!!), and so on.
Seriously - just because an organization is successful in 70 countries doesn’t make what it is doing right. Rape and theft are found in every country in this world - and that doesn’t make it right.
Of late i’ve been a regular reader of your website. I will say i do agree with what you have to say DM but can’t agree with the tone and choice of words used.
I’m personally a strong and firm believer of both nutrition and fitness. At the same time i’m also a herbalife distributor taking the products every morning for breakfast (just like you do for your own protein shakes) because of what herbalife shakes have to offer, i take the products before and after workout as well.
I don’t know about other companies but i believe i must stand for something i totally believe in. It’s a fact herbalife can’t build muscles like exercise does, increase cardiovascular endurance if one doesn’t run, cycle, swim and etc.
Herbalife has never played down exercise. In all trainings, all distributors are encouraged to exercise. Manyof Herbalife doctors are involved in intense or some form of exercise e.g. Herbalife’s nobel prize doctor runs in marathons at the age of 60+, president of herbalife is an accomplised triathlete and many more.
Herbalife’s belief is purely in cellular nutrition . It’s not a weight lost product but it’s ideal in aiding weight lost because of its low caloric content. It’s also ideal in gaining weight because of it’s powerful nutrients. In general, everyone needs good quality nutrition at cellular level.
I’ve personally benefitted from herbalife shakes when i temporary laid of excersing due to serious knee injuries. I’ve personally lost 12 kilos in 4 months, brought down my very high cholesterol, uric acid and used the products to recover during my knee rehabilitation (mixture of good nutrition and of cos physio therapy). Till today i’ve been maitaining it (mixture of good nutrition and intense workout)and it’s not loss of body water because body water composition has also increased. I’m targetting to take part in a dualthlon anytime from June onwards.
I guess there are unscrupulous distributors out there that will say silly things on and off stage and it irks many distributors like us who belief in exercise.
In a nutshell i too can’t stop other distributors from talking but i won’t publicly criticise a company. Do you stop going to a church, mosque or temple if there is something wrong with some of the members from there? If my guess is correct your answer is NO. It’s the people that talk and do things in a stupid way not the establishment. But you have your every right to pick your topic because this is your website. Who are we to judge you.
In writing this very long comment here, i’m also not saying that i’m superbly perfect. There are times where i can overeat, don’t sleep enough, drink that beer which i know will kill my fitness goals but my philosophy in life is if i fail to be better today, i must be better tomorrow until i draw my last breath. God+Nutrition+Exercise+Water+Sleep is way to go in life. Cheers.
I had some experience with herbalife. I go to gym religiously and also taking herbalife for breakfast and dinner. I do lost a few kg after hit plateau due to my vigorous same routine in gym. i’m very happy at first untill i learnt that my fat percentage is still the same. I’m become a skinny fat guy. my BMI is excellent but my fat percentage is stagnent around 20pc for 6 months. now i abanndoned herbalife and get a personal trainer. mY weight has increased but i ‘m happy and very energetic
stoke: Sorry, but I’m still not convinced. I’m sure Yed agrees as well.
Well done Yed - I’m happy for you that you have taken the right steps to a healthier lifestyle.
In a nutshell, Herbalife is just an overpriced MRP. Of course it works, it works because people are shelling out good, hard-earned cash for it! As such they have motivation to stick to it.
On the other hand eating right and exercising cost very little but most people WON’T stick to it.
I’m not against Herbalife although I have never and will never use it; a protein shake and some multivites will do the same for cheaper. Some people need some motivation and if spending their cash on overpriced products is what does it for them, then I say let them do it.
As for me, I’m happy with my progress. Throughout my 3 months of exercise and eating right (this part is hard. LOL!) I lost only 2kg… however I lost 3 pants sizes and 1 shirt size. I’m taking that as fat loss and muscle mass maintained :)
Nice write up DM, I was writing something similar to this back in December ( except that mine was commenting on Slimming Centres instead of MLM nutrition companies. ), intending to submit to FitnessIdeas.
I totally agree with A Nony Mouse (weird nick) supplements are there to help aid someones goal. It does not matter which brand as i have loads of friend using different brands and some using herbalife. And frankly speaking all of them achieve better results because of sticking to the right diet and exercise program.
I think most people don’t achieve results is because they think that supplements are miracle product where by if you take it you will lose weight or gain muscle without proper nutrition and exercise. When i first started working out that what i thought….I when out and bought loads of supplement but I get no result coz of my pathetic diet.
IMO i think herbalife is the same as any other sport nutrition product out there. In the end of the day it all boils down to the consumers.
Just my opinion…
Cheerio!
Det ena behöver inte utesluta det andra. Började själv med Herbalife för >10 år sedan och gick ner i vikt från>95 till 75. För några år sedan började jag träna. Det är ju lättare att träna när man är lättare. Ifjol gjorde jag en sk Ironman.
Hoppas att även din metod fungerar så bra att du klarar av en Ironman om 23 år då du är lika gammal som jag!
hi,
i agree with you that nothing works better than proper nutrition and working out. and i do agree that there are SOME people/agents (of ANY dietary supplements) who only wants to make money.
however, that does not mean herbalife does not work.
i started consuming herbalife 2 years ago. when i diligently took it twice a day (morning and night) and also frequent the gym 3-4 times a week WITH yoga classes….i managed to lose a healthy 5 kilos in 3 months.
afterwhich, i reduced my herbalife intake to once every morning and “supplementing” with my yoga practice, swimming, and other cardio workouts. and through this, my weight has been maintained.
therefore, i don’t think that you should make claims on the “products”, when the issue are SOME of the agents.
People are so blinded by “weight loss” that they don’t care where it comes from. It’’s amazing in this day and age of information technology very little research is done, which would have saved you a lot of money and allow you to reach your weight goals the right way. Exercise and proper nutrition………..
I guess everyone has some valid points. I have seen so many things over the years, different training techniques, diets, drinks, shakes.. etc.. But did you know even breathing better can help our fitness?? Muscles need oxygen, which in turn helps us burn -fat-. when your muscles have more oxygenated blood this has an effect on recovery and growth, so in turn during the day you’re doing that bit better.. but this is not anything we shouldn’t know already, but did you know that if we breathe in, hold it for around 15 seconds, then exhale as much as we can, at least 6-8 times, this will give you more oxygenation than your body would have had in a very very long time… I wonder what effect it would have if you did that every day??? Hey you can google it if it sounds too wierd, read up a little.. cheers,
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