The Tribune

Health coach Ethan Quant, of Elite Wellness Solutions, has succeeded in his weight loss journey and now wants to share his methods with the Bahamas in an effort to foster a culture of wellness and conquer the obesity epidemic.

When I first started my health, wellness and fitness journey, there were so many people telling me so many things that I should and shouldn’t do. Then when I researched stuff there were so many articles for for a specific thing, then you would find the information refuting the same thing. It can be very overwhelming and very confusing. However, there is hope. I am going to share some of my personal experiences coupled with scientific data regarding some methods of losing weight.

I should say though that I find that most people who are struggling with weight loss are doing so because their goals are not SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant and time bound). Mainly, the time frame they want to achieve the weight loss in is often unrealistic, unsafe and unsustainable. As we go through our process I encourage you to be patient. I know that’s easier said than done, but trust me, you will save yourself a lot of headache and disappointment if you just take your time.

Now, before starting any sort of health, wellness and fitness programme, I always recommend that you consult your primary care physician and other healthcare professionals, even if you feel as though you are just “a little unhealthy”. This is especially important if you:

• Have a body mass index of over 30. Having a BMI over t430 means that you are obese; the ranges are: underweight is anything below 18.5; normal is between 18.5 – 24.9; overweight is 25 – 29.9; obese is 30 and over.

• Have any preexisting conditions things like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, et cetera. There are other factors, but you should consult your physician because these conditions can affect how you go about your weight loss journey.

• Your family has a history of non-communicable diseases. If your family has a history of NCDs you should know how that can affect you even if you haven’t been diagnosed because your predisposition to its may have an effect on your journey. Its just better to be safe than sorry.

• Considering using weight loss aids things like supplements, medication or even surgery. The priority is that you be safe. Even if you are using aids you would want to couple them with the development of new healthy behaviours so that any results that you get are sustainable.

This month we will be discussing other things that I learned on my journey like:

• The danger of fad diets

• Do I really need to take supplements to have a great body?

• What type of exercise should I be doing?

Remember, if you want help navigating this or any part of your health wellness and fitness journey, feel free to reach out to me directly.

• You can contact Ethan Quant at ethan@elite-wellnesssolutions.com or on Instagram at @ethanquant.