Before accepting *any* advice on *any* topic, please consider the source.

I see threads all the time on:

“How do I lose weight?”

– “How do I achieve FIRE*?”

* FIRE = Freedom/Independence, Retire Early

Both of these are something I’d like to think I know a little bit about. 🙂

[Analogy]

Imagine you’re in a burning building. There (2) people near by:

[Person 1] a blind man that’s always been stuck inside because they can’t go out without help, or

[Person 2] a regular person that goes out to work, comes home normally, etc.

Who would you ask for directions from?

This is a widespread problem… when you ask for advice, especially on social media, every person comes out of the woodworks to put in their 2 cents – including unqualified folks… In alot of cases, it does more harm than good, as:

– There’s only a small fraction of really good tips/advice on threads… [then]

– There’s some irrelevant or mediocre advice (at best), that does really nothing to help the situation [or]

– There’s alot of god awful advice (at worst) that harms the Original Poster (OP).

Specifically on weight loss and financial threads, these fields are littered with self-serving “gurus / coaches” who are primarily interested in selling a product or course – where they overpromise and underdeliver results – all for a very expensive price tag.

Sure, there are *legit* coaches and gurus… but they generally do not advertise (Hint 1: lots of positive reviews / social proof means SQUAT as they are easily faked) – and they are rare, few, and far in between (Hint 2: They are typically very busy executing their own plans, working – not needing to make money via coaching services).

So, how do you protect yourself against bad advice?

Two key questions to ask:

[1] Has the person actually achieved what I’m looking to do?

– Go back to the analogy – why would you ask advice / directions from someone who hasn’t done it consistently themselves?

[2] Do they have a financial incentive, or benefit in some way if you follow their advice / buy their product?

– Funnily enough, the best coaches / mentors I’ve encountered generally do it for free or very inexpensively (i.e. a very affordable book, or a flat consult fee disconnected from the actions steps you take next) – and never some super expensive course / overpriced product.

Not trying to be mean, but currently:

[1] 2/3 people are obese or overweight

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends-original/obesity-rates-worldwide/

[2] More than half are living paycheck-to-paycheck

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/11/58percent-of-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-cnbc-survey-reveals.html

…so why the heck would you seek fitness or financial advice from the public at large, if most people have *never* been able to achieve success in either category?

Remember: If you’re not sure what to do, it’s generally best to seek PROFESSIONAL advice (not post on the web to seek public comments) – and please don’t overpay for it.