This morning, I watched a group of individuals working out at a local church parking lot, and there was a sign posted nearby: “Morning Weight Loss Boot Camp.”

Sigh.

I applaud those individuals for getting up early in the morning and sweating it out (and here in Texas, even at 6 am, they are definitely sweating it out!) and doing the work, but I sincerely hope that their instructor/trainer is telling them to change their diets and nutrition plans. Without that, these people will get strong and fit, but they may not necessarily lose any weight, or their weight loss will be very slow.

I tell people all the time: You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Some people claim that they can do just this, but these people are likely the beneficiaries of TOFI: Thin Outside/Fat Inside. This is a condition where people are thin, but their arteries are clogged with fat and plaque due to bad eating habits and bad nutrition.

Yet, there are people out there who sadly believe, based on years of bad information, that exercise is the key to weighing less and being healthy. While it helps, it’s not the key. It’s more like an ingredient in a recipe. Even the most basic recipes have at least 3-4 ingredients. Good health, fitness, and weighing less have more than just one or two ingredients as well.

Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Fitness happens in the gym and on the road.