Naysayers, Critics and the Calling to Serve

"…whether you’re building a business, reclaiming your health or chasing down any meaningful goal, you’ll encounter resistance. People will project their fears and limitations onto your dreams. Sometimes, even those closest to you."

In over 20 years as a fitness professional, I’ve seen trends come and go. I’ve watched people rise, fall, rebuild and evolve. Through all of that, one of my earliest and still most meaningful inspirations remains the great Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold's story is one of vision, grit and relentless self-belief. Born in a small Austrian village, he was inspired by Reg Park, a bodybuilder who used the sport as a stepping stone into Hollywood. Arnold didn’t just want to follow in Park’s footsteps. He wanted to eclipse them. 

He moved to America with nothing but a dream, worked in construction by day and studied business by night. He built wealth before his first movie role through property deals. When the time came, he trained in acting and refused to settle for anything less than a leading man role, even when he was told his name, his accent and his body were all "too much". 

His advice was simple: 

“Don’t listen to the naysayers” 

Honestly, I’ve never heard truer words. 

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At SANAMethod, we’ve built a health and medical model that genuinely changes lives. However, not everyone sees it that way. The more impact we make, the more visible we become, the more we hear from the critics. 

In the comments on our ads, in conversations behind closed doors, even in professional circles, the jabs roll in:

• “Medication is cheating.” 

• “It’s just a gym with a doctor.” 

• “Just eat clean and train hard.” 

• “This stuff already exists.” 

• “Be happy as you are.” 

Here’s the thing: I’m not deterred. Not even a little. Because I see the results. I hear the stories every day. I work out next to our clients and see firsthand the transformation in their bodies, their energy, their mindset and their belief in what’s possible. 

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The SANAMethod system is not just another gym program. 

It’s safe. It’s structured. It removes the intimidation and confusion that so many feel when stepping into a traditional fitness setting. There are no burpees, no dangerous lifts and there is no ‘go hard or go home’ mentality. There’s just smart, evidence-based training tailored for real people with real lives and real challenges. 

Layered over that is our nutrition and lifestyle coaching, delivered not with judgment but with compassion and clarity. Most people don’t fail because they’re weak. They fail because they’re trying to navigate complex change alone, with no compass and no feedback. 

Our coaches walk alongside our clients with support, accountability, and most importantly, perspective. They help people zoom out, see the bigger picture and stay the course through the slow, steady reality of real progress. 

And then there’s the medical aspect. The part some critics just can’t wrap their heads around. 

Weight loss isn’t just a matter of “trying harder.” It’s a biological, psychological, and social equation. Our medical team understands this deeply, and our use of tools like GLP-1 medications is never a shortcut, it’s a catalyst. One part of a bigger, holistic strategy that gives patients a fighting chance where, in many cases, willpower alone has failed them for decades. 

To dismiss this model is to dismiss the real, measurable outcomes we’re achieving. 

We now support over 1,500 patients, many of whom have radically improved their body composition, bone density, blood markers, mental health, energy and overall quality of life. 

And perhaps just as meaningfully, our team feels lit up by the work. Every day, we get to witness the kind of transformation that reminds you why you started in the first place. 

As we expand across Australia with other medical, fitness and wellness professionals joining the SANAMethod network, the vision is clear: to create a national community of humans helping humans live longer, better lives. 

This mission is too important to be distracted by the critics on the sidelines. 

Because whether you’re building a business, reclaiming your health or chasing down any meaningful goal, you’ll encounter resistance. People will project their fears and limitations onto your dreams. Sometimes, even those closest to you. 

However, the truth is: The voice that matters is the one that says, “keep going”. 

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It’s not the critic who counts. It’s the person in the arena, the one with dust on their face, sweat on their brow and purpose in their heart. 

If you’re working toward something meaningful… keep going. 

Don’t listen to the naysayers. 

Dan Lowry 

Co-Founder & CEO, SANAMethod