[consalobliss]

I had a pretty bizarre conult today. I had a potential client say they came to me because they want to come off a "low carb" diet and they know they are going to gain weight as soon as they come off but they don't want to work out because they don't want to become ripped. While I assured her she would not get ripped she then said she gains weight fast when she works out, but doesn't know if its muscle or fat. Her doctor has told her not to continue to lose weight because she is almost 6' and 135 and wants to drop her caloric intake to 800 calories a to get down to 127 so she can come off her diet and be at 135 again after this post diet weight gain. My suggestion was that we take it slow by beginning to workout 2 days a after I perform an assesment and she gives me a three day dietary record. How do I approach this mislead person who I believe will do anything to not gain weight even if it's muscle and she wants to "tone up"?

[bigt]

This relates to another thread I started which discusses vanity goals over intangible goals. Her goals are vanity, I'm sure.

Is her goal to keep the scale number below 135, or is her goal to look like some image she sees? Does she wanna be like Calista Flockheart or does she want to look like a normal healthy woman? If her goal is to look anorexic, then tell her to see a a doctor related to discuss eating disorders before she begins training or anything. (gently of course) Ask her to bring in a picture of what she wants to look like?

Try to discuss with her the side effects of a healthy lifestyle as they pertain to beauty (hair, skin, and complexion benefits of high veggie intakes) mood, sexual desire, energy levels with healthy proper eating and exercise. Explain that with more muscle mass she can burn more calories at rest and look more shaped and "toned." (I'm sure you've already done this) This "toned" word should be stricken from the female vernacular.

If she still insists that the scale is the master, then maybe you should refuse to train her b/c you're ultimately setting yourself up to fail. You can lead a horse to water.....

Good idea on the food dairy suggestion, I'd be interested to see what her ideas of low carb look like.

[nornthuk]

For some legal issues, they say you should just try not to deal with it and/or send her to a professional who can deal with eating disorders as part of their licensed practice. Personal trainers and weight loss coaches don't understand how to treat these patients and you need to be careful. Her condition could be life threatening.