November and December have been the craziest months and I’m
not quite sure where they’ve gone. Oh yeah - that's right - moved into a new house and took an overseas trip and work was crazy and training is hard and long and I have a few kids and husband as well - probably much the same as everyone else out there. But here we are, Boxing Day, and Christmas
is all over for another year. So I’m thinking back to last year and realise
that it’s only been twelve months since I decided to train towards the
competition. It feels like a lot longer. Not necessarily in a bad or good way –
it just does feel longer.
But I’m not going to do a long, boring reflection on the
year. No need – I pretty much shared everything with you right throughout the year.
But I do have something else to say that’s been on my mind. It doesn't have much to do with my training but it is something that comes up for me almost everyday with my work.
Over the past year it has become incredibly apparent to me
that most women fall into one of two categories when it comes to health, in
particular, weight loss. Here’s my perception of it;
My Typical Two
Clients
Client #1 – is carrying
around 1-5kgs of extra weight (or they are underweight).
-
They typically say things like, “I know exactly
why I’m not losing weight. It’s because I eat/drink too many <insert
something like iced-coffee (grrrr!!!!!), cheese, bread, milk, or that old peanut – grog>.
-
They find it a little embarrassing at worst,
funny at best, that they haven’t been able to eliminate the ‘problem’ food
group but will generally be completely honest when they fall off the wagon.
-
They make clear and honest decisions when they
eat and accept the consequences – meaning a full-on sweat-filled hour with me
to remind themselves how much it takes to work off crap food!!
-
In my experience, this sort of client will often
not get to their weight goal. They tend to accept that their lifestyle equates
to a certain weight and they are happy to have a good pt/Bootcamp session here
and there to combat most of the eating, but are really not too fussed about
making any huge changes.
-
Often health and well-being is more important to
them than weightloss.
Client #2 – is carrying
anywhere between 5-50kgs of extra weight.
-
They will often have injuries or illnesses that
may or may not be linked to their ability to lose weight. Most common; knee,
hip, back, neck pain. At first I also notice they succomb to coughs, colds and the flu on a regular basis. (And are probably oblivious to the fact that good health means your system is able to better fight off these nasties and you won't suffer so often or for so long.)
-
They will have many stories about weight
loss attempts where they have lost all of their excess weight, and then put it
on again, a number of times in their life - perpetual roundabout of weight
loss/gain.
-
They are usually dead-set motivated. Their
number one goal in life is to drop the weight – at first. It will be all they
think about on some days. They’ll read and listen to everything they can about
food and nutrition and will know exactly what calories are in most foods.
-
Their 3-day food diary will give some indication
of what they eat but generally it’s not a true indication of what has caused
the weight gain. Why? Because the feelings of shame and embarrassment will keep
them from writing up a truly terrible food day. I understand that. It was me. I
wouldn’t have told anyone what I ate on those days.
-
They will often have weeks on a diet where no
weight is lost at all (even a gain here and there), and will have no clue why.
-
They will clearly (and I mean CLEARLY) have an
emotional connection with food. They might not see it, but I can!
-
They will have great food days. And bad food
days. Not many ‘in between’ days. Why? Because a piece of bad food will lead to
more, and more, leading to feelings of anger, despair and a resolution to eat
as much crap as they can before starting all over again the next day.
-
They will generally lose weight to start with,
but will struggle with getting the last half off and, of course, maintenance is
usually the start of the gaining process again.
So which one are you? I can tell you very clearly that I am
Client #2. I write most of what I write from personal experience. One of the
best things about training others has been the huge realisation that I am not
alone. While I have moved my life a long way forward from my food nightmare
years, I still relate to the feelings in a big way!
How do I tackle these clients? I read as much as I can on
training and nutrition principles. I then observe what works and what doesn’t.
And I always think about myself and how I would react to the training I give.
If these don’t stack up – I don’t go there. It goes a little bit like…..
My Training &
Nutrition for Two Different Types
Client #1
-
Sound and solid training methods are usually
enough to put them on the right track in the gym. I need to convince them that
weight training is extremely important in weight management (and gives way
better results than just cardio).
-
Normally start doing their own programs based on
the principles they learn and it gives me great pleasure to seem them walking
around the gym with a new-found confidence.
-
Once the nutrition issues are pointed out, they
then know the keys to getting it right and will do so quite successfully. As
stated previously, if they continue to eat badly, they know what they are doing and can usually
reign it in when needed.
Client #2
-
Will generally default to cardio only in their dogged quest to chew up excess calories. Take a lot more convincing to incorporate
weights as they think this will make them bulk up. I say no more!
-
Will grasp hold of any nutritional guidelines
they can get….at first. Generally 2-4
weeks will be the time limit for the initial enthusiasm, and then certain foods
will creep back in. As stated, letting in a portion of ‘bad food’ will start a
snowball of bad eating for that day. As the eating progresses, so does the
feeling of desperation. In the time of desperation, so comes the frantic search
for a new diet that may provide the answer to this problem. Within the first
month, this client will often come to me with a brand new diet that they want
me to look at. I’ve seen metabolic diets, cohens diets, Michelle Bridges
programs, weight watchers points systems, detox systems, no-sugar diets, gluten
free programs, caveman no-carb diets, paleo
(high fat high protein) systems – you name it, it’s come across my desk
for me to assess. I know what it is. Another attempt to gain back control.
Can I tell you that I used to start every
Monday on a new diet? I’m not criticising, I was there. I know it all too well
and I can see it as clear as a bell. The new diet made me feel like I was in
control and I had something follow. And the decision to follow it always came on the hours following a
food binge. Always. At my weakest point, I needed something extremely strict to
get me back on track.
-
These clients have strong feelings of shame,
embarrassment and self-loathing and I may see them one week and never again the
following. They tend to be black and white in their decision making, not much
grey.
-
These clients can make some huge steps in their
weight loss, if they are at the right point in their life. The first few kilos
drop off without any fuss (normally the result of simply stopping the binging
type of eating). The next few take a bit more determination and focus. The next
lot means further changes to break the plateau, and the last few take real
grit, real focus and a shitload of commitment.
-
Maintenance for Client #2 is a huge issue. Why?
Because they may not have accepted the fact that they have a major link between
emotions and food. They need to GET this fact. If they don’t, they are destined
to repeat the cycle. I don’t mean a trip to the psychiatrist (though I’m sure
it would help!), but I do mean accepting that weight loss is not just about
food in the mouth. If it was, it’d be way easier to deal with.
-
Client #2 has to accept that this will be an
ongoing road to ‘recovery’. There will be no long-term quick fix. Even Michelle
Bridges can not ‘fix’ you. Nor can an advertorial on TV. Nor will Bodytrim. Nor
will Cohens. Not even Jessica Simpson’s weightloss formula. Each and every diet
will lead you back to step 1 if you don’t deal with the whole picture.
So you’ve read through this blog
(sorry, I don’t know how to do short blurbs!) and you want to know exactly what
I’d tell you to do next. You have to start somewhere and Boxing Day is the
perfect day to start. Here goes….
What I’d Tell You To do
Client #1
-
Simple – if you want to lose weight, stop eating
so much and get active.
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Cut down on bread – actually, eliminate it for
one whole month. Replace with brown rice, cous cous, quinoa, whole grain pasta
or sweet potato. 1/2 cup of cooked whatever - max.
-
Cut out any pastry products and cream products.
-
Get off the couch and do at least 30minutes of
exercise 5 x a week. Rest for 2 days if you must – but it wouldn’t hurt to go
for a walk!
-
Stop drinking that bloody iced coffee!!!! It’s
just sugar, fat and….more sugar!!!
-
Get a goal – Tough Mudda, 10km fun run, 5km fun
walk, bootcamp etc. Focus on something to keep you on track.
-
Don’t call shit food your reward. Your body
doesn’t ‘deserve’ to have a blast of sugar and fat. Enjoy it for sure. Life is
for living and all of that. But rather than building it up for a big meal of
rubbish, incorporate little items of your yummy foods throughout your normal
lifestyle.
-
See a trainer to get you on track with a good
weights training program to incorporate into your regime. It takes your body more
energy to maintain that beautiful muscle so you’ll get more bang for your buck.
Also looks beautiful!
Client #2
– By now you must realise
that you have a trickier road than others – accept this fact. Self pity is a
waste of time and won’t change your body composition. Yes – husbands/brothers/fathers
will be able to eat crap all day long and not gain weight. That’s life.
- I’ve babbled on about food and
emotions but the bottom line to start this new life is….you’re going to have to
dig deep and find some self-control to get started. Some real will-power. Stop
telling everyone that you have none! What you speak is what you will achieve. Athletes
don’t tell everyone that they are sure they are going to lose their race! They
always say they’ve got what it takes to win. So stop setting yourself up to
fail from the outset. You have as much willpower as the next person – you have
simply chosen (in the past) to not activate it. Choices. You have them.
- You need to get rid of the shit
food from your house. Give it away. Bin it. Send it to the neighbour. Trust me
on this – shit food is cheap! You don’t need to keep it! If you sit in a barber’s seat long enough,
you’ll get a haircut!
- When you have people over for
dinner, give them ALL of the leftovers to take home.
- When you feel like you are
going to succumb – put 500m between yourself and the fridge/cupboard. This one
works!!!! Just do it. Stop giving me 100 reasons why you can’t leave the house!
I know all about cars and prams and bikes – if you want to do it, you will!
Sometimes you may even have to wake up your gorgeous baby to do it – egads!!! Did
she just say to wake the baby so that I can leave the house rather than succumb
to a food binge????? Why yes I did. There
are certain times that temptation hits and it can hit hard. Mine was when baby
was asleep and when husband was on nightshift.ie. when I was alone and
vunerable. For me, waking that baby and going for a drive/visit/walk was what
stopped this awful cycle. Only you know what times are the most dangerous for
you – and you need to change them. Point blank.
- You need exercise. Each and every
day. No days off. For a starter, keep active every minute you can. Food
cravings don’t usually hit while you’re doing stuff. It’s those times of
inactivity that cause dramas. Weight train. Cardio train. Walk. Swim. Bike.
Whatever. Just do it. Stop giving me the reasons why you can’t do it. I believe
there is always a way. I have 3 children, a shift working husband. A job. A
house. Some pretty big goals. And I find a way.
So can you. As a PT, I’ll never force someone into a corner. But I know
there is a solution to 99.9% of perceived problems.
- And while you’re walking, running
etc, start giving some thought to the link between your emotions and your
eating. It’s there. It needs looking at. To borrow a line from good old Dr Phil
– you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. That is, you need to see there is a
problem before you can change it. On a very basic level – you need to accept
there is a problem if you are overweight and don’t want to be. That’s a good
starter. Also ask yourself, how many times have I been in the same position,
trying to achieve the same thing, and not achieving it? That is a problem.
-
I don’t find great results from a prolonged food
diary. All that does is put way too much emphasis on food all day long. Ever
heard of world-peace activists who end up killing someone in the name of peace?
If you focus on one thing too much, you’ll end up sabotaging the very thing you
want most of all. Those people who read about food and diets, watch everything
they can on food, think about food, plan food and talk about food – are
normally in a constant danger zone. Get another hobby.
I also want to reiterate that I
write from my own personal experience. I spent years trying to make sense out
of the fact that I just couldn’t lose weight and keep it off. I would eat/binge/starve – eat/binge/starve. I
felt so different from everyone else in the world (or so I thought) and couldn’t
understand how my self-control and will-power were letting me down almost every
day. I ended up eating alone (dangerous!!!) because I wasn’t sure I could
maintain control in front of others. While everyone else was talking about the
weather, I would be thinking about what I could eat next, or what diet I was
going to try, or what exercise I could do to combat the cake I ate. As my
eating became more extreme, my resolutions became more wacky.eg. “If I eat this caramel slice, I won’t eat
any carbs again until next week. And I’ll run for an extra hour each day. And I’ll
only have slimming shakes for the next two days.” It never lasted because I’d
wake up hungry the next day and would then have the whole decision making
process to go through yet again. It was soul destroying and a period of my life
that I don’t love thinking about. I’d go a long way to help anyone out of that
black hole. But it’s got to start from the individual. I can’t do it for anyone
else.
Really and truly, it’s time to
stop talking. I’ve got a workout to do and a protein shake to consume – yum! It’s
Boxing Day and Christmas Day is over. The shit food stops on Christmas night in
this household, and we return to our usual regime today. It’s a good system to
ensure that the Christmas Day treats don’t extend to the New Year. As a true
and blue Client #2 – I still have to make good choices. But thank goodness I
have them. Choices that is.
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