Today is all about giving a shout-out to three of my newest clients and the hard work that they have done to reach their short-term goals in the three months that we have been working together.  When my clients hire me, I tell them that it’s a team effort and that we need to work together to reach their goals.  I can’t do it for them; but I can teach, motivate, inspire, correct, encourage, instruct, nag, question, entertain, and hold them accountable.

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The most any of my clients see me is three times a week; that’s only three hours out of 168…  That leaves 165 hours per week for them to make their own decisions on what to eat, whether or not to exercise, make sure they stay well hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and basically hold themselves accountable.  Unless they work hard and stay focused, they will not see the results they want in the time frame we set up.

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Mike is a 47 year old male.  I worked with him specifically to help him learn to eat healthy when on work travel and to help him lose the weight he had gained in his middle.  During our time together he lost 15 pounds, 5.25 inches in his waist, and his body fat dropped by 2.8%.  We had to stop training when his work took him to another city, but he texted today to say that he is still doing the workouts that I set up for him and he’s running about three miles per day.  I’m a happy girl!
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Meredith is a 34 year old female who hired me to help her get in shape for her wedding later this year.  She has lost 19 pounds, 1.5 inches off her waist, and 4.3% body fat.  One of her goals was to find an activity that she enjoys doing and maybe, just maybe, running is going to be it!  She lives close enough to walk to my house for our sessions, and she recently told me that she has started adding a little running to her walks over.  Over the weekends she tries to run a little longer and is considering running a 5K on Thanksgiving Day.

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Karen is a 44 year old female with an extremely busy work schedule and very long commute.  She has lost 11 pounds, 1-5/8 inches from her waist, and 2.7%  body fat.  One of her goals was to avoid buying cookies so she wouldn’t have temptations in her home.  Despite her time limitations for exercising on her own, she has stayed very focused with her eating and hydration and is seeing results.

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So what are some of the things I work on with my new clients?  We start out with baseline measurements (girth measurements, weight, and body fat) and goal setting.  All goals must be measurable and must have a time frame.  Next, I set up workouts for them to do when they are with me and to do on the days that I want them to lift weights when we don’t meet.  We discuss what activities they like to do and I give them specific homework for doing those activities (example:  walk 5 x per week for 45 minutes each time out).

Next we discuss their nutrition and what changes they need to make to improve it.  For some clients, having them keep a food log that I can review is the best way to go.  Others do well simply implementing the suggestions I make.  I am not a registered dietitian so I can’t set up a meal plan for them, but if I feel they would benefit from that, I refer them.

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So as you can see it really is a team effort.  I can’t make my clients do what I ask them to do; they have to want to work hard to get the results they are seeking in their lifestyle change.  I simply provide the blueprint for my clients to use to create their own healthy lifestyle.

  • Questions:
  • Have you ever worked with a personal trainer?
  • Do you have a personal health transformation story that you are proud of?
  • What grade would you give your eating habits?

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