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Working on a client’s nutrition
Working on a client’s nutrition is not always easy.
You can set calorie goals, use tracking apps, or focus on habit building as we teach on our level 3 diploma in personal training. However, some clients simply won’t follow your advice.
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink it.”
This does not make you a bad trainer, and it does not make the client a bad person!
How do you make clients adhere to a healthy eating plan?
The truth is, you can’t!
Behaviour change is hard for everyone.
Some clients make it look easy, but they probably just want it more than others.
Imagine if somebody told you that you could only eat vegetables for the entire month, but you would be rewarded one million pounds if you succeeded.
Could you do it?
Of course, you could.
It’s a small sacrifice for a big reward.
You can motivate clients intrinsically by considering their preferences and using specific tactics, but the extrinsic motivation must be emphasised too.
Clients will not challenge themselves and endure discomfort if there is not a significant reward at the end that they believe is possible and worth it.
As fitness professionals, you must find out what your client wants to gain from changing their eating behaviours. If the goal they visualise does not excite them, it is unlikely they will adhere to the plan.
You can’t help everyone
You will help many people in many different ways but remember, you can’t help everyone in every way.
You can only do your best.
Lead the horse to water, challenge them to drink it, encourage them, support them and if they drink it, great.
If they don’t drink it.
Don’t blame yourself.
Worry about your actions.
You are not responsible for anyone else’s!
Check out this 2-minute video where I ask Ben Coomber which approach he prefers for working on a client’s nutrition:
Calorie counting or habit forming?
If you want to learn more, enrol on our level 3 diploma in personal training.
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