Should I recommend a fat burner

[fit4sure]

My assistant is overweight. I gave her good info on diet, and training, and admitedly, she has been inconsistent. I know from experience fat burners have helped me, but i think they are a bit hardcore. I want to recommend Lipo-6 Hers to her, but she has fibromyalgia. I am positive it will help with her energy levels and boost her metabolism, but could it aggravate her condition?

Also, what is the ethics behind trainers recommending supplements such as these for weight loss, it it generally accepted if the person is fat or otherwise healthy. Cause I do believe they help with diet and exercise, and can help give you that edge to stick with your program.

I am planning to do NASM for personal training, so it would help me to know how to handle this in the future.

Thanks

 

[Bikini Mod]

May I be brutally honest? All the fat burners/supps in the world won't help a client who won't engage in the basics.

You didn't do a damned thing wrong. You were only trying to jump-start a client who *it seems* nothing else has helped. But truthfully, if she wasn't willing to go the straight and narrow, a bit extra won't do her any good either.

Any other certified fitness professionals who've had different results? PLEASE SHARE!!!

 

[fit4sure]

Edit: Of course you can be brutally honest! That is what I am hoping for.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that it is a panacea. I will be monitoring her diet and exercise.I am more concerned about her health, whether anyone has both worked with someone with fibro and recommended fat burners.

The more I think about it, the more it seems like a bad idea, though. Using fat burners while having fibro, that is.

May I be brutally honest? All the fat burners/supps in the world won't help a client who won't engage in the basics.

You didn't do a damned thing wrong. You were only trying to jump-start a client who *it seems* nothing else has helped. But truthfully, if she wasn't willing to go the straight and narrow, a bit extra won't do her any good either.

Any other certified fitness professionals who've had different results? PLEASE SHARE!!!

 

[ironwings]

fit4sure - as a trainer you recommend whatever you "prescribe" to. Meaning you typically take a stance with supplements and there benefits and go with it. However, remember that you are only providing information, the client has to make the choice whether or not to take them. They may not feel it is right for them. Knowledge is power and you want to pass that power to them. Your goal is to get them self sustainable! You become a teacher.

As far as fat burners. Again, you have to take a stance but my rule is that I WILL NOT and DO NOT recommend supplements until they have the basics down and are willing to be consistent with them. It has to be a lifestyle change and if they are not willing to make one, the supplements will only help in the short run - who wants that? Ok, ok, sometimes we all do - lol. But, you know what I mean. Supplements are meant to be enhancers. You have to start with something to enhance. I have also found that in people who chose not the be consistant with the basics - won't be consistant with supplements either or they will give up on them if they don't produce immediate results. It is a habitual cycle they get into. Help her break hers and continue to coach her in the "rules" of consistancy. ^^a bump to bikinimom's post!

I know it is tempting to want to advise someone to take (especially fat burners) a supplement because you want them to get results. Sometimes this comes from our ego. "WE" want them to. Just remember that you are not responsible for her becoming healthy. You are responsible for providing knowledge for her to do it on her own. You have to set it straight sometimes and get hard a@!. If they want it, it takes hard work and consistancy. Period. I'm sure you know that all to well!! I see clients all the time that just can't adapt this. They want a quick fix, they want a magic pill, they want fast results. And, sometimes we get so freaking frustrated with them we want that for them to! I've stopped taking clients like that. It isn't worth my time or theres.

You have so done the right thing in trying to coach her with the basics. Continue coaching her in consistancy. Stand firm on this girl! She knows what it takes from what you have already given her and I assume role modeled for her - it is just hard accepting it and sometimes takes time to come to terms with it. It is much easier to do the things we "think" we find enjoyment in. If she starts asking about supplements and you feel she will take them whether you advise them or not, simply give her knowledge so that she can make her own choices.

On a side note for you, as far as fat burners - try Omega's stack (Lipostim3 and Lipoflame). I like them much better than Lipo-6.

I probably gave you way more than you wanted. I just see this all the time and don't want you to get into a cycle so many other trainers fall in to. Trying to be successful by getting clients results through quick fixes because it looks good for them and the client (in the short run). I can hear your frustration with her. You probably want to shake her! Keep up your work - I bet it will sink in. Especially if she sees you walking the talk and getting results. I can't tell you how important it is to walk the talk. Clients see me out and they watch me! I've had people sit at their table while dining out at the same restaurant as me and waiting for me to finish to see if I order desert. They glance in my shopping cart in the grocery store all the time. Now, can I afford to do things that they can't - yes. But, they can't see this. They want to know what is working for me. If I do those things, I am setting an example that they can do them too and look like me. We know that isn't the case, but they don't. They are just hungry for "the secret".

Remember that it take a while and some trial and error before you know "what you prescribe to". Be patient with yourself and soak everything in. Learn, learn, learn! This is such a good experience for you!

Good luck with your NASM! When do you sit for your exam?

 

[fit4sure]

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I got sick. Good thing is they gave me vic's for it!

You know what the most frustrating part is. She is not my client, I am her client! She is my assistant from my last business! Anyway, yeah, I lent her my books, showed her how to do meal planning, gave her a basic exercise routine. Every once in a while she come back and ask me about some weird shit, like "should I try this cleansing", and I am like hell no, all that will do is starve and dehydrate you. Don't do anything that I didn't tell you to do, okay! And she was doing fine and then she stalled, and then she quit. I knew she just stopped the program, cause I was talking to her and it was like 3:00pm and she was just eating lunch! Now you know I told her to eat at least every 4 hours and at least 5 meals a day! And I am thinking, your not paying me, I gave you everything you needed to get in shape and your expecting me to babysit you! So I didn't say anything, for like awhile.

Then she said her husband, is going to put her in some class and stuff. And I am like oh, shit, because, as you girls all know, men can be morons about women's fitness, and he is, I know he is--a moron. He is just sick of her being fat! So I decided to step in again. So here I am.

But I promise, no consistent behavior, no helpful pills!!! It has been frustrating for me. I really wanted to help her, but if she is not going to be consitent, then I shouldn't waste anymore time or pills.

Thank you bikinimom and ironwings.

I am not sure when I will be testing, I have 4 months to complete the program. I am only doing the foundations portion which has no time limit to prep me for the main certification part.

fit4sure - as a trainer you recommend whatever you "prescribe" to. Meaning you typically take a stance with supplements and there benefits and go with it. However, remember that you are only providing information, the client has to make the choice whether or not to take them. They may not feel it is right for them. Knowledge is power and you want to pass that power to them. Your goal is to get them self sustainable! You become a teacher.

As far as fat burners. Again, you have to take a stance but my rule is that I WILL NOT and DO NOT recommend supplements until they have the basics down and are willing to be consistent with them. It has to be a lifestyle change and if they are not willing to make one, the supplements will only help in the short run - who wants that? Ok, ok, sometimes we all do - lol. But, you know what I mean. Supplements are meant to be enhancers. You have to start with something to enhance. I have also found that in people who chose not the be consistant with the basics - won't be consistant with supplements either or they will give up on them if they don't produce immediate results. It is a habitual cycle they get into. Help her break hers and continue to coach her in the "rules" of consistancy. ^^a bump to bikinimom's post!

I know it is tempting to want to advise someone to take (especially fat burners) a supplement because you want them to get results. Sometimes this comes from our ego. "WE" want them to. Just remember that you are not responsible for her becoming healthy. You are responsible for providing knowledge for her to do it on her own. You have to set it straight sometimes and get hard a@!. If they want it, it takes hard work and consistancy. Period. I'm sure you know that all to well!! I see clients all the time that just can't adapt this. They want a quick fix, they want a magic pill, they want fast results. And, sometimes we get so freaking frustrated with them we want that for them to! I've stopped taking clients like that. It isn't worth my time or theres.

You have so done the right thing in trying to coach her with the basics. Continue coaching her in consistancy. Stand firm on this girl! She knows what it takes from what you have already given her and I assume role modeled for her - it is just hard accepting it and sometimes takes time to come to terms with it. It is much easier to do the things we "think" we find enjoyment in. If she starts asking about supplements and you feel she will take them whether you advise them or not, simply give her knowledge so that she can make her own choices.

On a side note for you, as far as fat burners - try Omega's stack (Lipostim3 and Lipoflame). I like them much better than Lipo-6.

I probably gave you way more than you wanted. I just see this all the time and don't want you to get into a cycle so many other trainers fall in to. Trying to be successful by getting clients results through quick fixes because it looks good for them and the client (in the short run). I can hear your frustration with her. You probably want to shake her! Keep up your work - I bet it will sink in. Especially if she sees you walking the talk and getting results. I can't tell you how important it is to walk the talk. Clients see me out and they watch me! I've had people sit at their table while dining out at the same restaurant as me and waiting for me to finish to see if I order desert. They glance in my shopping cart in the grocery store all the time. Now, can I afford to do things that they can't - yes. But, they can't see this. They want to know what is working for me. If I do those things, I am setting an example that they can do them too and look like me. We know that isn't the case, but they don't. They are just hungry for "the secret".

Remember that it take a while and some trial and error before you know "what you prescribe to". Be patient with yourself and soak everything in. Learn, learn, learn! This is such a good experience for you!

Good luck with your NASM! When do you sit for your exam?

 

[beach_bum_dude]

Here's a tid-bit of info. I used to date a girl with fibro and the better her diet was the less the effects of fibro were. My .02

 

[nikkita]

My experience of making diets for "inconsistent" girls, is that mostly they all seek for the magic formula that makes them loose weight without too much effort. Sure, some even buy fat burners without you telling them... but when you review their habits, they are all messed up.

You can start by introducing gradual changes to her diet, cause they may not even follow if it is too strict. Start with the basic of cleaning up her diet and review her water intake. You know that with a few changes in the diet results may start to show and then adjust variables with exercise, but don't starve her much.

As far as fat burners, you may want to go with something not that heavy, specially if she has a medical condition... liquid carnitine can help.

 

[ironwings]

I know how frustrated you must be. She is looking for an easy solution, as are most women. Who wants to sweat in the gym or be careful with their diet? We are just crazies ;-)

Model behavior for her and nikkita had a good suggestion. Start her out with the basics: talk about how sodium, sugar, and carbs (sugar) and water intake impact her weight. Have her start reading labels and being more aware of the nutrients in foods. Give her a few good guidelines to stick by like no carbs after 6pm. Just some simple things she can grasp and get the hang of. Unfortunately though, it will take lots of cardio and lifting to burn fat and raise her metabolism. Good luck my friend, all you can do is provide information. She has to chose to accept or deny. Don't take it personally!

Good luck with your studies....