By: Pam Ben Rached
March 20, 2011
One of the most frequently asked questions during a consultation at Body by Pam is: “How long will it take to achieve my goals?” or put another way: “How long will it take to lose 20, 30 (insert the weight) pounds?” My answer is always the same: “It depends on how closely you follow the advice of the trainer. Here is why this component is so important.
Let’s say for example that you want to lose weight, tone up and get into all around better shape (99% of our clients). We control the exercise and for the most part, clients are good about doing what we say. Here’s the hard part: following our advice about food.
All of the trainers are in agreement that without a good food plan to follow you can’t lose the weight. You can exercise until the proverbial cows come home but you won’t get the results you want unless you eat less then you burn off. Period. End of story.
You would think that if you pay your good money for personal training that this component alone would make you listen to the trainer and follow his/her advice. Let me assure you it doesn’t. We get folks from almost every economic strata and it doesn’t matter. How badly you want to make changes is the key component. You have to want to do the work, make the food changes and accept full responsibility for the outcome.
Our trainers do not ask you to follow a complex diet. We like programs such as Weight Watchers best. I’d settle for getting a Food Journal. Do you know that in the five years we have been open I have only had a handful of clients actually follow a program? I normally get huge resistance: “Weight Watchers? I’m not doing that. Food Log? I just don’t have the time.” Those people that utter these words generally struggle the most and then complain they are not losing the weight. Go figure.
Do yourself a favor. You are paying your good, hard earned money and time to train. Listen to us – join Weight Watchers and follow the exercise program your trainer puts together. You are definitely worth it.