Can’t You Just Give Me a Diet Plan
Towards the end of last year I spoke to an ex client who wanted to come back. They were adamant they’d try harder if I gave them a diet plan, interesting thinking there…
“Can’t you just tell me what to eat everyday and I’ll do it?”
Knowing their lifestyle and daily routine, I could have given them the best diet plan in the world, but they wouldn’t follow it!
Getting results, whether it’s weight loss, improving flexibility, or gaining strength…unfortunately is never as simple as handing someone a nutrition and training plan, then waving them off.
In fact, you can download a diet and training plan off millions of sites with a quick Google search.
There are many reasons why people are overweight; understanding some of the contributing factors is always a start. This then allows us to do some troubleshooting.
Logistics
Think, when and how much does an individual like to eat, what do they like to eat, are they on the move a lot or office based, how much time can they set aside to prepare food, how good are they in the kitchen, it could be an endless list!
Think about it…
When you go to university, do they give you 3 or 4 years worth of assignments in week 1?!
Do they hit you with the dissertation in your 1st year!?
…They certainly didn’t when I was there!
I explained why I wouldn’t give this person a diet plan to follow. Although there’s a time and place for making decisions for clients, for most people, diet plans simply don’t enable them to learn anything about nutrition. And knowledge is probably the number one thing anyone could take from personal training.
On top of this, most people simply can’t stick to these, they may do so for a few days or short weeks at best, before they lose the battle against willpower and fall back into old habits – exactly what we don’t want!
fear of change
The majority of people will have a barrier of some sort, whether it’s a lack of knowledge on exercise and nutrition, lack of support from those closest to them, or a hectic work schedule, these come in all shapes and sizes!
The thought of having to adopt a new mindset and lifestyle to achieve the desired results can be daunting, exactly what the individual was experiencing.
After all, most of us prefer to stay in our comfort zones, hence the thought of someone receiving a step-by-step guide of what to eat, and when can sound good!
Takeaway message…
Most people want all their problems fixed instantly, if not yesterday.
Cheesy, but don’t quit when, or more importantly, before things get tough!
This applies to things beyond exercise. If you’ve got a trainer who knows their stuff, then my advice is to be patient and trust the process.
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