How do you handle clients who set unrealistic goals?

I don't let my clients set unrealistic goals, I educate them from the beginning and I use those TV shows as "reality checks".
I monitor and modify as we train, if they aren't getting the results they expected I fine tune their program.

We as trainers owe it to our clients to be educated, informed, certified by a National Organization and stay current with the latest fitness reports and studies.

It's up to us to set the standards!

Remind the client that they didn't gain the weight overnight and are not going to lose it overnight. It takes approximately one year to create a healthy lifestyle. Advise if you were with them 24 hours a day and monitoring there every move they too can drop the weight as quickly as seen on TV. Can they afford to pay you for that?

I have a consultation with every new client. They must understand from the first moment that rapid weight loss is not what I support. Balance and long term success is the goal.

If they need rapid weight loss right now, I will be happy to work with them in the future after they've rapidly regained it. Then we'll teach them to make good decisions and support them to be successful over the long term.

Proper education resets reality in TV warped clients.

I would be very honest with my client and tell them scientifically what a realistic goal would be. If you educate a client, then they should understand what a realistic goal is.

Are any goals really unrealistic? I believe anything is possible with time, hard work and motivation. I like the answers above, reminding them that it is up to them and the results will not happen over night.

Sit down with the client and discuss his/her goals together. Listen to what he/she is communicating to you: concerns, past experiences, fears, expectations, smoke screens, etc..Are the goals truly unrealistic?? Bring your professional experience and knowledge to the table: examples of other client success stories; basic physiology in terms of the human body's ability to respond to exercise, diet, etc...

A SMART goal-setting exercise (specific, manageable, attainable, realistic, time line) probably wouldn't hurt, and would definitely give some direction and insight to the process.

Most people respond positively to a well thought out plan, and will give it a fair chance if guided and supported.

I once had a client who brought a list of goals to our initial consultation. One of the goals he had was to swim underwater, holding his breath for 4 minutes. Since our training didn't involve swimming, I asked him why this goal was so important to him? He said he read that holding your breath underwater for 4 minutes was a measure of elite fitness. So, we then talked about the benefits of exercise, specifically improved cardiovascular fitness. He agreed to train with me and, after 8 weeks, he noticed that he didn't have to "catch his breath" walking up a flight of stairs. Success! Education is a necessary part of our client services, and the knowledge we share helps our clients set realistic goals.

I agree with Susan above. A major part of my initial consultation and assessment is defining and establishing "goals." If during this initial consultation my perspective client is presenting with unreasonable goals, I try my best to get them to rein in their expectations and to redefine what they are hoping to accomplish, or at least the time-frame that they hope to reach the goal(s) in. If that does not work, and they are insistent on the unreasonable goal, I will not take them on as a client. In my opinion, my taking on a client that has already told me of their unreasonable goals, goals that I KNOW are unattainable and unrealistic, would be unethical and not good business practice.

LaRue Cook, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com

I had a client once tell me that she would like to be able to do a cartwheel, and she was serious. She was also in her late sixties at the time and had never been athletic.

I took a deep breath and told her that I needed to think about how we could break it down into smaller components. We started with an exercise where she let herself drop against the wall as in a dynamic push-up. I told her that we needed to strengthen her wrist bones because the significant sudden weight on her wrist when doing a cartwhell may, in my opinion, break her wrist. After that I suggested that we work on a handstand next. Well ....... we never got to a handstand and my client realized that doing a cartwheel will probably have to wait until her reincarnation into a somewhat more athletic version of her soul.

If I see them as a potential problem then after the first session or interview I say I won't be able to help you with your goals. Either they can't do it or it would be unhealthy.

I always under promise and over deliver. How can I promise something thats not possible.

Remind them that success stories on TV often have extra resources like a registered dietician, medical doctor on site, expensive health food, work out a lot and everyone has different genes. Also remind them that many of these people regain the weight, put their health at risk, or gained the weight on purpose as actors to lose it again.