If a client was not losing weight, but losing inches, how would you keep the client motivated to stick with you?

Whether or not the client's goal is weight related, when we do an initial assessment I always focus on lean mass. Increasing it perhaps or maintaining it. When change is encouraged, we don't emphasize a body weight goal but a body composition goal.

I tell my clients to expect little weight loss and maybe some weight gain in the first couple weeks of training because I won't starve them into a lower dress size. They are often eating more frequently and drinking more fluids than they were before during the initial stages of weight management programs. Changes in body weight can be surprising, especially if they don't have much excess adipose tissue to burn off.

So if they become disheartened by slow or no weight loss I always listen. Then I'll suggest that we measure body fat and review goals. Did she exercise according to plan? Did he start eating smaller meals? Have her measurements decreased? If these things have all happened then the scale is misleading us once again because these are successes that over time will add up to big changes in his or her body.

Emphasizing the lean weight early on as healthy and strong helps. It's hard to fight the scale and it's almost arbitrary changes. Most clients can relax, regain their trust and stay the course as long as we emphasize and they can recognize their successes along the way.

If they are losing inches from areas that they are trying to slim down (and a body fat measurement confirms it is fat they lost) then the loss should be toted as the accomplishment itself. Praise them for the amazing work and show them that not all acheivements have to be based on weight but, can be based on multiple different facets of their physique.

Keep their focus on the positive results of their workouts with you such as the loss of inches, are they feeling better, do they have more energy, etc.

I start out by emphasizing inches and clothing...NOT the scale. I let them know the scale is probably going to go up at first.

Tell them like it is. If they want the scale to change and not their size and they are not happy, let them go!

I set the stage very early on in our training relationship. When a client comes to me stating a goal of "lose weight" I usual engage them in a conversation that goes something like this. "What if I told you that in X months, you can be wearing X sizes smaller than you're currently wearing, would you be happy?" I have NEVER had one client respond in any other way than a resounding "YES!" So then I discuss that in reality their goal is most closely tied to INCHES, not POUNDS. That inches are what's really more closely related to unwanted body fat, not pounds, and that a more muscular build often does not necessarily result in weight loss, but often does result in wearing smaller sized clothes and in losing unwanted/unhealthy body fat. That usually does it!

I also published an article entitled "Pounds versus Inches" which you can probably Google if you're interested, if you can't find it that way, I'd be happy to send you a copy if you email me - it's something that I always give my clients at the beginning to head off exactly the situation you describe in your question.

I hope this helps.

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

Fortunately for me, I have finally gotten it through to most of my clients that the scale does not tell the whole story! It's possible for your measured weight to remain the same, while you're slimming down, especially if you're losing fat and gaining muscle.

The problem with the scale is that they measure everything (fat, muscle, bones, and organs) The scale can't tell you what you've lost or gained, which is important information if you're trying to lose weight...and by weight, what we really mean is fat.

Knowing your weight in pounds is helpful when you start a weight loss program but I believe more importantly is knowing your Body Fat percentage which you can take by using the skin caliper method or a bioimpedance device.

One of the most successful services we provide as personal trainers is to show progress that exercise is creating a positive change in our client's body. Girth measurements are one of the tools we use to show that progress. I've had many clients amazed that they were losing inches without losing weight, but they were willing to keep training because they felt better. I used 4 week intervals for re-measurements, so the difference between 4 weeks & 8 weeks was always dramatic in both weight loss and inches lost. At 4 weeks, some particular girth measurement was declining in inches, but there was not always weight loss on the scale. At 8 weeks, almost all of my clients saw weight loss in addition to inches lost. At that point, I had a working model that longevity pays off.