What is your favorite and most effective way to help your clients improve thier eating habits?

Go grocery shopping with them. Just once can tell you both so much.

I ask my bootcampers and clients what they've had for breakfast, or lunch. I suggest a healthier option if there is one. I also ask them what they plan on eating for thier next meal to get them thinking about planning ahead..

In group settings it's great to re construct a food/meal choice, it gives others the opportunity to re think their choices. I also like randomly asking things like: How many grams of fiber have you had today, or how many grams of sugar did you eat yesterday: or how much sodium should you eat in a day: or how many calories are in your snack?

Basiclly I want to create awareness of proper food choices.

With that being said, don't forget, we are trainers not dieticians. We can give out basic, sound nutritional guidance but we must watch that we stay in our scope of certification and training.

I like to say, "Exercise is only 20% of the solution, while eating healthfully is 80%." I ask them to record what they're eating for four or five days (include at least one weekend day) because unfortunately, most of us eat pretty the same foods over and over. A few days is generally enough time for the client to see a pattern and for trainers to look for holes, such as not enough water, fruits or vegetables. Then we start with one specific goal per week, "This week, I'm going to carry a water bottle everywhere." Small steps lead to big changes.

I show my clients the basics of nutrition; they learn everything about carbs, protein, fats and how to design their own balance meals. Food journal is important for me so I can give them alternatives and replacements. Food becomes as important as exercise.

While journaling is the most effective tool it is the most resisted. Try asking your client what she is willing to commit to change in her eating habits for a week. Something she is certain will move her closer to her goal. Start small. The change ideally is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. Then build on her successes.

The absolute best way is to have your client do a food diary. A week is ideal, but if you can get two days, that is great. They may find that the very act of keeping a food diary means they eat less -- much easier not to eat that candy bar then go into your iPhone or pad to write it down!)

If they resist, you can (if you want to be blunt) ask how committed they are to losing weight if they are unwilling to do that?

If you have a food diary from them, you can both agree on one elimination of substitution per week e.g. No wine with dinner, no eating after 7:00 p.m., adding small snacks in the afternoon, etc.)

I believe if you assist them in finding a compelling reason to change their eating habits then they will change their behavior because they want to. Change must come from the person.

Everybody wants to "eat healthy"; but not everyone knows how to make that a reality, or in fact, what that really means. A food diary is probably the best tool for tracking everything that goes into one's mouth (that is, assuming he/she is honest in actually writing everything down!).

When it comes to eating, I think most people are motivated by how they feel; if they feel like crap after eating something, it make take a while, but they'll eventually stop (if they don't, they have only themselves to answer to).

Ultimately, the key is to build a strong, nutrient-dense, and delicious base on which to live a healthy, energetic, and happy life. I would refer a client to a registered dietician/ nutritionist if they needed more than just basic advice.

What I have found to be very effective is to have them keep a food diary. There's something about seeing what your ingesting in writing that brings it all home. Also, by keeping a food diary, it's amazing how many clients begin to "self-correct" by eating more healthily because they don't want to turn in a bad diary :-)

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

One step at a time. Most people fall off the wagon if you start throwing too much at them

Several really good answers. As I wrote about in my book GET REAL, what seems to be effective is to help clients understand that healthy eating habits describe how one wants and plans to eat for rest of their lives, not for just a month or two. It's why I talk about what I call the 80/20 principle--do what you know you're supposed to do 80% of the time. 20% of eat however you want to. It's what you do most of the time that will likely determine one's nutritional health.

Take care, Daniel

There are a few factors that motivate people eat better. Their health condition, their weight and their fitness goals are few of them. I always tell my clients to seek an advice form a registered dietitian or nutritionist at least once in their lifetime, because it's the best way for them to learn a better and more efficient way to eat healthier and one that works best for them.

I attempt to educate clients (athletes and general fitness clients) on the influence of their childhood and formative years on their eating habits. The foods that we find most appealing are the product of years of habitual consumption and emotional responses. Our taste preferences can be influenced at any point in our lives, but the preferences set by the age of 20-25 often stick with us for life. Unfortunately, the years before age 20-25 are not the most enlightened years to form eating habits. Children and young adults will invariable prefer sweet, salty, and fatty foods over healthier choices. I try to help clients use that knowledge to begin changing their taste preferences. As with anything that is new, the mind and body don't make changes easily. That is where consistent effort to add better food choices, reduce poor food choices, and not let a few slip ups stop the effort make the most difference.

But if attaining a healthy lifestyle were not difficult, we wouldn't be having this discussion. And I point that out as well. Then there is regular revisiting of the path to getting healthy with a good amount of encouragement and understanding/empathy.