Thoughts on the Biggest Loser
Jillian Michaels
I have a sad admission to make - I watch the Biggest Loser.
Well, I should preface that statement; I sort of watch it. I DVR it, and then end up watching about 30 minutes of the total 2 hour show.
I can't tell you exactly why I do - maybe it's because I work with fat/weight loss clients.
Maybe I'm interested in the psychology behind weight loss.
Or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. :)
Anyway, on a recent episode Jillian Michaels (one of the celebrity trainers) called one of the girls out, saying she was throwing the weigh-ins. Without getting into all the details of the show, the girl hadn't lost any weight in nearly two weeks.
This is pretty rare, as they contestants are often on very low calorie diets. Combine low energy intake with ridiculous exercise regimens that often include 6 or more hours of exercise per day, and you have a recipe for big-time weight loss.
Getting back to our story, the girl swore up and down that she was doing everything possible, and that she just wasn't losing weight. This was just how her body was, and all it made her want to do was "go out and eat a cheeseburger."
Jillian then proceeded to call her a liar. She told her she didn't believe she was doing what she was supposed to do, because her body wasn't different from anyone else she had trained.
If others lost weight, she should be losing weight.
Even though I hate to admit it, I kind of found myself agreeing with Jillian on this one.
If you work with fat/weight loss clients, you've probably heard every excuse in the book as to why they can't lose weight/fat.
They don't have the time to exercise.
Their spouse isn't on board with their diet/exercise routine.
They have a bad metabolism.
They're an "emotional" eater.
And the list goes on and on.
Regardless of the excuse, it feels horrible when you're 99.9% sure someone is lying to you. They're not getting any exercise on their off days. They aren't eating the way they should.
But what do you say to this person? Do you call them a liar? Do you give them another chance? Do you fire them as a client?
I've had it happen to me, too - I've chosen to give these people the benefit of the doubt, only to have them tell me later on that they weren't as adherent as they should be, and that's why they aren't getting the results they wanted.
So coming back full circle, I'm interested in your thoughts. How do you address clients that may not be fully honest with you?
Do you take a hard stand, and possibly even call them a liar to their face like Jillian did?
Or do you give them the benefit of the doubt and let them figure out for themselves why they aren't getting results?
Leave your feedback in the comments section below, as I think this could make for a fantastic discussion.
All the best
Mike
Comments on This Entry
Posted by Mark Young at 01:33PM on February 01, 2010
Hey Mike,
First off, someone should give you a firm slap across the eyes for watching the Biggest Loser. :)
Anyway, the issue you mentioned certainly poses a problem and I'm sure it is one most people in the industry have experienced.
Personally, I've found that those who are lying generally drop off on their own accord pretty quickly because they'll be the ones not getting results and they are completely aware that you as the trainer are not to blame. I also find that the liars are usually pretty easy to pick out. Have you ever seen one of them with a completed food/exercise journal?
For those people I ultimately view it as my job to give them the tools to bring about change. It is their job to implement them.
For those who are truly frustrated by their lack of results (another thing that the liars don't usually express) I believe that it is my job to identify further issues that could be limiting their results (i.e., gut health, etc).
Posted by Elie at 02:35PM on February 01, 2010
Hey Mike,
I am a dietitian that works with diabetics, people with heart disease, kidney diseases, transplants, etc, and just weight loss patients sometimes.
It might surprise you that even those that have their lives on the line would still lie sometimes. Yes, they mostly are easy to figure out but some are very talented liars.
Whenever something does not make sense and adherence is questionable, I try not to be judgmental. I make them do more work or make them feel more responsible with things like:
1) Ask them to give me daily food intake records for the entire week.
2) Ask them for the doctor's contact info
3) Tell them that their medications need to be adjusted (which is needed with non-adherence)
4) Use body language that conveys disappointment in them.
I've had some break down and cry. Some admit lying right away. Others play along for a week or two and then admit everything. Only a handful adhere to the plan and fail with there goals, and yet a fewer minority feel comfortable lying through their teeth :)
I guess those that don't really care and have no responsibility about their health will continue doing their own thing.
Thanks for all the good content.
Posted by Al in Vancouver at 04:14PM on February 01, 2010
I have yet to fire or go all drill sergeant on a client.
Iam trying to guide them through a process where go from from being someone who hates exercise (Charles Staley calls these people "exercisers") to some one who trains to achieve goals and enjoys the process (aka "an athlete"). This can be like turning lead into gold but I do see it working with many clients.
The other problem I have with this intense analysis of clients' eating habits is that so many female clients have disordered eating histories. I don't want to fuel that anxiety, even though it would help them with their body composition goals to really analyze their eating patterns.I may be too sensitive about this as I think it slows progress down in a few cases. But I find myself trying to be supportive more often than getting in their faces.
Posted by Mike Robertson at 04:22PM on February 01, 2010
I've got to ask - how are you guys already seeing this? It's not supposed to go up until tomorrow. Even when I refresh it on my computers here at work/home it's not showing up.
You all must be special, or at the very least, smarter than I am ;)
MR
Posted by Mark Young at 06:42AM on February 02, 2010
Hey Mike,
I have your blog added to my feed reader so this one just popped up and I read it.
Posted by Clara at 08:13AM on February 02, 2010
I come from a slightly different background. I'm a former fat person who finally figured out what I needed to do in order to get in shape and lose weight. I've lived in that spot where you constantly lie to yourself about your effort levels. I've used the poor metabolism argument, said I was big boned, you name it. What I discovered was I had a rocking metabolism that vaporizes food and am actually darned tiny.
I deal with mostly weight loss clients. I don't expect that every client has the same intensity I do. I make it clear early on that I expect to see results, and I expect that the client will grow through the process. I'm not Jane Trainer who's going to show up and walk you through and hour of cardio.
I also expect that I'm going to run into serious issues with my morbidly obese clients. I have yet to find anyone who's got 100+ pounds to lose who doesn't have a history of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse in the background. Because I'm paying attention to the cues I get, I can spot pretty quickly when someone's avoidance mechanism kicks in. I've gotten lied to point blank about compliance. (Note to masses, don't tweet you are out for beers, then tell me the next day you didn't go out. Not cool.)
I don't hesitate to refer these folks to professionals as the situation arises. I tell them point blank that they need to start off by being honest with me. I'm not going to get mad if they aren't doing what they are supposed to. I need to know in order to help them.
Because of my own experiences, I'm more tolerant. I don't take the lies as personally. I remember what it felt like to not be able to trust the person I saw in the mirror each day. I'll call people on it, pin them down when needed, then challenge them to move past the fears that have them trapped. It's hard for people to learn to say no. I've had people who don't want to refuse alcohol at parties because they are scared people will think they are an alcoholic. I've gotten folks with deeply buried family issues who borderline had it beaten into them that "YOU WILL FINISH ALL YOUR FOOD!"
End of the day, my goal is to give them the tools and support to reach their goal.
Posted by Craig at 09:40AM on February 02, 2010
I spent two and a half years in a training status going through special operations selection training. For six months of that, after I had passed the initial screenings and was considered a "screened candidate reported and undergoing physical training" I worked in the facility that screens in brand new special programs candidates into the programs.
Roughly 20 new guys per morning would take the physical screening test for the programs, and roughly 90% of them would fail. Five days per week for six months. That works out to over 2,000 individual failures. After a while you start to see a pattern. You can see it in their body language and the way they talk as soon as they walk in the door.
Of the guys who make it through that, the attrition rate (the guys who quit or get washed out for medical or performance reasons) at the real training is between about 85% and 60% depending on the program and the time of year. For the most part, it's the quitting that gets them.
Over the course of the year or so I spent at SWCC and BUD/s, I saw a lot more failures. That pattern, the same one you could see when guys walked in the door for the screen test on the first day, was still there and over the course of about a year one sees just about every possible variation of it that you could imagine.
After six years in special operations, I can look at someone and know if they're going to quit when it gets hard. I can also watch them working out and know if it's their body that's failing and giving out or if it's just their mind breaking because they don't want to be uncomfortable. The ones who break mentally (the mind almost always goes first) start searching for excuses and rationalizations.
You've been an expert in your field long enough to have developed the same tacit knowledge when it comes to the reality behind the words of a client or the girl working out on the tv show. Obviously you're only getting a limited perspective of the girls personality and behavioral characteristics via the show, but most likely whether you think she's lying or she's telling the truth, you're going to be right.
Posted by Pete Brown at 11:08AM on February 02, 2010
Good stuff Mike-
I wont add a whole lot to this, except an additional slap with Mark Young for watching this crap show (I mean dont you DVR Jersey Shore instead).
Any way I think the things I would add have all come from the likes of Leigh Peele and her fat loss trouble shoot or body by eats.
I try to empower the client, they want it to be their fault, if its their fault then they can change it.
I also require them to do a diet journal if they get frustrated with weight loss and will loan them my digital scale if things get iffy with portion size. Its liberating to know that the reason you weren't losing weight is because the sweet potato (or any food) that you guessed to be 250 cals and 60 carbs when weighed is actually 350 cals and 100 carbs. It makes for and empowering and easy fix. Once they get use to the scale we take it away.
I will also try and play the Leigh oatmeal and peanut butter video where she shows how a simple measuring error using conventional methods and not weighing food can easily account for the lack of weight loss. (I try and start it after the hey fatty intro however) Its at youtube under fat loss tips - shocking- in case this link doesn't work. http://www.youtube.com/user/Fatlosstroubleshoot#p/a/u/2/JVjWPclrWVY
The last thing I will add is also from Leigh, and that is how easily people cut back on daily activity once they start and exercise program. She had some great graphs in her FLTS book where as soon as exercise starts, the persons daily activity drops, no more stairs at work, not more walking the dog 2 miles its 1 mile, and so on. Pair that up with that extra treat you deserve from your hard workout and there goes your 500 calorie deficit.
Great stuff Mike. PS. I have never watched Jersey Shore ....promise.
Posted by J.B. at 01:01PM on February 02, 2010
I'm with you Mike. Jillian was probably right, especially in a situation like this where there is a lot of money on the line. That said there has to be a better way to get the client to admit that she isn't doing the work (for whatever reason) than getting in her face and calling her a liar.
For me, if someone isn't making the gains that I expect, I start asking about stress/injuries/programming. Let them know that I'm vested in their success, and "gee, this should be working, I can't imagine why it's not..."
Usually they'll fess up that "well, maybe I'm not eating what I should.."
Posted by Bret Contreras at 04:46PM on February 02, 2010
I tell them that they should contact NASA right away because their body has figured out a way to prove energy conservation formulas in physics, thermodynamics, mechanics, and mathematics incorrect.
Posted by Mike Robertson at 09:01AM on February 06, 2010
Just wanted to thank everyone for chiming in on this one!
I think it's safe to say we all have our own way of communicating with our clients and athletes. As long as it's genuine and in their best interests, I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. Just whatever you are most comfortable with.
Thanks again - great feedback!
MR
Posted by Sybil at 03:22PM on February 06, 2010
I must be one of those clients who suffer from terminal uniqueness.....I AM doing everything right and still the weight is not budging. yeah....whatever.....you all think I'm lying. Well, I'm not and quite frankly, it is irritating to hear from the 'professionals' that you don't believe me (or us as the case may be).
Trust me....there are those of us out here - (and yes, we may truly be in the minority) who ARE eating appropriately (including weighing and tracking our intake), we are exercising diligently (and smartly - heavy weights AND cardio AND recovery work) and we are still not losing weight.
You probably can't imagine the frustration in doing everything we are TOLD to do and still not having the results we are striving for. The thing I find with some fitness professionals....you've never been obese - many of you have never even been overweight - and so you lack a bit of sympathy/empathy. Many think it's simply a case of calories in vs calories out.
Just the perspective of a middle-aged post-menopausal woman who has removed 80 pounds but still has 50 more to remove and has had no results over the last year in spite of doing everything suggested to her.
Oh, and I'm not looking for suggestions but thanks anyway. I'm currently following the PN program and I've given myself 6 months to do everything they suggest and IF at the end of 6 months, nothing has changed - I'll re-evaluate then.
Posted by Bret Contreras at 03:33PM on February 06, 2010
Sybil,
Most trainers have trained people like you (and we're very sympathetic). We try everything in our power to optimize exercise, nutrition, supplementation, etc. so people in your situation can continue seeing results.
I think that the trainers on this thread (I know I certainly was) were referring to overweight/obese individuals who don't lose any weight upon embarking on an exercise/nutrition program. And there are certain individuals who we "believe," but there are certain individuals who just seem shady and our "sixth sense" wants to call Bullsh*% on them. I can't tell you how many clients I've confronted and found out that they were lying about what they were eating.
At any rate, my apologies if I offended you. Best of luck with the PN program, the good people at PN are absolutely top-notch!
Posted by Clara at 03:40PM on February 06, 2010
@sybil- I have run into people who don't lose weight. Once you verify that they are indeed doing things correctly, you look for medical issues. It is incredibly frustrating when you hit those problems. As a fitness professional it's a challenge to keep a client motivated when you are relying on a doctor to fix something.
I've got a person I work with who's bipolar. We can't get consistent weight loss on a bet due to the meds. I've worked with several women who have uncontrolled thyroid issues. It's a royal pain in the rear to get things working. It requires a trainer with experience, patience, and willingness to go outside the box.
In the specific situation on BL, any trainer worth their salt would call shenanigans. (And I will say I'm a fan and watch the show regularly.) If she was having genuine issues, she wouldn't have magically dropped 11 pounds the following week.
PN is a great program and has some awesome folks over there. I know you aren't looking for advice, but I'll say it for someone who may be reading. If you aren't losing weight and have not gotten a full lab workout, consider doing so. It is possible there's a specific medical reason you are struggling.
Best of luck to you.