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