My Most Frustrating Client

By Ramese Long

When we started this journey, I said we would work together to help you create and sustain momentum. So, today I’m going to tell you a story.

I have been in the fitness industry for 22 years and consulted countless people of all backgrounds with a variety of goals. However, there is one person in particular who stands out as the most frustrating client in all my years of training.

This client showed up for their consultation with no energy and wavering drive. I could see the frustration in their eyes. As I’ve said before there are commonalities in all of us. Some people are trying to gain momentum while others don’t know how to get started, but this particular client had fallen off the wagon and had been trying for years to get back on it.

They had a long history of exercising but life had “taken over” which quickly became their excuse to eat rather than exercise. They lost focus, gained a significant amount of weight and their self esteem was visibly altered. A lot of my clients fall into this category; I call them the “start stoppers.” Personally, I love this type of client because change is around the corner if you can get them to tap into what they already know. Once they have their “ah ha” moment, momentum is created and they usually accomplish more than they could have dreamt. This client was different. Not only did they take a long time to create momentum, it took even longer for them to maintain it. Let’s just say, this was a classic case of two steps forward one step back.

The biggest issue in a case like this is the mental aspect. They feel as if they cannot move forward until they’ve persecuted themselves long enough to feel worthy of success when all they need to do is let go of the fear of failure and simply realize, they did  it once and they  can do it again. I told my client, “from a health perspective you must lose the weight but in order to get there you have to realize it’s not just about how much weight you’ve gained but how the weight makes you feel emotionally. Once you deal with both sides of the coin, you‘ll be on your way.” That was the “ah ha” moment. Gradually, they began to make changes to their eating plan, they showed up consistently to our sessions but more importantly when they took a step or two backwards it wasn’t a deal breaker. Finally, a decision to change had been made and what started out as baby steps eventually turned into a full sprint pass the finish line.

Bottom line, no matter how long you’ve been a couch potato, change comes by making a simple decision. The overweight person who sat at the consultation desk eventually returned with a healthy mind, body and renewed spirit. My most frustrating client? ME.

Do someTHIN!