Three EASY Steps to Lose Weight and Add
Muscle:
Are there really only three easy steps?
There are three steps, but they are not easy for everyone.
As health care professionals we talk to people each and every day who are
striving to to "lose weight and build muscle".
We all know the "steps" that it takes to achieve these goals,. We understand
that it takes time and dedication, a healthy and balanced diet, and a
consistent and efficient workout program. The difficult process is
convincing our patients and clients that all three of these steps are
necessary to achieve their goals.
Utilize these three steps to help your clients achieve their goals.
1. Preparation
The first time you meet your client, take the time to get to know them,
and understand why they are seeking your services. By getting to know your
client prior to creating their plan of care, you will be able to create an
effective program for them. Listen to your client and help them set
realistic and obtainable goals. Create both short term (attainable in 2-4
weeks) and long term (attainable in 3-6 months) goals. To keep your clients
focused, meet once every 30 days and re-evaluate their progress. Don't be
afraid to set new goals if short term ones were met, or if old ones seem
unreachable. Your client's success will make you successful.
2. Diet
We all need to convince our patients and clients that there are no magic diets.
You do not need to STOP eating, you do not need to stop enjoying what you
eat. Educate your clients on simple ways they can change their diet to
achieve their stated goals.
Strategies include:
-
eliminating fast food, fried food, sugary snacks, and soda
-
eating smaller and more frequent meals
-
cooking at home rather than going out
-
eating more fruits, vegetables, and lean meats
-
avoiding late night sugary snacks before bedtime
These are just a few suggestions to improve your diet. To find out more
information on healthy ways to change your diet, visit
WebMD
Healthy Eating & Diet
3. Exercise
As you prepare to create your exercise plan of care for your clients,
make sure to focus on each individual client's personal goals. Remember what
you learned about your client the first time you discussed those goals.
How much time do they have in their day for exercise (housewife or retiree vs
busy mom or business person)? Are they self-motivated or do they need a lot of
motivation? Do they need to be pushed or guided? Are they working with you
once per week or three times per week? You want to make your exercise plan
fun, interesting, challenging, efficient, and most importantly, focused.
To ensure your clients success in attaining their stated goals, you MUST make
sure that they are not only being compliant with you, but also when they are
on their own at home. Provide them with instruction for exercises that
they can complete on their own or at home (go to
Fizio.com to create a
customized video home exercise program that your clients can view at home, or
download to their iPod to take with them to the gym).