Are you happy? With your weight? With your lifestyle? I ask this a lot and it seems most of us are dissatisfied with something in our life. You might have experienced dissatisfaction and struggled on for years, or you might have plucked up the courage to ask for help and identified problems and barriers to overcoming this.
Support can come in many forms: friends, family, coach, personal trainer, GP, online group, work colleagues, clubs and the list goes on.
As a personal trainer based in Bristol I’m wondering what support I can give you. And maybe you’re wondering why you might want to use a personal trainer, and what support I could offer you? After all, isn’t personal training all about vanity, posing in the mirror and shouting at clients who like that kind of thing?
It actually amazes me what the image of a personal trainer is because this is not my style at all. The personal trainers I associate myself with are very professional, and expert at their job, with a real passion for improving people’s lives and a genuine desire to help their clients.
Today I have collated some responses about the wants, needs, goals, and frustrations of a selection of people I have questioned in the hope to illustrate to you that you are not alone in your frustrations surrounding health and fitness and the effect this has on other aspects of your life.
Below are a series of questions and the responses. I hope this helps you identify your own wants and shows you that you are not alone in this. Take a look at the responses below and of course if you do want some support or to discuss how I can help you please do get in touch.
How has your energy level been and how has it affected your life? Have you been unhappy about this? Why?
”My energy levels have been low and this has made me feel quite low in mood and in motivation. This has stopped me from doing things with my wife and family. I now feel that I’m ready and committed to do something about this, which will hopefully improve my long-term physical health, my mood and my low body image”
”Well I find that my energy levels are pretty low all the time, I feel that this depresses me which then in return makes me not want to leave y bed or do anything fun”
”Energy levels run right down when trying to lose the weight, making it hard to train to the levels I feel I should be”
”It can all depend. I get very tired at times. Especially towards end of weeks. It just makes me miserable and lethargic. I also at times feel lazy and struggle to be motivated to do anything. I don’t want to feel like this anymore”
”Energy levels are generally low, most of the time”
What frustrates you the most about your excess body fat and how long have you been struggling with the weight you are? How many years?
”What frustrates me most is my own negative body image and that I have let myself get into this situation. I have been overweight for about the last 16 years and have on a least 3 occasions have managed to loose between 3 and 4 stone but have failed to keep the weight off. I have always slipped back into the bad habits/ become lazy once I reached my goal weight.”
”I get really frustrated about my weight over the years I have tried several things which starving myself and suffering from bulimia was part of it. My weight has left me isolated from society, parties & weddings any gatherings. I feel very insecure and ugly person. I have been very active in my younger years but that all changed when I turned 12years old and started to eat for comfort it seems that I eat for comfort the fact that I’m feeling helpless and weak regarding my weight its a vicious circle.”
”Been struggling most of my life but more stable now. Was a heavy 16.1/2stone now a 12.1/2 Stone. But feel bad eating habits and unsure what to eat and when, when training at the level I do. also feel the area I still carry the weight I never seem to lose from.”
”I have always been conscious of my weight since I was around 17. I have never been drastically overweight but am prone to carrying my weight around my middle. I have dieted on and off for years as I lose weight and then put it back on. I have a reasonable understanding of food. I think generally I eat quite healthily but because I enjoy eating I probably have too large a portion size. When dieting I am possibly too strict and then when I can’t sustain the plan long term and have something I consider naughty, I feel that I have failed and binge!”
”I eat relatively healthy and exercise moderately. But I never seem to get anywhere. I have struggled with my wait since I was a teenager. I’m 34 now”
”I got married in 2012 and have put on a lot of weight since then. It had been gradual. I have been steadily gaining weight since I met my husband in 2010. I don’t like how I feel when I sit down and my tummy bulges over my jeans. I don’t feel comfortable or as confident as I use to. It makes me feel sluggish. My clothes don’t fit and I don’t feel attractive any more”
What was the defining moment or thing that happened that made you actually look into personal training?
”My defining moment was when trying on some clothes and seeing myself in the 360 degree mirrors in the changing room. I have also recently had a holiday with my family in Cornwall, which coincided, with my birthday (53) and I really struggled walking up some of the costal paths whereas my wife and children (17 and 15 year olds) had no problems at all”
”Trying on my wedding dress (which I brought pre Christmas) made me start dieting”
” I want to look and feel better. I want to be able to wear the clothes I like without feeling like an elephant!”
”Going on holiday in 6weeks just want to feel comfortable in my own skin”
”Well soon I will be 28 and I’m tired of allowing my weight to dictate my life, I don’t like to take any pictures of myself or see them for that matter. I want to be able to feel comfortable in my own skin and be happy for once”
”My weight is like a roller coaster – up and down – I can’t bear the guilt and how I feel when I overload on sugar. I want to be free of continual dieting and the misery I feel when I fail. Partner has succeeded really well on the personal training program and in order to fully support him I have adopted some of the new ways of eating particularly as I prepare the majority of his meals, which I have enjoyed. I just feel that I need something more tailored towards my activity levels and me – I need a focus/goal and guidance”
”I am fed up of feeling like this. I am going on a family holiday and I want to feel confident in shorts and in swimwear. I also want to feel healthy and fit. I stepped on the scales (I don’t weigh regularly) and I was shocked to read what they said. I decided then I have to do something before it gets out of control”
”Looking at racks full of clothes I can’t wear was the clincher!”
Why are you FINALLY fed up with this and ready to take action and make it better?
”I have been saying to myself for about the last 2 years that I needed to do something about my weight and fitness and now feel that the time is right. Now things seem to be falling into place, which will give me the time and focus to make the necessary changes”
”Fed up of the same old me I want to change my body shape completely and prove it myself I change my life for the better”
”I am continually trying to do something about it and reading up on different plans. We’re off on holiday in 9 weeks and I want to fit/look nice in my summer clothes and not feel self-conscious/have a flabby middle. In the back of my mind I am also very conscious that I could be doing some serious damage to my healthy by yo yo-ing and bingeing on chocolate”
”I don’t want to be like this anymore. I started a new job in September and have been busy working long hours. I want to put this right before it gets any worse. I want to feel fit and healthy”
”I have always been conscious about my weight. But I suppose when my 5 year old daughter comments on it, especially my ‘potatoes’ for a chest, it makes me want to take action”
What are your goals?
Goal 1 I want to completely transform myself
Goal 2 Be comfortable in my skin
Goal 3 be in the best shape of my life
Goal 4 be happy
Goal 5 more energyGoal 1 Get fit and feel healthier
Goal 2 improve how I feel about myself
Goal 3 change the way I look
Goal 4 Be around for my family for as long as possible
Goal 5 I want to see change in my stomach, chest and armsGoal 1 Set myself more specific targets.
Goal 2 Have more confidence in my abilities.
Goal 3 Make exercise part of my daily routine and prioritise it.Goal 1 Consistency
Goal 2 Healthy eating
Goal 3 Rest!Goal 1 I would like to lose between 12 lbs and 18lbs before May.
Goal 1 I’d like to be able to sprint fast 600m to keep up with George!
Goal 1 I want to reduce my body fat around my middle
Goal 2 I want to stabilise my weight long term
Goal 3 I want new ways of training to maximise results that doesn’t require being out of the house for hours
Goal 4 I want to be happy with the way I lookGoal 1 to improve health
Goal 2 to enjoy exercising and getting fit
Goal 3 to get into a healthy routine
Goal 4 to change bad habits and create healthy ones
Goal 5 I want to see my body becoming more tonedGoal 1 Lose weight
Goal 2 Get fit
Goal 3 Become better educated about nutrition
Goal 4 Make better fitness/lifestyle choices
Goal 5 Stop being so lazy
How will your life be different or improved when you get these results?
”I’m hoping this will allow me to mingle with society and perhaps for once be able to feel comfortable with the opposite sex. Hopefully more confidence”
”I hope to feel better about my long-term health and myself”
”Feeling even better on my wedding day and having nice pics”
”Feeling in control is a much happier place than not so I hope that it will release me from the guilt/stress that I feel which then makes me grumpy. I also hope to feel less tired”
”I feel comfortable in myself and also keep my new healthy habits”
”More confident/healthier/happier”
What excites you the most about getting to your goal size and weight?
”How I would feel once I reached my goal and hopefully be able to fit into a body wrap dress and be comfortable”
”Knowing that I would have made the necessary changes to hopefully remain fit and health for the rest of my life”
”If only!”
”I would be back to a size 10, living closer to nature, living a life more aligned with my true values (one of which being health and vitality)”
”Feeling prettier on my wedding day”
”Sustaining a healthy weight long term and never needing to diet again. Keeping my cholesterol in check. Giving me more confidence”
”Feeling healthy and fit. And enjoying an active body”