One of the first things new clients or prospects want to know is how much weight they will lose, and how long will it take. Of course, every individual is different, so there really is no succinct answer to that. What I usually tell them is something along the lines of “If you follow the program I put together for you, you can safely lose up to 1-2 pounds of fat per week”, (assuming of course this is a client with fat loss as a goal). The important part of that is “If you follow the program I put together for you.”
Whether I design a program for a client, or if they use my “17-Week Body Transformation Course” or “The Caveman’s Guide to Fitness”, sometimes they decide to make their own seemingly minor modifications to the program. “Well, I really didn’t like exercise X, so I did exercise Y instead.” “I could only work out 1 day last week instead of 3, but I worked out 5 times this week to make up for it.” “Instead of giving myself a cheat day, I just gave myself one little cheat snack each day.” “I was too sore to do the resistance training, so I ran on the treadmill instead.” “Your routine was too hard, so I toned it down a bit.”
I’ve actually heard each of these lines, as well as others, from clients. Coincidentally, these are usually the same clients who report that “even though they are following the program”, they haven’t been able to lose as much fat as they had hoped to. Sure, they are following a program, just not the one I designed for them. I don’t make excuses for my fitness programs being difficult. If this was so easy, you wouldn’t be coming to see me in the first place. But, if you take my program and decide to make it easier, or to change some exercises, or to not follow my nutrition guidelines, it is now your program, not mine. As such, I have no idea what kind of results you will get. It may work, it may not.
Here is an email I just received from someone who decided to “follow the program in its entirety.” I’m pretty sure he is happy he didn’t redesign it into his own.
“When I found Dave, I was an ex-football player, fresh off my first year of college. And just let me say, I would’ve been pleased if I had only gained the ‘freshman 15′. After coming across “The 17-Week Body Transformation Course”, I made a decision to follow the program in its entirety. That decision is one of the best decisions I made in my young life. This program not only helped me to lose the pounds i gained in my first year of college, it taught me how to control my eating habits so that I would not gain the weight back. Seventeen weeks, forty-one pounds and 4 inches (off my waist) later, I was in just as good, if not better, shape than my football days! This program can truly be used by anyone, from ex-football players to ex-housewives, as long as you are willing to put in the effort to achieve success. Dave gives you the tools to make the changes you want in your life. It is up to you to utilize those tools for maximum benefit.”
About the Author
Dave Soucy is a coach, trainer, motivator, husband, dad, and former fat guy. His goal is to teach as many people as possible how to achieve a life of health, fitness, and wellness through simply eating right and exercising. Click here to learn more about Dave.
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