[Newsletter] The Smartest Coach in the Room

Help! My client says they’re eating 1200 kcal but not losing weight! Every Saturday, The Smartest Coach in the Room delivers helpful takeaways on the hottest nutrition and health topics and the world’s most effective coaching techniques. (Did some amazing friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( “My client’s metabolism is broken—or they’re lying.” In our private Facebook group for coaches, we see some version of this all the time: “My client swears they’re eating [insert very low number] Calories a day, but they’re not losing weight. I don’t think they’d lie to me but it doesn’t make sense. How can I help them??” The coaches in our community—being the conscientious, compassionate bunch that they are—don’t favor jumping to accusations. [Joey from "Friends" pointing his finger and saying, "Don't you lie to me."] Finger pointing: Not great for building rapport. But what gives? Your client probably isn’t lying to you. More likely, what’s happening is your client is consuming their intended calorie amount for part of the day, or part of the week. They’re strict until dinner, or strict Monday through Thursday, but then at bedtime or on weekends, they get a little relaxed, and unintentionally blow their deficit. From the client’s perspective, they’re following their intended diet. Very likely, they also went to battle with many uncomfortable sensations, including hunger, cravings, or irritability. But in reality, they’re not maintaining a caloric deficit consistently enough to see progress. Mystery solved (maybe). But as a coach, how do you deal? STEP 1: Validate their experience. Acknowledge and empathize with your client’s struggle. (“I know you’ve been working so hard—it must feel maddening to not see the scale budge.”) This might be obvious, but accusing them of dishonesty will only damage trust in a relationship that’s really important to preserve as safe and supportive. STEP 2: Collaborate. Reassure your client that you’re on their side. You’re going for a “we’re in this together” vibe. Use “we” instead of “you” and “I” as you discuss what’s impeding progress. (“Let’s figure this out together. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”) STEP 3: Gather some data. Encourage clients to keep a detailed food diary for two weeks. Assure them that you won’t judge their choices. Emphasize that this data is for understanding, not criticism. STEP 4: Analyze the data. After two weeks, you’ll likely see one of the following: ▶ Outcome A: The scale is moving. Because they knew you’d be looking at their log, your client felt more accountable, and ate their intended calorie intake—consistently. If they feel great, you can stop here. If your client reports unbearable hunger or fatigue, proceed to Step 5. ▶ Outcome B: There are gaps in your client’s food log. If you see lots of blanks in your client’s food diary, gently ask questions to help your client reveal the full story. If they admit they might’ve eaten more on those days, empathize, then problem-solve collaboratively. (“It’s really tough to maintain such a drastic deficit. Given what you told me though, how do you think we should interpret our data this week?”) Then, proceed to Step 5. STEP 5: Try an experiment. If you feel like your client is rebelling against or just struggling with an advanced dietary strategy try this line: “Let’s look at what we can do to make progress more sustainable. How do you feel about trying a 2-week experiment? If it doesn’t work, we can try something else.” Framing changes as a temporary experiment takes the pressure off, and tends to help people feel more open and curious. Try one of the following: 🍽️ Slightly increase their calorie intake for a trial period. (Increasing their daily calorie target may yield better consistency, and be less likely to trigger compensatory overeating.) 🍽️ Track calories—but without setting calorie targets. (This can help clients develop better calorie and food consumption awareness, without the pressure of a rigid calorie “cap.”) 🍽️ Consider alternative strategies like tracking protein intake, hunger levels, or mindful eating. (Because let’s face it—calorie counting just isn’t right for all clients or goals.) Maintain that comfortable coaching environment. ​​​​​​Allow your clients their defense mechanisms and their human errors. With unconditional support, most clients eventually open up, get honest, and feel brave enough to explore realistic ways they can change—and improve. For more on this topic, read: [“Help! My client’s not losing weight despite claiming to follow a low calorie diet!”]( And, if you’re interested in more best-in-class coaching approaches, you might love our [Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification]( where you’ll learn the science of nutrition, along with the art of coaching—so you’ll be prepared to address the toughest client conundrums. [Become a Certified Nutrition Coach - Join the presale list for the #1 rated PN Level 1 Nutrition Certification]( Take care, Alex :) --------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Picot-Annand, PN2, Holistic Nutritionist Editorial Director Precision Nutrition Home of the world’s top nutrition coaches --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think of this email? Precision Nutrition Business Insider's #1 Choice for Nutrition Certifications in 2022 --- To view this email as a web page, click [here.]( Precision Nutrition Inc. 18 King Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4, Canada Finally, nutrition makes sense. Visit us at [www.precisionnutrition.com]( today. Follow us on [Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences](