“I’m too old.”
Client Conversations with Coaches
If you’ve ever said or thought that sentence on your weight loss journey, this article is for you.
The first of our installments in our Client Conversations with Coaches series, this article lets you witness a scenario where one of our skilled Evolved coaches helps a client experiencing that very obstacle:
“I’m too old.”
Let’s get right to it.
This scenario opens with our coach and a new client meeting for their first Behavior Coaching session. In these sessions, our coaches bring the science of behavior change to the field of fitness so our clients have an easier and more enjoyable path to lasting results.
Let’s listen in.
Coach: Good to meet you.
I know it takes some courage to walk into a gym
for the first time
and I really appreciate that you took that leap.
So sincerely, thanks for coming in today.
Let’s start with the big picture.
What’s the goal?
Client: I’m so frustrated.
I can’t seem to lose any weight.
I’m beginning to think I’m too old
and that it’s impossible to see any progress.
Maybe it’s time for me to just throw in the towel
and give up.
Coach: I see that you’re frustrated
and I think I can offer some hope and some help.
Client: Really?!
Please do.
I’m at my wit’s end.
Coach: I’m happy to.
Let me start by reassuring you
that your age won't stop us from getting results.
I've worked with plenty of people coming from
similar circumstances
and pursuing similar goals,
so I'm confident we can see results.
Client: But I thought it got harder and harder
to lose weight as you got older.
I read something about the metabolism
slowing down as you age.
Coach: That’s only partially true.
Most people’s metabolism does slow down as they age,
but most of that is not due to aging per se.
The decline in someone’s metabolism owes more to the loss of lean muscle as we age,
and that loss is very preventable and even reversable.
Client: Wait, what?
Coach: Although hormones are a factor, they are a minor contributor to the metabolism slowing down and making weight loss slightly more challenging.
A much larger contributor is inactivity and diet.
If a person is training smartly and eating appropriately,
They can retain their lean muscle tissue and even increase it,
Thereby maintaining or even increasing their metabolism.
That makes weight loss much easier.
Client: Okay,
but since I haven’t been training,
I have to ask:
Is it too late for me?
Coach: Not at all. I’ve worked with people in similar situations
with similar goals and I believe we can make great progress together.
Client: Really?!
Coach: Absolutely.
Client: But I’m going to have to change a lot of stuff, right?
Coach: That’s a popular but misguided idea.
At Evolved, we’re looking for the minimal effective dose to get our clients the results they want.
Fitness should enhance your life, not overtake it.
We’re going to work together to create strategies that fit your personality, lifestyle, and goals.
Client: I was expecting you to tell me it was nothing but
chicken and broccoli from here on out.
Coach: Not at all. Achieving your fitness goals
should not be a test of willpower and deprivation.
That’s no way to create lasting results.
Together we’ll create strategies that align with who you are
and you’ll find that seeing progress is easier and more enjoyable than any previous efforts.
Client: That almost sounds too good to be true.
Coach: It only sounds that way when you compare it to the standard approach
of picking a predefined plan and trying to fit your life into it.
That idea repeatedly ends in short-lived results or none at all.
At Evolved, we would rather take the effort and time to serve our clients in a far more effective way.
We create customized strategies for our clients so they can achieve and maintain their goals.
Client: That sounds way better. I’m in.
