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Admit it, you don’t always bend down in the shower to give your tootsies a good scrub, do you? While there is significant evidence pointing to the benefits of reducing your all over body showering to two to three times a week, it is still recommended to keep your feet as clean as you possibly […]
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We must understand that if our mind, focus, precision, and power are not firing on all cylinders, then most likely we will be out of balance and won’t be able to achieve the level of power it takes to go to the next level. We should analyze how these components are essential to focus our intent in order to achieve insurmountable levels of success in any endeavor.
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The fitness industry has fully embraced Georges Hebert’s adage: Be strong to be useful. CrossFitters celebrate the life preparation component of their adaptable approach and, more than ever, women are beginning to embrace strength training as essential to living well. Yet, we rarely ask our body to bridge the gap between that strength and real-world activity.
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It seems every “keto for women” forum abounds with stories about menstrual cycles gone wild in the first few months of keto. Irregular cycles, breakthrough bleeding, and periods lasting much longer than normal are common complaints. Sometimes these stories are cited as evidence that keto isn’t good for women, at least not premenopausal women, and that we need carbs for healthy hormones. Yet, many women don’t notice any changes in their menstrual cycles at all, while others report improvement in PMS symptoms and cycle regularity from the get-go.
What gives? Why do some women’s cycles apparently become wacky when they start keto, while others feel like keto is the key to period bliss? Can keto “mess up” the menstrual cycle?
We know that diet—what and how much we eat—can profoundly affect our hormones. This is true for both women and men. One of the reasons people are so excited about ketogenic diets is specifically because keto shows promise for helping to regulate hormones and improve cellular sensitivity to hormones such as insulin and leptin.
At the same time, women’s hormones are especially sensitive not only to dietary changes but also to downstream effects such as body fat loss. Furthermore, one of the ways women’s bodies respond to stressors is by turning down the dial on our reproductive systems. It’s reasonable to hypothesize, then, that women might have a tougher time adapting to or sustaining a ketogenic diet. Keto can be stressful depending on one’s approach, and that might negatively impact women’s reproductive health. But do the data actually bear that out, or is so-called “keto period” more misplaced hype than genuine fact?
Note that throughout this post, I’m going to use the term “reproductive health” to refer to all aspects of women’s menstrual cycle, reproductive hormones, and fertility. Even if you aren’t interested in reproducing right now, your body’s willingness to reproduce is an important indicator of overall health. When your reproductive health goes awry—irregular or absent periods (amenorrhea) or hormone imbalances—that’s a big red flag. Of course, post-menopausal women can also experience hormone imbalances that affect their health and quality of life (and low-carb and keto diets can be a great option for them).
Let’s briefly review what constitutes a normal, healthy menstrual cycle, understanding that everybody’s “normal” will be a little different. A typical cycle lasts from 21 to 24 days on the short end to 31 to 35 days on the long end, with 28 days being the median. Day 1 is the first day of your period and begins the follicular phase, which lasts until ovulation. Just before ovulation, levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol (a form of estrogen) spike. Next comes the luteal phase covering the approximately 14 days from ovulation to menses. LH, FSH, and estradiol drop, while progesterone rises. Estradiol bumps up again in the middle of the luteal phase. If a fertilized egg is not implanted, menstruation commences, and the whole cycles starts over again. All this is regulated by a complex communication network under the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, which is closely tied to the actions of the adrenal (the A in HPA axis) and thyroid glands.
Across the cycle, fluctuations in body weight are common as fluid is retained and then released along with shifts in estrogen and progesterone. Changes in blood glucose are also normal, and insulin-dependent diabetics often find that they need to adjust their dose at different times of their cycles to keep their blood sugar in check. The most common pattern is higher blood glucose readings in the pre-menstrual period (the second half of the luteal phase), and lower readings after starting your period and before ovulation. This is generally attributed to the fact that progesterone, which is highest during the luteal phase, is known to reduce insulin sensitivity. However, different women experience different patterns, which can also be affected by other factors such as oral contraceptive use.
Normal fluctuations in insulin resistance and blood glucose can mean that women get lower ketone readings at certain times of the month than others. When these occur premenstrually—and so they tend to coincide with a period of (transient) weight gain and food/carbohydrate cravings—women often feel as though they are doing something wrong. Rest assured that these variations reflect normal physiology.
The many factors that affect your cycle and the levels of your sex hormones include: other hormones, gut health and microbiome, metabolic health (e.g., insulin sensitivity), environmental toxins, stress, sleep, immune health, nutrient deficiencies, activity level and energy expenditure, and age. Each affects the others, and all (except age of course) can be affected by diet. It’s no surprise, then, that it can be extremely difficult to pin down a root cause of menstrual changes or reproductive issues.
As I said at the outset, there are lots of anecdotes, both positive and negative. In my experience, most women whose cycles seem to go crazy when they start keto find that things get back to normal—and often a better version of normal—after a few months.
First, it’s tricky to determine the effects of keto per se, since many people combine a ketogenic diet with calorie restriction (intentionally to lose weight or unintentionally due to the appetite suppressing effects of keto) and with fasting (intermittent and/or extended). Each of these can independently impact the factors listed above, lead to weight loss, and affect the menstrual cycle and reproductive health.
So, is there any evidence that keto itself causes changes to menstruation?
The scientific evidence is scant….
The one statistic you’ll see floating around the interwebs is “45% of (adolescent) females experience irregular menstrual cycles on keto.” This statistic comes from one small study of adolescent girls using a therapeutic ketogenic diet to treat epilepsy. Six of the twenty girls reported amenorrhea (loss of period) and three were diagnosed with delayed puberty. However, the ketogenic diet used for epilepsy is different and usually much stricter than an “everyday” keto diet needs to be, and epilepsy is frequently associated with menstrual dysfunction regardless of diet.
To extrapolate the findings of this study and argue that nearly half of teenage girls (or women generally) are likely to experience menstrual problems from going keto is a huge leap.
The fact is, I’m unable to find any studies done in healthy human females (or mice for that matter) demonstrating that otherwise normal menstrual cycles are disturbed by going keto.
With the limited amount of research looking directly at keto and menstruation, let’s look first at whether there are direct effects of carbohydrate restriction or elevated ketone production on the menstrual cycle. Those are the defining characteristics of keto and what differentiates keto from other ways of eating. Then we can examine indirect effects that occur due to factors such as weight loss. These are not unique to keto, though they might be more likely on a ketogenic diet compared to other ways of eating.
There is no real body of evidence that looks at ketogenic levels of carb restriction and menstruation, but there are some clues. In this small study, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) was associated with dietary fat restriction; women with FHA actually ate non-significantly more carbs than matched controls and nearly identical total calories. Likewise, in this small study, FHA was associated with lower fat intake but no significant difference in carb intake.
This meta-analysis looked at the effect of low-carb (not keto) diets on markers of reproductive health among overweight women. The researchers found four studies that examined effects on menstruation; all showed improved menstrual regularity and/or ovulation rates. Of six studies that looked at levels of reproductive hormones, five reported significant improvements.
Carb restriction also results in decreased insulin production. Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are frequently associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), one of the leading causes of female infertility and a frequent cause of menstrual irregularity. There is currently a lot of interest in using keto to treat PCOS, but only one small study has so far directly tested the effectiveness of a ketogenic diet to treat PCOS, with positive results.
No studies have looked at the direct effects of ketones on menstruation.
Of course weight loss is not unique to keto, but keto can be very effective for weight loss. Some women experience rapid weight loss when first starting a keto diet. Weight loss in and of itself can impact menstruation through a variety of pathways (and, of course, keto isn’t the only way people lose weight). A key way is by reducing the hormone leptin. Leptin’s main job is to communicate energy availability to the hypothalamus—high levels of leptin tell the hypothalamus that we have enough energy on board, which also means we can reproduce. Low leptin can disrupt the menstrual cycle and is linked to hypothalamic amenorrhea.
Body fat loss can also affect estrogen levels since estrogen is both stored and produced in adipocytes (fat cells). While fat loss in the long term will decrease estrogen production, it is possible that rapid fat loss might temporarily raise estrogen levels and can also affect estrogen-progesterone balance. These transient changes in estrogen levels might underlie some of the menstrual irregularities women report.
Stress can impact the menstrual cycle in myriad ways. Cortisol acts on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, affecting hormone levels, sleep, immune function, and gut health, to name a few. Diets can be a source of stress, both at the physiological and psychological levels. Keto has a reputation for being especially stressful because it is more restrictive than other low-carb diets, but this can be mitigated by following the Keto Reset tips for women.
Thyroid dysregulation is another common cause of menstrual irregularities, and there remains a pervasive belief that keto is bad for thyroid health. Indeed, the thyroid is sensitive to nutrient deficiencies and caloric restriction, and thyroid hormones, especially T3, do frequently decline on keto. However, as Mark has discussed in a previous post, changes in T3 levels might not be a problem, especially in the absence of other problematic symptoms. Moreover, many practitioners now use keto as a cornerstone in their treatment of thyroid disorders.
The first takeaway: there just isn’t much direct evidence about how keto might affect your menstrual cycle, positively or negatively. We have some studies suggesting that low-carb diets improve some aspects of menstruation and reproductive health, but keto is more than just another low-carb diet. Ketones themselves have important physiological properties, such as being directly anti-inflammatory, which might positively impact women’s reproductive health.
Second, the ways that keto is likely to (negatively) affect menstruation aren’t unique to keto, they’re common to any diet: hormone shifts mediated by energy balance, stress, and weight loss.
Furthermore, since keto is so often combined with caloric restriction, time-restricted eating, and fasting, even the anecdotal evidence might not be able to tell us all that much. If a woman is eating ketogenically, in a big caloric deficit, and doing OMAD (one meal a day), and her leptin plummets, how are we to know what really caused it? We don’t have good evidence that otherwise healthy women start a well-executed ketogenic diet and end up messing up their menstrual cycles.
That said, women do need to be cognizant of the sum total of the signals they are sending their bodies when it comes to energy availability and stress. A lot of women come to the keto diet with a history of adrenal, thyroid, metabolic, and reproductive issues. It’s important that they’re extra careful about how they approach keto. Done correctly, it might be just what the doctor ordered. I encourage any woman who’s dealing with other hormonal issues to work with a medical practitioner to tailor a keto diet to her unique needs.
Ok, I believe you, really! But changes do not necessarily equal dysfunction. It is normal to experience hormone fluctuations when you make a massive—or even a relatively small but important—shift in your nutrition. Sometimes those fluctuations are unpleasant or unwanted, such as a period that lasts 14 days or one that arrives a week before you planned while you’re on vacation. However, that doesn’t make them bad from a health perspective. We need to respect that our bodies are dynamic systems. Changing the input will invariably change the output, and the system might need a few months to adapt to a new normal.
If your cycle goes wonky but you’re otherwise feeling good, give it a few months to sort itself out. If after a few months it’s still all over the place (or definitely if you’re having other disruptive symptoms), enlist help. In the meantime, check to make sure you’re not short-changing yourself nutritionally or calorically. Scale back on fasting efforts, and consider shifting more toward a traditional Primal way of eating.
At the end of the day, if you go keto and experience negative effects, stop. Keto is super hyped right now, but if your body is sending you clear signals that keto is not a good approach for you at this time, don’t do it. You can always try again later. It might be that your first attempt at keto didn’t work, but with a few adjustments and some experimentation over time you can find a version of keto that works for you.
Thanks for reading, everyone. Do you have comments, questions, or feedback? Let me know below.
References:
Comninos AN, Jayasena CN, Dhillo WS. The relationship between gut and adipose hormones, and reproduction. Human Reproduction Update 2014; 20(2): 153–174.
Fontana R, Della Torre S. The Deep Correlation between Energy Metabolism and Reproduction: A View on the Effects of Nutrition for Women Fertility. Nutrients. 2016;8(2):87.
Klok MD, Jakobsdottir S, Drent ML. The role of leptin and ghrelin in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans: a review. Obesity Reviews 2007;8(1):21-34.
Meczekalski B, Katulski K, Czyzyk A, Podfigurna-Stopa A, Maciejewska-Jeske M. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and its influence on women’s health. J Endocrinol Invest. 2014;37(11):1049–1056.
Tena-Sempere M. Roles of Ghrelin and Leptin in the Control of Reproductive Function. Neuroendocrinology 2007;86:229-241.
The post Keto and the Menstrual Cycle: Is There Reason To Worry? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
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Stop the resistance band insanity! The Instagram famous fitness models will show you plenty of exercises using a resistance band and tell you that it will tone your body parts. Can we check their credentials first and see if they are even educated enough to know what they are talking about?
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Last week, I explored the impact of all the various foods, beverages, and food-like substances people consume while fasting—and hoping to maintain a functionally fasted state. Does MCT oil break the fast? What about coffee, tea, or bone broth?
There were more than a dozen, and I even did a follow-up. Today I’m going to discuss whether commonly-consumed supplements break the fast.
Let’s go:
Fish oil is pure fat. If you’re taking the average supplemental dose of 1-2 grams of fish oil, it’s not a problem. That’s not even a teaspoon. It’s about 9-18 calories.
You may burn slightly less fat than you would otherwise, but in the grand scheme of things, a few grams of fish oil won’t break the fast.
Cod liver oil is fish oil with extra vitamin D and vitamin A. As long as you keep the doses low enough, cod liver oil won’t break the fast.
Multivitamins do not break a fast. They are usually non-caloric. However, not all of their components will be absorbed very well on an empty stomach, so keep that in mind.
If you’re still not on board, note that in the older studies with really overweight people who fasted for upwards of a year straight, they usually supplemented with a multivitamin.
A popular one I’ve seen around—Alive, made from kale and raspberries—has just 2 grams of carbs per dosing. It’s not ideal, but it’s not a deal breaker—or a fast-breaker.
Gummy vitamins have the potential to be about 5-6 grams of sugar, a gram of protein (from gelatin), and a gram of fat (if including omega-3s) per serving, so they’d arguably break the fast. Plus, they taste like candy and are likely to stimulate cravings and make fasting harder.
Gummy vitamins break the fast.
Potassium is non-caloric and does not break the fast. In fact, it can help you handle the fast better by replenishing electrolytes.
Potassium doesn’t break the fast.
Creatine contains no calories and has no effect on insulin secretion (or glucose in the absence of calories).
Creatine does not break the fast.
Protein powder provokes an insulin response, which opposes autophagy, which means you’re breaking your fast. Plus, protein powder contains calories.
I’m going to say “yes, protein powder breaks the fast.”
If you’re strict and technical, then yes, collagen breaks a fast. There’s evidence that glycine—the most prominent amino acid in collagen—can inhibit autophagy, but it was a convoluted animal study where inhibiting autophagy with large doses of glycine after brain injury actually improved outcomes. It probably doesn’t apply to someone adding a scoop of collagen to their coffee. Besides, even if it slightly reduces autophagy, a little collagen won’t negatively impact ketosis, fat-burning, or energy intake.
I’m going to say “technically yes,” but “realistically no, collagen doesn’t break the fast.” Avoid if your main focus is autophagy, however.
BCAAs trigger an insulin response and thus stop autophagy…and the fast. That said, many proponents of fasted training recommend using BCAAs before a workout to help preserve muscle and improve the post-workout anabolic response.
I’m going to say “yes, BCAAs break the fast.”
Vitamin D is fat soluble and thus comes packaged in an oil carrier, but the dosage is so small that it won’t affect your fast.
Unless you find that 1/8 teaspoon of olive oil ruins your fast, vitamin D won’t break a fast.
Probiotics contain no calories and will not break a fast. However, they are best absorbed in the presence of food—the food protects them as they travel through the digestive system, and most probiotics occur naturally in food—so taking them during a fast is probably, mostly useless.
Probiotics don’t break a fast, but why take them during one?
Pure prebiotics will not break a fast, as they contain no digestible carbohydrates. Prebiotic-enriched foods will break a fast, as they do contain calories.
Adaptogens are compounds, usually herbs or herb derivatives, that modulate your stress response. They improve your ability to tolerate and respond to stressful situations; they don’t blindly inhibit the stress response if the stress response is warranted. They keep you honest and counter unnecessary stress responses. They contain no calories, unless you’re chowing down on a big hunk of maca or ashwagandha root. In fact, most adaptogens have traditionally been consumed in tea form, extracting the active compounds and leaving behind any calories. Have at ’em.
Adaptogens do not break the fast.
Medicinal mushroom extracts come from mushrooms, which are technically food. But the amounts you take are so low—usually no more than a teaspoon—that they won’t impact your fast or provide any significant amount of caloric energy. Four Sigmatic has those “mushroom coffee” blends you add to hot water. They can get up to about 30 calories per serving, but even that’s going to let you maintain most of the fasting benefits.
Mushroom extracts don’t break the fast.
I used to keep the old Trader Joe’s melatonin on hand because it was half a milligram, whereas most other melatonin supplements are in the 3-5 mg range. It was also sweet, tasting like those white Valentine’s Day mint hearts you used to get back in the day. I haven’t come across any sweetened melatonin supplements since Trader Joe’s phased those out, but that’s the only thing I’d worry about on a fast.
Melatonin does not break a fast.
Final Note: Most supplements are okay to take on a fast, though the lack of food may make absorption more difficult. If you have any other questions about supplements on a fast, drop them down below. Thanks for reading, everybody.
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According to the CDC, nearly 26 million, or 11% of all Americans over 20 years old are affected by diabetes. This endocrine disease, characterized by issues with insulin production and resistance was the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2015 based on 79,535 cases where diabetes was listed as the underlying […]
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Let me tell you what’s improved my Olympic weightlifting technique, and that of the lifters I coach more than anything else — focusing on balance, specifically keeping the pressure on the mid-foot on the first pull of the snatch and clean.
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Trying to balance ancestral health with your modern lifestyle can be challenging, but that’s where biohacking comes in. In this episode of Revolution Health Radio, I talk with health performance expert Ben Greenfield about the best ways to use technology to enhance your health and support your ancestral lifestyle.
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If you’re a health, fitness, or nutrition professional, I bet at least one of these scenarios will sound familiar to you. (Maybe both).
Scenario A: A new client walks in and tells you exactly what she wants to “transform” into.
The bad news is that she’s showing you a picture on her phone of a celebrity who doesn’t remotely look like her (and you know how much work this celebrity had to put in to get these results). Then this new client tells you that she only has time for two 30-minute sessions per week.
Scenario B: You’ve been working with your client for a while, and she’s crushing it!
She’s getting fantastic results, and yet she’s not satisfied… ever. “I’m just not where I want to be,” she says. The more you think about it, the more you realize that her goals seem to be a moving target: she doesn’t like her arms, she wants to be leaner still, she says there’s something “wrong” with her stomach, and so on.
This can be frustrating and disheartening — for you and your client.
Naturally, you want to set up your client to succeed. You want her to reach her goals, feel awesome, and celebrate her success. After all, that’s probably why you’re in this business in the first place — to help people.
Not only that, but a dissatisfied client isn’t exactly good for business. What if she starts to doubt your ability to help her? Even worse, what if she blames you when she isn’t able to get the results she was hoping for?
Luckily, there is a solution. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t include bursting your client’s bubble or telling her she’s wrong.)
In this article, we’ll give you six strategies for reframing unrealistic client expectations so you can help your clients get out of the cycle of dissatisfaction and feel great about their results.
To answer that question, try this quick game.
(This exercise is courtesy of Dr. Larissa Mercado-Lopez, associate professor at California State University–Fresno and curriculum contributor to the GGS Coaching & Training Women Academy.)
Google the words: fit woman. What do you see?
Likely a lot of:
(Try this with “healthy woman” and you’ll get similar results. Plus lots of pictures of women laughing while eating salad.)
You don’t have to go searching for these images to see them.
Images that show how women “should” look are everywhere: on Instagram, in magazines, in celebrity culture, TV and movies, in advertising, and quite possibly even on posters and advertisements at the very gym where you work.
For example:
Have you ever heard someone say, “She’s too skinny! Jeez, just eat a sandwich!”
How about, “Can you believe she’s wearing that, at her size?”
Or, “A bikini!? At her age!? What is she thinking?”
These kinds of comments reveal that women’s bodies are frequently discussed, evaluated and scrutinized. Whether these conversations are about celebrities, strangers, family members, colleagues, or friends, it sends a message that women “should” look a certain way, and if they don’t, they’ll be judged and criticized.
Women may encounter judgment and criticism about their bodies at home, work, school, in public places, and in places of health and fitness including the doctor’s office, health facilities, and the gym.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we coaches, trainers, and health professionals might realize that we’ve made assumptions about women based on their size (even if we haven’t meant to).
For example:
These are common mistakes. And they demonstrate how women are frequently judged and evaluated based on their bodies.
As a result, many women believe they “should” look a certain way.
That’s why your client expects (or hopes) to transform her body.
And she’s coming to you for help.
You know what it takes to change a body… and it might be crystal clear to you that your client’s expectations simply aren’t realistic.
For example, achieving that “ideal” body might require…
And maybe even…
Besides, in the case of some clients, it might seem like no matter what results you help them get, they’re just never going to be satisfied. They always want to lose more weight or improve some other part of their body. Their expectations keep shifting just out of reach.
So what do you do? How do you help a client set realistic expectations for herself — and love her results?
Dealing with unrealistic expectations is undeniably difficult — for you and for your client. Thankfully, there are strategies you can use to help your client see what’s realistic and healthy for her. This way, she will feel successful as she works towards her goal.
Your client may be unsure — perhaps even worried or fearful — about how training will change her body.
You may hear her say things like:
(I’m sure you can think of other things you’ve heard along those same lines.)
These kinds of moments can be frustrating. But they can also present a tremendous opportunity…
If you don’t flat-out tell your client she’s wrong!
Yes, you read that right.
Instead of getting frustrated or trying to convince your client that your way is better (“I promise, you won’t get bulky!”), approach her with compassion.
Remember that she likely wants to focus on the results she hopes to achieve because she feels pressure to look a certain way.
“When helping clients through concerns or expectations that we feel are unfounded, we must remember this essential truth: to our clients, their concerns and expectations are neither foolish nor unrealistic. They may be based on lack of information or understanding of certain processes, but this does not mean your clients deserve a harsh smackdown to bring them back to reality.” — Carolina Belmares, Coaching & Training Women Academy curriculum contributor.
One of the worst things you can do is to dismiss your client’s concerns outright. Sure, you might know that her fears are unfounded. (Of course, she isn’t going to turn into the Incredible Hulk, especially not overnight.)
But if you ignore or dismiss her, the real message you’re sending is that you’re not receptive to her concerns.
On the other hand, if you choose to get curious and ask her questions, you create an opportunity to understand, connect with, and coach her more effectively.
Try asking questions that will help you understand where her apprehension comes from. For example:
Getting inquisitive helps you set the stage for a more positive interaction and gives you the opportunity to develop a stronger relationship with your client.
Your client might have a very specific idea of what her results “should” look like, based on what she’s observed in other women, in fitness magazines, or on social media. She may be comparing her looks, her progress, or her performance to what she sees in others.
To help your client understand that results are never one-size-fits-all, here are a few tips you can use.
Many factors beyond exercise and nutrition can influence results and the timeframe it takes to achieve them, including:
… and more.
Refrain from using cues that encourage competition and can push your clients into comparing themselves with others (e.g., “Bump up that weight, Claire! Shonda is crushing you over there using those big plates!”).
“Phrases such as ‘Choose a weight that is moderately heavy for you,’ ‘Let me know if you need a different modification,’ and ‘Work with the range of motion that your body is giving you today’ are common in my small-group classes and encourage people to focus on their own workout. ” — Kara Stewart-Agostino, Coaching & Training Women Academy curriculum contributor.
(Make sure you’ve gotten your clients’ explicit consent, of course. That should always be required before you share any specific experiences, information, or photos).
Show your client a diverse representation of bodies and experiences to remind her that every person’s journey is a bit different. This may help her refine her own goals and expectations according to what’s realistic for her. (And it may help her broaden her own ideas of what ‘healthy’ and ‘fit’ can look like.)
As you review photos together, have a conversation. For example, you may say things like:
These conversations can help your clients see their goals in a new light, focus on their own work, and gain a better appreciation of their unique journey.
How much does your client truly know about what goes on behind the scenes to achieve the depictions we typically see of the commercial fitness industry or athletic competitions?
It’s easy to scroll through social media or flip through fitness magazines and remain oblivious about all that’s required to create these images of “perfect” bodies.
It’s their job. Their full-time job.
This means that these people:
If you’re working with a client who believes these images portray realistic goals, you can remind her of all the work that goes into creating them, including:
Besides, the only result we’re seeing is the one that’s crafted for the public to see. We don’t see what happens after the movie, after the photo shoot, or after the athletic event.
(Plus, even when celebrities share their “new healthy lifestyle” tips, we don’t know if the information they’re providing is accurate. There’s a high chance they’re simply trying to sell something.)
Sharing this information with your client can help her take a step back from those “perfect” images that seem to have become the new normal and think more critically about what she wants to achieve.
While looking at images of elite athletes, fitness models, or celebrities may be presented as “inspiration,” it’s usually more detrimental than helpful.
Research suggests that we feel worse about ourselves after looking at pictures of people with “ideal” bodies than after looking at “neutral” images. (This is true of both men and women, actually).
There’s a simple exercise you can encourage your client to do — and even try for yourself. Ask her to pay close attention to how she feels about her body after watching TV, reading fitness, celebrity or fashion magazines, or scrolling through social media.
If she tends to feel worse about herself, it’s time to start curating the type of media content she’s consuming. Here are some easy-to-follow suggestions:
While, as mentioned above, exposure to certain types of media can have a negative effect, did you know that some types of media can have the opposite, positive effect?
Regularly seeing a wide variety of bodies can help us transform the way we see our own body.
By seeking out images that include a variety of bodies of all shapes and sizes, postpartum bodies, older bodies, as well as bodies of different races and abilities, we broaden the definition of what we find acceptable, attractive, or beautiful.
You can steer your client toward social media accounts and media outlets that offer a more diverse representation of bodies and experiences. Make sure these bodies differ from what is traditionally represented in the media.
Results can be hard to control. Many factors come into play, so holding firm expectations about outcomes can set your client up for disappointment.
By helping her focus on what she can control, she can commit to doing her very best every day with what’s available to her, and she can find ways to enjoy the process.
What small wins can you acknowledge and help your client see?
Objectively, what progress is she making? Which areas, other than her appearance, can you emphasize?
“In my classes, I make sure that I encourage and compliment each individual woman on the progress she’s making — even if it is small. ‘Wow, Jane! Your balance is getting so much better! Good job, Sarah! You are getting out that second set now!’ I never comment on body shape or size, but rather on effort or performance. This creates a culture in the class that does not support too much comparison.” — Marika Hart, Coaching & Training Women Academy curriculum contributor.
Learning to recognize these small wins and taking the time to celebrate them is a wonderful way to stay present and active in the process — and to keep unrealistic expectations in check.
It’s also a good idea for you to model this so that your client can see that these small wins count for everyone. For example, your client may dismiss adding five pounds to a lift, saying it’s “no big deal,” but if you share how happy you are that you were able to add five pounds to one of your lifts, it will help her put her own achievements into a healthier perspective.
What you say and do has the power to set the right tone and develop a culture that’s positive and inclusive. That’s true whether you’re working one-on-one with clients, teaching in a commercial gym setting, in large-group environments, or even in remote coaching.
Make it clear that negative comments about bodies aren’t acceptable and will not be tolerated. Be compassionate but firm about this.
However, make sure your clients know that if they have negative feelings about their body, your door is always open for a private conversation where they can share how they’re feeling.
Your goal shouldn’t be to make your clients afraid to express how they feel but to help them become aware of the words they use.
When you witness body criticism, shaming, or bashing, use the opportunity to teach clients to reframe what they’re saying and find a positive area on which to focus instead. (“I hear that you’re not feeling great right now, but have you noticed how much your squat form has improved? Do you remember how challenging it was for you a few months ago? Your progress is incredible!”)
Pay extra attention to the images you’re using in your space, in your signage, on your website, and in social media.
Remember that these images also set the tone and give you the opportunity to visually express that you welcome and support all bodies and all types of goals.
Creating a culture in which your clients develop realistic expectations, get great results, and feel fantastic about their progress (with your help)… now that is real leadership.
Isn’t that the coach you want to be?
Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through delicate issues — like negative body image, comparing themselves to others, or having unrealistic expectations — is both an art and a science.
If you’d like to learn more about both, consider enrolling in our GGS Level 1 Certification, which opens for enrollment VERY soon.
And our Girls Gone Strong Level 1 Certification is the most respected coaching certification in the world for working with women.
Most coaches and trainers don’t realize that coaching women is different from coaching men.
The truth is, coaching women requires a different set of skills and knowledge that goes beyond understanding the anatomical differences.
This certification gives health, fitness, and nutrition professionals — and aspiring professionals — the skillset, knowledge, and toolkit they need to successfully and confidently coach women.
Our Coaching and Training Women Academy has certified thousands of professionals in 60+ countries around the world. Their results have been astonishing.
Now, we’re offering all that knowledge and training to you.
On April 16th, 2019 we’re opening enrollment to our GGS Level 1 Certification to a limited number of students.
To learn more, check out our pre-sale list which gives you two huge advantages:
They’re looking for health, fitness, and nutrition pros who understand them, know how to support them, and are committed to making a REAL difference to their health.
And our GGS Level 1 Certification is the solution. This is your chance.
Stand out. Build a thriving career. And make the kind of difference you were born to make.
The post Coaching Cheat Sheet: How to Handle Unrealistic Expectations appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.
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