Secrets of a Former Fat Girl by Lisa Delaney

Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
    National Council of Strength and Fitness (NCSF)
    National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
    National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

    This ensures that she has been thoroughly tested in anatomy and physiology, nutrition, exercise prescription, and CPR training. There are many certification programs out there, but they aren’t as rigorous. These are your best bets, according to the consumer watchdog Web site Quackwatch.com.

    Focus on women only. Men are pitiful enough when it comes to relating to women in general, but to a wannabe Former Fat Girl? No way. A male trainer is going to be so removed from the Fat Girl way of thinking that it is doubtful you would make much progress. There’s probably an exception among the thousands of trainers out there, but you would lose a lot of time finding him.
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    Be cautious about lifelong athletes. For some people, being active just comes naturally—but not you (not yet, anyway). Trainers who grew up playing soccer, lacrosse, softball, whatever, will probably have a difficult time relating to you and your struggles. You want to have as much common ground with your trainer as possible so she can anticipate your emotional needs as much as your physical needs. There are exceptions here, too. Maybe the athlete had a battle with her weight at some point in her life or had a Fat Girl for a sister or close friend.

    Look for a Former Fat Girl. Former Fat Girls are like people who have undergone a religious conversion: They’re often driven to spread the gospel to others. There’s a great chance that you can find a trainer who went through the whole Fat Girl thing herself and took up training in her zeal to share her new life with others. As you know, though, you can’t tell a Former Fat Girl by looking at her. But all you’ll need is one short conversation to find out. If she is truly a Former Fat Girl, she won’t be able to keep it to herself. On the off-chance that she doesn’t volunteer the information, ask, “Has it always been easy for you to stay fit?” That will get her talking about her own history.

    Avoid critics and know-it-alls. In your conversation, tell her what you’ve been doing to lose weight or strategies you used in the past. Listen carefully to her response. Does she say, “Well, that’s not going to get you where you want to be,” or does she say, “Are you making any progress?” with a knowing smile on her face? Even if she disagrees with the tactics you’re using, she shouldn’t jump all over them. She should gently say, “I can help you with that,” or “There are other ways,” or even “There may be a better way.” You need to be handled gently and be applauded for trying. Her manner in this discussion will help reveal whether she’ll do that for you.
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    Could she be a confidant? Years ago I had a yellow Lab named Yogi. All Yogi wanted to do was please me, even more than eating and fetching, which is saying a lot. And that was great except for when he did something wrong such as wet the rug or chew up the newspaper or get into the refrigerator and eat a week’s worth of groceries. Then he would hide from me. He wanted to please me so much that he couldn’t bear to disappoint; he couldn’t own up to his mistakes.
    What does my dog have to do with you? Well, lots of trainer-client relationships are like my relationship with Yogi. The client—you—want so much to please that if you screw up, if you stray from your diet or don’t do your weekend walks or whatever, you just can’t face the trainer and end up severing the relationship out of guilt. As you talk to a potential trainer, ask yourself: What happens—worst-case scenario—if I slack off? Could I tell her? Would I come right back again, share my struggle, and move on? Or would I abandon the program