National Council for Certified Personal Trainers

Certified
Weight Management
Specialist

Jennifer Zerling, MS, CPT

Weight Management
Specialist Course

Jennifer Zerling, MS, CPT

I
Copyright Notification: 3481 Old Conejo Road, Suite 102
Newbury Park, CA 91320
No material within this book may be copied for public or commercial use.
Telephone: 800-778-6060
© Copyright 2015 NCCPT Fax: 805-498-9728

All Rights Reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction E-mail: PersonalTrainer@NCCPT.com
or utilization of this work in any form of electronic, mechanical or
other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, Website: NCCPT.com
photocopying and recording and, or any information-retrieval system,
is forbidden without the written permission by John Platero.

v151005

II
Table of Contents.

3 Identifying what it means to be a Weight

Management Specialist
3 Overview:
3 Definition
4 Understanding the Overweight and Obesity Epidemic
5 Weight Management Specialist vs. Other Experts
7 Characteristics of a Successful Weight Management Specialist

11 The Powerful Three:

11 Fitness, Nutrition, and Lifestyle

12 Fitness

13 Modes of Exercise
13 Cardiovascular
17 Strength Training
18 Flexibility
20 Breathing Techniques
21 How about Mary?

29 Nutrition

29 Basic Government Guidelines

37 The Evolution of the Food Guide Pyramid
40 Current Dietary Intake
41 Macronutrients: Carbohydrates-Fats-Proteins
41 Carbohydrates
45 Proteins
46 List of Proteins
48 Fats
52 Getting Enough Fiber
54 Vitamins and Minerals
58 Nutrient Deficiencies
59 Read Those Food Labels
60 What to Drink
61 And Then There’s Alcohol

III
 64 Popular Diets
66 Be the Investigator
69 Diet Centers
70 Multi-Level Marketing
71 Now What?
71 A Sample Day

75 Lifestyle

76 It’s a Lifestyle
78 Cheat Days?
80 Stress
82 Less Stress
83 Sleep

87 Motivation
88 Intrinsic Motivation vs. Extrinsic Motivation
90 Be a Good Communicator
91 Active Listening
92 Are They Ready?
94 The S.M.A.R.T. Model
96 S.M.A.R.T. Goal Questionnaire

99 The Measurements
101 Health History
103 Habits
105 Informed Consent
106 Liability Waiver
107 Taking the Measurements
110 Body Composition
112 Body Fat Recommendations

116 The Weight Management Specialist System

116 Put it All Together
119 Conclusion

IV
 Weight Management
Specialist Course
Jennifer Zerling, MS, CPT

Acknowledgements: I have been a fitness expert for over a decade and I

feel forever grateful for all the other experts and teachers I’ve come across
along the length of my career. I’ve been inspired to grow, learn and evolve
within a very important field that positions me to change many lives.

Thank you mom for reviewing this manuscript before it went to edit. You’re an
amazing master mind partner. I also thank Yvonne Maywether, MD, Colin Jai-
ram, MD and Bal M Rajagopalan, M.D., FRCSC “Dr Raj” for offering your ex-
traordinary angles to age management, functional medicine and orthopedics.
Thank you John Platero for inviting me to write this course for the National Coun-
cil for Certified Personal Trainers. I am beyond thrilled to share my best practices
from JZ FITNESS with your students to prepare them to successfully coach indi-
viduals to break their chains of obesity and overweight. It is possible. This course
will certainly be everyone’s cutting edge tool box for this reversible epidemic.

About the Author

Jennifer Zerling, MS, CPT, known as “JZ” for short, is a fitness and lifestyle
expert based in Los Angeles. She holds her master’s degree in kinesiology,
along with multiple other national certifications. Her vast experience in clin-
ical weight loss and age management medicine drove her to write the book
Breaking the Chains of Obesity, 107 Tools which is available on Amazon.
She has also developed a phone app entitled JZ FITNESS NUTRITION
that embodies an optimal approach to nutrition without the calorie count-
ing, along with a simple way to track exercise minutes. Her goal is to break
the chains of obesity in America. JZ’s mission statement is: Maximize Your
Potential by Optimizing Your Health. Her website is www.JZFitness.com

V
Chapter 1

2
 Chapter 1

Identifying what it
means to be a Weight
Management Specialist

Overview:
Identifying what it means to be a Weight
Management Specialist:
• Define Weight Management Specialist
Definition
A Weight Management Specialist is a non-licensed profes-
sional who has been certified by the National Council for
Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT) to assist clients in
permanent weight loss and a sustainable healthy lifestyle.

• Differentiate between Weight Manage-
ment Specialist and other experts
• Define the characteristics of a success-
ful Weight Management Specialist
The above definition covers a broad scope of possibilities
for you to explore. You can author a book, run master-
mind groups, start weight management courses at church
or temple, get involved in local races, begin health-driven
after-school programs, and even join forces with a health-
care professional as their weight management specialist.
When I wrote my book Breaking the Chains of Obe-
sity, 107 Tools, many doors opened for me, including
becoming an internationally published writer, national
conference presenter, and corporate wellness director.
One great thing may lead to many other great things.
How do you plan on getting your message out there?
Chapter 1

Understanding the Overweight

and Obesity Epidemic
Bite on this:
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States is dramatically higher now
Your mission is to
than it was a few decades ago. This holds true for people of all age groups, including chil-
help people manage
dren, adolescents, and adults. One of the largest changes has been an increase in the number
their weight so that
of Americans who are obese. The prevalence of obesity has doubled and in some cases tripled
they avoid disease.
between the 1970s and 2008. (Flegal, K.M., Carroll MD, Ogden, C.L., & Curtin, LR., 2010)
To determine whether or not someone is considered obese or overweight, look at Table 1.
The high prevalence of overweight and obesity raises concern because people who are over-
weight or obese have an increased risk of many chronic diseases. Type 2 diabetes, heart dis-
ease, and certain types of cancer are among the conditions most often associated with obesity.
Ultimately, obesity can increase the risk of premature death. These increased health risks are
not limited to adults. Weight-associated diseases and conditions that were once diagnosed
primarily in adults are now observed in children and adolescents with excess body fat. For
example, cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as high blood cholesterol and hypertension,
and type 2 diabetes are now increasing in children and adolescents. The adverse effects persist
through the lifespan, as children and adolescents who are overweight and obese are at substan-
tially increased risk of being overweight and obese as adults and developing weight-related
chronic diseases later in life. Primary prevention of obesity, especially in childhood, is an im-
portant strategy for combating and reversing the obesity epidemic. As a Weight Management
Specialist, you will not only impact the individual you work with, but also their family too.

Body weight status can be categorized as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese.
Body mass index (BMI) is a tool that can estimate an individual’s body weight status. BMI is a
measure of weight in kilograms (kg) relative to height in meters (m) squared. The terms over-
weight and obese describe ranges of weight that are greater than what is considered healthy for a
given height, while underweight describes a weight that is lower than what is considered healthy
for a given height. These categories are a guide, and some people at a healthy weight might be
over-fat, which also leads to health conditions. In chapter four, you will learn about the different
methodologies for testing body composition to help determine if your client is over-fat or at a
healthy weight. The fitness industry is more interested in body composition over BMI, but it is
still important to understand BMI since it is still used as a government standard. We will review
body composition in Chapter four because there are incidenc-
es when your client might have an elevated BMI due to high
muscularity. As long as that individual has low body fat values,
then they will be the exception to BMI. However, you will
learn quickly that there are females who have elevated BMI and
defend their weight on their muscle mass. It is unlikely that a
female is a high BMI with low body fat, unless she is a heavy
weight competing in a body building competition with a regi-
mented eating and exercise routine. I therefore warn you to look
at both measurements, both BMI and body composition, as your
gauge to determining if a client is within a healthy weight range.

4
 Identifying what it means to be a Weight Management Specialist

Table 1.

Category Children and adolescents (BMI Adults (BMI)

for age Percentile range)
Underweight Less than the 5th percentile Less than 18.5 kg/m2

Healthy weight 5th percentile to less than 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2

the 85th percentile

Overweight 85th percentile to less than 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2

the 95th percentile

Obese Equal to or greater than

the 95th percentile 30.0 kg/m2 or greater

Adapted from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/

Now that you understand the BMI categories, let’s

review the scope of a Weight Management Specialist.

Weight Management
Specialist vs. Other Experts
Because the fitness industry deals with helping individuals to
better themselves, clients will more often than not treat their
trainers or coaches as their therapist, doctor, lawyer, sister,
brother, you name it. While you may feel flattered that your
client holds the utmost amount of trust for your intelligence
and your skill set, it is up to you to educate each client on your
scope and then refer them to the appropriate professional.
It is your responsibility to set boundaries with your clients
to differentiate your role as a Weight Management Special-
ist. Below are some examples of when you can assist and
when you need to refer out to the appropriate expert.

5
Chapter 1

The Client Need Can I help? Who Can Help?

Weight Loss Yes Weight Management Specialist

Help with Meal Planning Yes Weight Management Specialist

Help Monitoring Daily Nutrition Yes Weight Management Specialist

Help Grocery Shopping Yes Weight Management Specialist

Improving Athletic Performance Yes Weight Management Specialist

Program Development for

Yes Weight Management Specialist
All Levels and Ages

Weight Management Special-

Stress Management Skills Perhaps
ist OR Mental Health Therapist

Exercises to Train Pre- Weight Management Specialist with

Perhaps
and Post-Operative Doctor Recommendations

Eating Disorder Nope Dietitian OR Mental Health Therapist

Orthopedic Doctor and/or Chiroprac-

Exercises to Train with Slight Injury Nope
tor and/or Physical Therapist

Eating Issues due to Poor Marriage Nope Mental Health Therapist

Childhood Experiences that

Nope Mental Health Therapist
Cause them to Eat Poorly

Gut Issues and Sensitivities Nope Dietitian OR Doctor

While these scenarios don’t cover everything you’ll encounter, you can rest assured that your new Weight Man-
agement Specialist credential will enable you to make more valuable suggestions for your clients when out-
sourcing their treatment to another expert. Remember: You’re not losing your client. You are actually gain-
ing a network of opportunities by reaching out to other experts which may lead to future cross-referrals.

Bite on this:
Keep a list of all specialists in
your area that you have re-
ferred clients to and that have
referred clients to you. Keep in
touch with them regularly.

6
 Identifying what it means to be a Weight Management Specialist

Characteristics of a Successful
Weight Management Specialist
Having the Weight Management Specialist credential doesn’t mean anything unless you use it
successfully. Studies have shown that all successful people share similar character traits. Take the
time to review the list below and determine how many of these traits you have, and which ones
you need to work on:

FORBES List of 10 Traits Every Successful

Person Has in Common:

1. They do more than what’s asked of them. Go
above and beyond your client’s expectations by
being empathetic to their needs. For example, if
they’re coming to you from work and you know
that they are pressed for time, have a bottle of
water and a healthy snack waiting for them.
They might refuse your offer, but at least they
will see that you’re thinking about them.
2. They know their luck. Successful people are able to
use their strengths to their advantage and position
themselves for success on a daily basis. For example, if
you know that a client is becoming discouraged, the
workout should include exercises the client enjoys.
3. They set realistic goals. Remember SMART
goals? You do them for your clients: Do them
for yourself, too. See Table 3 in Chapter 3
for the SMART model and an example.
6. Shift happens. If things happen around you, then
learn to shift and go with it rather than fight it. When
you shift, you gain a new perspective that allows you
to remain positive and determined. For example, if
a client wants to switch their schedule from evening
to morning, try to be flexible and accommodate
their request as much as your schedule permits.
7. Be an effective communicator. Forget texting.
Pick up the phone so you can actually hear your
client. Text messages aren’t always effective and are
often misinterpreted. A phone call can be useful to
determine your client’s emotional frame of mind.
8. Ask the right questions. Be an active listener
and you will gather valuable information. For
example, every time you train your clients,
ask if their physical condition has changed
in any way since your last session.

4. They are accountable. No pointing fingers.
Being better means humbling yourself
and being open to personal growth. Take
responsibility for everything you do.
5. Be the change you wish to see. If a situation isn’t going
your way, then change it for the better. Successful
people don’t wait around for miracles to happen.
9. Be a lifelong learner. Never stop learning.
Learn something new every day, both
within and outside of your field.
10. Be excited. If you are passionate about what you
do, your passion will extend to the individuals
you coach. You must be present for them,
both mentally and physically always!

Do this with your clients. Setting SMART goals (as outlined in Chapter 3) allows you to
keep motivation high and the journey purposeful for your clients. This methodology gives
the client a tangible framework to use as they move toward their goals with you. It will sig-
nificantly strengthen your relationship with them and increase the value of your services.

7
Chapter 1

Summary

By the completion of this course, you will have the necessary tools to help eradicate obesi-
ty and help many individuals with weight management. The definition of a fitness profes-
sional has changed over the years to now include elements of cognitive behavioral therapy,1
which involves changing the client’s relationship with food, exercise, and lifestyle habits.
Remember, you are not their therapist—however, you do have the ability to influence their
daily lifestyle decisions. You are very important in each and every one of your client’s lives.

1 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A type of psychotherapy in which negative patterns of

thought about the self and the world are challenged in order to alter unwanted behavioral patterns
or treat mood disorders such as depression.
8
 Identifying what it means to be a Weight Management Specialist

References
Flegal, K.M., Carroll MD, Ogden, C.L., & Curtin, LR. (2010). Prevalence and trends
in obesity among U.S. adults, 1999–2008. JAMA. 303(3):235-241.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013, Feb. 21). Cognitive behavioral therapy: Defini-
tion. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cog-
nitive-behavioral-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20013594

Schawbel, D. (2013). 14 things every successful person has in common.

Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschaw-
bel/2013/12/17/14-things-every-successful-person-has-in-common/

USDA (2015). BMI chart. Retrieved from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/