DAY FOUR

Helping Clients With Disordered

Eating Habits: What to Do and
What NOT to Do
THE TRUTH ABOUT DISORDERED EATING

Helping Clients With Disordered Eating

Habits: What to Do and What NOT to Do DAY
4

Welcome back to our FREE course for health, fitness, and nutrition profes-
sionals who work with women: The TRUTH About Disordered Eating.

You’ve officially made it to Day 4 of this course, and I’m so excited to have
you back here again.

Yesterday, you learned about your scope of practice, when you need to
seek additional help, and how to have that difficult conversation with your
client about disordered eating. We also gave you tips for finding healthcare
professionals who specialize in disordered eating and advice for building
your referral network.

Today, I’m talking about what you can do to help a client with disordered
eating habits. While nutrition counseling and eating disorders are outside
of your scope of practice, you can still support your clients and have a posi-
tive impact on their health and well-being.

To help you do that, let’s first address some of the pitfalls trainers and
coaches should avoid when working with a client with disordered eating
habits. The way we talk about health and fitness — the very words we
choose, even — have a great influence on our clients.

Today I’m going to talk about five of the most common mistakes coaches of-
ten make, unintentionally, that may promote disordered eating. And before
we dive in, remember: mistakes are an opportunity to improve. Once we
learn to recognize them, we have a much better chance of avoiding them
and using positive alternatives instead!

So let’s get started.

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Pitfall #1: Making Food and Exercise a Moral Issue

A couple of years ago, I took my 11-year-old nephew to the beach for a
family vacation. After dinner one night he saw me getting some mini-
snickers out of a candy bag in the pantry.

He pointed at me and exclaimed, “You’re cheating on your diet!”

I explained that I wasn’t on a diet, and that I don’t think diets are good for
most people. They teach us that certain foods are “good” and certain foods
are “bad,” which is just not true, and that “cheating” is not a thing when it
comes to food and exercise.

Using the word “cheating” in this way, such as “I was so bad, I cheated on
Sunday and ate pizza!” isn’t only a buzzkill, but it’s also inaccurate.

Cheating is a dishonest act. Infidelity in an agreed upon monogamous

relationship is cheating. Purposefully lying on your taxes is cheating. Eating
pizza, or french fries, or a cookie (or literally any other food) is not cheating.

Many people often identify being “good” or “bad” based on their food or
exercise choices, but these are not capable of determining the quality of
a person. Nutrition and movement choices are nothing more or less than
personal preference, and a person’s self-worth is not tied to them.

Food doesn’t hold the power to make us good or bad. It has no inherent
moral value, and nor does exercise.

We’ve heard examples from our community members of trainers

“punishing” them with burpees when they heard they’d had dessert the
night before, or making their Saturday morning classes “extra hard” as
they’d assume their clients had a lot of “junk food and booze” to burn off
from Friday night.

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Whether it’s by running “clean eating” challenges, or providing lists of

“naughty” foods, trainers and coaches can trigger feelings of guilt or shame
in their clients when they find themselves not adhering to these strict
guidelines. And that’s not to mention the fact that not all clients have easy
access, either financially or logistically, to the same “healthy” foods.

Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad” — which can assign moral

value to your client’s eating habits — remind your client that food is much
more than simply fuel for their body. For example, you could mention that
food is also a means for connecting with others and a way to celebrate their
own culture and history.

With this in mind, discuss which foods would be “always” foods for your
client, as they align with her goals, whatever they may be, and which ones
can be “sometimes” foods — ones that will help satisfy her cravings while
eating in a balanced way that brings her closer toward her goals (which
may be related to health, performance, aesthetics, or even ease).

Here’s how GGS-1 graduate Hilary Milsome puts this into practice. She says:

“I’ve encouraged clients to see all food as just food, neither good or
bad, and I’ve noticed their change in language and attitude if they’ve
had a ‘big weekend.’ They no longer seem to try to apologize for what
they used to view as being ‘bad.’”

Ashley Ruggirello, a personal trainer, strength coach, nutrition coach and

specialist, and GGS-1 graduate frames it this way:

“I teach my clients that while foods have nutrition labels, they don’t
have good or bad labels.”

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In addition, thinking only in terms of calories consumed through food and

calories burned through exercise doesn’t give us an accurate picture, as the
human body is a more complex and dynamic system.

When you cut calories or increase exercise, a cascade of changes occur in

the body in order to self-regulate and stabilize. Essentially, your body is
designed to maintain its weight, so it will adapt by increasing your hunger
cues, decreasing your fullness cues, and decreasing the energy it uses at rest.

So why not use the opportunity to shift the conversation toward

encouragement and the empowering effects of exercise — like that
endorphin rush — and away from the idea of penance to balance out “bad
behavior.” For example, you could say:

o “OK, time for the finisher! You’re going to feel so good once you’re
done!”
o “Look at you go! Soon your grandkids won’t be able to keep up with
you!”

Here’s another example of how this can be put into practice. Instead of
talking about “burning calories,” group fitness instructor, nutrition coach
and specialist, and GGS-1 student Sarah Paretti says, “I talk to my group
fitness classes about focusing on how their bodies feel while doing exercises,
and I encourage them to embrace getting and feeling stronger.”

Pitfall #2: Giving Weight Loss-Related Compliments

Did you know that evidence suggests compliments about weight loss
are a significant factor in encouraging dieting behaviors and a negative
preoccupation with appearance?

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By centering a woman’s body in a conversation, we’re perpetuating the

absurd notion that a woman’s appearance is the most important and
interesting thing about her and that her body is up for discussion.

Rather than complimenting your client on her body, you may consider
giving genuine compliments on her values, skills, or effort. For example:

o “You are such a joy to be around!”

o “I can tell how hard you’re working to be consistent and I’m proud of
you.”
o “You’re a great classmate. I appreciate how you always encourage
others.”
o “Your deadlift form is looking so good. I can tell you’ve been
practicing.”

Even if your client’s goal is weight loss, you can acknowledge a decrease in
measurements or body fat percentage as data points, and then emphasize
her consistency, hard work and dedication. Telling your client that you no-
tice how much effort she’s put into the process is a great way to encourage
her without tying her value to her body composition.

At the bottom of today’s lesson page, you’ll find a link to a bonus

downloadable tool with a list of compliments you can give your clients —
compliments that aren’t weight-related at all!

Pitfall #3: Focusing on Restriction Instead of Sustainable

Habits
Restrictive meal plans are everywhere in the fitness industry, which often
leads clients to believe that the only way they can possibly feel at peace
in their bodies is through losing weight. Unfortunately, this may prevent

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clients from developing the skills and habits that will help them support
their goals in a sustainable manner.

We’ve already covered that the nutrition scope of practice for a personal
trainer is limited. However, you’re generally allowed to offer the type
of advice we teach in the GGS Level 1 Women’s Coaching Specialist
Certification. This means you can likely:

o Educate clients about the benefits of protein, healthy fats, and

nutrient-dense carbs.
o Encourage clients to eat lean protein and vegetables.

o Suggest your clients drink enough water to stay hydrated.

o Share recipes with your clients.

o Teach them food preparation skills.

o Share information about evidence-based nutritional supplements

that might help improve their health.
o Educate them about the basics of good nutrition.

o Provide strategies to help them align their eating habits with their
goals.

At Girls Gone Strong, we promote habit-based nutrition skills so that your

client can learn to make the choices and adopt behaviors that will support
her goals. These can be:

o Learning to recognize her hunger and fullness signals.

o Increasing her protein consumption.

o Increasing her vegetable consumption.

o Eating more slowly.

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o Taking breaks to really savor her meal.

o Regularly eating throughout the day.

o Drinking water throughout the day.

o Allowing access and enjoyment of treats to satisfy her cravings.

Here’s a tip from Trista Eason, a personal trainer, group fitness instructor,
and GGS-1 student. She says:

“I have mindset sessions with my clients where we spend 30 minutes to

an hour setting goals and coming up with habits that will help achieve
their goals. In these conversations, I am able to more confidently
and gently talk to my clients about body image and reframe the
conversations that may come up so that they are more empowering
and growth-mindset oriented versus self deprecating and shameful.”

Pitfall #4: Only Emphasizing Weight-Related

Measurements
Systematically choosing measurements like body fat percentages, BMI,
and even girth measurements or clothing sizes as the only method of
determining success means that clients see those numbers as the most
accurate indicators of progress and health.

This is a big problem as it doesn’t give a complete picture. Remember, you

cannot determine someone’s true health by their appearance, body size,
or how much they weigh. Research has actually shown that metabolic
fitness is a better indicator of health than BMI or body weight. These
measurement tools also have a high degree of variability and don’t take
into account age, gender, bone structure, or body fat distribution.

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Instead, explain to your client that she doesn’t necessarily need to track
measurements and that there are other ways that you can gauge her
progress. This can be especially helpful if taking measurements triggers
anxiety in your client, or if she tends to beat herself down after.

Some of the options to track are:

o Training consistency. (Is she consistently exercising and moving her

body more often than she has in the past?)
o Finding joy in movement. (Has she found fun and enjoyment in her
new movement patterns? Does she look forward to moving her body
because she can, instead of she has to?)
o Energy levels. (Does she feel more refreshed when she wakes up
in the morning? Does she feel like she can give more effort to her
training sessions?)
o Performance. (Does she feel stronger? Does she have more
endurance? Is her mobility getting better?)
o Mood. (Has her mood improved in general? Is she better able to
navigate low moods when she has them?)
o Sleep. (Is she getting enough sleep? Has the quality of her sleep
improved? Does she feel more rested upon waking?)
o Stress. (Is she more regularly participating in self-care behaviors
to help manage her stress? Is she better able to navigate stressful
situations?)
o Health markers. (Has her blood pressure improved? Has she been
able to reduce or discontinue certain medications? Has she noticed a
decrease in certain symptoms related to health conditions?)

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Pitfall #5: Promoting Before-and-After Images

Before-and-after images are widely used in fitness marketing. And… they’re
problematic and can be triggering for clients struggling with disordered
eating.

Not only are these pictures shaming for women living in bodies that
resemble the “before” pictures, but they’re often not based in reality.

Even when the “after” pictures haven’t been digitally altered (which
they often are), oftentimes the people represented in them have gone
to unrealistic and unsustainable extremes to achieve that specific look
for a day by manipulating their carb, sodium, and water intake — not to
mention the effects of spray-on tans, lighting, body oil, and more.

Using body size as a reflection of health ignores the multi-faceted

experience of “health.” Health is determined by a multitude of factors
including, but not limited to: genetics, stress, sleep, nutrition, movement,
and mental health, and research has shown that exercise alone has a
minimal impact on weight.

Letting go of weight loss and body size as the primary image of health
and success is crucial in supporting your client’s long-term health and
emotional well-being.

Instead, display your clients’ achievements not as “afters” (since we all

know there IS no “after”) but rather as accomplishments clients have made
working with you.

For example, you could use photos of your clients lifting, smiling, or playing
with their grandchildren next to a quote about what they’ve accomplished.

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o “I can pick up my granddaughter without fear of dropping her!”

o “I can do a chin-up for the first time in my life!”

o “My doctor took me off my blood pressure medication!”

o “I wore shorts on vacation for the first time in 20 years and felt strong
and comfortable!”
o “I no longer have pain when I tie my shoes in the morning!”

Focusing on these types of accomplishments can help encourage and

motivate your clients to truly improve their health, rather than adopt
obsessive, restrictive, or extreme behaviors for short-term weight loss.

Onwards and upwards! Remember to scroll to the bottom of the lesson

page and download the bonus resources for today. We’ve included a
handy cheat-sheet that will help you use language to your advantage and
immediately become a better coach.

Now that we’ve covered what not to do, what about what you can do?

How to Support Your Client

There are many things you can do to support a client with disordered
eating that are within your scope of practice.

Here are four key ways to support your client on her journey toward
lasting health:

1. COLLABORATE WITH HER CARE TEAM

Trusting and working with your client’s healthcare team — by connecting
with them, learning from them, and collaborating with them — bridges the
gap between disciplines and provides a consistent message of support for
your client.

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It’s important to remember that effective treatment of eating disorders is a

collaborative approach, and you may be a primary support to your client
who is beginning treatment. One of the most supportive things you can do
for your client is trust the recommendations of her treatment team.

I covered this yesterday on Day 3, but I want to emphasize it again. If you

need a refresher, don’t hesitate to watch yesterday’s lesson again and make
use of the referral resources we provided.

2. UNDERSTAND THAT FAT IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH UNHEALTHY

Our society has a longstanding and deep-seated fear of fatness, which
drives many people to attempt to lose weight. Most times, this results in
weight cycling — fluxing between periods of restriction and overeating.
The fear of getting fat, or shame of being fat, fuels disordered eating
behaviors in people of all sizes.

What most people don’t know is that engaging in disordered eating and
exercise patterns, behaviors that are not sustainable in the long term,
actually increases inflammation, hypertension, insulin resistance, and
dyslipidemia. Weight cycling is also associated with poorer cardiovascular
capacity and increased mortality risk.

Studies suggest that people of all sizes who engage in health-supportive

eating and movement behaviors have lower mortality rates than people
engaging in disordered eating patterns and sedentary lifestyles.

Understanding that the behaviors that coincide with disordered eating

— restricting, bingeing, and inconsistency in movement — have a huge
impact on health markers can help you and your clients shift away from
weight-focused goals and fear of fat to goals that truly support their long-
term health.

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3. FOCUS ON DEEP HEALTH

While the specific definition of deep health varies depending on who you
ask, in general, focusing on deep health means taking into consideration a
client’s mental and emotional health in addition to their physical health.

Clients who are struggling with their relationship to their bodies and food
should be encouraged to measure the gains they’re experiencing outside
of the gym, such as their engagement in hobbies or being kinder to their
bodies.

Even in the gym, 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?

o Is she leading by example by always showing up on time and having

a positive effect on the other participants in the class?
o Is she refusing to let her busy schedule prevent her from showing up
to her workout sessions?
o Does she try new things despite her initial discomfort or despite the
fear that she’ll look foolish or be “bad” at it?
o Does she encourage others in class and promote the spirit of
teamwork you’re trying to cultivate?
o Is she learning to cook new things so that her nutrition is more
aligned with her goals?
o Is she moving her body in new ways or noticing a difference in the
way she carries herself?
o Does she include new healthy habits in her daily life in a way that’s
starting to feel like second nature?
o Does she find herself using new strengths she’s just discovered or
superpowers she forgot she had?

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Here’s a tip from personal trainer, strength coach, and GGS-1 graduate
Danielle Repetti Gentner, who says:

“I implemented a weekly check-in where clients answer questions that

help them refocus on the positives from the week. It helps them think
about what went well in training, their nutrition, and their lives.”

In today’s bonus resource, we’re giving you a list of meaningful, alternative

compliments you can give your clients instead of focusing on their
appearance. These can go a long way in helping them shift their focus.

That said, as we talked about yesterday, if you suspect your client is

struggling with an eating disorder, the first thing you need to do is
to encourage them to seek support from a team of eating disorder
specialists.

Make sure that you refer back to yesterday’s bonus resource, which
includes a useful script for navigating these tough conversations.

4. CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT DISCOURAGES DISORDERED EATING

One of the best things you can do for your clients is help them avoid dis-
ordered eating patterns before they start. But even clients who’ve already
fallen into these habits will benefit from a supportive environment that
encourages them to shift their “story” about food, calories, and weight loss.

That’s exactly what we’ll share with you tomorrow. Be sure to join us for
Day 5, when you’ll learn how you can discourage disordered eating and be
an amazing role model for all your clients.

Great job getting through a ton of important material today!

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This can be a sensitive subject, and it’s fantastic that you aren’t shying
away from it. I really applaud your commitment to learning and improving
your coaching skill set.

Don’t forget to download today’s bonus resources linked at the bottom of

the page before you go. We’ll see you tomorrow!

If you’re a coach or you want to be...

Learning how to help women struggling with disordered eating is critical to
feeling confident coaching and training your clients.

But there are so many other critical topics to understand like body
image, menopause, menstrual cycle struggles, PCOS, endometriosis, pelvic
organ prolapse, leaking urine during exercise, and much more!

If you’d like to learn exactly what you need to know to confidently coach,
train, and make a bigger impact in women’s lives — consider enrolling in
our GGS Level 1 Women’s Coaching Specialist Certification.

GGS-1 is the world’s first comprehensive, interdisciplinary, evidence-based,

women-specific certification, and it’s designed to help you gain knowledge
and a deep understanding of women-specific topics so you can feel
confident and prepared to tackle anything your clients need help with.

INTERESTED?
Click below to add your name to the free, no-obligation pre-sale list. Joining
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