No (More) Sweat

I lost a client this week.

He called me a few months ago, desperate to lose weight and get healthy. Eighty pounds overweight, beset with high blood pressure and raging diabetes, he asked for my help because his doctor said he was going to die sooner rather than later.

Within three weeks of working out and modifying his eating, he cut his insulin use in half.

Within a couple of months, he lost 19 pounds.

With results like that, you’d think he’d be sold on the value of exercise and healthy eating.

You’d be wrong.

First, he wanted to cut his thrice weekly workouts down to two. That was fine, I said, but he needed to supplement with some vigorous walking on his own. He complied for a few weeks, and then found reasons not to walk.

He stopped rigidly adhering to his eating plan. One morning he almost fainted in the gym because he neglected to eat breakfast and took insulin anyway. Not smart.

Then he started missing workouts. I began calling him the night before each session to remind him to show up.

Two days ago he didn’t show up at all. Didn’t even bother to call to cancel.

I phoned him for an explanation. He blurted out something about having misplaced his cell phone and not knowing how to get hold of me. He promised to call to schedule another appointment.

The call never came.

We fitness professionals face an uphill battle trying to get people to understand the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating. Clients like the one described above make our jobs especially frustrating.

Thank God for the clients who appreciate the many positives we add to their lives.