New Foodtrainees often ask “how long do clients typically
see you?” That’s a tricky question to answer. Most clients come intensively in
the first couple of months but the really successful Foodtrainees don’t see our
work in those terms. If you think about it, would you ask a personal trainer
“how many visits will I need?” Or a therapist? Food is the same way. Though
clients may not come weekly for the duration they check in, schedule a bunch of
visits to reboot and realize the value of accountability.
I am an excellent digresser but session frequency wasn’t the
point of this post. I had a client in my office last Thursday and we realized
that we first met five years ago. I have seen her in spurts but this time of
year is crazy for her with work and so we’re usually in contact. She opened her
session (long time Foodtrainees know I prefer the good news first though we all
have the tendency to want to confess our food sins) saying “I feel mindful but
not neurotic”.
I jotted that comment down in my notebook. Progress with
weight should make us less obsessive not more. I’ll call this client Five (for
our five years). Five knows what foods to bring for her trips. She also knows
how to reign it in before and after to allot for travel eating. Most of all,
she knows which behaviors leave her at the top of her comfortable range and
what she’s doing when she wants to drop.
I was doing a radio show last week and was asked “who is the
Foodtrainers’ client?”
I joked and
said I could be a Foodtrainers’ client
and added it’s someone who likes input and a system, someone busy with work or
family or travel or just stuff. Someone who likes to eat but likes their
clothes fitting well and wants to age gracefully.” My client Five is all of the
above. Happy Anniversary to her and I’m raising my glass (ok coffee mug) to us
all being more mindful and less neurotic.
Why do you think we want rapid results
when it comes to food and weight? Would you have thought that clients come to
us for 5 or 10 years? Are you more mindful or more neurotic?
Love that phrase! Great point that we don't ask a therapist "how long this is going to take," though I'm sure people do ask that. I like to think that on the mindful-neurotic spectrum, I'm mindful. However, I know that when I was trying to follow a vegetarian diet some years ago to ward off a boyfriend's dinnertime lectures, I often felt pretty neurotic, not to mention stressed the f*** out.
ReplyDeleteMindful but not neurotic is good. :) I think I'm more mindful at this point. But there were certainly times when I was neurotic...
ReplyDeleteI can totally see the benefit of working with you over a long(er) period of time. I still have to remind myself to be "extra mindful" when things get stressful, and I can totally see the benefits of working with you on an off over the years.
Me or really anyone, right? It's an ongoing, evolving process. Most of us mindfuls have neurosis we've moved on from.
ReplyDeleteWell, what I like about you is that our food philosophies are so similar... That's why I can especially see the benefit in working with you... :)
ReplyDelete