Just got certified as a personal trainer!

Good job! I have often thought about training, whether it be a Spin instructor, or getting a certificate in nutritional counselling, with a focus on bariatric as well. It's become so much a part of our lives, that I think it's important to get help from others who have been through it!

I think there is going to be a tremendous need for specialized training or counselling for bariatric clients. I don't think the clinic can really cover as much as what they need to do. Plus how many times have I heard people hear lament about the super skinny dietician at their clinic? That may be my next course, not being a dietician but canfitpro does offer a course in weight loss nutrition though I'd have to adapt it to the needs of the bariatric patient.

What an awesome idea, so many non WLS people can't understand why even the idea of entering a gym is daunting for us.  We don't understand core, muscles, etc and how weak we really are.  I think that proposing your idea to the Bariatric committee would be very positive and maybe you could start something.

Laurie

Thanks Laurie. I have heard that many people are intimidated by going to the gym and at my gym you don't see many overweight people. Even now I probably wouldn't approach one of the personal trainers at the gym. I'm still in that mind set in a way. Thanks so much for your positive feedback!!

Hello all. thanks to everyone for their positive feedback. It is a real boost to see! I was training for another nursing job which I am now not going to be able to work at and am kind of in limbo. It helps to see these posts and think that this could be a future for me. I've been a nurse since 1999 and I'm burnt out. I'd like to make a career out of personal training and it is just sort of getting started. I'm working on building a web site and will have a blog about fitness. As well I hope to offer online training as well as personal service for people that live in my area but that's down the road. Right now if anyone would like to chat about their exercise routine and would like some advice or help please don't hesitate to PM me.

I'm not sure if it's your settings or me but I'm unable to PM you. 

I think it is your settings because I can't even click on your name to try and send you a PM. Someone else PM'd me yesterday. Not sure how to change that, maybe something in settings?

iaI've made my profile public but when I click on yours it says it can't find yours or it's made private. If you are in the west GTA I wouldn't mind picking your brain a bit since the trainer at my gym doesn't get it and was advised to eat a chocolate bar before coming seems counter-intuitive. 

 

Patricia

Hi Patricia. OH can sometimes be challenging to navigate. It says my profile is only available to my friends but someone else who wasn't a friend sent me a PM. Now I can click on your name but then it says your profile is private. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have through this post until we can figure out how to connect through PM.

I don't think eating a chocolate bar is good for anyone prior to working out. Yes you could need a little energy boost pre workout if you are an Olympic athlete or your workout is particularly strenuous I suppose. Perhaps your trainer felt like you were dragging through the workout which could either be s/he is not doing their job to keep you motivated or you did need an energy burst because you hadn't eaten recently. But my husband constantly plays hockey or does hockey practices on an empty stomach because he feels like if he works out on a full stomach he is going to be sick. When you are exercising your body naturally moves blood flow away from the digestive system to muscles and lungs etc so that food is just sitting in your stomach not digesting the way it should. It isn't going to be doing you any good then to eat right before working out. Maybe like 1-2 hours prior you could eat something if you think you are losing energy in the middle of your workout. I'd stick with something that has both protein and carbs, maybe a protein shake that has milk and fruit in it or a yogurt or a protein bar.

One thing to be wary of, though, is that most (all? some?) gyms don't want members bringing in outside personal trainers, since they really want you to spend money on their trainers. I've run into this when my trainer got jerked around one time too many and quit. They wouldn't even let us work out together. After having been through 6 trainers in 18 months, I wasn't inclined to try another... So, that could be a problem unless you either have your own set-up, or are affiliated with a gym.