In today's episode, Stuart welcomes Rachel Anne Hobbs. They have an in-depth conversation about all things to do with body image. How to go about helping your clients improve their relationship with their bodies, what to say when a client tells you they "feel fat", how to navigate the waters of marketing weight loss, using scale weight as a progress measurement, body images resources and much more (specific timestamps are below).

Rachel qualified as a personal trainer in 2009 after the birth of her son. She then went to Surrey university to complete a degree in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition, including clinical practice in the NHS for a year. Alongside setting up a private practice combining nutrition and training she did her post-grad with the IOC in performance nutrition and now leads the nutrition at the Elite Army Performance Centre part of the week. The other part of her work is within the area of dysfunctional eating, where she works one to one and in small groups. She is currently completing a post-grad in psychotherapy.

Timestamps:

[03.30] - Why Rachel doesn't compete in sports anymore.
[06.00] - Discussion about the importance of what you look like as a personal trainer.
[08.53] - How she thinks about body image when working with clients.
[10.20] - Reducing the importance of how clients feel about their body image in their lives.
[14.10] - How to help a client who wants to lose weight AND really doesn't like the body they are in.
[16.30] - Moving towards body neutrality.
[17.40] - Navigating the waters of weight loss marketing.
[22.57] - Is body image a newer issue?
[25.18] - How she encourages clients to improve their use of social media to help how they feel about themselves when using it.
[28.35] - Are trainers qualified to talk about body image?
[29.03] - Body image resources.
[31.20] - Applying a non-judgemental mindset to other people as well as yourself
[36.31] - Starting steps to go about helping one of your clients improve their body image if you feel underqualified?
[38.20] - Does she use scale weight as a progress measurement?
[41.40] - What to do if a client says "I feel fat"?
[46.00] - What she teaches her son (who is 12) about body image?
[47.40] - If Rachel could go back and tell her younger coaching self something about body image, what would it be?
[48.38] - Realising she didn't want a bigger business and was happy where she was.

Find Out More About Rachel:

Website
Instagram
Resources mentioned on body image - 1, 2

Find Out More About LTB:

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