Chubby Trainers & Nutrionists

emmalouc93

I agree... It's a 'practice what you preach kind of thing' .... For example, if a priest was an atheist or something along those lines :P :P

Edit: I also recognise the post above that you can definitely have an interest in becoming a nutritionist and be on your way to being fit and healthy As long as a nutritionist has an aim to be healthy at some point, that's cool.

Rawr1978

At my old gym, the trainers just seemed to really suck in general. We had the one who cracked a smile once a week, who simply stood there with a clipboard, reciting out the exercises to her clients. I saw her workout on her own time, however, and she was very skinny.
Then, there was the at-least-300lber. Nice woman, and I saw her demonstrate some of the more simple exercises...then I saw her at my grocery store. I couldn't resist covertly peeking into her stuffed cart. Right on top, several kinds of cookies, a huge cake, and soda.
I personally would not pay for the services of a chubby trainer, and i AM chubby.

GiddyupTim

I think our friend the Gorilla has set up something of a straw man. If it didn't bother him, why is it a question?
Obviously, as others have stated eloquently, it depends. Some chubby fitness and health professionals are obviously lazy and/or have not worked hard enough to have anything meaningful to share. Others will have better insight because of their own situation and struggles.
I once attended a meeting of cosmetic hair-transplant surgeons. They were at a top flight resort in Hawaii, by the way -- that is how much money you make fixing baldness. Anyway, i expected all the doctors there would have rich, thick, flowing locks, like lion's manes or Fabio. Otherwise, why would you go to them? You would walk into the office, take one look at the practitioner's spare and shiny cranium, and leave.
But most of those surgeons looked pretty pathetic up top. I thought they hadn't done what they were trying to sell.
Later, I found out they had had their own transplants, where they could. Some were just too thin to begin with, and the transplants couldn't make enough of a difference. Some were too bald to try it at all.
That didn't mean these guys weren't the best of the best. They were.

Jennloella

I wouldn't hire them or take them seriously. No more than I would expect a bride to hire me to do her makeup if I looked a hot mess with mis matched foundation and running eyeliner.

chelsifina

I have to admit that, as shallow as it might be, I look for a trainer who has the type of body that I would like. I look for a tall slender woman with moderate muscle tone. I look for someone who I think can relate to me and is most likely to have tips and ideas for my particular path. Since I don't want to get very muscular, I shy away from the uber- fit as well! I would imagine that for people who struggle with a large amount to lose, it might seem that a chubby trainer could relate to them more, and might be more approachable, would know what their struggles are and could potentially be more compassionate.
The posts in this thread suggest to me that everybody has their own ideas and there is probably room for all kinds of trainers out there.

NerdyBirdy247

I'm a LARGE girl and i can kick bum with TurboFire alot more than ALL of my friends, who are half my size....I do, however, feel silly advising someone on working out when i weigh this much....It happens in everything tho! I also have a degree and when i say what level and what in most people are shocked but thats to be expected in a world where appearence counts more than whats going on inside!

Hope i didnt soap box it there ha ha!

On a similar note i think workout dvd's for larger people should be made by fit (as in can do more) larger people...........Dont get me wrong i love a bit of motivation from the super toned fit people on my DVD but i'd love it a little more, seeing someone my size modifying to other abilities...

Much Love Lis x

SunnyAndrsn

My nutritionist is more than chubby. She's still in the obese category. However, I like and will keep her for the following:

1. She became a registered dietitian to "figure it out". She has lost over 150 pounds
2. Since she's lost 150 pound, she obviously has "walked the walk". She knows the excuses, and has practical experience in finding ways around them.
3. Empathy...again, as someone who has BTDT, I appreciate the fact that she can see through BS and calls people on it.
4. Despite still being obese, she can do an amazing number of push ups and can hold a plank for over 3 minutes. She lifts heavy as well.
5. She's using her experience to try and help others lose weight.

I see your point, and in general I would agree with it if she was noshing down on chips and junk food at lunch. Instead, she's not only eating healthy but she's going to our fitness center on her breaks.

I really like her, and appreciate what she's been through on her journey. Why she can't lose the remaining weight, I don't know but at this point it doesn't matter to me.

shoshi68

Weight is not an indicator of health.

You can be heavier AND in better shape then people who weigh significantly less than you do.

Thinness and hardness are not an accurate measure of how healthy/active a person is.

I think it is important for nutritionists and personal trainers to be healthy and active, of course. But I've seen amazing fitness instructors who have "chubby" bodies, and I've seen hardbodied and skinny personal trainers who are completely useless at their job.

The problem is one of perception of health, and the way the (American) media portrays health.
/rant

This.

castlerobber

Now, before my collective Haters light their own hair on fire and start banging away on their keyboard in retaliation, I'm not "anti-chubby." There are many, many heavyset people at my gym, and anyone who knows me, will affirm that I'm their biggest cheerleader... (though I do look a bit odd in a skirt and pigtails).

LOL! You have a way with words. Loved your "Gluten is the Devil" post, BTW. Read it to my family, with just a tad bit of editing for the under-age set.

Which leads me to my point... Is anyone bothered by "fitness-nutritionist-type-professionals" who clearly do not look the part?

Is it utterly ridiculous to have a "chubby" nutritionist or "flabby" personal trainer?

That does bother me some. Either (a) they aren't practicing what they preach, and I have to wonder why not, or (b) they are following their own advice, and it isn't working; if that's the case, why should I listen to what they tell me?

CressidaJL

Personally, I would never trust a skinny chef.

Being a good chef has no correlation to their weight... just because chefs can cook, doesn't mean they gorge on their food, smh.

mamagooskie

I would prefer a fit trainer, I know a "chubby" one might be just as or more knowledgable but to me in this situation I would hire only those that look the part.

I want to be a Personal Trainer some day but I am still too flabby and fat in my opinion to look like I fit the profession, so someday when I am buff I will pursue this career.

Cespuglio

From my personal experience (I worked as a PT and instructor for about 4 years) there were MANY of the fitness professionals who were formerly unfit. As it turns out, the majority of them were some of the best in their field because they understood the struggle and judgment. I've also seen the "beefcake" trainers give out bogus advice and ineffective workouts. That being said, I do agree to a certain degree that you should lead by example in a field such as this one. Because of what I've seen, I'd give the overweight trainer the benefit of the doubt at least once, but admittedly, I'd probably be more skeptical until they proved their knowledge and/or showed proof of their abilities. Let's be honest though: when choosing a teacher of any sort, I usually prefer him or her to be at a level I aspire to be.


ETA: When I started as a trainer and instructor, I wasn't huge but I was definitely on the chunkier side. I worked out like a beast though throughout the whole thing. It definitely helped me to have the pressure of being expected to look like I knew what I was talking about.

lyttlewon

I am torn. Beethoven's late life deafness didn't prevent his accumulation of experience and knowledge from composing beautiful music. My BIL is a personal trainer who gained weight after his lower half was crushed by a car and he was bedridden for 9 months. He has since lost a ton of weight, but he was still knowledgeable when he was heavy.

oddyogi

I'd care more about what kind of advice they give me. Yes, I would rather them look fit, but nobody's perfect.

And frankly, I've taken some nutrition classes when I was going for an Exercise Science degree and I don't really agree with anything I learned in the class..

Frozen300

You can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk? Sorry, don't have time for you, and that goes for anyone else who is looking to give me advice on anything with nothing but book smarts.

dan11222

i feel like a bad person...but i argree so much with your post it hurts

mommyweighless

This is exactly why, when my doctor suggested I become a trainer, I laughed in her face. Yeah, I've come a long way, but I'm not *there* yet.

My family/friends tell me this all the time, but I feel I am not there yet. Maybe after I lose my last 25 pounds and tone up a bit more yes.

I can't say how I feel on this subject though. I know people that are super skinny but eat like crap and never work out. Would you want them as a personal trainer??

I guess where that leads is I wouldn't care as long as they knew their business. Looks are not always a way to measure fitness.

zoukeira

I've had two chubby trainers, one was training other people and himself - he'd also obviously been fit in the past (titles, awards, records, photos, newsclippings in his gym) but to be honest in a year I never really changed.

My second was my ex, he had been really fit when he was a PT, but he quit, met me and got fat. Again I never really changed because of his training.

My favourite trainer had been fat, his gym had pictures of him fat up in it (haha!) but he was fit! It's funny he was kinda the opposite of my first trainer, he was super fit and into trying all sorts of new things, he was great with diet and the bits a pieces he displayed in his gym weren't of his amazing fitness acheivements but proof that he knew what it was like to be unfit and what it felt like to put in the hard yards. I got AMAZING results with him and although he isn't training anymore what I learnt with him is what has carried me through the 6+kg I've lost without him.

So for me, if I'm going to find a trainer due to past experience looks will count, even if it's only because I want to know that they're trying new things out on themselves before they try them out on me!

slkehl

As long as they have the credentials, I could care less about what they look like.

raystark

I wouldn't hire them or take them seriously. No more than I would expect a bride to hire me to do her makeup if I looked a hot mess with mis matched foundation and running eyeliner.

With all due respect, your profile picture probably won't encourage any bride to hire you to do her makeup. :happy: