Chubby Trainers & Nutrionists

Chubbiness doesn't mean unhealthiness.

Yeah... yeah.. it kinda does.

No it does not. Just because a person is a little chubby doesn't mean they're unhealthy. There are a lot of factors involved in a person's health.

I once had a buffed out muscular trainer and he spent the whole time looking at his watch, his phone, checking out the girls and paid very little attention to me. I changed to an older guy, small gut, but he is prior army who still believes in fitness. He spent every minute on ME. Not the others around him. The only time he did was when he walked me around the gym challenging guys in the weight room to a push up contest with me (I was in the Navy at the time, so I could still do a push up of two!). He was the best trainer I had worked with. So sometimes the fittest guys may look the part, but don't act it. That is my humble opinion.

This all seems to assume that one works with a trainer for the purpose of weight loss, and for that purpose only. I don't. I have two trainers - one who I work with on sparring and martial arts insanity, and one who is teaching me how to swim competitively. I have a robust list of goals with each of them, and not one of them is body fat related. They are time and distance related in swimming, and force and performance related in martial arts. Fat loss is a happy side effect, but not my core goal.

Given that my own goals are not appearance driven, I don't give a flying **** what my trainer looks like. Can he or she help me accomplish my goals? Yes? Open to working with a neurotic, internally driven, overly analytical client? Yes? Hired.

That said, my swim coach looks incredible in a swimsuit. I really like the sessions when he is in the pool with me.

I don't work as a nutritionist, but I've taught kids nutrition and do work with healthy eating and gardening. I'm not really noticeably chubby but my weight has fluctuated through the years. I don't think my weight affected my ability to teach and promote healthy eating habits at all. In fact, I think it made me easier to relate to!

I could talk about the portion sizes I ate growing up or having a diabetic mother. How well would some skinny white girl who'd always been naturally thin and pranced around in yoga pants relate to women in the low-income African-American community, 85% of which are overweight or obese? It was hard enough relating on a race level, but I think my struggles with food made me a lot easier to talk to.

Then again, I've never had an issue eating my veggies and grew up in a hippie dippie household where quinoa was preferred to mac n' cheese. I just come from a family of eaters and grew up loving food. And I know a lot about nutrition because of that. There's no hypocrisy in my talking about nutrition. I know what I'm talking about and I actively try to eat healthfully.

I think if you judge based on the exterior, you miss out on what a person has to offer. I think most people on this site should have realized that by now!!! Come on, guys!

Why are 85% of African Americans obese?

Personally I have never come across an overweight nutritionist, they are normally skinny rails that have never experienced a weight problem (Which I find annoying, I think the BEST nutritionist would be someone who was formally overweight).

I have never seen a chubby trainer either. I had a personal trainer that was slightly thicker and athletically built, but she was hard and fit. I have seen some chubby Zumba instructors which kind of threw me off, BUT...they had a ton of energy and gave the class a really great workout. I think a nutritionist should be fit because it is hard to take someone's advice that is overweight currently.

I think if you judge based on the exterior, you miss out on what a person has to offer. I think most people on this site should have realized that by now!!! Come on, guys!

There's a difference between judging someone's worth as a human being based on appearance and their value as an expert in a fitness and health related field based on their appearance. The latter is relevant, the former is not.

I think it applies to all levels. Knowledge and implementation are not the same thing. Just as chubby and unhealthy are also not the same thing. Some people like their curves. Some men/women are more attracted to people with more weight. You can never fully judge by the external.

I am also baffled by this same thing I have monthly check ins at the drs and my weight management nurse is not far off my own weight she tells me what to eat how to lose weight and shouts at me for not doing as im told but obvisously she doesnt take her own advice lol

I guess, for me, it boils down to something along the lines of in a field where the end game is based on visual aesthetics, it would be important that they practice what they preach if they want my business.

Is that what hiring a personal trainer or dietician is all about, or is looking better just icing on the cake, so to speak?

Count me among those who say, "it depends on how chubby." Honestly, there are a few personal trainers, both female and male, that look like they could be professional bodybuilders. While I respect the dedication of a person who pushes his or her physique (and who is blessed with good genetics), I don't necessarily believe that such a physique automatically means they know what they are talking about when it comes to nutrition or personal training. And, just looking young and fit also doesn't mean all that much. So is being a bit chubby disqualifying? Not necessarily.

I am not a personal trainer, or nutritionist. But having been through this whole weight loss thing a number of times, I might know more than a person who "looks the part" but is, in fact, just blessed with good genetics, and youth. Over the years, I have been in shape, and I have been out of shape. I have spent years eating healthy, and years eating less healthy. The thing is, even when I am in shape, BMI suggests I am still "overweight". True story. Back in the early 90s, I was visiting a old friend and his brother, who was just out of high school. I was fit, but still chubby, probably weighing around 220 or 225. Anyhow, I played tennis with my friend and his brother and to his brother's surprise, ran him ragged on the court. Later, feeling embarrased, the brother challenged me to a push up contest since he didn't believe that I lifted weights 4 to 6 days a week. (He was kind of young, I know) So I said sure. Though he was younger and leaner, I still doubled the number of pushups he did. So though he looked the part, I was actually much fitter.

Interesting that you quoted that particular part of my post above, but selectively left out this part of it:

Now, agreed that a thin and apparently fit nutritionist could be eating everything under the sun and just be genetically blessed so in that case, my argument goes out the window.

CONSPIRACY!

LOL!

The thing is, how do I know that a chubby nutritionist and trainer aren't following their own advice and yet they're still chubby? Do I really want to invest time and money working with them to find out that they are out of shape/overweight because they don't really know what they're taking about? Not really. If I had all the answers and knew whether or not they knew what they were talking about, I wouldn't need them in the first place.

I get the issue another poster talked about with the older gentleman who was in great shape back in the day and has a ton of knowledge to pass on, but now due to age and/or injury is out of shape. I certainly see that as plausible. And maybe it's judgmental of me but I'd be more inclined to take that into consideration than I would a more youthful nutritionist or trainer that is out of shape.

I would definitely have a problem taking advice from someone who did not look like they were fit and healthy. Same thing with a law professional...you at least want someone who looks like they know what they're doing.

You do have issues, but let me tell you, since I was (now retired for 1 month) a flabby fitness coach
I know a little bit about what you're talking of.

I am very healthy and have been fighting a weight problem for years. I started working in a fitness position
at age 50 and am in the the best shape I ever was even though I am 50 lbs overweight.

I am working on it and even though retired still am working out 5 days a week and lifting weights.
Since I started Myfitnesspal in Aug. I've lost 10 lbs. and bit of tummy. It's progress. I'm not giving up.
My knees aren't happy and that's been one of my wake up calls.

My students/ class members were not Sally Size 2.. They were mature adults and many over
weight and out of shape. I also worked at the Y for many years and there were several overweight
trainers there too. The people who attend classes at the Y and parks & rec are usually a bit
more ordinary than most gym rats. But they realize they need to do something and they are.
I taught arthritis classes, aerobics classes, step classes, water classes, Silver Sneakers classes,
strength training and outdoor fitness classes. I wanted to make it fun to work out so people would
WANT to work out. We laughed and we exercised and we enjoyed it. If it's not fun people stop
doing it.

But you know, the AVERAGE JOE and JOSEPHINE liked me/us because we were HUMAN like they
were. We showed them that could be working toward better health and it didn't start from size 2.
It started when we got bigger than we liked and decided to do something about it. A perfectly toned
trainer can be intimidating to many people because they seem to be something unattainable to
themselves. Someone like me was in the same boat as they were and if I could do it so could they!

Despoite from my weight, I should live to be 90, probably 100 if I lose the pounds. So while it seems
to be an oxymoron to have an overweight trainer, that doesn't necessarily mean they don't know any
thing. It just means they either aren't doing what they should or haven't gotten there YET. My brain
has a lot of info that can help people and I can do things they can't so they see I have value.

So be patient with us and don't be a health SNOB. We are all on the road to road to better health.
Some started later than sooner is all. Try to see inside us if you can. I won't give up on you because
of your attitude if you won't give up on me, okay?

Donna

My level of respect for a nutritionist or a trainer is based upon their education, knowledge and how they are able to help me reach my goals. My willingness to listen to said trainer/nutritionist is based upon the level of respect they show me and others in performing their professional responsibiltiies. So, it has very little to do with their physical appearance. This is true of a lawyer, a doctor, librarian, cell phone dude, etc.

But, I get your point on first impressions--I guess I've just learned over time they truly do not mean much.

I can understand not trusting a personal trainer who was overweight, but a nutritionist doesn't lose her education by piling on the lbs, so I would have absolutely no problem there at all.

It's also worth mentioning that there are doctors who smoke, paramedics (eg) who refuse to go to the GP when there's something clearly wrong, gardeners who have awful gardens themselves... the list goes on.

Personally, I would never trust a skinny chef.

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.

Chubbiness doesn't mean unhealthiness.

Yeah... yeah.. it kinda does.

No it does not. Just because a person is a little chubby doesn't mean they're unhealthy. There are a lot of factors involved in a person's health.

I'm chubby and I am not unhealthy.

My doctor just said I swallowed a lot of aggression, along with a lot of pizzas. Ha! Pizzas. Well, I was going to try one of those fitness camps, like EST. But they are like $400. So I thought.... join the Army. It's free. And what do they got, like an 8 week progam, which is PERFECT for me......

I believe that if they can do their job well then they can look how they want. It is a little hypocritical but you should get to know a person before you judge their capability or at least that's my opinion!