Beginning of session; client's back after 2 weeks of travel:
Me: Welcome back.
Client: Bad news, I haven't lost any weight...I didn't gain any either.
Me: That's not bad news. That's a win.
******
This was part work trip and part fun. There were trips within the trip. The client described the trip as a "nice change of scenery but not necessarily relaxing." When clients travel the only expectation I have is that they enjoy themselves if it's recreational and that they practice some healthy lifestyle practices if it's work travel.
Losing weight, and reaching other goals, is hard to do. Things need to be near perfect. When you travel or life throws you other curveballs things are never perfect. You don't have the foods you're used to eating, you don't have your own bed to sleep in, your gym to workout in...yada yada yada.
Things are not perfect yet clients come back from two-week trips in which they gained no weight and call it bad news. People expect perfect results from imperfect situations. Don't do that.
Stop expecting perfect results from imperfect situations.
Instead celebrate the wins. In this case not gaining weight, during a stressful trip that included at least one scotch tasting and more than a few beers, is a win. The fact that my client averaged over 15,000 steps/day is a win. The fact that he recorded his meals about 80% percent of the time is a win. The fact that he scheduled and made it to a training his first full day back, that's a win.
