anorexic client

[hotttsauce]

Not sure how many have ever had to deal with a client with anorexia but it takes a lot of work. I was lucky enough that she sought treatment, continues with it and has been doing SOOOOO good! IMO, it is something people with this disease will have to deal with the rest of their lives, but she has made some tremendous gains over the last year and a half.

Gone from below 100lbs. to 123lbs as of this weekend and is healthy and strong. Don't let the badass tatt's fool ya, she is a little dollbaby.

A chronic workout-aholic, finally got her to back off the cardio, take in a lil less gym time and eat right and not count every single calorie she eats. It was a long struggle (and I am sure will continue to be) but I am proud as punch of her. Finally stopped weighing herself 5 times a day too!

Not even at her worst, ribs everywhere

[hotttsauce]

123lbs!

[hotttsauce]

And she actually has a butt again!

[Shelby]

Wow! She looks a LOT better, much healthier. Good work!

Is she happy with where she's at now? How tall is she? What are her current goals?

And may I ask, why did she hire you in the first place? Did she realize she was in a bad place and needed help? Or what?

[hotttsauce]

Originally Posted by !berserker

Wow! She looks a LOT better, much healthier. Good work!

Is she happy with where she's at now? How tall is she? What are her current goals?

And may I ask, why did she hire you in the first place? Did she realize she was in a bad place and needed help? Or what?

Thanks !b, but to her credit, she was the one with the strength and determination (finally) to do it. I just gave her a road map, sometimes over and over again. A lot of texts, calls, emails, visits. Had to be careful not start another obsessive behavior in the other direction though.

She is extremely happy where she is now and sent a great note saying how she now realizes what she was putting herself through and hopes with the continued treatment will never fall back into the "A" zone again. She does realize it WILL be a battle for probably the rest of her life. She is 5 ft 1. a tiny, tiny lil thing but I had a few chances to train one on one with her and this lil kitten is a TIGER when it comes to hitting the weights.

Her goal WAS to compete, but I told with her condition it was a recipe for disaster and I did't think it would be a safe thing for her to do unless her PTP for the anorexia would give her the go ahead. I am sure you can see the bad possibilities of spinning back into that zone of diet, cutting weight, etc.

It was one of those stories where you bump into someone, can tell they need help and it just went from there. I could tell she was REALLY struggling. Believe me it was a lot of her starting and stopping, but finally got in a groove and she is where she is now.

Will she ever compete, only time will tell.

[Shelby]

Cool, thanks for sharing. She is very lucky to have not only a knowledgeable trainer, but also a kind-hearted one.

Keep us updated on her progress.

[hotttsauce]

Originally Posted by !berserker

Cool, thanks for sharing. She is very lucky to have not only a knowledgeable trainer, but also a kind-hearted one.

Keep us updated on her progress.

I think more kind-hearted than knowledgeable , but my background in counseling certainly helped with this one for sure. She deserves ALL the credit, she was the one with the battle and is winning, hopefully she will win the war as well.

You never know how things will go as far as set backs, but she is much stronger now and I have good expectations!

[BOOMSHAKER]

Awesome job my friend. Tell her for us we are pulling for her and want to see her as healthy and as happiest as she can be in life! Keep up the hard work! To both of you.

[pesty4077]

Good job Hott! Your client looks a lot healthier!

[phoenix13]

Hottt, you are a good guy. She's lucky to have your guidance. That's awesome that she got help!

It's not often that there are success stories when it comes to eating disorders. It's not like putting down the bottle or not putting anything up your nose. We have to have a relationship with food in order to survive. I developed an eating disorder in my teen years and it is something I have to deal with to this day. One day at a time. It never quite goes away, but it does get better with lots of help, work and support.

I am weighing in at a lovely 166.5 pounds today. At the age of 17, I starved myself down to 110.

Contest dieting is a dangerous road to take for anyone with history/tendencies toward disordered eating. Let's face it, to an extent, eating weighed food by the clock without flexibility could be considered disordered eating in itself. I choose that path. But honestly, I would not recommend it for anyone I know who has eating issues. For me, it's partly how I have come to deal with them.

[hotttsauce]

Originally Posted by phoenix13

Hottt, you are a good guy. She's lucky to have your guidance. That's awesome that she got help!

It's not often that there are success stories when it comes to eating disorders. It's not like putting down the bottle or not putting anything up your nose. We have to have a relationship with food in order to survive. I developed an eating disorder in my teen years and it is something I have to deal with to this day. One day at a time. It never quite goes away, but it does get better with lots of help, work and support.

I am weighing in at a lovely 166.5 pounds today. At the age of 17, I starved myself down to 110.

Contest dieting is a dangerous road to take for anyone with history/tendencies toward disordered eating. Let's face it, to an extent, eating weighed food by the clock without flexibility could be considered disordered eating in itself. I choose that path. But honestly, I would not recommend it for anyone I know who has eating issues. For me, it's partly how I have come to deal with them.

Thanks everyone.

It was a long hard road for her but she is doing great. Hoped this thread might show a little more light on such conditions, as I think they are more frequent in the sport than people realize and a positive example of getting the upper end of it. She kept a journal, everyday of what she ate, I mean every single thing .... well, the lack of food more like it.

Sorry you struggled with the same thing and your right Phoenix, it never quite goes away. My hopes are that she will not compete. Even though I think she would do well, the obsessive dieting/eating and calculating of everything could do more harm than good.

[Sassy]

Wow! Props to her! She's done a great job overcoming her disorder. You've done a great job guiding her. You've given her the tools she needed to became health and over come her fears.

From others I've talked to that are anorexic, you never really get over it. They say you just learn how to deal with it every day.

Sorry... just saw what Phoenix wrote. It good to hear it directly from someone who's experience it. Phoenix you've done an amazing job dealing with it, and being able to compete too. That's awesome!

[oldfella]

Excellent work Steve. She has well and truly turned the corner. She came to the right preson, you have a kind heart and good ethics. All she needed was someone to be accountable to. She really could not have picked a better person! She looks awesome with her new weight. Solid, healthy, strong. Hey mate, bring her down to OZ when you come, she would love it here. I'll turn her loose on the town man, they will go nuts!! Really though, great story and thanks for sharing it here.

[hotttsauce]

Thanks guys! If you would have seen this girl a year and a half ago you'd be shocked. The first pic isn't even at her lightest.

She is a trooper and has done so great! It was all on her, she was the who needed to take control. At points it was frustrating and she would disappear from time to time, but not for long. I just had to be patient and let it take it's course. She has made it back onto a healthy road for sure.

I am meeting up with her this week to hit the weights (schedules permitting) and make sure she is still eating .... lol! And don't let the tatt's fool ya, she is a kitten!

I just hope this thread may help others with somone they know with this. It isn't up to us, it is up to them to take control. All we can do is try.

[Shooter]

Big props bro...I have done it training one and also, I had an ex-gf who I had stayed close too who I walked through it with and for those of you who don't know what you are dealing with for it, it is an extrememly difficult and challenging experience to say the least. You are dealing with so many issues that even your client doesn't realize exist.
Nicely done hott, all the best to both of you

[B1gJ1m]

Good work Hottt, she looks great.

[morepain]

really wonderful you could be a positive influence in her life, great job man. And let her know that we all think she looks FANTASTIC...also send my complimnents on her ink, thats some nice work.

[lucian]

well for the rest of her life she will be in recovery from this disease. its a hard road to travel but education and therapy are key. fitness is something positive for her and will teach how to control bodywt in a healthy way.
she looks great and her ink is coo as hell!!!!!
god bless
lucian

[thebrick]

Wow Hottt. She looks just great. Very healthy. I am not that familiar with anorexia, but I do know its a very tough and ongoing battle. She is very lucky to have your guidance and support in her life. I absolutely think you did the right thing by discouraging her from competition. And when you think about it, she already is in competition (with herself) and winning!

[blue001]

It may seem as though the rigidity of a contest diet is dangerous for someone with a history of an eating disorder, I believe the opposite is true. I was anorexic for 7 years, weighing as little as 60lbs (at age 22), and wasn't expected to survive. I went through counseling, hospitalizations, etc, and nothing worked....or I wouldnt let it work. I credit weight training, and now bodybuilding, with giving me a structured (which is far more comfortable for me) outlet that is constructive. The need to something a pre-determined meal at a specific time in order to see the gains of my hard work is what got me to eat at all.

Obviously, getting back to restricting caloric intake so soon after initiating recovery is not a good idea. It takes time to become more comfortable with eating regularly rather than starving. But if one is strong enough to live each day in anorexia, then they are strong enough to choose not to anymore.

It never compltely goes away. But it does get easier and easier to not allow it to rule your life, your every decision, or interfere with your goals. I believe that if more "traditional" therapies included the philosophies of weight training, the success rate for recovery would rise significantly.

Just my two cents

Congratulations, btw. I know how hard it is to trust what someone is telling you when it goes against everything you've convinced yourself to be true.