When Will I Stop Working With A Personal Trainer?

I get asked often about how often I workout and all that I do in my workouts. I'll get asked things like....

1) "How much longer are you going to workout with a trainer?" 

2) "Don't you think you've become obsessed with working out?"

3) "You know you don't have to do everything the trainer tells you to do, you are the client and are paying him?"

4) "When you meet your goal, will you stop working out so much?"

These are probably the four questions I get asked the most, and at least once a week someone (sometimes the same person) will ask me one of these questions. Even though it's still irritating to be asked these questions, especially numbers 2 and 3, I've gotten used to it and so now I just do my best to answer the question without sounding like they've just asked me a dumb question. I say that because I can remember what it's like being the person who is seeing someone working out and getting healthy and thinking to myself, how much longer do they have to do that? Or, they seem obsessed with working out and not sure that's a good thing. But, because I've made this lifestyle change, I no longer see these things as obsessions or temporary situations.

But, for those who might be curious, I'll answer the above questions real quick and even explain my answers and then I'll get off my soap box! :)

1) I'll never stop working with a personal trainer. Yes, I've learned a lot over the past 5 years, and yes I do come up with things to do on my own and I am more self-motivated, but that doesn't mean I should stop working with a personal trainer. The reason being is a personal trainer helps keep me accountable. My trainers know when I need to change things up, and they know what changes I need to make. They know when I need some extra motivation and are there to give it to me. They know when I'm struggling and wanting to give up and they are there to listen to me and not let me give up on myself. My trainers help me grow and improve so I can continue to be better every day. My trainers are the center core of my support group.

2) No, I don't think I've become obsessed. I know my limits and I know my body. There are times my body tells me to slow down or back off and I listen. I also know in order to improve, I must be willing to do more. That means maybe going longer in my cardio, doing something different and more intense, using heavier weights. By making working out part of my daily routine doesn't make me obsessed, but it makes me dedicated to my health and my goals.

3) I know I don't have to do everything my trainer tells me to do. But, why would I pay a trainer to help me improve and then don't do what he says? First, my trainer won't ask me to do something that he feels will hurt me, not benefit me, or that I'm not capable of doing. I know he's going to ask me to do things that will push me outside my comfort zone, that will help me get results, and that will benefit my health in the end. Now, I might not like to do everything or every exercise (for example I hate burpees); but as a client I know everything that's asked of me my trainer either knows I can do it or has the faith in me that I can do it. So, even if it's something new I've never done before, I'll always try it and see if it's something I can do. I will never refuse to do a workout or an exercise I'm truly capable of doing just because I don't like it or just because it's too hard. As the quote says, "If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it."

4) When I meet my goal I'll probably have to work harder to maintain. For me this question doesn't make sense. I mean, if I'm going to have to put all this work and effort into getting my results and meeting my goals, then chances are once I meet my goal if I stop or cut back on working out then all I've worked for will eventually be lost. I will gain weight back, I will lose strength and endurance, and then be back on the path to being unhealthy again. I'm not sure why some people think that once you lose the weight you want that you can stop working out, or not workout as much, and expect to keep the results. But, anyway, no I don't plan on cutting my workouts out or down when I hit my goal weight.

So, what prompted me to write this post? Yesterday someone noticed the new flyer in our break room at work with all I've accomplished at Fitness Together and I mentioned that Terri (FT Community Manager) was one of the people helping me with my boxing. And so that prompted the question number two listed above, asking if I'm obsessed with working out. And like I said, it does still get a little irritating but I answered them pretty much like I did in the answer above but couldn't help but think about the question along with the other common questions I get. So I meditated on it and decided to post about it because I truly do understand why some people have these questions. But, all I can say is for me personally, having a personal trainer and working out, eating healthy isn't a temporary because I don't want temporary results. This is now my lifestyle because I've decided I want my results to be permanent. And the only way to do this is to take the opportunities presented to me so I'm always learning, growing, improving, and moving forward.