Reddit reviews Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness (Applications of Motivational Interviewing)

I really enjoyed this book on MI. It covers the nutrition aspect very well and it's definitely a good starter book to get the foundations of MI down. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1462524184/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MYGLAb905WVKT

I would highly recommend this book in particular: https://smile.amazon.com/Motivational-Interviewing-Nutrition-Fitness-Applications/dp/1462524184/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519783081&sr=8-4&keywords=motivational+interviewing

Hey, u/zowezaally!

Ugh. This is always so hard. We want so badly for them to just follow through because if they did, we know they'd succeed. Why won't they just do what we say!? *shakes fist at sky*

What I've found is that when I take a more collaborative approach with clients versus a authoritarian approach that follow through happens much more often. So here are a few things that you might feel helpful:

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• Why is their goal the goal? If they say they want to lose weight - awesome. Why? Why is it important to them? They lose the 20lbs - then what? Understanding the deeper reason can help you clarify the goal and use it as a reminder when their desire starts to waver. This is also really good insight for us. If the underlying reason is because they want to feel more confident at work where it's full of high powered, competitive people, then that may tell you to incorporate movements and activities that help them feel like a badass.
  
• What are they ready, willing, and able to do (RWA)? Here is the key to the collaboration. Let them tell you what they want to work on instead of saying, "You need to do X, Y, and Z." If they want to gain 10lbs of muscle - fantastic! What do they think people who have a lot of muscle mass do? If they're accurate, which of those behaviors are they interested in trying?
  
• Make sure it's doable. One of my favorite questions is: On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being you can fuck right off and 10 being that's so easy it sounds dumb, how confident are you in being able to do X activity with Y frequency? If it's anything less than a 9, have them dial it back until their confidence level is at least a 9. The genius here is that it teaches consistency in any behavior and gives them a win which they can build on.
  
  Usually a client doesn't adhere to a plan because we're asking too much of them given their situation, they aren't RWA, they feel overwhelmed, they need help troubleshooting and may not realize it, etc. There are so many reasons as to why they aren't doing what we're asking. As frustrated as we are I can promise that they're even more frustrated with themselves. I have yet to meet a client who wasn't succeeding simply because they're too lazy. There's always more to it than that.
  
  
  I hope this helps a bit. If you haven't already, I would highly suggest reading Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness. I had a hard time reading it as it felt a little dry but it was fantastic to listen to on Audible. If you go that route, then get a physical copy as well so you can refer to it.

I second the counseling experience. I discovered this book halfway through my internship and found it incredibly helpful.

https://www.amazon.com/Motivational-Interviewing-Nutrition-Fitness-Applications/dp/1462524184