Advice for a very underweight female client who eats too little

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Hi everyone,

I’m a new personal trainer and I’m working with a female client who eats only around 1100 calories a day. She’s losing weight and says she just can’t eat more — maybe because her stomach got used to small meals…

I’m not sure what’s best for her right now:

• Is it safe for her to start working out while eating so little?

• If yes, what kind of training would be best — light weights, full-body sessions, or just walking and mobility work?

• And how can I help her slowly increase her food intake without making her feel sick or overwhelmed?

I want her to get stronger and build some muscle safely, but I’m not sure how to start.

Any advice from experienced trainers or anyone who’s worked with similar clients would be great.

Thanks a lot!

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Hey, I’m gonna be honest: if I was paying for a trainer, I’d be kinda upset to discover they were outsourcing my training plan to an internet forum.

How have you gotten your other clients up until this point to slowly increase their food intake and build muscle? Why won’t those strategies work here?

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Thanks, that’s a fair point! This is actually my very first client — and she also happens to be my best friend.

We’ve only done the initial consultation so far, and I just want to make sure I handle her situation safely and responsibly. I’m not charging for my training yet, as I’m still learning and getting experience.

I really appreciate any advice or perspective from people with more experience — I just want to do this the right way from the start:)

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I am going to disagree. I rarely see a trainer who knows anywhere close to everything. My experience observing “trainers” (who charge for their services) is that very few of them know as much about training as I did after two years working out and my source of information was more trial and error than through written articles (of course there was very little in late 1960’s and early 1970’s.)

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I am going to disagree.

You’re going to disagree that I’d be upset?

I’m sorry sir, but on that you’re simply incorrect.

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I would suggest to spend the first few weeks just teaching good weight exercises focusing more on form than getting strong.

During this time try to understand the current diet of your client and try to encourage her how to overcome her under eating block. It is imperative that you totally understand the causes of her underlying eating problem.

In a few weeks you should be able to analyze the underlying problem and then develop a diet plan that she can successfully work toward.

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Not to derail the thread, but I would much more upset if the trainer just winged it. That is exactly what many do.

Perish the thought that I intervene to point their training style in (what I believe) a better track. “They” are a certified trainer and I am not.

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I would much more upset if the trainer just winged it.

Both would upset me :slight_smile:

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Get her to log her food intake.

What does she eat?
How much in weight?
When does she eat it?

From there, get her to increase the volume in each meal, or increase meal frequency so she can eat more small meals.

This is a borderline eating disorder. If you find yourself out of your depths, you would do well to be honest with your friend.
This will make friendhship and coaching rather complicated, fyi.

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Allow me to add, which is I also address to OP, when has a trainer learned enough to not look on a weight lifting forum to acquire more information?

Is zero credible knowledge available on T-Nation?

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Do you genuinely feel that was the position I was offering, or is this an aside?

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Just curious…..

What are your qualifications?

How long have you yourself been actively been involved in working out yourself?

Do you have certificate or formal education in the field?

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Personally, I don’t think your first client should be your best friend. It’s like Wendler would say about coaching or training your wife - don’t do it. It’s just a different dynamic that can’t coexist. Advice, sure, but not a client.

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Not at all. I was surprised that you disagreed with my comment. It was more of an addition, though I did feel it was a more important component.

Disclaimer: I have long considered most trainers as extremely ill informed. In fact “trainers” didn’t exist most of the years that I competed.

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This is a fucking joke.

Grown ass adults arguing an off topic point and one of them deletes my comments because hes got mod powers and likes to be right.

Just stay on fucking point.

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She is asking basic questions.

If she wants to help her friend because she cares cool but, to say she is a trainer is wrong and to charge even worse.

You would not offer coaching services in golf, pitching etc. without any experience. You would not go on a message board and ask what to do.

For some reason many people feel that is normal with personal training.

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Not at all.

I appreciate the clarification: I was concerned I had miscommunicated.

I’m all for seeking out additional sources of information. There’s a lot of gold nuggets to be found out there. I’d be concerned if internet searches were the ONLY thing that someone relied on to build their approach, but as an augmentation to that it can certainly be viable.

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If she is underweight, why is she still trying to lose weight?

I would forget about trying to train her, and as a “friend”, ask her that question. Sounds like she has an eating disorder. Until she gets help with that, nothing else will really matter.

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Are you a certified trainer? First client or not this is info you should already have in your knowledge base.
If your don’t have the knowledge you should not be taking on clients whether they are friends or not.

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This is my thought… especially if she’s clinically underweight. I’d send this to a qualified, objective nutritionist. I don’t think you’re in a position to succeed for either of you here. Be her buddy in this.

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