Harley Pasternak Blogs: How I Motivate My Clients to Lose Weight

Plus, the celebrity trainer offers tips for how non-celebs can motivate themselves to shed pounds

Photo: Courtesy Harley Pasternak

You just passed the first test of motivation.

If you read the title of this article and kept on reading, you are undoubtedly already motivated.

The celebrity clients I have trained are slightly more motivated than the average American to get fit. They are in the public eye and are constantly being scrutinized for the way their bodies look. In some cases, their career is directly impacted – and often their income, too – by their waistline.

Some celebrities become spokespeople for a weight loss system as motivation to lose weight. (For example, Mariah Carey is a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and Janet Jackson shed pounds as a spokesperson for Nutrisystem.)

The fact is, celebrity or not, everyone I’ve ever met would like to either feel better, look better, move better or all three! In other words, everyone is motivated to improve him or herself in one way or another.

I call this intrinsic motivation and it comes from within you. You want to change.

The other form of motivation is extrinsic motivation, but this is generally short term and doesn’t last. Some examples of extrinsic motivation include: a drill-sergeant like personal trainer screaming at you at the gym, (which gets very tired very fast), trying to fit into a dress for your friend’s wedding, or a bet with a coworker about who can lose 10 lbs. first.

So, if I’m telling you that everyone is already motivated, then I’m also telling you that I don’t need to motivate my clients – AND I’m telling you that you’re already motivated (remember, you passed the test).

Issues arise when something gets in the way of your motivation and your actions. Sometimes we are motivated and WANT TO CHANGE, but we don’t have time, or access to a gym, or our knee hurts or other obstacles prevent us from achieving our best selves.

That is where I come in. My job is to help my clients – and that includes you – bridge the gap between wanting to lose weight and doing something about it.

What is your excuse for not achieving all your goals yet?

Here are some of the main excuses I often hear and some solutions to help.

•Problem: I don’t have time to go to a gym
•Solution: You don’t need a gym. Get a pedometer and try to be active all day for your cardio and do some simple resistance exercises at home.

•Problem: I don’t know how to exercise
•Solution: Between, books, DVDs, video games, the web, and great apps, there are countless virtual trainers to coach you.

•Problem: I don’t have any fitness equipment
•Solution: From bottles of water, cans of soup, laundry detergent jugs (one of my favorites), and your own body weight, there are countless ways to create resistance without spending a cent on fitness equipment.

•Problem: I don’t have time to cook
•Solution: Blenders are perfect for people on the go. From soups to smoothies and dips, you can make entire meals within seconds!

•Problem: I have a sweet tooth
•Solution: So do I! Try to put aside two meals a week that allow you the freedom to indulge in your favorite sweet treats. Remember if you eat well 19 meals a week, and indulge twice, you’re still way ahead of the game!

I want you to Tweet me (@harleypasternak) the main roadblocks that prevent your motivation from becoming action. I will be scanning your tweets and giving some solutions to help bridge the gap between your motivation and your actions!

Check back every Wednesday for more insider tips on Hollywood’s hottest bodies – and learn how to get one yourself