Client on Eltroxin advice

[Rajtar]

I train a lady in her 40's who was treated for a thyroid cancer 12 months ago. She is now taking eltroxin and some supplements like calcium tablets. After her treatment wchich was chemotherapy and surgery she gained 50 lbs in very short time, she became very bloated and started to hold a lot of water, it never happened to her before she was always fit and eating healthy. She managed to loose 20 lbs in 8 months and started to train with me about 6 weeks ago in order to get fit again and loose extra pounds. But we noticed that despite training and good diet she is not loosing any weight and is still holding a lot of water. She is getting very strong and her progression is very good and i say to her to stay calm and concentrate on getting stronger at the moment.
I wonder if anyone here has any experience training with people who take this type of medication and how does it affect training and the way the body behaves, especialy the water retencion. It is obvious that most of the unwanted weight is water and i wonder if i should suggest a high protein low carb diet for a few weeks, it usually helps to reduce excess water from the body. Her doctor says this is normal reaction and there is nothing to worry about.

[AndrewLewis]

(I know nothing about thyroids or this medication)


Why is her losing weight relevant?

Does she not like that she has gained the weight and wants to lose it?

How do her pants fit?

Is the number on the scale actually what matters to her?

If the number on the scale doesn't matter to her and the doctor said this experience is normal, then just keep on making strength progress. I really don't see the issue here. Perhaps you could illustrate for me what the problem is.

[Rajtar]

I did some research and most people on this medication have problems with weight loss and excessive water retention. She said her goal is to loose 20 lbs to go back to the weight she used to be before she got sick. She is not obese but i think because she gained extra weight very quickly after the surgery (50 lbs in 2months or less) she feels very unconfortable with herself. She told me she used to run and train with weight before and she could control her weight and body composition very easy. I am seeing her tomorrow and will tell her about my findings and that probably this time it is going to take a bit longer to achieve her goals. I keep directing my clients towards new goals, more important things like muscle gain and strength training for health, and they usually listen to me and focus on getting stronger instead of just loosing weight. Plus this medication can make people very nervous and cause some joint pain and she is experiencing it as well.

[AndrewLewis]

I would attempt to emphasize that the way she looks and feels is far more important than the number on the scale. All of my female clients have been initially hesitant when I say they're not going to lose much weight, but once I uncover that they don't care about the number (it's just a quantitative proxy for how they look), it becomes much easier to say "Just ignore it for now".

Regarding the joint pain, just make sure she doesn't divebomb the squat and bench, and that should make it more manageable.

[Rajtar]

She accually does not have any pain while training it only happens at work, and i think she told me they are very busy at work at the moment at it is all very overwhelming. As to a weight loss i train my wife, yes my wife and she managed to loose over 20 kg in 6 months and she is probably the strongest woman in the gym right now doing deadlifts with 115kg for 5 and squats with 81 3x5. I always use her as an example and say to people that if they are serious about training they can have amazing results.
Thanks for the advice, it's good to hear from someone with the experience.

[AndrewLewis]

Anytime. The SS guys have helped me out a lot, and I'm happy to do the same as I go from mediocre coach to moderately ok coach.

The biggest thing, in my opinion, with anyone older than 40 is that you need to be patient. Slow, steady progress is way the hell better than hurting or demotivating your client.

Although it's a cardinal strength coach sin, I too have coached my wife.