Essential Tips From CSI Miami's Weight Loss Plan

by Matt O'niell (Dietician)

What would happen if you got the CSI Miami detectives to design your client's weight loss program? Dietician Matt O'Neill reveals how you'd solve more nutrition mysteries for more members.


CSI stands for Crime Scene Investigation and the name of Jerry Bruckheimer's blockbuster television programme about a team of detectives who solve crimes with forensic science. The show is so popular, that there are now three series - CSI, CSI Miami and now CSI New York.

The highly skilled investigators survey the crime scene, carefully collect evidence, interview witnesses and meticulously analyse the data in their labs. This investment in information gathering always pays off with the criminal being captured and the case closed.

I can�t help but think about the similarities between CSI and solving a client�s most baffling fitness, nutrition or weight loss challenges. What is the best exercise routine for their lifestyle? How will they be able to stick to healthy eating, without major setbacks? Sure, your initial fitness and diet advice may be straight forward, but getting a plan right to get them to stick at it for life is the tough part.

The first lesson from CSI comes from the time and effort taken to learn about the events that have taken place before any firm conclusions are drawn. In weight loss terms, this means thorough evaluation of past dieting and fitness attempts. For example, what diets a client tried in the past? Did they get results the last time they were exercising or tried a diet plan?

While these questions sometimes appear on fitness screening questionnaires, there are other questions that don�t and its here that vital evidence is missed. What part of their previous dieting programme actually worked? What part didn�t work? What has been a client�s highest and lowest weight? What was their diet and exercise pattern like at these two key time periods? How hard was it to maintain their lowest weight?

Asking more of these types of questions in a screening or profiling questionnaire offers greater insight and a fast track to a solution that is more realistic.

The CSI-fitness link becomes stronger when you analyse individual counselling skills. Insight comes from a group of 50 mock client telephone interviews with fitness professionals I conducted last year. The most experienced and successful trainers spent more time asking questions, just like a detective in an interview room. The less experienced trainers jumped straight into offering exercise and diet advice and without checking if the advice was a fit for their client.

I firmly believe that spending more time asking questions and talking to clients about their fitness and diet needs ultimately delivers faster results and results that stick for a lifetime. The valuable insight learnt allows you offer solutions, not just suggestions that are often ignored.

Even when we are a little unsure of the best approach to diet and fitness for a client, the simple act of starting a conversation, showing a genuine interest with questioning builds trust. The surprising thing then is that many clients become more committed to solving their own diet and fitness mysteries.

Matt O'Neill provides instant resources and training on nutrition, weight loss and fitness challenges for fitness businesses at www.SmartShape.com.au

Click here For Matt�s FREE REPORT to get the facts about �Meal Timing & Weight Loss� and subscribe to his website.

Matt has been a member Australia�s National Health and Medical Research Council Overweight & Obesity Working Party, the Weight Loss Industry Code Administration Council and Nutritionist for the Australian Consumers� Association. In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Fitness Network�s Presenter of the Year and Author of the Year in 2005.