Personal Trainer for ASD teen

[Anonymous]

My 16 year old daughter came to me last night and said "I want to get ripped mom, can you get me a personal trainer?"

She's been expressing some dislike of her body lately and she's gained about 50 pounds over the last few years. She's very sedentary and overweight, and doesn't like sports (or many activities), so this is a welcome ask. I never say anything to her about her body or her weight, but I do worry about her health.

We called the Spirit Club, where we've gone before, and they only have one time slot with a female trainer that doesn't work for us. We are going to stay on their wait list, but in the meantime does anyone have any other suggestions. She wants a female, and wants to go 2-3 days per week to see results. When we went to Spirit Club before, she had 12 sessions but they were once per week and although she didn't hate it, she didn't do all that much and didn't see results.

[Anonymous]

OP again. I forgot to mention she has ASD and ADHD, so we need someone who will work well with her.

[Anonymous]

How would she be in a conventional gym? The age of access to the fitness floor at Lifetime is 14 and there are a ton of trainers. There is at least one family with an adult kid with DS who goes and told me that they have had a good experience. I've taken my kid once or twice and it's been fine. The Potomac location is a lot quieter than Gaithersburg.

[Anonymous]

We've had good experiences with the personal trainers at Fairfax County Rec Centers. If your not in Fairfax County, your county rec centers probably have something similar.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if this group might have recommendations for local trainers who work with ASD clients? https://www.certifystrong.com/adaptive-academy-membership/

[Anonymous]

I assume she's also eating a lot of junk if she's gained that much weight so exercise alone isn't going to provide "results". She can't outexercise a bad diet. I recommend that she also work with a nutritionist, and not just someone who will tell her once what she should eat or not eat. Someone who will actively coach her - ask her to keep food logs, help her figure out how to make healthier substitutions for things she likes, help her to troubleshoot the scenarios where she's making less healthy food choices etc. Someone who will provide both accountability and support and keep her from picking up disordered eating tips from the internet.

[Anonymous]

This studio has classes for kids with ASD: https://www.bethesdaboxing.com/classes/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume she's also eating a lot of junk if she's gained that much weight so exercise alone isn't going to provide "results". She can't outexercise a bad diet. I recommend that she also work with a nutritionist, and not just someone who will tell her once what she should eat or not eat. Someone who will actively coach her - ask her to keep food logs, help her figure out how to make healthier substitutions for things she likes, help her to troubleshoot the scenarios where she's making less healthy food choices etc. Someone who will provide both accountability and support and keep her from picking up disordered eating tips from the internet.

Op here and this almost made me laugh. The kid eats four food, there’s no “healthy choices” or troubleshooting going on here. We have tried literally everything since she was 3 year old. Dietitians, feeding therapy, OT, talk therapy, you name it. She gained weight from eating too much pasta (one of the four foods and literally the ONLY startch she will eat), lying around all day, being allowed unlimited snacks at any of rhe activities she’ll do, and being on medication that causes weight gain.

You’re right though, she’s not going to get “ripped” by exercise alone, but we figure it’s a really really good start. She’s not going to be able to change her eating unless she’s very interested in doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume she's also eating a lot of junk if she's gained that much weight so exercise alone isn't going to provide "results". She can't outexercise a bad diet. I recommend that she also work with a nutritionist, and not just someone who will tell her once what she should eat or not eat. Someone who will actively coach her - ask her to keep food logs, help her figure out how to make healthier substitutions for things she likes, help her to troubleshoot the scenarios where she's making less healthy food choices etc. Someone who will provide both accountability and support and keep her from picking up disordered eating tips from the internet.

Op here and this almost made me laugh. The kid eats four food, there’s no “healthy choices” or troubleshooting going on here. We have tried literally everything since she was 3 year old. Dietitians, feeding therapy, OT, talk therapy, you name it. She gained weight from eating too much pasta (one of the four foods and literally the ONLY startch she will eat), lying around all day, being allowed unlimited snacks at any of rhe activities she’ll do, and being on medication that causes weight gain.

You’re right though, she’s not going to get “ripped” by exercise alone, but we figure it’s a really really good start. She’s not going to be able to change her eating unless she’s very interested in doing so.

Got to love it when people tell you what you're doing wrong with your asd teen they know nothing about.
My asd teen is similar.. I can't vouch for this yet but there's some talk now about food texture avoidance being connected to a "posterior tongue tie" I'm having dc evaluated for this soon. If he has it, it's a quick co2 laser that's painless. And some tongue exercises to make sure the tissue doesn't reattach etc. Despite having a high narrow pallete and snoring and avoiding food textures etc. No one had ever mentioned this to me so I thought I'd pass it along

[Anonymous]

You could try Fitness for Health in Rockville. My DD absolutely loved it and went tor years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume she's also eating a lot of junk if she's gained that much weight so exercise alone isn't going to provide "results". She can't outexercise a bad diet. I recommend that she also work with a nutritionist, and not just someone who will tell her once what she should eat or not eat. Someone who will actively coach her - ask her to keep food logs, help her figure out how to make healthier substitutions for things she likes, help her to troubleshoot the scenarios where she's making less healthy food choices etc. Someone who will provide both accountability and support and keep her from picking up disordered eating tips from the internet.

Op here and this almost made me laugh. The kid eats four food, there’s no “healthy choices” or troubleshooting going on here. We have tried literally everything since she was 3 year old. Dietitians, feeding therapy, OT, talk therapy, you name it. She gained weight from eating too much pasta (one of the four foods and literally the ONLY startch she will eat), lying around all day, being allowed unlimited snacks at any of rhe activities she’ll do, and being on medication that causes weight gain.

You’re right though, she’s not going to get “ripped” by exercise alone, but we figure it’s a really really good start. She’s not going to be able to change her eating unless she’s very interested in doing so.

Got to love it when people tell you what you're doing wrong with your asd teen they know nothing about.
My asd teen is similar.. I can't vouch for this yet but there's some talk now about food texture avoidance being connected to a "posterior tongue tie" I'm having dc evaluated for this soon. If he has it, it's a quick co2 laser that's painless. And some tongue exercises to make sure the tissue doesn't reattach etc. Despite having a high narrow pallete and snoring and avoiding food textures etc. No one had ever mentioned this to me so I thought I'd pass it along

Thanks, that is so interesting!! WHO evaluates for this, a dentist/oral surgeon or pediatrician? Mine also has something going on with gag reflex where she throws up when she takes her pills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume she's also eating a lot of junk if she's gained that much weight so exercise alone isn't going to provide "results". She can't outexercise a bad diet. I recommend that she also work with a nutritionist, and not just someone who will tell her once what she should eat or not eat. Someone who will actively coach her - ask her to keep food logs, help her figure out how to make healthier substitutions for things she likes, help her to troubleshoot the scenarios where she's making less healthy food choices etc. Someone who will provide both accountability and support and keep her from picking up disordered eating tips from the internet.

Op here and this almost made me laugh. The kid eats four food, there’s no “healthy choices” or troubleshooting going on here. We have tried literally everything since she was 3 year old. Dietitians, feeding therapy, OT, talk therapy, you name it. She gained weight from eating too much pasta (one of the four foods and literally the ONLY startch she will eat), lying around all day, being allowed unlimited snacks at any of rhe activities she’ll do, and being on medication that causes weight gain.

You’re right though, she’s not going to get “ripped” by exercise alone, but we figure it’s a really really good start. She’s not going to be able to change her eating unless she’s very interested in doing so.

Got to love it when people tell you what you're doing wrong with your asd teen they know nothing about.
My asd teen is similar.. I can't vouch for this yet but there's some talk now about food texture avoidance being connected to a "posterior tongue tie" I'm having dc evaluated for this soon. If he has it, it's a quick co2 laser that's painless. And some tongue exercises to make sure the tissue doesn't reattach etc. Despite having a high narrow pallete and snoring and avoiding food textures etc. No one had ever mentioned this to me so I thought I'd pass it along

Thanks, that is so interesting!! WHO evaluates for this, a dentist/oral surgeon or pediatrician? Mine also has something going on with gag reflex where she throws up when she takes her pills.

We are going to east Berlin dental in Pennsylvania which is about 90 minutes from us because the "posterior" part seems to be newer thinking so I looked for someone with a soecial interest in it. The dentist we will he seeing is a member of
https://tonguetieprofessionals.org/directory/
A society of tongue tie professionals. I sent the link to their directory above there are a few in Virginia but the ones in Maryland are out in Ellicott city/Fulton or further..

Good luck!