My PT won't let me cancel!

[Fatnangry]

I've had a PT online for 8wks. I've done absolutely everything asked of me and have lost 2lbs. I'm absolutely knackered and stressed and overwhelmed with tracking, steps, calorie counting and so little progress.

I want to stop. Ive made an initial payment for first 3mths but apparently I signed a contract for 24wks so need to pay him for Jan, Feb and March.

He said I've signed contract so I HAVE to pay regardless of if I do the programme or not.

He said my progress is so slow because it just is and it will come off eventually!?

I'm not sure there's anything I can do is there? I'm so mad and upset. Feel like I'm getting robbed!

Well yes, this.

You made a decision to sign up for something that requires a lot of tracking. As you point out, its exhausting. But you chose to sign up for it. He will only have a limited number of people he can see and he may be turning down clients because he has you booked in over Jan - March because of the contract you signed.

Contractually and morally you are obliged to pay what you said you would.

Don't do the sessions if you don't want to but do pay.

And chalk it up to experience.

If you signed a contract, you signed a contract. Depends whether you want the risk of him taking you to a small claims court.

You’re feeling knackered and overwhelmed from everything you’re trying to do, but it doesn’t sound like he’s working with you to make small manageable changes that you can build on and that are working for you, which sounds like he’s a bit crap at his job, frankly. What do you actually want him to do? Can you have a conversation about how you feel, tell him the approach isn’t working, and you need support to make more specific changes? Get something useful out of the 3 months you have left?

I'm 15 stone and on 1600 cals a day. I'm tracking calories and protein. I'm doing 10k steps a day. I'm doing 3 to 4 weights sessions a say and also swim myself.
I have ticked every target everyday for 8wks.

It's all online. I don't see him.

I've asked him for my contract where it says 6mths.

I am consumed with obsessing with meeting targets. I'm depressed everyday and feel like failure because nothing is changing. Photos, tape measure, scales, clothes.
I'm refusing to go to social events because it means I might not hit a target that day eg: a road trip to see family means I can't get 10k steps in.
A lunch out means I can barely eat all day to allow for the lunch.

I'm feeling like this is a miserable way to exist for no progress and at what point do we accept its not working? What if I do this for another 4mths and still no progress and he just says 'well it takes time??

Hang on... are you saying you signed something but he never gave you a copy of it. That doesn't sound right.

Wouldn't a proper contact be signed by both of you, with both of you having signed it...

Ask CAB if he can pursue it.

OP "I've asked him for my contract where it says 6mths."

so there's no way out of the contract even with some notice?

I can do a lot less and lose 2lb a month. A PT wasn't the way to go if it was weight loss you wanted. If you're stuck paying him, carry on with what you can but don't cross the limits and annoy yourself.

If you want to change your body shape, exercises can tighten up some of the soft bits. But if you are doing it by weight loss, you need quite a lot to make a difference. You can get research tables. I am a man, and in round figures, for my height and weight, each 10lbs is an inch off the waist. And my chest size is reducing about the same, though the belly seems slower to shift. I don't know the figures for women, you are probably smaller than me so perhaps fewer lbs per inch.

You’re allowed to stop any time you want.

But if you’ve signed a contract saying you’ll pay him, then you still have to pay him!

There's two separate issues here:

1. The terms of the contract; and
2. That you're not enjoying it.

If you haven't got a copy of the contract, ask for a copy of the one you signed (this bit's important, it's easy for someone to say "this is my standard contract" but you need the version with your signature on it). If it says you need to pay for a minimum of six months then, regardless of whether you're enjoying it or seeing results, you'll need to pay.

PT is saying he can see a big difference therefore its working!?

Well he would say that, wouldn't he?

How tall and old are you ?

1600 is quite a lot of calories for many women to diet on

Eating out - I would always just let the odd day go by because weight loss is such a slow process you might as well not make it hell

10,000 steps - try a short run, walk around the service station, go out to clear your head after the journey - that's always possible

Sounds like he's talking bollocks to me to keep you paying.

Cancel everything, today.
Direct debits or whatever.

Contact him and tell him you have cancelled everything and that fron this point on you want no more involvement with him or his services and make it clear it is because his plan is not working as he promised.

Let him know that he can pursue through small claims if he desires but you will need to see a breakdown of what costs that you quitting have caused him.

If he does pursue through small claims, make an offer of 10% of whatever costs he claims. If he refuses, off to court you go with photos to show no change in weight etc.

‘Prove I signed a contract or shove it’. See how that goes down. You could also mention the power of social media and your zero difference in measurements/photos, which you will put in a review. 2lbs is very little. I remember a celebrity diet/exercise programme where the American probably ex Marine or some such was fuming at Anne Widdecombe (?) or someone and said ‘2lbs? I could take a shit and lose 2lbs!’

You sound like you’re not in calorie deficit, sorry, OP. He can’t MAKE you pay, so just stop.

Ok, so you are doing amazingly. You should be so impressed with yourself. You will be building muscle but it will be harder to see because you’re also carrying non lean body weight. However, I would say from zero experience other than my own work with PTs is that if you are doing 3-4 weights sessions a day, swimming and getting steps in you are doing too much, which is why you feel so awful. You are putting your body under loads of stress without rest days to recuperate and without eating enough calories to fuel what you are doing which will be sending your cortisol through the roof. Just online cam work but he sounds effing useless and is a bro cowboy that shouts “feel the burn” and “no pain no gain” rather than working out what you need and supporting you with it.

Tell him to stick it, eat a small breakfast and lunch with lots of veg and protein, portion control your dinners, don’t snack, keep the steps up and swim and do a weights session a week and you will feel a lot better while still making loads of healthy changes. And be kind to yourself. It’s what you do most of the time that makes a difference, not perfection.

Wow you definitely should be losing weight on that calorie count and those steps. I can see why he is asking you to believe in the process.

2lbs though means something is going wrong somewhere!

If you signed a contract then he should have given you a copy of it at the time. Do you think you may have thrown it away or did you never have it?

Stop paying him after you give him one month's notice. If he challenges you, then repeat you require a copy of the contract - indeed he should have given this to you right at the start. Let him take it further if he chooses to - he almost certainly won't but hold your nerve until you see firstly what your contract says. In order to sue you (he won't) he would need to produce evidence of his claim which is the alleged signed contract stating the length you apparently committed to.

When you say 1600 calories a day is that kitkats, or a special diet.

There are two separate issues here.

If you're not enjoying the programme then just stop. He's not going to turn up at your house and drag you to training sessions.

That doesn't mean you don't still owe him the money, though, if that's what you agreed to when you signed up.

I think (from what I’ve been told and seen online) your calories per day are far too low for your weight. Your body is holding on to what it’s got as you are limiting your calorie intake.

My PT always made is clear that the protein intake should be quite high when training.

Google a few things, ask advice from other PTs. They usually have good websites with basic info that’s free. Call them for advice.

Look at the contract. If your PT won’t provide it within 7 days tell him you assume you haven’t signed anything.

My PT made it clear what I was signing in her T&Cs. I had to tick boxes which I then got a copy of so I could see what I’d agreed to.

No one can give you advice without knowing what the contract says.

Did you sign a contract? Do you have a copy?

OP no one can advise you on whether you can discontinue the arrangement without knowing the terms of the contract you agreed to - can you get a copy then ask on here again if you need more help?

Thanks all. Turns out they worded their contract wrong and said its 3mths not 6mths but that's their problem.
I've left.

Delighted you found a solution.

Do t listen to the people saying just cancel and ignore.
He can take you to small.claims. it's not worth it.

And not sure why people are telling you to blackmail him by threatening to give him bad reviews on social media- is this how the world works now?

He's been doing the work.

Check the contract- assuming you signed one- you did write you asked him for a copy of this - which makes me think you did sign one.

OK great