How many weight loss plans have you downloaded?
How many food lists have you saved?
How many times have you started with good intentions, followed the rules for a while, and then found yourself back where you started?
If you are like most people who have struggled with weight, you probably already know quite a lot about what you are “supposed” to do.
The problem is that knowing what to do and actually being able to do it consistently are two very different things.
And this is where individual, personalised weight loss coaching can make a real difference.
Information is everywhere and you can find almost anything online.
There are meal plans, carbohydrate calculators, food lists, recipes, exercise programmes, podcasts, videos and social media experts telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat.
Some of this information is excellent. Some of it is questionable.
But even the best information has one major limitation because it doesn’t know you.
Things like what your normal day looks like or what happens when you are stressed.
How do you eat when you are tired and why do you reach for certain foods.
What does your dieting history tell us?
A downloaded plan cannot answer those questions but a personal, coach can.
A dedicated coach
The difference is the conversation.
Real coaching is not about handing you another diet sheet and wishing you luck.
It is an ongoing conversation.
You tell me what is happening.
We look at what is working and what isn’t working.
We identify the problem and then we work out what needs to change.
Sometimes the answer is simple but often it isn’t.
There are any number of possibilities such as eating too little during the day and arriving at dinner time really hungry.
Or you find that you can’t manage to eat correctly in social situations.
Perhaps your biometrics have not improved in two weeks and you are ready to give up.
Working with a dedicated coach who knows you will put all things into perspective and provide solutions.
Generic weight loss programmes assume that nothing will change
But everything changes.
- Your weight and appetite changes
- Routine activity and circumstances change
- If on medication, it too can change
- Responses to food can alter
A plan that worked six weeks ago may not be the right plan today.
Has the plan failed? What needs to be tweaked?
That doesn’t necessarily mean the plan failed.
It may simply mean that you need a different approach now.
This is one of the reasons individual coaching is so valuable. The programme can evolve with you.
What are you actually paying for?
This is a question I think every prospective client should ask.
Not simply:
“How much does coaching cost?
But:
“What does my coaching fee actually buy me?”
A professional coaching programme should clearly explain what is included.
Depending on the programme, this may include individual consultations, regular progress reviews, personalised guidance, monitoring, accountability and ongoing communication between appointments.
You should also know how often you can contact your coach and what happens when you have a question between sessions.
What happens when things go wrong?
This is perhaps the most important question of all.
Anyone can follow a plan when everything is going well.
The real test comes when it isn’t.
- You have a bad week
- A weekend away with friends
- Your weight increases
- You don’t feel motivated anymore
- You eat something that you believe you should not have
In any one of these situations you need someone to help you understand what happened and what to do next.
That is coaching.
What information will I need to provide?
Individual coaching starts with understanding you.
Before getting started, your coach should want to know about your weight history, eating patterns, lifestyle, activity, sleep, goals and previous attempts at weight loss.
You will also be asked about medications, supplements, dietary restrictions and relevant medical information.
This isn’t about judging what you have done in the past. It is about establishing where you are now.
You cannot create an individual plan without knowing the individual.
What happens after the coaching period ends?
Weight loss is only part of the journey.
Maintaining the weight you have lost is another challenge.
A coaching programme should not leave you wondering what to do next.
There is an option for maintenance coaching, follow-up consultations or ongoing support.
Why not just follow an online expert?
You can.
And if you have the knowledge, motivation and discipline to do that successfully, you may not need individual coaching.
But there is a fundamental difference.
- An online teacher gives you information whereas a coach works with your information.
- An online teacher might explain why protein is important but a coach can look at what you are actually eating and help you work out whether you are getting enough.
- An online teacher can explain carbohydrate restriction while a coach can help you identify why your particular eating pattern is making a carbohydrate restriction difficult to maintain.
- An online teacher can tell you what to do but a coach can help you work out what works for you.
The aim of good coaching is not to make you dependent on your coach forever. But rather it is to help you understand your own behaviour and learn how to make better decisions.
That is why you don’t need another diet plan.
You don’t have to start perfectly
You don’t need to wait until you are completely motivated and you don’t need to clean out your kitchen first.
You don’t need to lose a few kilos before contacting a coach.
And you certainly don’t need to prove that you can do it on your own.
Simply start from where you are.
So, is weight loss coaching worth paying for?
That depends on what you need.
If all you want is a food list, there are thousands available online.
If you want another generic diet plan, you probably don’t need a coach.
But if you want someone who will listen to what is actually happening, help you identify what is getting in your way, answer your questions, adjust the approach when necessary and keep you accountable, individual coaching offers something very different.
You are paying for personal attention, feedback and support.
Final thought
There is no shortage of weight loss information.
What is missing is someone who can help you make sense of it.
Someone who knows your situation and who you can talk to when things aren’t going according to plan.
And that is where good coaching begins.