For many, a weight loss journey is no piece of cake (no pun intended).
Weight loss is a struggle on its own, and those of you who have never tried working with a weight loss coach may be feeling intimidated by the prospect of opening up a sensitive part of your life to a complete stranger.
We get it.
You are probably wondering how you even work with a weight loss coach to reach your goals. So how can you work successfully with a weight loss coach when you have never done it before and you are a mess of nerves?
We have helped over 3,000 clients reach their weight loss goals.
Our team of educated specialists, both dietitians, and nutritionists gave us a list of 10 things that you can do to guarantee success with your weight loss journey while working with a coach.
When you make it to the end of this list, you will have the tools for success and feel more confident about starting with a professional that will help you reach your goals.
1. Ask Your Weight Loss Coach Questions
No one expects you to know it all.
Counting servings and appropriating food groups can be confusing for someone who is not trained in nutrition. Experts make the best weight loss coaches because they know the answers or where to find them.
The whole point of having an expert is so you can learn from their expertise! Ask as many questions as you can and take advantage of having the answers at your fingertips.
This learning experience is an opportunity to educate yourself, as much as it is about meeting your weight loss goals.
2. Communicate Your Needs
Having a personal weight loss coach is the ideal climate to make a weight loss plan that will work for you.
You may have mental or physical needs or a unique lifestyle that limits where you feel comfortable proceeding in your program. It is essential that you talk to them about where you are at so they can meet you at that level to optimize your experience.
Everyone has their unique circumstances and schedule. That is why an individualized plan devoted to you is so much more likely to bring results.
Be sure to share with your weight loss coach what your needs are and be open about how you feel comfortable meeting them.
3. Take it Slow
This process is all about you. So take your time and take small steps to your success at your own pace.
The problem with most approaches to weight loss is everyone thinks they need to be all in and take on the world right away. Fad diets aim to make radical changes and follow harsh guidelines so you can lose 30 pounds FAST. But if you can achieve that, does it stay off?
If this “all-in methodology” is not for you, you are going to have a much harder time fulfilling your goals because what should be molehills, end up being mountains.
Instead, while you are working with a personal weight loss coach, just try to take each day at a time. Make small goals and focus on those only.
With each new accomplishment, you will find your confidence growing as your waistline shrinks.
4. Work As a Team With Your Weight Loss Coach
Your weight loss coach is definitely on your side, but understand that you are going to be putting in the work to reach your goals.
Don’t just show up to your meetings—participate in your plan to achieve better health.
Your weight loss coach can be many things to you, including:
- A cheerleader
- An educator
- A meal planner
- A support system
Most importantly, they are on your side and will take you to the finish line of your goals if you use them well.
Utilizing your weight loss coach as an invaluable asset will be the most important move you make on your weight loss journey.
If you can work honestly and openly with your weight loss coach, you will soon find that you are reaching goals you never thought possible.
5. Embrace Healthy Change
Change is scary! We get it. We all have become set in our ways as adults and developed food phobias that have no current justification.
Take a deep breath and do a little trust fall with your weight loss coach!
You may be surprised to find that foods that you have avoided forever are not only nutritious but also delicious.
In addition, being open to change in your meal planning will bring variety to your life.
Food doesn’t have to be boring to be healthy and your weight loss coach will help guide you in the direction of incorporating new recipes and all food groups into your diet.
If you can open your mind up and flex your pallet--working with your weight loss coach will be more successful and you will build healthier long-term habits in your diet.
6. Seek Opportunities for Growth
Your weight loss coach is ideally a highly educated professional. Many of them are dietitians or nutritionists with advanced degrees and specializations in their field.
Despite their achievement, they continue their education regularly since the science of nutrition is evolving and expanding regularly.
So with that, understand that there is always room to grow in your weight loss journey. Once you have reached your weight loss goals, you may decide to take it a step further with a new goal.
A great weight loss coach will help you to recognize your potential to do great things in your health and help you map out the route to get there.
7. Be Accountable and Consistent
Consistency is key in any weight loss journey! If you are falling off of your routines for a little bit of fun, we aren’t here to shame you for that.
Enjoying those foodie favorites again instead of feeling guilty is where you should ideally end up in your weight loss journey. Getting there takes consistency. Make small, achievable goals and consistently chase them.
Your weight loss coach will help you with the accountability it takes to maintain consistency in your plan. Planning and making decisions during your sessions will set you on the course to a successful endeavor with your weight loss goals.
8. Practice Mindfulness
One of the hardest parts of making a change is enacting it as a habit instead of a decision. Becoming aware of yourself is so important to this end.
When you practice mindful eating you can better control and avoid destructive habits like binge eating.
When you start paying attention to how you feel, how certain foods make you feel, and how circumstances make you feel, you will begin to understand more about how you make certain decisions and how you can work to form new habits.
Here are some ways to practice mindful eating:
- Remove distractions
- Eat with your dominant hand
- Sit down
- Pause between bites
- Save your favorite food for last
Read more about why mindful eating is important and can help you reach your goals.
9. Celebrate Mini-Victories
If you are choosing a great weight loss coach, they will be your cheerleader. But you don’t have to wait for them to tell you that you are on the right track or doing well.
Every time you try something new or meet a personal goal, you should pat yourself on the back. A little internal (or vocalized if you please) self-congratulations will help boost your motivation to meet your goals.
It is NOT an easy thing to change habits or try new things. You should be proud of yourself - we are proud of you for taking the first step.
10. Be Kind to Yourself
With the mini victories also come the moments of horror where you feel you have let yourself down. A great weight loss coach will encourage you to be kind to yourself and overcome the negative feelings along the way.
Many of you are seeking a weight loss coach because you have tried so many things and have been left feeling frustrated and full of doubt.
As humans, we make mistakes and fall off track. It’s time to show yourself forgiveness and take every challenge you face head-on and with self-love. You can do this! Even after you stumble.
A weight loss journey will naturally have bumps along the road and no one is expecting perfection. There is no exception for a great weight loss coach.
So why are you alone holding yourself to an impossible standard?
Are You Ready To Begin Your Own Weight Loss Goals?
Every time you have started a weight loss journey before has been full of chaos, empty promises, and ultimately a disappointment.
That’s why you have come this far right?
You no longer have to fight this battle alone, and it is our sincere wish that you find success in adopting a healthy way of life that works for you.
We have seen thousands of people just like you struggle with unwanted weight and we have helped them achieve their goals and gain a better, healthier, and happier life.
Finding a weight loss coach is half the battle—following these tips will help you win it. You can have the progress you want and the sustainable change you need if you follow these simple tips.
Continue on, Brave One. This endeavor is not easy, but you will get there and a weight loss coach can help.
Find out more about how OnPoint approaches the path to weight loss and better health by downloading the Ultimate Guide To Nutrition Coaching.
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