What a coach can do for you. As a coach I have many roles, from guiding to educating and providing accountability. But one thing I won’t do is tell you exactly what and when to eat. Let’s talk about the shortcomings of meal plans and why I just won’t go there. First off, I am not qualified to do so. As a nutrition coach, vs a dietitian, individualized meal plans are beyond the scope of what I do. Also, the more rules and limitations that you put around your diet, the less likely you are to be able to maintain it long term. It may work for a while, but we both know that it won’t work forever. And that’s not my jam. Ultimately, I want to get you to a place where you succeed without my help.
Listen, I get it: there is so much information out there that following a detailed plan laid out for you might seem like the easiest idea. Tell me what to eat, tell me when to eat it and I will just do that religiously for 3 months. How many of you have tried something like this before? Where are you at now? It worked great for a while, but then you went on a vacation. You lost 5-10 lbs, but then life got busy and pretty soon you were 10-15 lbs up! A meal plan is rigid in nature and you heard the saying before, anything that does not bend will break. It’s only a matter of time until you get sick of chicken, rice and broccoli or life throws a curve ball at you. What happens next? You get back on track? Likely no, instead you chalk it up to another failed diet and start looking for the next quick fix.
For me it’s about giving you the tools to succeed long term by teaching realistic expectations and helping you build a better relationship with food. We use flexible eating in our approach because it works. We have seen time and time again that it gives you a skill set and tools that you can use anywhere, anytime and still have a life. It doesn’t need to be your forever; in fact, it’s not necessary for everyone all the time. Many flexible dieters go on to successfully intuitively eat. There is still a lot of value in doing it, even for a short period of time. You gain knowledge from the experience, learn your portion sizes, how to build your meals and balance your days. Ultimately you get to find what feels best for you while also giving you results. You have heard the saying: you can’t manage something you don’t properly measure. By measuring your macros you can learn to manage your diet better.
Our coaches will give you to the tools to achieve your goals while living your life. We are here to help you figure out what to eat, find out what works for you and make sure it is individualized to your needs. But you will have to do the work, because ultimately, life won’t wait for you. There is no black and white or on or off; we need to have the tools to succeed not just when life is perfect, but when real life happens, because this is where we all live 90% of the time.
Want to get a head start, we have a few past blog posts to help you get started.
Finding your own way.
Where to start and what to eat?
Meal Planning coach Kate edition.
Annie 🙂