Table of Contents
What does a weight loss coach do?
A certified weight loss coach should primarily focus on mindset. Why, what is mindset? Because as trained life coaches with a specialization in weight loss they know that diets are not the problem. A thought or what we think and how they manifest in our emotions and behaviors is the true culprit. This is great news because it takes the pressure off of who the client believed themself to be and puts it on their mindset that is able to be modified.
The job of a weight accountability coach is to help the client understand why clients are overeating. This is typically done in stages.
Also, read this Article on Transitional Coaching
Stage 1
This stage is transformational. It is to help you understand your thoughts, not simply attempt to listen to your thoughts. Too often, people believe in their own thoughts. The truth is that thoughts like the wind come and go. We are the ones who decide to take hold of thoughts and focus on them, typically we spend way too much time thinking about the wrong ones. This is when our emotions or feelings take a turn for the worse. We do not innately want to feel bad so we go to something that can change our thoughts and replace our mood.
By understanding that emotions or feelings are simply a barometer for the quality of our thinking, we can let go of our thinking and simply allow the negative thoughts to float away. Thoughts are always replaced immediately. Have you ever wasted effort and time trying fruitlessly to clear your mind of all thoughts? The only way to come close to this is to think about something such as your breathing.
Stage 2
Recognize that the problem is not finding the right diet. For the most part, any diet works, if you stick with it. The trouble with this is most diets are terrible and difficult to maintain. This makes failure inevitable. Simply knowing that it is not finding the right diet keeping you from losing weight is freeing. It takes the weight off your mind about failing at being able to tell the difference between good and bad diets. You just need to find a diet (nutritional, healthy, eating plan or lifestyle) that you love and can easily stick with.
Diets are typically just allowing someone else to decide what and how much you are going to eat. So, in a nutshell, it’s just a meal planner. Planning, preparing, and having meals for many looking at a weight loss coach is not the real problem. The trouble is over-consuming calories during the day. It is the snacking, or binge eating that is ingesting food that is not being used to quench hunger pains but rather emotional pains that is the real issue.
Stage 3
The final step is to teach clients to listen to their body’s hunger signals. All people don’t overeat, and no one was born overeating, instead, it is a habit or behavior that was learned. Using a growth mindset, clients can become aware of their unhealthy habits and overcome them. A qualified weight loss coach teaches clients how to see food as a tool rather than a reward. Eating with others becomes more enjoyable as they realize they are in control of the food and decision to eat it or not. This type of mindset takes practice. But a weight loss life coach is there to guide clients all along the way
Also, read this Article on Empowerment Coaching
What is a diet coach?
A diet coach is typically someone who is selling a particular diet plan. They have a vested interest in making sure you buy as much of the diet plan food, drinks, meal replacements, snacks, videos, and other types of garb as possible. This is not to say they do not have an interest in your health and success, but they may push you into inappropriate diets or lifestyles based on misaligned goals.
What is a nutrition coach?
A nutrition coach typically has a certification as a nutritionist. They can assist you in creating meal plans, portions for meals and so forth depending on your health issues. This is a great place to start if you are being told that your weight is becoming a health issue by your primary care physician. This type of coaching may also be covered by your health insurance coverage, check your individual plan for details.
What is a fat loss coach?
A fat loss coach is typically a weight loss coach that focuses on fat loss, rather than the mindset of the individual. While the end goal is the same the route there is different. Fat loss coaches help clients focus on caloric intake and deficit, protein target, and whole-food eating. The focus is greater on the quality and quantity of eating and less on the primary reasons for overeating.
Depending on your personal, health, and lifestyle circumstances, you may decide this type of loss coach is a better fit.
Can a personal weight loss life coach help me lose weight?
The short answer is maybe. It is entirely up to you. Because everyone is different, the needs they have in a life coach are as well. But keep in mind, good life coaching can help with understanding the mental, emotional, and circumstantial obstacles that may have been hindering successfully losing weight. A properly aligned accountability coach, such as a weight loss coach can help you eliminate them as well. Coaching also provides the foundational support needed to follow a long-term plan like losing weight.
How much does an online weight loss accountability coach cost?
While there is no set standard for charging as a coach. You can expect to pay as much as you are comfortable paying. The interesting part here is that while some weight loss coaches charge $15 an hour and some $290 an hour some are worth every penny and others are overcharging and/or undercharging.
A fair number for a consultation and interview so you can decide if they are worth your time and investment of $40. Typically, this is covering the introduction and overview of their and your expectations of service. The introduction may be a fast as 15 minutes or as long as 2 hours depending on the coach. Other fees may be differentiated as well.
The weight loss coaching program may include a monthly charge for predetermined services and meetings. Which may include group sessions, one-on-one sessions, video meetings as well as phone call sessions.
What to look for in a virtual weight loss life coach:
The first thing to look for is certification. They should be trained in the field of weight loss coaching. Should be healthy and look like they have a handle on not overeating themselves. They should ask many questions and allow you to come up with the answer with only minimal assistance. A great coach never judges or forces you into a diet plan you do not want. The main thing to look for is a feeling or intuition that lets you know that the coach you are talking to seems to actually have your best interests at heart. The number one thing to look for is for someone who cares about you and your future success.
If you need a great weight loss coach right now take a minute and click (HERE for Strong With Sarah). She seems amazing! Her story is inspiring and empowering. This is not a paid link, she just inspires us, so we are sharing her here with you.
Also, read this Article on Life Purpose Coaching
Best Online Weight Coaches Have Proper Training and Certification
There are lots of life coaches helping people who are interested in losing weight. But if you can find a certified weight loss life coach who has the additional weight loss specialization it is a bonus. But again, be sure they have done the work to get trained in the field of coaching at the very least.
A Holistic Weight loss Coach asks and Understands Your Medical Needs.
One of the best qualifiers in looking for a life coach or weight loss coach is to look for a holistic weight loss life coach. Having a holistic view of the issues behind hanging onto additional fat, a holistic focused coach often askes questions that are overlooked by other coaches.
If you have a medical issue that requires you to lose weight, using a holistic life coach with a specialization in weight loss can improve your efforts and increase a healthy loss of fat and weight.
How to Use a Weight Loss Coach
The best way to use a coach for weight loss is to find one with whom you connect. Express your desires and clarify your goals and see if the two of you mesh well. A good coach should feel like a friend, but a friend that can tell you things that might be offensive by other friends. A good coach should be able to call you on your junk, but in a way that comes from a truly helpful heart.
How do you become a certified weight loss coach?
To become a certified weight loss coach, you need to first come to the decision from a place of service to others. It should be a calling. After that is to simply find the certification program that offers you the absolute best education, training, and ongoing support to assist you in the process of creating, launching, and growing your coaching business. Austerity Health Academy is a great place to start.
Austerity Health is dedicated to assisting coaches and aspiring coaches with helpful insights and industry tips. If you have any helpful guidance you would like to share with the AH community, please leave a message below or join the discussion in our Facebook Group.