What sounds scarier … losing weight and gaining it back or not dieting at all?
Sometimes I feel like we’ve become so accustomed to dieting that we don’t even know how not to diet.
For reference, I’m using the word “dieting” to mean an intentional restriction of food in some way with the explicit intent of losing weight.
It’s so ingrained in our culture.
Like seriously, think about it …
Do you feel totally lost without dieting?
Do you feel like you’re floundering if you don’t have some plan that tells you what to eat and what not to eat?
Or when to eat or how much to eat or how many meals, etc.?
It’s so accepted in our society that no one even bats an eye when you disclose the latest diet that you’re on.
“Oh sorry, I can’t eat that, I’m doing keto.”
“I wish I could join you for dinner, but I’m on this new diet that says I can’t eat past 6 pm.”
Totally normal.
I see the dieter’s mindset rear it’s head quite frequently when people inquire about our nutrition coaching program.
It’s as if total personalization is the oddball in the room.
You mean … I don’t get a templated nutrition guide or a meal plan?
Nope.
But you tell me exactly what to eat and when to eat, right?
Nope.
Sooo … what’s the plan?
Well, it’s really about finding what will work best for you based on how your body responds. We look at establishing quality habits and behaviors that will support your goals and also fit within your lifestyle. Then, we see how you’re progressing and make specific adjustments throughout the process based on your feedback and what we’re seeing on our end.
It’s funny how that becomes the scarier thing.
You’re not dieting, you don’t have to track and log every morsel of food, you don’t have to follow a strict meal plan. You have a say in what happens and you get to collaborate with your coach through the process …
And yet, that’s the thing that most people fear.
Give the diet industry credit, they did a remarkable job of creating co-dependency.
Dieting has a low success rate but people still do it!
They also somehow manage to keep people coming back time and time again despite the pathetically low success rate of dieting.
Behavior change is the only way. But most people feel lost with that approach because it can’t be packaged in a simple rulebook or meal plan.
I find that for 99% of people, once they start a personalized approach, the fear starts to dissipate and it feels a whole lot like freedom and peace of mind.
But some people still feel lost without their warm and cozy restrictive diets.
Truth be told, it’s easier to just have someone bark orders at you.
Having to be an active participant in the process is more difficult. Having to engage and communicate requires more of a commitment.
I guess it’s a matter of learning from past mistakes to make better informed decisions.
Do you want the easy way that you’ve tried over and over again with nothing to show for it?
Or do you want the way that actually works?
When we begin our coaching process with our 1 on 1 clients, we start with a personality assessment. The reason for that is we want to get a head start on building sustainable habits and behaviors. By knowing how they’re wired, it gives us more information to streamline that process.
Our clients often report feeling better overall, having more energy, better mood, and experiencing less stress through the process.
Then, we go through a metabolic priming phase which is especially important if you come from a background of chronic dieting. Too much dieting can cause an up to 28% reduction in resting energy expenditure. That’s not good when you want to lose body fat.
So we restore homeostasis, improve metabolic function, and allow their bodies to feel safe in letting go of unwanted body fat.
Lastly, we make sure the habits and behaviors we’re helping them integrate into their lives actually make sense for their lives. In other words, we want them to still be able to enjoy the things that are important to them like family dinners, vacations, travel, social events, etc.
The end result is our clients lose an average of 20-30 lbs in 6 months while having total confidence in being able to maintain those results for life.
Some clients have less to lose and some have more. The process is just as effective because it’s high-touch and highly personalized to each individual.
If you’re ready to finally stop dieting all the time and actually want to reach your goals and stay there …
Reach out to us to see if our 1:1 coaching program is for you.
