Generally people look for qualifications, experience, personal life struggles/challenges that one has overcome when looking for a qualified nutrition coach.
But did you know that coaches and nutrition professionals like myself, look for certain qualities in their clients as well?
There are certain habits and qualities that can make someone a more successful clients, because as we know, it takes two to tango! So this coach-client relationship goes both ways...
You've set goals for yourself and know that a plan is needed to achieve them. This generally means you're looking for accountability and understand that there is definitely a journey to travel in order to reach your goals. This is where a nutrition coach and really help you determine a plan to reach these goals!
You know that you need to track some data daily to monitor and measure progress. This is really the only way we can see if you are implementing the interventions we discussed and seeing if they are actually working!
You're able to adjust and adapt to the changes necessary to reach your goals. This means you're willing to make changes knowing that changes are needed. This could look like starting new morning routines to make your day easier, saying no to frequent happy hour dates, or purchasing healthier foods and.or supplements recommended by your nutrition coach.
You communicate well with your nutrition coach; this means you check in on time and keep them informed on any rescheduling that's needed, you are open and honest in your daily/weekly check ins, and you provide quality feedback so the coach can make adjustments and decisions to your protocols to make sure that the plan is still agreed upon and working for you!
You don't get upset, frustrated and give up after a tough day or week or even a month. It's hard to stay motivated when progress may be so small that it seems non-existent or you might have hit a plateau. This is definitely something to bring up to your nutrition coach to see if there are some road blocks or challenges we can address and/or adjust to keep progress going.
Trust your coach; and this doesn't always happen immediately unless you've have a previously established relationship with each other over social media or in real life. Sometimes it can be hard for clients to 'trust the process' which also means they may doubt their coach from time to time. If this occurs, definitely reach out and voice your concerns to gain clarification from your coach and possibly revamp the plan. However, you should have vetted your coach prior to working with them, chatted with them either via a discovery call or over email and you both have agreed that you're a good fit for each other. Remember, progress isn't always linear so most of the time, clients need to trust their coach, trust themselves in the work their putting in towards their goals, and the process.
You should be willing to leave your past diets/behaviors/habits in the past and move forward with the plan/protocol that you and your coach agree upon! This can be hard because habits become ingrained into daily practices but as we grow up, our nutritional needs and physical activity needs definitely change!
Those who apply for coaching with a solid end date in mind, generally are looking for a quick fix to either lose weight for a vacation or specific event. This usually means they're looking for "the weight loss cure" or a crash diet to get them to their goals and a good coach wouldn't put a client through this. I'd argue any coach could achieve this but it's generally not the healthiest thing to do and can set people up for chronic yo-yo dieting and weight cycling. If you want long term sustainable results, you should be willing to put in long term work.
Lastly (yes, I'm ending on 9), you don't need to be perfect with your nutrition protocol, but you should be honest, committed and consistent with the plan. This helps solidify new habits and teach you how to pivot when you do make mistakes or don't follow the plan to a T.
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If you want help getting healthier, need guidance and more accountability, please visit my coaching plans page to see what I offer!
You can also sign up for a discovery call so we can chat about your goals and see if we are a good fit for each other! I'd love to help you achieve your goals if you're truly ready for a change!
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