This Could Be What You Need to Finally Reach Your Goals

We all have things we’d like to improve on in life. Some of us aspire to run a marathon. Some of us just want to feel good in our jeans—and some of us are better at setting goals and following through than others. Wherever you land on the spectrum, there are many reasons a nutrition coach may be just what you need to guide you along the way. Why? We can’t do everything ourselves. Having someone who’s been there before or has knowledge you don’t have is key to  creating and sticking to a plan. (If you’ve been trying to reach a goal without a concrete plan, you know it’s a practically impossible feat!) The best news is that there are different coaches who can meet your specific needs—such as a nutrition coach, life coach or health coach. RELATED: 3 Expert Tips to Set Achievable Goals Ready to start crushing your goals? Consider these three reasons a coach may be just what you need. 3 Reasons to Get a Coach 1. A Coach Will Hold You Accountable This is often the No. 1 reason why my clients seek coaching. They have an idea of what they “should be doing” but really need someone to push them along the way, or push them harder if they hit a roadblock. If you struggle to connect the dots to make a behavior a habit, you need a coach. Bonus: Our greatest assets can be ones we don’t realize, and a good coach will help you discover those and bring them to life. 2. You Feel Overwhelmed Many of my clients know they need a complete overhaul, but are so overwhelmed they don’t know where to begin. This is where coaching can help you break out of the rut you are in and start new habits. We begin by looking at your big picture goals and breaking them down into actionable steps. RELATED: How to Manage Your Stress So You Can Focus on Healthier Habits 3. A Coach Provides a Personalized, Outside Perspective Sometimes when we’re stuck in the muck we can’t see through to the other side. An outside perspective is crucial, especially when it comes with one-on-one personalized advice (as opposed to internet research providing you with a one-size-fits-all approach). For example, I’ve been working with a client who has been trying her hardest to overcome her sugar habit. When we finally talked it out, she discovered ways she could change her routines in order to break the habit. She has been able to skip having a nightly sweet treat and opt for some fruit or herbal tea instead. Although the solutions seemed simple, she admitted she hadn’t thought about trying these things. One final tip before you go get a coach: I encourage you to make sure the coach you seek out is a certified one. Look for someone who’s educated on the subject they’re helping you with, with a a degree or full certification that goes beyond a two-week course. By Gretchen Riddle, CHES, CHWC, NLC About Gretchen: Gretchen Riddle, CHES, CHWC, NLC is a certified health and wellness coach and a graduate of Nutritious Life Studio’s Become a Nutrition Coach course.   She has worked in corporate wellness for over 12 years coaching and incorporating programs for weight and stress management among other topics. She uses a real food approach to nutrition and works to empower clients to make lifestyle changes that stick. She also provides coaching independently through her own coaching company, Gretchen Leigh Wellness. Learn more at gretchenleighwellness.com.  

Can Food Journaling Really Help You Lose Weight?

Q: Can food journaling really help me lose weight? I despise it and never seem to stick with it. A: You know I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Of any kind. But, this bad news (for all of you despisers out there) isn’t too bad. You may even turn into food journaling lovers by the end of this blog. Food journaling can be your weight loss secret weapon for a whole lotta reasons, and it’s been around since, well, forever, for good reason: it works. So just like you may not love flossing routinely, you do it because it’s good for you and you want a pretty smile too. Need more specific reasons than that to break out a new food diary? Here ya go. 3 Reasons Why Food Journaling Can Help You Lose Weight Accountability.Whether it’s a drill sergeant friend, your nutritionist or simply your sturdy Ticonderoga pencil keeping tabs on what goes in your mouth, accountability works. Food journaling is definitely one way to be accountable either to yourself or to whoever is reading them. One study showed that keeping a food journal doubled a person’s weight loss. It found that the best predictors of weight loss were 1) how frequently food diaries were kept and 2) how many support sessions the participants attended. Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records at all. Another study showed that the more food journals people kept, the more weight people lost. So basically those that maintained focus, diligence, and consistency with journaling were rewarded with fitting into smaller pants. Also, if you’re working with a dietitian or health coach, you’ll get a lot more out of that partnership if you’re sharing all your food deets. The good, the bad and the in between. Putting it all out there will help your nutrition guru help you. Food journaling can be kinda like getting a new gym membership and a fresh pair of kicks…you’re all excited to use them for the first few weeks, but when the novelty wears off, often so does your motivation and consistency. You gotta find a way to get comfy in your new kicks, even after they’re not new anymore, and realize that the more they get broken in, the better you might look in your LuLus. Honesty. Always a good thing, right? Food journaling keeps you honest – even if it’s just with yourself. When I ask clients about a typical a day of eating, I often get this for an answer: “I eat really well, not sure why I’m not losing. I eat a couple eggs for breakfast with a slice of whole grain toast, a kale salad, usually a few nuts for a snack and pretty balanced dinner of some kind of protein and usually a little rice or potato and a salad.” When I have them write down every detail, and I mean every detail, it goes something like this: “Two eggs prepared with butter and a drop of cheese. Slice of toast and two bites of my son’s waffle. Kale salad with dressing and parmesan cheese (I usually skip the cheese though), croutons and chicken. Three handfuls of nuts, diet soda and three bites of my daughters chocolate chip cookie (it was her friend’s birthday)…” You get where this is going. It’s easy to think you eat super clean but until you really hammer it out on paper, you often unintentionally don’t even realize just how much (or in some cases how little) you’re eating. Honesty and food journaling is always the best policy. Besides, your waistline is terrible at keeping secrets. Growth.Growth in all areas of life is always good idea. When it comes to weight loss, health, and food journaling, food journaling can be a wise sage that guides us in a new right direction. Food journaling allows us to reflect and analyze. What worked? What didn’t work? And, finally, how can I improve what I’m eating or the behaviors and habits I’m exhausting? There will come a day when you’ve nailed your diet and you don’t have to spend time food journaling anymore. That’s the ultimate goal, right? But there also may come a day when you need to go back to basics and clean things up again, and food journaling is the first thing you should turn to. It’ll be like riding a bicycle. It’ll feel familiar and easy even if it’s been a long time, and you’ll quickly remember how great it feels to have that wind in your hair…in a smaller pair of shorts.