My Approach to Nutrition Coaching

I got inspired to write about this topic in part because of people asking about the one "best" way to achieve the results they want and in part because I am constantly surprised by people coming to me with one of the following three statements, or some variation of them.

-I want to do workouts that get me a six pack

-I want to know what is the best diet to lose weight (check out the article I posted earlier this week)

-I always fall off my diets because they're too hard to follow

First of all, six packs are made in the kitchen, there is no best diet, and if it's too hard to follow, you're probably over-restricting. Second of all, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by these questions/statements because we are all conditioned to seek out quick results and the most direct route to get them, probably because no one ever feels like they have the TIME to invest in their health. Funny enough, that accelerated route is not how health works- losing and gaining weight takes time! You didn't get to 50lbs overweight in one week, so you're not going to lose 50lbs in one week. In addition to poor expectations of time when it comes to weight loss and muscle building, people often assume they have to be 100% perfect all the time. I disagree. Progress can and will be made, even working toward your goals 50% of the time. Plus for most of us, life gets in the way from time to time and when strict, 100%-completion diets are in place, this leads to quitting and never starting again.

I am in this boat right now. It's "shred season" and I am working on getting "shredded." Did I eat junk food and drink too much last weekend for my birthday? Yes I did. Am I what I would consider "on track" to my goal at the moment? No, not really. But I am a REAL PERSON, just like all my clients, so my progress isn't always going to be linear. That doesn't mean I won't achieve my goal, it just means I am taking a realistic route to get there. Call it lack of discipline, giving up, lazy, I don't care- I call it life. Even when I get "off track", I still try to focus on some core practices to keep my body feeling good and keep my digestion running smoothly (there is direct correlation between stomach mood and mental mood in my expert opinion). Those practices are:

Eat more whole foods.

Drink a gallon of water a day.

Eat lots of protein and veggies.

Move every day.

Maybe I am always preaching the same thing or making things "too simple", but in reality, SIMPLE is what we all need to do to MAINTAIN and be CONSISTENT. While complicating things with macros and water levels may work to achieve short-term goals, for the average person- which most of us are (me included)- it just doesn't make sense. It's not the fancy stuff that gets us to long term health and success, it's the simple steps over time.

Maybe you're "off track" too right now? As a coach, I am here to support you, share my real experience, and work through those difficulties and derailments together. I am not a drill sergeant. I am the motivator to eat the good foods, drink the water, and move your body.

See y'all next week!