Let’s be real. Most people already know what they should be doing to be healthy and happy, but they’re not doing it. IMO, that’s reason enough for why you need a Health Coach.
When I speak with potential clients, they rattle off long lists of what they think they should be eating (salad) and what they think they should be doing (working out) – there’s more to wellness than salads and working out, btw – but when I ask what stands in the way of actually doing it, I get everything from silence to an even longer list of reasons like work, kids and a busy social life.
All of those reasons are valid. I don’t doubt that it can be challenging to follow through with healthy habits, because life. Even more so, the prospect of making changes to become the person you really want to be is scary.
What would it mean if you actually had a job you love and you couldn’t console yourself by complaining about it over glasses of wine with friends?
What would your life look like if you lost those extra 50 pounds and you didn’t have a reason to hide out at home anymore?
What if you try and it doesn’t work out?
While we know the alternative is better, we can be frightened by the potential of our own greatness or even the possibility of failure.
What many people don’t realize is the biggest roadblock in the way of following through to become who they want to be and feel how they want to feel, is themselves.
I was wrapping up a session with a client and we were reflecting on how far she’d come in her program. On the first day of her program, 3 months ago, she said to me, “I wish I were the kind of person who could work out in the morning, but I’m not.”
Silence. I knew just what to ask, but I let it sink in for a minute – for both of us, because there she was, putting conditions on her abilities and constraints on herself that weren’t really there.
The truth is, anyone can be a morning person, fall in love, cook and eat nourishing food, have a fulfilling career, meditate, run a marathon. ANYTHING. The question is, do you want to? And if you DO want it, how bad?
After the pause, I said to her, “Why can’t you be?”
She didn’t have an answer. I knew she wouldn’t because deep down, she knew she could be.
I gave her a homework assignment that would help her decide whether or not she wanted to be a morning exerciser, which was really just a directive to go to the gym in the morning two to three times that week and see how she felt about it.
Three short months later she is – without a doubt – a morning exerciser. She starts her day more energized and happy and feels more productive.
THAT is transformation. THAT is why you need a health coach.
So often we put ourselves in a box, imagine limitations that aren’t there or tell ourselves a story that keeps us stuck. This client went from not exercising at all to consistently exercising in the morning because she could do it before work, she felt great after her workout and it cultivated the feelings that were aligned with how she wanted to show up in her life – the goals we set forth at the beginning of her program.
All of this just because somebody pushed her to stretch outside her comfort zone.
Of course, Health Coaches can help you with what to eat and how to meal plan, but a really masterful coach can take you deeper – he/she can challenge you in new ways, ask those difficult questions, help you see a new perspective and shine a light on your patterns. Sometimes, we know we want to change, but fear gets in the way. A Health Coach takes your hand and moves you past that fear so you feel supported and accountable in ways you’ve never experienced before.
Who would you be and what would you do if you stopped putting limitations on yourself?
Don’t try to go it alone. Get the support you need from a Health Coach.
If you’re ready to finally feel freedom from food and fad diets, check out my book, Your Holistically Hot Transformation: Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle Free of Dieting, Confusion and Self-Judgment and/or schedule a complimentary Freedom From Fad Diets Breakthrough Session with me.
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