Why coaching can be critical for weight loss success

We all know that obesity is widespread and worsening. Worldwide, 51% (over 4 billion people) will be living with either overweight or obesity by 2035 if current trends prevail. And 1 in 4 people (nearly 2 billion) will have obesity[i]. How to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off is a challenging goal, especially for those who have been battling excess weight for a long time. While attention typically focuses on changing eating and exercise patterns, an often overlooked aspect of an effective weight loss strategy is coaching.

Many people are able to lose weight and keep it off on their own without any help. They can look at some guidelines, read a book or look at a website and just follow instructions.

But there are others who have done this multiple times and may have lost some weight, but with time gained it all back and then some—the dreaded yo-yo effect. There are a few possible explanations for this, (see “4 reasons why you can’t keep the weight off”), including the importance of a focus on the long-term, and balancing the metabolism.

One reason for lack of long-term weight-loss success can be the need for a coach. A study found that three aspects of coaching improved weight loss outcomes for those with coaches as compared to those who did not have a coach: one-on-one sessions, web-based group training and regular food log checks[ii].

Why would coaching be important?

Encouragement

The kind of support provided by a coach is different than what intimate partners, family members or friends can provide. A coach has no personal agenda, no past history and no stake in the relationship, and is therefore well situated to provide unconditional encouragement. A single hurtful comment by a family member, even if unintended, can be enough to derail someone who is already having difficulty sustaining their motivation to lose weight. While it may seem unlikely, the positive reinforcement of the “cheerleading factor” can be significant in keeping weight loss on track.

Shopping and Meal prep

Changing eating patterns often involves making changes in other habits, such as grocery shopping. Some coaches actually accompany their clients to the grocery store in order to show them how to find the most affordable AND healthy food items.

Meal preparation is another area that can be daunting for those who need to lose weight, since many people are part of a larger household that includes others who are not necessarily making similar changes in their eating patterns, or growing children who have specific nutritional needs.

Both these factors combined—shopping and meal prep--  can become an engineering feat that becomes much more manageable with the expert assistance of a coach.

Breaking through challenges  

As many of us know, successful weight loss is a journey that can be fraught with trials and tests. For example, reducing or eliminating sugar and processed foods (which most people have to do) can trigger physical discomfort such as headaches or constipation. These symptoms are always temporary, but can still be difficult or discouraging.

Then there are the food cravings. For those accustomed to frequent eating out or fast-food takeout, this can be especially challenging. Also trying are cravings for foods used to cope with anxiety or stress, otherwise known as “emotional eating”. (For more on this, see “Are you an emotional eater?”). Since it can be difficult to sort these things out on your own, a coach can help you better understand your attitude towards food and how you use it in your life.

Another issue faced by many is what to do if there is a wedding, or family birthday party, or a catered lunch at work, or dinner with a friend, or a weekend (or week-long) vacation. A coach can help devise a strategy for managing these “treat meals” in a way that does not undo all the previous hard work!

While these kinds of challenges are typically temporary or intermittent, they can be difficult enough to cause someone to just give up. An experienced coach can help with tried-and-true suggestions for how to navigate all of these hurdles that might otherwise lead to failure.

Accountability

Perhaps the most significant role of a coach is to provide accountability. Again, the coach does not have a personal agenda or stake in the relationship, and can therefore be honest and set the bar high, if needed. A well prepared coach will monitor weight, body measurements and other health-related symptoms on a regular basis.

One important role of a good coach is to ensure that there is not an obsession with the scale. While losing weight is undoubtedly an important goal in itself, many people have health conditions associated with being overweight that improve substantially while the pounds are coming off. High blood pressure and cholesterol, fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as other conditions like osteoarthritis, poor sleep and chronic constipation can all show significant progress when dropping pounds. So when the weight loss seems to stall for short periods, drawing attention to these other health indicators can be helpful and encouraging. 

If you think your weight loss efforts could benefit from coaching, check out Metabolic balance®, the program I am certified to coach that is based on more than 20 years of clinical experience. Metabolic balance® includes a personalized nutrition plan as well as all of the important elements of effective coaching: regular one-on-one sessions, web-based training, and regular monitoring.

Call me for a free 15-minute consultation or schedule one on the online scheduler to learn more about Metabolic balance®.

[i]  World Obesity Federation (2023) World Obesity Atlas 2023 https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wof-files/World_Obesity_Atlas_2023_Report.pdf

[ii] Painter, SL R Ahmed R Kushner J O Hill R Lindquist  S Brunning and A Margulies (2018) “Expert Coaching in Weight Loss: Retrospective Analysis” Journal of Medical Internet Research 20(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871741/