Embarking on a weight loss journey can feel daunting, especially if you've done it a few times before and it hasn't been overly successful or straightforward. Fluctuations in motivation can threaten to derail your progress and the initial burst of motivation that saw you cooking healthy meals and heading to the gym can wane.
This is where a health coach can come in. Health coaching has gained significant traction as a tool for those seeking to lose weight and achieve optimal health. Health coaches offer personalised support, tailored strategies, motivation and advice and can change your weight loss experience into something that feels attainable.
We'll explore how guidance and accountability from a health coach can enhance your weight loss efforts, and help you create lasting lifestyle changes, and how you can get weight loss assistance from Pilot's health coaches.
What is a health coach?
A health and wellness coach is a trained professional who uses motivational strategies to assist people in achieving their health goals, helping them make positive and lasting changes.
Health coaches work to empower their clients and patients, helping them integrate healthy habits into their day-to-day lives. A health coach will identify the areas that may need improvement and create strategies to help you overcome challenges.
Health coaches can also specialise in certain fields, for example, exercise science, nutrition or lifestyle medicine.
Individuals may explore health and wellness coaching to help manage the following health challenges:
- Weight loss or weight management
- Smoking
- Behaviour change relating to health and wellness
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Exercise
Whether you want advice on exercise, food choices, sleep etc, a health coach will work with you to make sustainable changes in your life.
What does health coaching involve?
Health coaches often begin by exploring your lifestyle, including your diet and habits around exercise and well-being. From here, they'll work with you on your goals, providing solutions, support and guidance.
While each health coach will have a slightly different approach, you can expect to discuss your health goals, any limitations or challenges you face as well as a deep dive into your current health and lifestyle behaviours.
Your coach will work with you to create healthy changes, which could include customised plans around exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices.
How can health coaching help on your weight loss journey?
Health professionals (like health coaches) can provide guidance and support to help you every step of the way.
As well as gaining the tools and knowledge required to take control of your health and make informed decisions, you’ll also be able to make behavioural changes that become part of your daily routine. In doing so, you’ll create sustainable habits that lead to losing weight and keeping it off.
Still unsure how a health coach can help on your health journey? Consider the following benefits health coaching can provide.
Assistance with your workout routine
For long-term, sustainable results, you need a consistent routine that makes a healthy diet and exercise a fixture of your daily life.
A health coach can help you formulate an effective workout routine and hold you accountable to these goals. It's natural for motivation to wane, and this is where health coaching comes in handy.
For example, studies have found that people trying to quit smoking were 73% more likely to be successful in quitting when working with a health coach [3].
Food choices
When it comes to overhauling your health, one of the biggest struggles is improving your diet. Thankfully, a health coach can give you the knowledge necessary to make informed nutrition choices, setting you up for sustainable weight loss or weight management.
In a study of 11 different trials, researchers found that people who enlisted the services of a health coach ate more fruits and vegetables and less unhealthy fats than those who didn’t work with a health coach [4].
Set achievable goals
It can be tempting to set lofty goals when it comes to weight loss or improving your health.
A health coach can work with you to understand your vision and then develop specific, realistic, achievable goals with a clear timeframe so you can move forward with ease.
Weight loss
A health coach can help you kickstart weight loss with effective results. According to a clinical trial conducted on 415 people, those who met with a health coach virtually or in person lost more weight than those who were left to lose weight on their own [5].
Overcome challenges
No matter where you are in your health journey, it’s inevitable that challenges will arise. Whether they present in the form of an injury, a health-related accident, emotional setbacks, or a change to your routine, a health coach provides knowledge and tools to anticipate obstacles and overcome them.
How effective is health coaching?
Health coaching is extremely effective when it comes to a range of health issues, including weight loss, chronic conditions, diet and exercise, addiction, and stress reduction.
A study found that health coaching led to “clinically relevant improvements in multiple biomarker risk factors” such as cholesterol, blood pressure, body weight, and cardiorespiratory fitness, making it extremely valuable [1].
Another study found that for individuals with multiple chronic conditions, managing lifestyle changes for optimal health can be challenging, particularly if tasked with making health behaviour changes [2].
In this instance, health coaching was found to be an effective tool in facilitating the uptake of health behaviours and is seen as a “patient-centred intervention approach that uses solution-focused techniques to enhance motivation and positive action”.
This is why we use health coaching as part of Pilot's Weight Reset Program to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Our health coaches help you manage your weight loss journey, providing helpful advice and guidance on everything from exercise to food choices. Learn sustainable habits that stick and help you keep the weight off in the long term.
How to access health coaching
Now that you know the benefits of a health coach and how they can help you, you’re probably wondering where you can access health coaching.
Wellness coaching is available on a range of platforms, from in-person consultations to online platforms. Some healthcare providers also offer coaching as part of their services, so be sure to check in with your doctor or health professional to see if this is available.
Pilot's health coaching, as part of our Weight Reset Program, is a great place to start if you're wanting to lose weight and embark on a lifestyle lifestyle.
Pilot's allied health practitioners will help you set weight loss goals, discuss previous challenges and use your medical history to inform the best weight loss strategy for you. Weekly check-ins with your practitioner to track your physical, mental and biometric progress means they can make adjustments to your program as you progress.
Plus, over 14% body weight is lost on average by people using one option Pilot can recommend. Learn to control hunger and cravings, target your appetite and eat less.
You don't have to do it alone, we're here to help.
Photo credit: Pexels x Mikhail Nilov
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