Lately I have been in a “Behind the Scenes” kind of vibe. I’ve shared some Instagram posts and videos lately that kind of give more of a inside view into what I do, and how I do it. And, to be honest…it’s been kind of a fun way to look back at my business. You know…for the longest time I didn’t really have a set process for coaching people to make healthy lifestyle changes. I just set out to kind of bully them into making those changes. But, that doesn’t really work. People need accountability, not a bully. So, I started to research and get educated on what makes habit change stick for people. Let me tell you that I don’t know how I ever was able to get results for folks before I did this. Below is a quick glance at the very process I use with each and every client that not only gets quick weight loss and health results, but ensures that they stick around for a lifetime.
Nourishment, Personal Power, and Self Sabotage
I used to think that the key to people making lasting changes in their lives had everything to do with, “Just wanting it!”
“You have to want this, or it won’t work!”, is something I used to say to my clients all the time. But it’s rather silly if you think about it. Of course they want change! They wouldn’t have hired me if they didn’t. Telling someone something they already know is true, but still isn’t working is not the best way to build confidence in the process. I was missing key elements to my programs that really drive change, and my clients success was hit or miss. I blamed them, but it was really that I just didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Any habit change coaching program has to consider the three following concepts to be effective.
- Nourishment is about more than just food
- Personal Power development and understanding
- How to deal with Self Sabotage
First and foremost, a coach has to understand that nourishment is not just about food. People often turn to food for comfort to fill something that is missing in their lives, or self medicate themselves from pain that is real or imagined. We deserve a little sweetness in our lives, but our lives are a mess. Work stress, financial stress, social media, politics, kids, getting old, being out of shape, all of these things just keep piling up on us. And, most of us are just not equipped with the knowledge to fix it or handle it. So, we turn to the one thing that brings us pleasure…food.
Simply giving someone a meal plan is not coaching lifestyle changes, because you are not restructuring the habits, beliefs, and attitudes that your client has surrounding food. You can give the healthiest diet there is to someone, but if they overeat due to stress and pain, it’s not helping them. When I work with a client, I make it imperative that they understand why they are where they are with their health. Then we find ways to restructure those old habits in a way that makes follow through easy and as painless as possible.
Next on the list is Personal Power. What can be said about personal power that hasn’t already been written in millions of self help books? Probably not much. But, I will tell you that most people don’t know how much potential they have, and that a lot of the health and weight related problems they suffer from are brought about by trying to deal with unrealized potential and unfulfilled goals, dreams, and visions. Sounds deep, I know. But this is why “Just tell me what to eat!” is NOT the best approach to long term lifestyle change.
After I have helped a client understand their old habits, and started the process of creating new healthier ones, we begin the conversation of “What happens next!”. What are you gonna do after this? Go back to sitting on the couch and binge eating? I hope not. Replacing the old you with a healthier, more energized, and less stressed out you should be exciting! I want you to tap into that personal power and creativity and create a new vision for yourself. My clients learn how to visualize themselves conquering new goals, realizing unfinished business, and stretching themselves farther than they ever have before. I have the best job in the world.
If you’ve ever started a weight loss program, stopped, started again, then gave up….then found another weight loss program, and started all over again, you were most likely dealing with Self Sabotage. Once you understand self sabotage, you can recognize it before it happens. If you can do that, you can stop it from derailing your progress. This is probably the hardest thing I have to help people with, because every person is an individual that has unique self sabotage mechanisms in play.
People self sabotage for any number of reasons. Some are habit based, and some are even deeply rooted in our genetic makeup. Some are social perceptions, desire to be loved and excepted, and some reasons can even stem from how we were raised. But, at the end of the day all of these mechanisms will help you justify giving up no matter how hard you have worked up to this point or how badly you need to make changes. The more help someone needs, the less change they can undertake. And this is why understanding your proclivity to self sabotage is so crucial to your success.
My 1 to 1 coaching programs are 12 weeks in length. Each week we tackle an aspect of these three concepts above. This allows new habits to take root in a way that they don’t end up just being something you are doing. They become who you are. A new you with new attitudes and beliefs surrounding food, exercise…and life itself.
Every week I set aside time in my schedule what I call Success Strategy Calls. These 15-30 minute calls will help you uncover what is holding you back, give you a clear vision on your goals, and give you some quick action steps you can take right away. These calls are completely FREE, and they are often the highlight of my week. Space is limited, however. To schedule your free strategy call, CLICK HERE to see my schedule.
Till next time…
Keith Miller
If you don’t know where to start, I’m here for you. Each and every week I set aside times for what I call Success Strategy Sessions. These short (and FREE!) coaching calls are designed to get you moving toward your goals and reaching them at lightening speed. During the call we’ll talk about where you currently are, where you’d like to be, and come up with some quick actionable steps you can take right away.
These calls are FREE, but I only have a limited amount of time to do them each and every week. They are “first-come-first-serve”. Schedule a free Success Strategy Session today!