Diet Coaching - A Better Plan

Do you have a desire to improve your diet? The definition of the word 'diet' is actually "the foods you habitually eat". However, the word has acquired a negative connotation over the years from scores of restrictive weight loss regimens. If you have tried different diets, plans, pills, and programs over the years, no doubt you have found that none of these promotes a lasting change.

You're an intelligent consumer who knows what foods are "fattening" and avoids these most of the time. Still, you find the scale won't budge down to a lower number. Or worse yet, maybe it's been creeping up a few pounds each year. So where can you go from here to find the way to making real changes in your eating habits that will produce the results you know you'd like to see?

A diet coach is trained in both nutrition and coaching. If you find one who is a registered dietitian you can be sure the information you're receiving is truly and scientifically accurate It's frustrating to be bombarded with so much information on "good fat versus bad fat", "good carbs versus bad carbs", "harmful chemicals versus organic foods" when you can't discern what is true. A dietitian can provide you with the facts.

Where does the coaching part come in? We know by now that facts alone do not lead to weight loss. Most people who are obese know that it is not a good idea to eat half the bag of chips, or six donuts at a sitting, or fries with that shake. That knowledge is not enough to make a change. Even when accompanied by motivation, the necessary changes do not occur. There needs to be a modification in your environment to create a shift in your habits. This is what a coach can help you achieve.

A coach partners with you; listening, questioning, and contributing observations. A coach assists you in generating ideas and possibilities, clarifying goals, and designing action plans. A coach helps you bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. Your coach challenges you when you need to be pushed. When you are with your coach you feel supported, encouraged, and empowered.

Your diet coach works with you individually or in a small group of people who have similar goals and situations. He or she helps you make individualized action plans that will work for you to meet your personal goals. One step at a time you will make gradual and simple changes. One week at a time you will change your attitude towards food. One day you will realize you are now eating healthier. You'll sense you are now feeling better, about yourself and about food, because you have made lasting new habits and left old notions about "good" and "bad" foods behind. And perhaps shed a few pounds along the way.

Laurie Beebe is a registered dietitian, certified in adult weight management, trained in life coaching to help people implement changes in their environment. Coaching helps dramatically by allowing people to set their own goals and design their own action plans to start their path to success. Please visit Laurie's website, "Shaping Your Future" at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com for diet tips, links to great books and websites, to sign up for a free monthly newsletter, or for more information on coaching.