Weight Loss Coaching

We’re all familiar with diets. A new expert arrives on the scene and says his or her program is the latest and greatest way to lose weight. It will melt off the pounds with ease. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever tried before. Yada, yada.

And even though we’ve already tried Low-Fat and Atkins and Paleo and Slim Fast with no long-term success, we go and buy the book, hoping that THIS is the magical weight loss solution we’ve been praying for.

We throw ourselves right back on the diet roller-coaster. A familiar ride that goes a little something like…

1. I’m really going to do it this time!
2. Just one cheat day won’t make a difference.
3. I’m getting kind of bored with this diet.
4. I don’t want to do this anymore.
5. I can’t fail again (insert guilt and self-loathing).
6. Screw it – I’ll never lose this weight.
7. Ooh, Dr. Oz is promoting a new diet – think I’ll give it a try.

Why does this happen? Because the solution isn’t out there or in a diet book, it’s within us. Traditional diets ultimately fail because overeating is the symptom, not the problem. Diets are a band-aid approach to weight loss.

Until we shine a light on why we eat when we’re not physically hungry, we’ll continue to lose the weight and gain it back – over and over. We’ll continue to use diets to distract us instead of digging in, learning the lessons and doing the work.

Weight loss doesn’t suddenly create happiness, self-acceptance and worthiness. We need to create these feelings first. I call this inside-out weight loss.

It’s time to say GOODBYE to…

“Once I reach (insert magic number), then I’ll finally be happy, lovable and valuable.”

And say HELLO to…

“My body is trying to teach me something.”

Our extra pounds are there for a reason. And they won’t go away permanently until we’ve learned the lessons they are so desperately trying to teach us.

If you’re tired of dieting, depriving and hating your way thin, then maybe it’s time for a new approach. Weight Loss Coaching isn’t just another diet. It’s an inward journey that leads to a long-term solution.

Robyn Spurr is a Certified Health Coach, Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. She helps women reach their healthy, natural weight and stay there without all the diet craziness.

For more information on Weight Loss Coaching, click here.

The short answer. We’ve got it backwards. Permanent weight loss has nothing to do with finding the right diet or having enough willpower. Keeping the weight off requires more than a diet – it requires change. To change anything about our lives, even our brand of laundry detergent, causes great anxiety. This is exactly why the support of a coach (who has been down this road) is so helpful.

The not so short answer. Losing weight isn’t the hard part. We all know what we need to do – put down the damn cookies and move our bodies more often. The “hard” part is choosing to feel rather than cover up the sadness or anxiety with pizza. The “hard” part is getting clear about who we really are and what fulfills us.

When we’re fuzzy about these things, we feel constrained, stuck, uninspired, anxious and overwhelmed. And we eat to cope.

Eating temporarily distracts us from the unpleasant feelings – but as soon as we’re finished stuffing our faces, we’re right back to feeling bad – along with a side order of guilt, self-loathing and stomach pain.

Food doesn’t have magical powers – we do. And once we tap into our own brilliance and wisdom, we no longer need the extra food.

So how do we unleash this wisdom?

Simple. We ask the following question until we no longer believe that food is the answer…

Does this choice feel good in the deepest layers of my being?

And if you believe that binging on a box of Thin Mints feels good to your soul – then you’re lying to yourself

And you know it.

Robyn Spurr is a Certified Health Coach, Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. She helps women reach their healthy, natural weight and stay there without all the diet craziness.

For more information on Weight Loss Coaching, click here.

I read this brilliant blog post the other day and felt compelled to share it. If you don’t want to read the entire article, here’s the gist:

“To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself.”

Amen!

Close your eyes and take a moment to reflect upon how you currently perceive yourself. Peek inside your brain and notice what you’re thinking about yourself on a daily basis. Be honest.

For many of my clients, their thinking looks something like this when we first start working together.

I’m the type of person who:

• always gives up
• hates to exercise
• can’t resist sweets
• is doomed
• doesn’t like to cook
• will always be fat
• can’t get it together

Guess what happens when we think these types of thoughts about ourselves? We create results that validate our thinking. We order take out instead of cooking a healthy meal at home. We don’t exercise. We stay fat. We give up!

Before you start setting goals like, “I want to run a 10K this year” or “I want to lose 50 pounds” consider creating a new identity first. What type of person do you want to become?

I tried this myself and here’s what I came up with.

I want to become the type of person who:

• exercises because I want to, never because I “have” to
• is a positive influence and a force of good on this planet
• always learns from her mistakes
• is a good friend
• cherishes the people she loves
• takes risks
• forgives easily
• never stops trying to achieve greater health and happiness
• gets better with age

Grab a piece of paper and give it a go.

The next step is prove it with what the author calls “small wins”. I like to use the term evidence for success. On a daily basis, notice of all of the things you’ve done that support your new identity. Start small.

For example, if you want to move your body more. Buy a pedometer or a new pair of tennis shoes, take a short walk around the block or park in the back of the Walmart lot and walk an extra 50 yards each way.

Create your new identity first. Write it on a Post-it note and stick it everywhere. Believe it. Live it. And then notice how much easier it is to achieve the results you want.