New Year, new you! I bet you are thinking this is the year, I finally lose that 15lbs that has been stubbornly hanging on. Or I am going to start exercising regularly in 2021, promise. Or maybe you are already participating in dry January because you’ve noticed – well, you may have been indulging a little too much this holiday season, or maybe this whole year. I know, with COVID, who can blame you wanting to have a drink to take the edge off? You think it is time to back off. Good for you! Or maybe you got a wakeup call the last time you visited your doctor.

Whatever the reason it may be time to check out what a health coach could do for you now.

You may be thinking, I don’t need a health coach, Michelle. I know what to do to stay healthy and fit. All I have to do is eat less, exercise more and that should do it. Calories in and calories out. The less I eat, the less I will weigh. I just need to tighten and tone with exercise. All done. I don’t need someone to tell me what to do. Maybe I will try Intermittent Fasting. Or Keto.

That’s great. I am glad you are motivated to make a change right now. Because if ever there was a time, it is now. As we have found with this corona virus, people with pre-existing conditions suffer more and end up in the hospital more often if they get COVID.

And, as we mature, we are dealing with a host of other issues, beside weight gain. We also have to contend with sarcopenia, osteopenia and osteoporosis. Meaning we are not only gaining more fat, we are losing muscle mass, bone density and setting ourselves up for a fall (sometimes literally), if we don’t make some serious dietary and fitness changes.

Coaching has been found to help people make the lasting healthy lifestyle changes that have been recommended by their doctor or just keep you on track and motivated. Here are seven good reasons to find out if a coach might make the difference for you:

• 1. A coach interviews you and assesses where you are right now, based on the information you share confidentially.

• 2. A coach helps you figure out what your wellness goals are and helps you achieve them.

• 3. A coach keeps you on target to hit those goals with regular check ins.

• 4. A coach motivates you to make the changes you desire to optimize your health.

• 5. A coach supports you when you hit plateaus (which you will) and helps you keep going.

• 6. A coach provides you with dietary and wellness information that corresponds to your needs, based on age, how sedentary you are, and any pre-existing conditions.

• 7. A coach supplies you with resources such as meal planning, recipes, and tips to help make your lifestyle change easier.

There is so much more a coach does because a coach takes the time to find out all about you. What is going on in your life, commitments and stresses that get you sidetracked, and helps you implement tools that will work for you. It is not one size fits all.

You are like no other person, and that is why all the other things you have tried haven’t worked long-term. Sure, you may have lost some weight with Weight Watchers, Isagenix or a Burn Bootcamp. But did you keep it off?

Until you take the time to explore and test your individual makeup with a coach, you will have a hard time sustaining real change.

And that change will impact you for many years, keeping you fit and healthy as you age. And that is very real. We are all going to live longer, that is a fact. But, are we going to live healthier, longer? That is up to you.

If you are not where you want to be with your health, fitness, and overall body shape, this may be the time to call in the coach.

If you are still on the fence, I encourage you to join me for an Introduction to Intermittent Fasting on Friday, January 8, at 6pm to a) find out about Intermittent Fasting and how it may help you jumpstart your weightloss journey and b) find out more about my revised GRIT 21-day health transformation, which begins on Sunday, January 17, just in time for my 3rd year anniversary at 66 High Street. Woohoo!

If you are ready to dive in, contact me for a free 20 minute consultation.

Have a great week!