19/06/2023
Individualised approaches should go far beyond far beyond caloric and nutrient requirements based on a individuals height,weight and bodyfat %
The initial assessment should be a deep dive into the client’s lifestyle. This gives the coach an opportunity to seamlessly integrate the nutrition plan into the clients everyday routine.
As coaches/dietitians we all have our biases and our preferred way of doing things. However we have to be flexible and sometimes meet the client in the ‘middle’
Coaches that employ a ‘my way or the highway approach’ will end up feeling frustrated a lot of the time as clients will ‘jump on and off the program’
There should be some flexibility present within the plan, where the client has some autonomy. People travel, they go on holiday, they go out for family occasions etc etc. This requires the ability to make sensible, alternative food choices.
If all you are used to is a rigid plan from your coach you may not be learning the necessary skills to make the smart choices.
Couple that with the potential feeling of guilt that you have ‘gone off’ plan. This all or nothing type of thinking can be a recipe for disaster.
Research in 2015 (ref in comments) showed that this black and white thinking can impede people’s ability to maintain a healthy weight.
This makes perfect sense - You feel like you have ‘failed’ the plan, and become demotivated as a result.
This can result in going ‘off plan’ for weeks and months at a time before you get the itch to go back to the ‘all or nothing’ approach and the cycle continues. Sound familiar?
Allow yourself some more flexibility and realise that you don’t need machine-like precision and accuracy with your diet to get the results that you desire.
