Approximately 75 percent of Americans claim that they eat a healthy diet on a regular basis. At the same time, the research tells a very different story.
A whopping 80 percent of Americans fail to consume the recommended number of fruit and vegetable servings each day. The majority are also overconsuming highly processed, nutrient-poor foods that are loaded with grains and sugar.
If you fall into this category and are struggling to stay on track with your diet, you may want to invest in nutritional coaching.
There are some essential things you need to keep in mind before you hire a coach, though. Read on to learn all about them and make sure you’re choosing the right coach for your needs.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Nutritional Coaching
If you’re on the fence about hiring a nutritional coach, remember that the right coach has a lot to offer. Here are some of the greatest benefits you may be able to enjoy if you work with a coach:
Accountability
Research shows that people tend to have an easier time sticking to diets if they have someone to whom they can be accountable.
In many cases, if you have someone with whom you’re checking in on a regular basis to talk about what you’re eating each day, you’re going to be more inclined to stick to your diet and avoid going off-plan.
Consistent Support
Nutritional coaches provide their clients with consistent support throughout their journey, too. They help them stay motivated, develop good habits and discipline for days when they’re not motivated, and offer encouragement when things get tough.
Access to Information
When you work with a nutritional coach, you have access to the latest nutritional and health-related information. This helps you avoid falling victim to fad diets and trends that don’t have a lot of science (or any science at all) backing them.
If you work with a knowledgeable coach, they’ll be able to give you solid, evidence-based advice that’s more likely to help you reach your health and weight loss goals.
Assistance Setting Goals
Speaking of goals, a nutritional coach can help you set the right kind of goals.
Many people start a new diet or weight loss plan with goals that are far beyond what they can accomplish in a short period of time. Your coach will help you look at your situation in a realistic way and provide guidance to ensure you’re setting goals that you have a good chance of accomplishing.
Reassurance Along the Way
It’s normal for people to experience setbacks and stalls when they’re losing weight and changing their diet.
If you have a coach on your side, they’ll be able to provide you with the reassurance that this is all part of the process. They’ll also help to encourage you when you’re struggling and feel like you want to give up.
What to Look for in a Nutritional Coach
Clearly, nutritional coaches have a lot to offer their clients. If you want to see real results from working with one, though, you need to be very selective. As with any profession, there are some coaches who are better than others.
Listed below are some key factors you ought to look out for when you’re choosing a nutritional coach:
Credentials
One of the first things you need to consider is your potential coach’s credentials. What kind of training have they received that qualifies them to offer you nutrition advice?
Are they a registered dietitian? A health coach? Do they have any kind of certification?
Credentials aren’t the only thing that matters, of course, but they’re still important. Look for a coach who values their work so much that they’re willing to invest in learning how to do it in the correct way.
Experience
In addition to their credentials, you also ought to consider your coach’s experience.
How long have they been working in this field? How many clients have they worked with before you?
Find out what kind of clients they tend to work with, too. Do they specialize in helping athletes? Post-menopausal women?
Coaching Style
Every coach has a different style.
Find out what your potential coach’s typical approach is when working with a new client and consider whether or not that approach will work well for you.
If it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean they’re a bad coach. They might not be the right coach for you, though.
Reputation
Consider each coaching candidate’s reputation, too.
What do their past clients have to say about them? Do they have a lot of positive reviews available online? Can they connect you with references who can vouch for their services?
Rapport
You need to be able to have a good rapport with your nutritional coach.
Pay attention to how you feel when you’re talking to them. Are you able to get along well? Do you feel that they’re listening to your concerns?
Willingness to Learn
Finally, make sure you find a coach who’s willing to learn.
Some nutritional coaches are so stuck in their ways that they’re unwilling to entertain the idea that new research has been released. They might not want to look at research that suggests dopamine deficiencies influence cravings or that high-fat, low-carb diets may have value to some members of the population.
If you find a coach who’s close-minded like this, that’s a bad sign. Look for someone who can acknowledge that they don’t know it all and is willing to do research to continue learning and improving.
Does Your Coach Use UnCraveRx?
As you can see, there’s a lot you need to consider when you’re looking to hire a nutritional coach. If you want to see long-lasting results, you can’t go with the first person who pops up in an online search.
When you’re looking to invest in nutritional coaching, make sure your coach has also invested in themselves. Are they using the latest, science-backed weight loss techniques, such as UnCraveRx?
Use our search tool today to find a provider in your area who utilizes UnCraveRx to help you control your cravings and reach (and maintain) your health and weight loss goals.