Do Nutrition Programs Really Work?

One of my favorite clients asked me a really great question during her session last month, “Are your other clients more successful on your program and keeping their weight off?”

I sat there for a minute and went through my client list. I could come up with an estimate of 50/50. Wow & Crap. Some are doing so great and have moved on and don’t need my support, while others feel frustrated and have experienced decades of health issues. So I asked myself, am I offering people a solid program to help them meet their health and wellness goals?

One thing I have learned so far while coaching 1000’s of people, is the mind is a powerful thing. <!–more–>For example, I gave up caffeine at the beginning of the year and felt amazing. I said, I plan on not having caffeine for one year and then will reassess. Approximately 5 1/2 months later, a cup of green tea hit my lips and it was all over. I talked myself into the tea and I know I can talk myself out of it, but I have to WANT to.

Our mind sets out to accomplish a goal. However, our mind can also be our worst enemy. Are we meant to be all or nothing? I love to use a sailing example. You are going from A to B, and you set your course, however there are many elements and factors that can change your course. You need to learn how to adjust from these and still set your eye on the prize.

So how do we get there? I have tried many support tools with my clients such as; daily email support, phone sessions, guest speakers, books, tele-seminars, etc. I believe nutrition is on-going and not just a once a month check-in. I believe my gift of spreading nutrition education and joy is that I can clearly see the healthiest version of you with your conscious relationship you have with food and your body.

5 Steps to create a successful nutrition program:

1. THROW AWAY your scale. This is such a narrow goal, health is much more important than a number on the scale. Be more mindful of how your clothes fit, your energy level, and how you treat other people.

2. ONLY be kind to yourself; watch your thoughts, and observe the self defeating ones, but don’t believe them.

3. Collect Data: I receive so many questions regarding what “diet” do I believe in. If you want to follow a diet perfectly, give it a whirl. Collect data and observe how your body responds. A great resource is Tim Ferriss’s (one of my crushes) book, this man can collect data:

Best story ever… A friend was sharing his nutrition journey with me. He is a gentle man who is very easy to get along with. However, one day after being on a low-carb or low-fat diet (whichever) for 5 days, a car cut him off in traffic and he followed the man for miles and jumped out of his car with anger. After realizing that his food was directly related to this outburst, he ate a more balanced diet and lost those last 20 pounds.

4. Variety. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I have so many people who eat the same breakfast everyday and experience low energy, constipation, and weight gain. My number one suggestion, is to rotate between successful and simple breakfast ideas. E-mail me if you need ideas.

5. Trust yourself. Learn so much about your body and understand your symptoms and subtle messages. Whether a headache at a certain time of day may mean more water, or just rest, you need to pay attention to these or more symptoms will accumulate and cause dis-ease and di-stress.  (punctuation was meant for added emphasis:)

Cheers to you being your biggest fan, and me being your best cheerleader,
Heather Fleming