I know you have a burning question in the back of your mind that you’re hesitant to ask… what is a health coach?

Chances are you’ve heard the word “health coach” before, maybe even from me. There are many types of health coaches, fitness coaches, nutrition coaches, etc., out there. Everyone has their specialty and way of doing things, which could quickly get confusing. Do you need a health coach? Should you look into a health coach? What is a health coach? 

Let’s dig in. 

What Is A Health Coach? 

According to The Institute of Integrative Nutrition:

A Health Coach is a supportive mentor who helps clients reach their wellness goals and feel their best through personalized, one-on-one encouragement around finding the foods and lifestyle practices that work best for them.

Simply put, it isn’t someone to tell you exactly how many calories to eat, what foods to cut out (although they may help you with an elimination diet), or how many hours to exercise a day.

At least not the health coaches I hang around. 

We are here for HEALTH, not crash course diets. Together, we will work to find what foods agree most with your body, what’s holding you back, and develop ways to build a sustainable, healthy lifestyle that works for YOU.

5 Reasons To Hire a Health Coach

1. Accountability

One of the number one reasons people give up on their health journey is that they don’t have a support system to help encourage them on the good days and work through the bad days. 

By hiring a health coach, you would gain a built-in accountability partner. They may not be next to you physically every step of the way, but they will immediately be that extra support.

2. It’s More Than The Scale

They will help you focus on more than the scale. A Health Coach can help you with a variety of concerns. It’s not just about weight loss. Maybe weight loss is your primary goal, but working with a health coach can take you further than the weight loss and help you maintain a long-term healthy lifestyle. 

Health coaches also help focus on maintaining chronic conditions, improving diet, helping with exercise, and working on your mindset around a healthy lifestyle. 

When working with a health coach, health is more than a number. 

3. Goal Setting

A health coach will help you plan for the long term while setting realistic goals.

It’s no secret that your health can’t be improved overnight. However, sometimes it can be hard looking at how to break your long-term goals into short-term goals. Working with a health coach can help you do this. 

4. There Is No Timeline

It’s not a 21-day program, and there is no forced end date if you’re not ready to be done. 

You may accomplish some of your goals in 6 months, but it may take 18 months. There is no right or wrong timeline for health. They will be there for as long as it takes. 

5. It’s All About YOU!

It’s all about YOU! A health coach should not sell you into a special diet program or protein shake (immediately). Your health is in their best interest, and their job is to work with you through your specific concerns.

Some health coaches may also offer group coaching. It simply means working with people who share similar concerns or seek group support instead of 1:1 support. 

Every person’s body is unique, so even in a group setting, you may get something different from coaching than someone else.  

How Does it Work? 

Every health coach is different and has their own program. Some may focus specifically on women’s health, while others focus on mental health.  Some focus only on nutrition, etc. 

At Be Your Best Self Coaching, I work my clients on building a gluten-free lifestyle based on their needs.

Together we will dig into your concerns with a gluten-free diet, what’s holding you back and challenges you may face. From there we will be able to work on small adjustments that add up to big results.

Those results? Healing your body. 

You may be starting to see an underlying theme:  there is no one-size-fits-all health coach. There are a lot of different things you can do with a health coach. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your body is your body. There is no one else out there with the same body. Working with a health coach can help you figure out what works best for you and only you. 

If you are interested in learning more about working with me to build your gluten-free lifestyle, fill out the application and let’s get started.

What do you want to know about working with a health coach?

ABOUT ME

Kristin Longacre

Hey There, I’m Kristin, a gluten-free nutrition coach helping gluten-free families adjust to their new lifestyle.

What Is A Health?