People always come to me and say, “Jill, I will do anything you tell me to do, I just want to lose!”
I love the faith :) But honestly, my first thought is that if I just tell them what I do or what worked for someone else, they will have to use every ounce of will-power to follow MY plan, which will end with them not being able to keep it up. Falling off the wagon (eventually) is inevitable. Not because the person doesn’t want to change or is not motivated, but simply because self-control is an exhaustible resource and if you are constantly pouring your mental energy into something that is not natural for you or not just as easy as what you were doing prior, it is unsustainable.
I heard a coach say once that clients should not pay their coach for a plan that is similar to what they were already doing. I have to say, I feel the exact opposite. I understand the point of “then what are you paying for?” and the answer is actually, you are paying for results, not a plan.
There are “plans” and “programs” all over the place and as special as we like to think ours is, it really isn’t. What foods to eat and when is not all that different from coach to coach, at least not enough to make that large of a difference.
Google “weight loss diet” and millions of results surface in less than a second. There is no lack of information.However, what there is a lack of is results, obviously. So what’s the missing piece?
Behavioral change coaching
Force someone to eat only what I tell them and exercise like I say to and 99% of people will get in the best shape of their life. But, we know intuitively that this is not nearly as easy as that. Why? Because we have all sorts of ingrained behaviors, lifestyle factors and psychological implications that play into it. And sometimes, we just want to say eff it and eat cake, ha!
So of course, the nutrition and exercise piece is a key part of the equation, but if I give someone a plan that is drastically different than what they were going before in order to prove that my services are worth paying for, they will, more often than not, not be able to follow it long-term. Which means, no results long-term.
Just because they can’t follow it doesn’t mean anything about their motivation, drive or determination to change, it simply implies that the plan is not the right one for them and/or they don’t have the coaching support to change their behaviors and mindset enough to implement long-term.
So how to change behavior? There are lots of ways! Reading this blog is one way–you are already on your way to implementing a sustainable way to eat and exercise because you search out and increase your aware of this information.
Surround yourself with like-minded people
Next, take a look around you. Research shows that we are the reflection of the 5 people we hang around with the most. If you want to be fit and healthy, you have to surround yourself with people whose values include health & fitness. If you want to grow in your knowledge of business, you have to seek out people who are more successful in business than you. Want to compete? Seek out a competitor support forum or Facebook group. Where you spend your time and with whom directly reflects not only your priorities, but also your potential for success.
Hire a coach that will work with YOU
Finally, get yourself a great coach. Someone can be a biochemistry whiz or know every research study out there or be a pro bodybuilder, but if they don’t understand the keys to behavior change, they are probably not the best choice. A good coach will want to understand YOU, what makes you tick and how to get at those aspects of you that you want to change. Having the information is not enough (as we have seen), the key is implementation. And the key to implementation is psychological change–meeting you where you are and finding sustainable ways to implement change. Good coaches will not tell you what to do, but will instead help you find your own way, your own path to success.
