If you’ve been struggling to lose weight on your own and feel like you need the help of a weight loss coach, you’re not alone. Millions of people have found success with the help of a professional coach who understands their individual needs and can tailor a program specifically for them. Let’s explore how to find the right weight loss coach.
Many people who come to us have already spent a lot of money and energy trying to lose weight. Books, apps, clubs, videos, bootcamps. Six week programs that expect you to become a different person on an unrealistic timeline. Programs that were never suited to where you are in life. Some of it worked for a while, and then the weight came back. A lot of it never got finished. None of that means you did it wrong.
What makes the difference is a coach plus a proven protocol. The protocol gives you a simple plan, based in science and adjusted for you. Your coach is a real person beside you who knows the plan, knows you, and helps you keep going when life gets in the way.
Most of us start strong. Motivation is wonderful for getting going, but it comes in waves, and it rarely lasts through a busy month or a hard week. What carries you through is a simple plan and someone to check in with. When you know your coach will see you on Thursday, it is easier to keep showing up for yourself on Monday.
In all my years of coaching, I have never seen a perfectly straight journey, where someone loses weight every single week, learns every habit they need, and settles into maintenance without a bump. Life doesn’t unfold that way. Good stress comes along, like a new job or a wedding. Hard stress comes along too. On your own, it is easy to focus on the one step back instead of the two steps forward. A coach helps you see the whole picture and find your way back to what works. If you have slipped, our guide to getting back on track is a gentle place to start.
At Vital Body, coaching is one to one and virtual, so it fits around your life wherever you are in Canada.
This is the joy of having a coach. It is one person supporting another. Your coach knows when to be gentle and when to nudge. It is so much more than an app.
Our program follows the Ideal Protein protocol in three phases, and your coach is with you through all of them.
Look for someone with real experience who listens carefully and answers your questions plainly. Pay attention to how you feel when you talk to them. Do you feel understood? Do you feel like you could be honest with them on a hard week? That trust matters more than any plan.
We have been coaching since 2011, first from a small clinic in Burnaby and now virtually across Canada. You can read our story here.
Is the program easy?
It’s simple, but not always easy. Some people settle in right away, others take a few weeks to find their groove. It helps to think about your schedule, the support you have at home, and how you talk to yourself. Coming at this from a place of self-care rather than self-criticism makes a real difference.
Will I be able to keep the weight off?
If you have lost and regained before, this is the question. Phase 1 takes care of the weight loss. Keeping it off is part food and part habits, and habits take time. That is what Phase 2 and Phase 3 are for, with your coach beside you the whole way. The people who do well long term are the ones who stay with that support.
When does maintenance end?
When do you stop eating? All jokes aside, you decide that with your coach. It’s done when keeping your weight steady feels natural, when you trust your body and enjoy all foods without guilt. Some people need a few months of Phase 3 support, others much longer. Many come back once a year for a tune-up.
Do you offer counselling?
No. Our coaches are trained in the Ideal Protein protocol and they are kind, curious and good listeners. When food is tied up with deeper things, we often suggest extra support alongside coaching, and we can point you to Gina Miller at Here For This.
Will I be happy when I reach my goal weight?
Nobody asks us this out loud, but many people wonder it. Reaching your goal can feel wonderful, with more energy and feeling good in your clothes. But it doesn’t fix everything else in life. Much of the feeling good you are hoping for is available to you now, at any weight, and finding it is often part of the journey.
If you’d like to talk it through with a real person, book a free consult. No pressure, just a conversation.
Get the results you’ve always wanted, and feel like yourself again.
