Do You Need a Wellness Coach to Lose Weight?

By Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, CWP, Chair and Professor, Integrative Health Studies

Some new research from StayWell Health Management, supports the notion that it takes a village (or at least a coach) to make the kind of lifestyle change that most people say they want, but can’t seem to accomplish. Pariticpants who completed a telephone-based health coaching program lost an average of three pounds, compared to one pound for those who did not complete the program. Others in a study from Duke University not only scored higher on goals compared to the non-coached group but they retained new health behaviors beyond the study.

Coaches assist you to not only set goals, but make sure your goals are yours, and not imposed by significant others or employers. For example, some companies have attempted to set body composition (BMI) standards on employees, citing that obese individuals cost more in lost productivity and higher absenteeism. But coaches know that a goal imposed from an external source has a strong chance of back-firing. You feel discouraged and give up too soon. Coaches hold their clients in positive regard, never attempting to “fix” them, but instead building supportive alliances that demystify the change process.

Plus, wellness coaches receive special training in nutrition, weight management, fitness, motivational psychology, and stress reduction. They warn you when you’re about to embark on a nonsense diet (“I think I’ll eat just eat grapefruit for a week”) or keep you from spending money on some worthless exercise gimmick (“…but the Fat Vacuum was seen on TV!”).

Finally, a knowledgeable wellness coach can help design a comprehensive approach to weight loss that fortifies you with strategies that are cutting-edge and evidence-based. I teach graduate students in a masters program to critically analyze health studies, and learn the difference between an adaptogenic herb like ashwagandha or red reishi that has the benefit of thousands of years of safe human usage, and a short-term clinical trial of the latest weight loss pill with unknown side effects to consider.  Adaptogens can help you reduce stress levels, which in turn, modulate cortisol levels, a hormone that promotes abdominal girth, the unhealthiest fat. Coaches link you to resources and allies.

More than anything, coaches stretch you to draft a vision for your life that works for the long-term. A greater sense of well-being emerges because you’re no longer fixated on short-term results. Coaches reinforce and acknowledge your success along the change path. The average study participant at StayWell who teamed up with a coach lost an average of 15 pounds—and had a built-in buddy to celebrate with.  

Comments

[Scott Pearce]

Nice writing. Everyone needs some type of motivation.

[Elaine R. Ferguson, MD]

Thank you for writing this post. As a health care professional, I believe wellness coaches can play an invaluable role in helping to improve disease outcomes and lower health care costs.

[calgary mortgage broker]

Nowadays Health is so important and in order to lose weight is great to use all the resources available to lose those unwanted pounds fast. A couch sounds like a good idea.