Health News / December 2006
Pounding Away
No matter how smart she is or what she knows or which diet she chooses, a woman may not be able to lose weight without help. Many women have found that a coach can make all the difference in the world to a successful weight loss program.
Being disciplined and motivated for a week or two may not be too hard, but it takes almost as long to take weight off as it does to put it on. Sometimes a coach can help sustain the necessary discipline and motivation.
It is the coach’s job to hold the dieter accountable, remind her to be patient and not let her give up. A coach should make sure the dieter writes down goals and remind her often why she wants to achieve them. A coach can offer a positive perspective when the dieter gets lost in negative thinking.
When the going is slow and the temptations many, a coach can be a cheerleader and the reminder of dreams and goals that are the reason for all the work.
Coaches can’t make losing weight easier, but they can help a woman be stronger and believe in her even when she doesn’t believe in herself.
Although they can offer consistent, positive feedback, even the best coaches cannot make any woman eat what she doesn’t want or stop her from overeating.
And even though a coach cannot share or take away feelings, a good coach cannot and will not enable misery or agree with excuses. Instead, the coach can help the dieter focus on long term results and make sure she doesn’t give up when the scale doesn’t move fast enough.
Dieters have responsibilities to their coaches, too. They must be willing to waste food when they are over served at restaurants or parties and stop eating the minute they are full. They should diversify their pleasures to include more activities that don’t include eating.
A successful dieter will put exercise on her calendar in pen and never reschedule it. She will plan her meals as much as possible so she won’t get too hungry and overeat
The dieter and her coach should work together to anticipate possible obstacles and have a plan for them. Both must understand that dieting is tough, that no one is perfect and that it’s more important to get back on track as soon as possible than to suffer through the shame, blame and recriminations dieters so often lay upon themselves.
With a coach, a plan and realistic expectations, some women have found the confidence and the control they need to lose weight successfully.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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