What to expect from a personal health coach

What happens when you work out constantly and don’t ever seem to lose any weight? What if you have a trainer, a therapist, plenty of friends, and nothing seems to be working? Who do you turn to?

Well, for Holly Sose, the answer was a personal health coach. People constantly ask Sose, a real estate agent, whether her health coach is her therapist, nutritionist, or friend. The answer is that she’s all three.

Sose went to Debbie Gallucio, M.S., after she had lost weight and was having trouble shedding the last 20.

“No one will tell you, ‘OMG you look like you swallowed yourself,’” Sose says. When she began working with Gallucio, she saw her body change right away. “Debbie taught me how to really effortlessly nourish my body and never think about dieting again.”

A health coach helps clients create an individualized plan for weight loss that encapsulates more than just diet and exercise.

Lisa Cummings, a certified holistic health and nutrition coach, says, “Most health coaches, like myself, support bio-individuality which says each person has their own nutritional needs. What works for one person, may not work for another.”

Health coaches also examine the link between emotions, weight loss and disease prevention.

“A relationship with a health coach helps you achieve a personalized plan for long-term dietary change that allows you to take charge of your food in more positive ways for a lifetime of good health,” says Cummings.

Which, for Sose, means that when she’s in a restaurant and having trouble making a healthy choice, she texts Gallucio.

“If I get stressed out, I text her,” Sose says. “If I’m at a party with no good food choices, she can tell me what to do. She cheers me on like a business coach or life coach but for health.”

Sose also keeps track of her progress with exercise and keeps a record of what she eats and how much exercise she does and they review it once a week.

“Food intake is so intertwined with everyday life issues that the two can’t be separated. So I find myself counseling my patients on so much more than just
food and exercise,” Gallucio says.

A year later, Sose has lost 18 pounds and is just shy of her goal weight.

“Dieting was part of my culture in my family,” she says. “To live without that feels amazing. My personal health coach took all the stress out of dieting and losing weight.”

FINDING A COACH

If you’re thinking of trying a personal health coach, one of these professionals can help:

To schedule a session with Lisa Cummings, especially if you’re a new mom looking to slim down post-baby, visit Live Well by Design.

To work with Alexandra Jamieson, who is the author of “The Great American Detox Diet” and the co-star and co-producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary, “Super Size Me,” visit Alexandra Jamieson.