🤝What a Health Coach Really Does

When most people hear "health coach," they picture someone handing out meal plant or telling you to exercise more. But the truth is, coaching goes far deeper than information and someone telling you what to do.

A health coach isn't just here to tell you what to do, they are here to walk alongside you and help you actually do it.

💡 Coaching vs. Consulting vs. Prescribing

It can get confusing since health and wellness has many roles. Let's break it down:

• Doctors & Pharmacists: Diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, adjust treatments.

• Dietitians & Nutritionists: Provide personalized meal plans and nutrition therapy.

• Health Coaches: Help you bridge the gap between knowing and doing. They focus on behavior change, accountability, and long-term habits that support your unique body and goals.

Think of a coach like your guide and accountability partner, helping you take the medical advice, nutrition recommendations, and your own health goals, and actually weave them into real life.

🌱 What Health Coaching Looks Like

Here is what coaching really involves:

• Accountability & Support: Regular check-ins so you don't feel alone in the process.

• Mindset Shifts: Moving away from "quick fixes" to lasting habits.

• Root Cause Exploration: Looking beyond symptoms into lifestyle, stress, sleep, movement, and nutrition.

• Personalization: Tailoring strategies to your health history, medications, and current lifestyle.

• Celebrating Wins: Every small step matters, momentum builds progress.

🧠 Why Coaching Works (The Science)

Behavior change research shows that knowledge alone rarley creates lasting change. In fact, a 2019 study in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that health coaching improves outcomes in weight management, diabetes, cardiovascular risk, and overall quality of life (1).

Why? Because:

• We are wired for habits, not rules

• Change sticks when we are supported, not judged

• Having someone to hold you accountable doubles your chance of success.

🤝 Is Health Coaching Right For You?

You might benefit from coaching if you:

• Feel stuck in a cycle of trying every diet program without lasting results

• Have a health condition but struggle to manage lifestyle changes

• Want to prevent illness by building a strong foundation

• Need accountability and encouragement, not just another plan

✨ Final Thoughts

Doctors treat. Nutritionists advise. Coaches empower.

If you have ever thought, "I know what I should be doing...I just can't seem to stick with it," that is exactly where a health coach fits in.

💬 Curious what coaching with me looks like? I’d love to guide you through the process. Learn more here or reach out to schedule a chat.

📚 References

1. Wolever RQ, et al. Health coaching: a new and exciting technique to enhance patient self-management and improve outcomes. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2019;13(1):48–56.

2. Olsen JM, Nesbitt BJ. Health coaching to improve healthy lifestyle behaviors: an integrative review. Am J Health Promot. 2010;25(1):e1–e12.

⚠️Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.