Why Health Coaching Works When Jenny Craig Doesn't

How is it some people can join a reputable program, such as Jenny Craig, but still not achieve their goals? Jenny Craig, among others, has an extensive support system, plenty of tools a person needs to reach their goals, yet not everyone walks away a winner. Why is that? Is it because not everyone has the same amount of willpower? Is there some reason why these programs don't work for everyone?

It seems like it would be pretty easy to stick to a program that provides you with your meals. Just heat it up and eat. But what kind of changes is this having on a member's lifestyle? Is this person a mom who's making dinner for her family but then eating something else? How is this affecting her social life? For any change to become permanent it's going to have to fit in with her life, or it won't last. A lot of weight loss programs have you making multiple changes at a time. It's hard to build good habits that way. You've probably heard it takes twenty-one days to build a habit.

If your typical day consists of grabbing a muffin and a coffee on your way to work, having lunch at your desk or with your coworkers, then coming home and whipping up dinner and settling on the couch, eating three prepackaged meals a day means three major changes. And if you're not currently very active, your weight loss program is going to have you increase your daily activity. Now you are up to four major changes in your daily routine - all at once

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is bad. What I am saying is with so many sudden, major changes, how long do you think you'll be able to stick with them all? Changing our lifestyle is a big deal and when it comes to unhealthy habits, they need to be changed. But change only happens when we are consistent. Too many big changes all at once make it too hard to be consistent.

If you're someone who has constantly had a weight battle, this is probably not your first attempt. What you need is to break that pattern of being unsuccessful in the past. You need some quick affirmation. It's easy to get discouraged and revert back to a "what's the use" attitude. Along with that, you need to develop an attitude of being a winner, an attitude that will empower you. When we feel empowered, we can achieve goals we never thought possible before.

One thing coaching will do for you is build that winner's attitude through the use of baby steps, very small, doable goals. You'll immediately start feeling successful. And when you have a number of baby steps going at once, it creates momentum, driving you toward your bigger goals, which build confidence. A mistake most people make is to make their goals too large, to make too many changes in too short a time. That's when we meet up with failure.

To be truly successful, the best thing you can do is start with something small and build consistency with that, then add something else and get consistent with that. You see where I'm going here. All along the way every baby step accomplished reinforces that you are successful, you are in control - a winner! In working with a health coach, you will systematically implement small, doable goals in your daily life. They are chosen by you and designed to give you momentum. They're also designed to turn you into a winner.

If you have tried these weight loss programs before and have not been successful, it might be time to change your approach. Give health coaching a try, you just might come out a winner.

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