What is an Eating Coach

A few years ago, doing research for my job as an exercise physiologist at a hospital-based physical therapy/fitness facility, I came across an article about people losing weight using an eating coach.

Really, I was looking into bringing a life coach into the facility for a Lunch and Learn kind of thing for our members but as often happens on the web -- I followed the links and started reading about coaching for weight loss.

The concept of using sensations of hunger and fullness (versus counting calories) to determine how much a person should eat to lose weight was brand new to me. The idea seemed too good to be true (weight loss without cutting out certain foods, counting calories, working out in the gym for 3 hours every day) -- who wouldn't want to lose weight this way?

Skeptical, I called the coach from the article and talked to her. The more she talked, the more I could see how this approach could work. In the end, I ended up taking the classes needed so I, too, could coach.

Now what?

Now I spend part of every week coaching clients who want to lose weight but are willing to think in the long term. They are looking for lifestyle changes they can live with -- not the" quick fix, lose 60 pounds in 6 weeks but then return to old habits and gain it all back" diets many of us have experienced.

Love your glass of wine when you get home from work? I am not going to tell you to give it up. I might suggest you sit down and relax while you drink it -- instead of gulping it when you first walk in the door and right before you start cooking dinner for the kids.

Love risotto (I do)? Not going to ask you to use low-fat soy cheese. But how about taking time to enjoy them smell of the first bite before it goes into your mouth. And once it is there, notice the texture and flavor. Experience the food you say you love.

How about leaving the table feeling light and ready to move on with your day -- secure in the knowledge you will be able to eat again so there is no reason to stuff yourself right now?

If you can eat 9 bites a day less than you do now, you can lose 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Can you find those 9 bites? The 9 that don't add any value to your life. The 9 bites of food that taste okay but not wonderful. The 9 bites you didn't even realize you ate (think about the things sitting in the breakroom at work that end up in your mouth without you making the conscious choice about eating them).

You don't have to leave out your favorite foods. You can eat in out. You can have it all -- you just need to reconnect with what your body tells you about physical hunger and fullness.