Has trying to lose weight been a losing battle for you?  As a client of mine, Bill, told me on his initial consultation, "I've probably lost 250 pounds over the last ten years.  The problem is, I've gained 275 pounds."  Does this sound like you?  Are you tired of diets?  Has it been difficult to stay motivated with an exercise program?  Perhaps what you need is a Wellness Coach.

A Wellness Coach is more than just a Personal Trainer; he is a Mental Skills Trainer too.  A Personal Trainer is qualified to train your body, not your mind.  Ideally, your Wellness Coach would be a Certified Personal Trainer and someone who is trained in Performance Enhancement, more commonly known as Sport Psychology.  A Wellness Coach doesn't just tell a client what to do, he is there to help implement the idea, set bigger goals, create action plans, and keep the client focused.

Sport Psychology is the use of mental skills to enhance performance.  In this case, weight loss through exercise.  The mental skills I use with my clients to help maximize their weight loss programs are Goal Setting, Relaxation Training, Visualization, and Positive Self-Talk.  By practicing these four skills, my clients actively help their weight loss process.

The following is a real life success story using Sport Psychology in conjunction with Personal Training.

I had a client, Holly, who needed to lose 50 pounds.  I began a personal training program with her.  She worked with me 3 days a week and did aerobic exercise 3 to 5 days a week.  After about two months Holly started missing appointments, skipped aerobic workouts, and seemed frustrated with her lack of focus.  I suggested a series of Wellness Coaching sessions using Sport Psychology to get her back on track.  These sessions are 30 minutes long and cost $50 per session.  The sessions are usually done once a month.  She asked what the sessions entailed and I explained as follows.

Session One: Goal Setting.  This is the most important step you will take.  If you don't set goals, you have nothing to reach for.  It's easy to say, "I want to lose 50 pounds."  But taking ownership of that statement is the hard part. .  There are two types of goals to set: long-term and short-term.  The long-term goal is what you ultimately want to accomplish, i.e. lose 50 pounds of body fat between September 1^st and April 1^st.  The short-term goals are the steps or actions that get you to accomplish the long-term goal, i.e. exercise 3 times a week with weights, perform aerobic exercise 3 to 5 times a week, watch what you eat, etc.  Your goals, both long-term and short-term, need to be S.M.A.R.T.  Specific.  Measurable.  Achievable.  Recorded.  Time dated.  For example, Holly's long-term goal was specific in that she wanted to lose 50 pounds of fat.  Her goal was measurable through the use of body fat testing.  It was achievable because the 50 pounds broke down to about 1.67 pounds a week.  It is safe for women to lose 2 - 3 pounds a week of body fat.  Also, since it is a lifestyle change, Holly has a better chance of maintaining her goal weight when she achieves it.  I recorded Holly's goals and had both of us sign off on them as a vow to work together to help her achieve her goals.  I kept a copy and Holly kept a copy.  I told Holly to place her goals in a location where she would see it every day, someplace like her bathroom mirror or refrigerator.  Lastly, her goals were time dated.  They began on September 1^st and were to be achieved by the following April 1^st.  During Holly's first session we also discussed what she would do when she achieved her goals.  This information will be used in subsequent sessions.  I also asked Holly what negative influences she had with regard to accomplishing her goals.

Session Two (and on): Relaxation Training, Visualization and Positive Self-Talk.  The type of relaxation training I used with Holly was progressive muscle relaxation.  This is where you tense and relax specific muscle groups in a particular order.  The purpose of this step is to relax your mind and body.  This way you can focus on what you are about to visualize.  Here you will imagine what you will look like when you reach your goal weight.  I had Holly visualize herself walking down her steps in a new black gown that she had promised herself she would get when she achieved her desired weight.  At the bottom of the steps was her husband who was going to take her out dancing to celebrate her wonderful accomplishment.  This information was gathered during the first session.  The beauty of visualization is that you see yourself at your goal weight.  This always brought a smile to Holly's face and kept her motivated and focused.  After these two drills we would talk positively about what Holly was doing.  We came up with key words or phrases that she would say when she was feeling tempted or down.  Positive Self-Talk is very important to keeping motivated and on track.

As for Holly; she lost 25 pounds after 3 months and was doing terrific.  It took her another 6 months to lose the other 25 pounds.  Today Holly is doing great and feeling great!

A Wellness Coach can be used in several ways.  If you know how to exercise on your own or can't afford a Personal Trainer, a Wellness Coach can meet with you once a week or how ever often you need; the convenient thing is that this is all accomplished over the telephone.  If you already work with a Personal Trainer, a Wellness Coach can be contracted independently and work together with you and your trainer.  If you are looking for a Personal Trainer that is also a Wellness Coach, this might be your ideal situation.  This way your Coaching sessions will be reinforced during your Personal Training sessions and usually some overlapping occurs.

Discussion:
Have you ever found yourself in this situation where you needed some assistance in motivating you to accomplish your fitness goal?