Many people have wondered at some point about the potential benefits of nutritional coaching for themselves. Since various nutrition tips and advice are available for free, what exactly is the point of nutrition coaching? EasyFit personal trainer Sami Mannila answered questions about nutrition coaching, including who benefits from it and how.
Who is nutrition coaching intended for, and who benefits from it?
Nutrition coaching is ideal for anyone who is interested in their own well-being, wants nutritional support for their workouts, and is generally interested in nutrition and what it entails. The coaching is suitable for those who want to learn to eat regularly and healthily or in a way that maximizes the benefits they get from their food.
I can recommend nutrition coaching to almost anyone who has even the slightest interest in nutrition and how to combine it with exercise. A wide variety of exercisers can benefit from nutrition coaching, including those looking to make lifestyle changes, lose weight, or build muscle mass.
What does nutrition coaching involve?
Nutrition coaching involves reviewing your current situation—that is, what you eat at home, at work, and on the go; how regular your meals are; and what eating means to you. We also clarify what a balanced diet is, how to get the most out of it, and how what we put into our mouths affects us. Finally, we design a program tailored to the client’s needs and preferences.
Clients are usually instructed to keep a food diary for a few days—about 3 to 7 days—before the coaching session. The food diary provides a clearer picture of the client’s eating habits, which in turn allows us to make changes in the right direction.
How long should a nutrition coaching program typically last, and how many sessions are usually recommended?
The duration of coaching depends largely on the client’s starting point and goals. But I would say that a good approach would be, for example, to incorporate nutritional counseling into personal training. Let’s take, for example, a 4-month coaching program, where one session would be dedicated solely to nutritional counseling. Of course, during the initial discussions, we’ve already gone over the client’s goals and preferences regarding nutrition.
Of course, if we’re just talking about nutritional coaching, meeting at least once a month would be appropriate. But if it’s a bigger project—such as a lifestyle change—meeting twice a month might be a good frequency, at least at the beginning. Once you start to feel that you can follow the guidelines on your own, you can reduce the frequency of meetings to once a month, at which point we’ll check in to see how things are going and identify any challenges.
Do you always have to follow a strict diet?
It's easy to get the impression from nutrition coaching that you now have to start counting everything you put in your mouth down to the gram and eat nothing but plain chicken and rice. Well, that's not how it works.
Each of us is different, and different approaches work for each of us. Some people need to count every gram of what they eat in order to stick to the right amounts. For others, general guidelines are enough.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet isn’t rocket science; you can go a long way just by choosing the right ingredients and eating regularly. But as I already mentioned, there isn’t just one “right” way to do it. So the answer to whether you need to follow a strict diet is: not always. A good rule of thumb is to eat 80% healthy meals during the week, and 20% can be whatever you like.
I know perfectly well how I should eat, so why would I need nutritional coaching?
I’d venture to say that quite a few of us know how we should eat and what the right diet is. But whether we actually follow it on our own is another matter. Having a coach who instructs you to keep a regular food diary and gives you guidance on what to eat and how much may motivate the client to actually follow that nutrition plan.
Nutrition coaching can also involve much more than just following a diet. Together, we can explore good options for different meals, figure out what to do when you’re traveling and can’t cook for yourself, and discuss how best to handle the occasional treat. Then, of course, there’s working toward your goals—whether you want to lose weight, focus on building muscle, or boost your energy for everyday life. We can also discuss what’s worth buying at the store at any given time. You can also think about seasonal produce to incorporate into your diet. Nutrition is an important and significant part of our daily lives, and with it, you can achieve just about anything.
An easy and simple tip on how to eat healthy?
The simple plate model, which many people are familiar with, works really well: 1/4 carbs, 1/4 protein, and 2/4 vegetables. It works especially well for people who don't want to count calories.
Another tip I can offer is to eat a variety of colors—make sure your plate includes green, red, orange, and yellow. This will help you add variety to your meals.
Finally, drink a large glass (0.5–0.7 dl) of water as soon as you wake up. This will kick-start your metabolism and get your body going first thing in the morning. And then don’t forget breakfast—it’ll help you start your day off much better and give you plenty of energy. Also, be sure to eat at regular intervals to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
At EasyFit, we want to offer our customers a supportive, safe environment that promotes well-being and physical activity, always based on healthy principles—now and in the future. We do not encourage exercising to “earn” food or cutting back on food to “compensate” for treats. We want to encourage healthy lifestyles, which also include mindful eating and enjoying treats.