With all of the quick tricks and fad diets vying for your attention each day, it is important that you understand what you should be looking for in a weight loss coach! Oftentimes coaches and trainers use their personal fitness accomplishments (are abs an accomplishment?) to coerce individuals into thinking that they too can accomplish the same things quickly and without much work! Of course, we all know that weight loss and behavior change take time and are a BIG commitment. To help ensure that you know what to look for in a coach, we have highlighted 5 qualities that your weight loss coach should possess!
1. Availability
If you’re using a personal coach for weight loss, it’s vital that they have the time to support you! Often, trainers and commercial coaches charge a premium for their time and make it seem like the time they give you within itself is valuable. What if you can’t afford that premium time? What if the info they give you doesn’t fit your lifestyle? What happens if your schedule doesn’t line up with theirs? All of these questions and more can cause these programs to be short-lived and frustrating. At Noom, we believe our platform makes it easy for you to have access to your coach when you need it! Have a question about food colors? Want to work on an action plan for that night out on the town? You should be able to work through these things when you need to and have a coach that is there to support you throughout your weight loss journey.
2. Responsiveness
At Noom we believe that a coach should be present, reachable, but also allow you some room to make changes and develop healthy habits on your own! That is why we have found that weekly check-ins are the best way for you to hear from your personal coach while also developing skills for yourself! Whether these goals be sticking to a calorie budget or getting that extra workout in, we believe your personal coach should respond with the tools to help you create that success! Have a question before your check-in? Your coach will always do their best to respond to your questions and concerns as soon as possible (within normal business hours of course – we aren’t robots).
3. Personal Attention
Along with availability and responsiveness, it is important that your personal coach puts you first! It is easy for a coach or trainer to try to enforce their own style, goals, or preferences onto their clients. At Noom, we are focused on one thing, helping you with the goals you feel are important to you! We keep our bias out of things and collaborate on action plans that lead you to success! You also get a second layer of attention from your Group Coach and group members who can help support you along the way!
4. Customizability
Your coach should be able to “roll with the punches” and quickly adapt to the areas you want to focus! So many trainers and coaches are specialized in a specific niche area and feel that their way is the best. We have found that by focusing less on the how and more on the why, Noom coaches are able to help you reach your goals, whatever they may be! We believe your commitment is directly tied to your motivation behind the goal and work with you to provide support when things get tough!
5. Understanding Their Scope
Noom coaches share a passion for health, fitness, and behavior change. Having said that, Noom coaches all come from different backgrounds and understand the importance of staying within their scope! Noom coaches will not prescribe diets or ever tell you to do something! At Noom we believe in working together on finding areas that fit your life is the most effective and sustainable approach to losing weight. A coach may tell you to do something, but if it is not important to you, or does not fit your lifestyle, are you really going to stick with it? (but really, eat your broccoli).
Your weight loss journey is just that, YOURS. Ready to work with a coach that keeps you in mind? Get started today!
