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Why A Personal Health Coach Is Critical (especially during a pandemic) to Achieving Long-term Sustainable Good Health

The road to optimal health is never a straight path. Life challenges us each and every day and many people experience ups and downs, a lack of motivation and the know-how to persevere when times get tough. A human connection and support is more important today than ever before. For many, the pandemic and the lack of social engagement has amplified feelings of anxiety, loneliness and in extreme cases, depression. Having a health coach to motivate you to make meaningful changes to both your diet and your lifestyle may be exactly what you need. A personal health coach understands YOU, your WHY and will help you overcome obstacles that may be getting in the way of you achieving optimal health and wellness. They will educate you and provide you with important information about your diet as well as other factors that affect your lifestyle including sleep, stress and physical activity.

At EMP180° our mission is to educate, inspire and ultimately EMPower our clients to make lasting changes and improve their overall well-being. We provide our clients the support and accountability necessary to not only lose weight and get healthy but also to make lasting changes to their behaviors and lifestyle. We believe achieving good health is a team effort; it is about a partnership. We meet our clients where they are and help them figure out a personalized, sustainable plan that will meet their individual needs.

Knowing that you’ve got a coach in your corner to cheer your successes and motivate you when you’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed can mean the difference between success and failure. Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) can also help you stay focused and motivated when challenges arise. Studies have shown that continued support after losing significant weight is critical to long-term weight management At EMP180°, we have seen first-hand, the value of continued support, education and accountability that extends well beyond the initial weight loss phase. EMP clients that continue to check in with their personal health coach experience the best results!

Personal health coaching is a growing field. In a world where obesity related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease are on the rise; having a personal health coach as part of your overall health management plan can provide many benefits. The following article from the Washington Post, Health and wellness coaches are fairly new. Here’s what you need to know about them. explores the value of having a personal health coach.

The end of summer and early fall is a great time to consider connecting with one of our health coaches. Let’s face it, between family gatherings and traveling, we’ve all gone a little bit crazy this summer celebrating our renewed freedom. August and September are great months to reset and focus on our health. With new variants of the Coronavirus raging, there’s no better time to be healthy.

Updated August 9, 2021

Not sure where to start?

Come into EMP180 to begin your weight loss journey. In addition to planning meals and snacks, we can help you explore the reasons behind over-eating and teach you how to manage difficult social occasions. Let’s work on establishing healthy habits that work for you and your lifestyle!

What I Love about Being a Health Coach

By Kurt Kasun

Helping my clients achieve their weight loss goals is just the tip of the iceberg. I get to witness not only their joy from looking better, but also their satisfaction of “turning their lives around.” Most end up exercising more and making other healthy lifestyle changes which result in increased energy levels, stress reduction, better sleep, and just overall better health. Knowing that my teammates at EMP180º I and played a role in their transformation gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Describe your personal journey and how you finally learned to stop “YOYO”dieting

I participated in a weight loss program but did not fully internalize the concepts I was taught while on the program. As a result, I slowly gained back all of the weight plus 20 pounds. My wife, a healthcare professional, told me that I was headed toward a life of disease and discomfort if I didn’t focus on making the necessary changes to my diet that would enable me to lose weight. I came to the realization that I needed to set a course that would be more lasting and not result in “Yo-Yo” gains again. It was a two-pronged approach – I increased the intensity of my workouts at the gym, and more importantly, I gradually replaced the terrible things I was eating in with nutritious wholesome foods. I also learned that I could get enjoyment and pleasure out of life from things other than food. I replaced the joy I would get from eating food with little things like getting out of my house more, getting lots of sunshine, taking care of my body with chiropractic care and massage, and going on lengthy and challenging hikes with my wife and dog several times throughout the year.

It’s men’s health month. Describe how the men that you’ve worked with feel after they lose weight

Almost all men tell me that they were shocked to learn that they could lose their weight while not being hungry. They still had to overcome some of their old psychological cravings but were thrilled that they could eat deliciously and healthfully at the same time. Most were excited to share their discoveries with spices and new ways of cooking. Most graduates of the program express their gratitude for us not only successfully transitioning them from the weight loss program to a sustainable maintenance phase, but also for being there to assist in many other health and lifestyle choices and challenges they confront on a daily basis.

Keys to success

There are two keys in my view: one is from a short-term perspective and other is longer term in nature. While on the program, planning, preparation, and leaning in and trusting your coach are the keys to success. Your coach will equip you with the knowledge and the tools to achieve your weight loss goals. It is up to the client to make the time to plan and prepare their meals. This means planning for meals a few days in advance and ensuring pantries, refrigerators, and freezers are adequately stocked. But I believe successful clients tend to consider two other longer-term questions before implementing any successful weight loss plan: Where does weight loss and health fit into my overall priorities in life within the confines of faith, family, friends, finances, career, etc.? The other question is how healthy do I want to be for the rest of my life? I have found that those who take a long-term perspective about where weight loss fits into their overall health and well-being (and not just losing a certain number of pounds over a certain period of time) tend to find more long term and sustainable success.

Anything else?

Mindset is key. There is no finish line for successful weight loss and good health; it is a never-ending quest to look better, feel better, and perform better. It is a lifelong endeavor and a process that needs to be constantly finetuned. When people find it difficult to achieve their weight loss and heath goals, it is typically a result of not having all the pieces in place. That is where we as health coaches at EMP180º come in. Lastly, the path and the process for everyone is unique and that’s what makes the job of the health coach both challenging and rewarding.