Do you need a coach? Let me tell you a story...
About a 5 Minute Read
A little over 12 years ago I felt like I was losing my mind. I had gained an incredible amount of weight, my skin was dry and a sickly-looking colour, my hair was falling out, I could barely think straight, and I had almost no energy to get through the days. Basically, I was miserable and felt like I was on an unstoppable downward spiral.
I tried diet after diet, forced myself to work out to the extreme (thinking it gave me an energy boost), and intentionally over-committed my time. I knew that if I stopped to rest I wouldn’t get started again. I read books and did extensive research to try to figure out what was wrong. I sought help from my doctor multiple times, basically begging her to do some thyroid and allergy testing, since all my own research and vague symptoms were pointing in that direction.
She told me my symptoms were a normal part of the aging process. She told me there was nothing wrong with me. She told me it was all in my head. Then, after 5 years of these conversations she became frustrated with my pushing, and handed me an unnecessary prescription for ADD medication and the phone number of a psychiatrist.
I felt completely defeated. Sad. Angry. Depressed. Frustrated. Confused. I ate a reasonably healthy diet and exercised a lot, with no results. I knew it wasn’t in my head. I couldn’t stand it any more.
I decided at that moment it was time to see a holistic doctor. See, I hadn’t gone to see him before because he didn’t take my insurance; he had a cash-only practice and he was expensive. But the truth was, I already was paying the price - with my health. So I made the decision to save up and make an appointment.
When I first met the doctor, he asked me why I was there to see him. I told him I believed I had a thyroid problem, but my family doctor said it was all in my head. She had performed one basic blood test to check my thyroid and it showed that my levels were normal.
His response changed my life. He said, “I can see just by looking at you that you have a thyroid problem. People aren’t just a lab test.” He asked a lot of questions about my health history, exercise and nutrition habits, lifestyle, stress levels, and overall happiness. He talked about the physical symptoms he noticed when he examined me. He took the time to get to know me as a person. We talked about my family, my hobbies, and my hopes and dreams. After that, he did extensive blood work that found not only several food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies, but also that I was dealing with an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. It turned out that my TPO antibody levels were extremely high. It looked as though I’d had it for several years already.
My road to recovery had begun.
It has been a long journey over these past 12+ years. There have been many uphill climbs that yielded worthy results, and many other downhill slides that yielded disappointment and even occasional hopelessness. These days my TPO antibodies are about as balanced as they can be, and I work hard to make sure that they stay that way. As my body continues to change through the aging process, I have learned some critical rules of life and health.
Life is filled with ups, downs, backward movements, forward progress, and a wide variety of off-track moments. It never goes in a straight line, outside of the fact that day follows night. And that’s OK.
We all are biologically similar and physiologically unique. As a result, there is no ONE right way to eat, move, or live. And that’s OK.
There is an amazing amount of constantly changing and confusing information (and dis-information) in the public domain and it can feel overwhelming to try to decipher and truly understand it or even know what to believe. And that’s OK.
We all are imperfect beings, experimenting throughout our lives to find what works - and what doesn’t. And that’s OK. Necessary, even.
There is a LOT more to health than just the physical stuff.
We feel faulty and inadequate sometimes and we struggle to find the right answers, the right path. And we don’t know how to ask for help, or maybe we feel ashamed about doing so. And that’s OK.
You are not defective, broken, silly, or weak. Diet programs, meal plans, and calorie counters don’t work because they are all missing an incredibly important element for success: YOU.
I’m telling you all of this because I understand. I’ve been where you are. I still struggle myself sometimes. And that’s OK. I heard the calling to become a nutrition and wellness coach because it wasn’t until I finally hired a coach of my own that I found what works - for ME. She helped me explore and implement strategies that work - for ME. Together we chose experiments to try, different approaches to take, but ultimately it came down to ME. MY choices. MY decisions. MY hard work.
And I couldn’t have done it without my coach.
I had tried so many times, over so many years. I was unsuccessful at finding anything that lasted until I found a professional with the knowledge and understanding to help me learn. I learned to work on what’s inside so I could finally understand the importance of self-compassion. So I could see that not only is self-care not selfish, but critical if I want to be more available for others. She helped me understand that asking for help is actually a sign of strength, not weakness. I mean, have you ever heard of an elite athlete who didn’t have at least one coach? Well, you are an elite human being.
Yes you are.
I spent a lot of my life not focusing on my true priorities, worrying that paying a professional would cost too much while letting my “cheaper” choices cost me my physical and emotional health. For less than the price of going out to lunch every workday, I was finally able to change my life. I lost weight and transformed my body while gaining energy and confidence. I like who I see when I look in the mirror now.
Worth it? Without a doubt. Regrets? Only that I hadn’t done it sooner. But truth be told, it happened at the right time. I wasn’t ready before. Coaching isn’t a quick fix. It requires time, patience, and commitment, because it helps create lasting change.
The idea of hiring a coach still seems unreachable to many, but it isn’t as expensive as you may think. And what is your health worth to you? What would you give - and what have you already spent trying - to lose fat, gain energy and confidence, and improve your health? Sometimes I’m asked, “Why would I hire a coach?” Well, when you want to learn a new language, you hire a teacher. When you want to learn to dance you hire an instructor. When you want to learn to cook, you take cooking classes. And when you want to learn how to simplify your life and make sustainable changes, you hire a coach.
A good coach doesn’t tell you what to do. A good coach listens. A good coach helps you choose the path that’s right for you, your life, and your circumstances. A good coach holds you accountable and guides you through the bumpy road to change. Going on a diet will help you temporarily change your body in some way, but working with a good coach will help you change your body and your life for the long-term. And when you’re ready to invest in the only body you have, the only life you have, to make the changes you really want to make, you might want to think about finding a coach to help you on your journey. Because you’re worth it. You deserve to feel amazing.
This is my calling. This is what I’ve studied and trained for. It would be my privilege to work with you when you’re ready. All you need to do is ask.
Have a health of a day,
Juli