Forget the lure of flat stomachs and beach bodies and discover your own personal meaningful motivation to transform your body shape


Does the idea of fitting into your size 10 or size 12 shorts that have been hanging in the back of your wardrobe forever really motivate you to eat healthier and exercise more? The lure of fitting into clothes or getting a flat stomach or a beach body are really just short term motivators that will have you reverting back to your old habits in a matter of weeks or less. However if you are willing to give yourself the time to ask and answer some hard questions, you can discover a much deeper meaningful purpose for change. A purpose that will ignite your passion and drive you to get the results that you want – no matter what is happening in your life or going on around you.

I always ask new clients the question what do you hope to achieve by coming to see me. Initially I get answers around weight loss, looking better, more energy and increased fitness. So on the surface we all think we know what we want. However from working with clients over the last 5 years I know there is always so much more to the story. It is never really about numbers on a scale or how you look in a mirror. It is never really about the clothes that don’t fit you anymore. More often it is about how you feel on the inside, how you interact with yourself, with those close to you and also how you show up in the world.

A client of mine Deborah – a mother of 2 girls – had been battling with her weight for over 15 years. When she came to see me she had never really thought about why she actually wanted to lose weight. During the initial consultation I discovered Deborah was terrified of walking in the same footsteps as her mother who died of complications from diabetes at the age of 62. Deborah knew the pain of dealing with the death of her own mother at a young age and she did not want her daughters to go through the same pain. By discovering her why Deborah was able to commit more fully to her programme.

Another client of mine Marion had a burning passion to be physically active with her young children but her weight and fitness levels stopped her.  She only realised this was important to her after a series of in depth questions. She admitted she wanted to be able to run around with her children in the back garden, jump on the trampoline, mess around with them at the pool on holidays. She wanted to bring her children on walking trips up through forests and into the mountains as she did when she was a child  She wanted to be part of those all-important memories and was fed up  and ashamed being the bystander and the bag holder.

Paul’s underlying reason for losing weight was to increase his self-confidence. He felt his body shape was holding him back from going for promotions in work. Tackling his weight would be his first step to better career opportunities and ultimately a more fulfilling career. This took some time to uncover and it was not obvious to Paul at the beginning. He thought he just wanted a six pack!

So discovering why you want to change is so important. Marion wanted to lose weight but more importantly she wanted to be a big part of her children’s lives making memories for the future.

As a dieter for years I used to be a slave to the scales and I yearned for that beach body.  My motivations to consistently eat well and exercise are now down to how it makes me feel not how I look.

Some people can define their “why” quickly and on their own. For others, it requires a little more time and effort and most would benefit from the support of a health coach. Paul, Marion and Deborah discovered their big why during their initial consultation with me. By asking the right questions I can guide you in finding your compelling reasons for making the changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Here is an example of how I can support a client in discovering their why:-

Q. Why have you signed up for my 12 week transformation programme? (Me)
A. I want to change my eating habits and exercise routine (Client)
Q. Why is that important to you? (Me)
A. I want to lose weight (Client)
Q Why is that important to you? (Me)
A. I want to fit into my clothes in the back of the wardrobe. (Not very compelling!) (Client)
Q Why is that important to you? (Me)
A. I want to like myself when I look in the mirror (Client)
Q Why is that important to you? (Me)
A. If I like myself more I will take better care of myself (Client)
Q Why is that important to you? (Me)
A. If I take better care of myself I will live a longer healthier life (Client)
Q Why is that important to you? (Me)
A. I have loads of thing I want to accomplish with my life. I want to be here to see my kids grow up into adults and hopefully one day meet my grandchildren. (Bingo – Very compelling) (Client)

Q Why is that important to you? (Me)

A. Because this means so much to me. These are the things that I value most in life. (Wow!) (Client)

So we have gone from wanting to fit into clothes to wanting a live a full meaningful life. That’s a big difference in terms of motivators.

Once you have uncovered your big why either by yourself or by working with a health coach it is also important to create a vision of wellness.  I work with clients to help them create this as it can be hard to do it alone. A wellness vision is how you want your life to look and feel like as you think of what wellness means to you. Having a compelling vision gives us the logic and meaning from which we can create goals. So take for example Marion who wanted to be more active with her kids –  I helped her create a very clear vision of her wellness. Her vision was that she was on holidays in Spain at her favourite resort running after her high spirited 4 year old in the kiddies pool laughing,  not breathless or panting and feeling energetic and totally enjoying the moment. So whenever she felt stuck or overwhelmed she could easily conjure up this mental vision to keep her focused and on track.

Focusing on the things that scare you most could be a starting point. Often growth comes from the places where there is the most resistance. Believe me we all have all the resources we need right now to bring about change in our lives.  Alternatively you could start with something that is easy for you and do it consistently over time. It is like picking the low hanging fruit which we often over look as being too easy. I strongly believe we tend to over complicate things. Simplicity and consistency is key. It takes time, dogged commitment and consistency to change our habits.

So in summary don’t get side tracked by superficial motivators to change. Discovering your unique personal compelling reason to change your habits and creating a very clear vision in your head of what that change looks and feels needs is the real starting point needed for long term meaningful dietary and lifestyle change.

If it all sounds a little daunting take up the offer of a Free 20 minute Phone Discovery Session!  This is a no strings attached 20 minute talk with me. I expect nothing in return. This will help you discover today your own compelling reason to make changes to how you eat or how you move. Please call or text me Helen on 086-8067832 or fill in the form below and I will slot you in for a free session with me.

So make that call today, I would love to hear from you!

Nutrition Waterford

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Warm wishes