beginning to hire life coaches to lose weight. Hurray!! This life
coach gives "two thumbs up" to trying something different! As I often
say, we are inundated with information on weight loss, nutrition and
exercise. In my opinion, the shift to life coaching for weight loss
means that most of us know what to do, but we just need a little
support and accountability to successfully reach our goal. And life
coaches don't stop there! There is so much more we offer.
Life coaching offers a wake-up call for the sleeping giant within, the
part of us that is stronger than willpower, discipline and
self-control. Our giant's primary desire is to intentionally create a
life we really want. Our giant is grounded in principles, committed
to what is most important and resilient in the midst of adversity.
Our giant always plays a big game, much like a stealth quarterback
playing in the Super Bowl. It's determination is unwavering, it's
focus is winning and it's goal is to live a rich full life. In terms
of losing weight permanently, I say, "bring on the giant!!" Why would
you not want to bring your most powerful self to one of life's biggest
challenges?
How would a life coach approach the issue of weight loss?
Read the following excerpt from Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata that
chronicles the journey of a chronic dieter:
He tried repeatedly to lose weight and keep it off, starting with
fad diets — the grapefruit diet, the hard-boiled egg diet, "everything
that came down the pike." He called them "water-cooler diets." They
are, he says, the thing you talk about at the water cooler, and that
is how they spread from person to person. But they were of little
help. Each time, he would lose 10 or 15 pounds, then gain them back.
Carmen still has those old diets — he keeps the sheets of instructions
for them in a folder in his basement the same way another person might
keep old yearbooks or diaries. Each one brings back memories, like
hearing an old song or smelling an aroma from your past. If he looked
at an old diet, the sensations came flooding back — that wonderful
feeling of iron discipline, of self-control. The giddy thrill of
watching the numbers on the scale plunge. And the period of regaining
that weight? It was never part of the fond memories evoked by the diet
sheets. The weight gain was separate from the diet, a sign of weakness
or a lack of resolve, not a problem with the diet.
Over the years, as his weight inched up, Carmen began to worry
about the health consequences of being fat. His father was a diabetic
and had died of heart disease, and his uncle, his father's younger
brother, had died of heart disease. "I just thought, Let me diet so I
don't become diabetic," Carmen says. And, of course, he is concerned
about his appearance. "I'm an American. We live in a society where
people have to be beautiful."
There's a lot of great coaching opportunities here, so let me lovingly
roll up my sleeves and flush out a few things:
He called them "water-cooler diets." They are, he says, the thing you
talk about at the water cooler, and that is how they spread from
person to person. But they were of little help.
Coach Terri: What is Carmen's intuition about what would work for him?
Carmen still has those old diets — he keeps the sheets of instructions
for them in a folder in his basement the same way another person might
keep old yearbooks or diaries. Each one brings back memories, like
hearing an old song or smelling an aroma from your past.
Coach Terri: What's behind cherishing things that no longer serve him?
The weight gain was separate from the diet, a sign of weakness or a
lack of resolve, not a problem with the diet.
Coach Terri: Whose disempowering voice do I hear?
If he looked at an old diet, the sensations came flooding back — that
wonderful feeling of iron discipline, of self-control. (yikes)
Coach Terri: What could make this journey more about passion than pain?
"I'm an American. We live in a society where people have to be beautiful."
Coach Terri: Who is calling the shots here?
There is so much more to coach here.
I sense that Carmen is overwhelmed with feelings of defeat, but I also
detect that he is hungry for more. There's a part of Carmen that is
angry--hurt, fed up, tired of tolerating whatever is holding him
back-- but there's another side of him that is empowered, stronger,
and wiser. This is the part of Carmen I would love to see in the
driver's seat. What would it take for Carmen to bring forth his
magnificence? Boy, would I love to coach Carmen for a while!
Life is short, and unfortunately, so many dieters like Carmen will
look back at their lives and realize that there was never any
resolution around weight loss but only a series of struggles.
It doesn't have to be this way.
"When we die and go to Heaven, our Maker is not going to ask: "Why
didn't you discover the cure for such and such?" The only thing we're
going to be asked at that precious moment is "Why didn't you become
you?"
- Elie Weisel
It's time to awaken the giant within.
No comments:
Post a Comment