Questions to ask when hiring a health coach
I know there are plenty of moms who think it’s wasteful or selfish to invest in themselves (it’s not.)
But there are these deeply rooted beliefs that hold us back. As if our desires and lives should be second to our kids’… even though our health and happiness IS directly related to theirs.
So how can you decide if private health coaching is right for you?
First, consider the following questions.
Have you been trying to improve your health for the last several years on your own without getting very far? Always gaining and losing the same five pounds? Always trying the same dumb shake or plain chicken meal when it’s time to “get strict” about your diet??
Are you unclear about the specific goals you have for yourself because there is just SO much information available that you don’t know where to start? Whole 30? Keto? Cutting carbs or dairy? More kale? Less red meat?? WTF should I do next?
Have you been successful at changing some health habits, but still struggle with loving or accepting your body? Made a habit of getting workouts in and definitely eating better but still being a major MEAN-GIRL to yourself??
Do you desperately wish you didn’t spend so much time comparing yourself to other mamas on instagram or facebook?
Do you want your kids to grow up learning about balance and moderation and NOT yo-yo dieting or thinking negative thoughts about their bodies?
Are you totally OVER the idea of meal plans or strict diets that promise weight loss, but force you to give up your favorite foods?? (pass the fries, plz)
If you are here reading this, I’m guessing you answered YES to at least one of those questions. I think we all want to be healthy and happy and teach our kids balance. Duh. You’re smart. You know this shit.
But why is it so hard to make changes??
And how long will it take to do it on your own?
Will you continue to wrestle each week with changing your habits and trying to adopt new changes that don’t quite fit into your life?
I know you are busy. Running a household and caring for these babes is tough work.
Throw in friendships (what?), exercise (yikes), volunteering in kid’s classrooms, working/side-hustling. And all the damn laundry. It’s just a lot.
Only YOU know if you can go on thinking the same negative thoughts about your body.
Only YOU know if you can white-knuckle it any longer.
Only YOU can decide if it’s time to do something different.
But how do you decide?
Close your eyes, and imagine yourself one year from now.
Look at your future self in the mirror.
Ask yourself, how your life is different. How is life the same? Are your health habits different? Do you look in the mirror and love your body?
What about three months from now?
Have you committed to taking time for yourself each week? Each day? Or are you a tired, stressed, frustrated ball of nerves because you never have a second to focus on YOU?
Now think about where you are TODAY.
What will need to change to become the woman and mom you know you can be in the next three months? What about the woman you desire to be one year from now?
Can you do it on your own, or are you ready to stop DIY-ing your health?
If you’re over trying to do it yourself, click below to fill out my coaching application.
I can’t wait to help you become the woman you know you can be.
Talk soon,
Cassandra
Why hiring a coach beats trying to do it all on your own
Have you ever had a health problem, or a plumbing "thing" or a bad haircut where you tried to "fix it" yourself and it just wouldn't work out so you finally just hired someone and it was SO nice to have that annoying thing taken off YOUR plate, and into the hands of an expert instead??
It's happened to me many times... health, mental health, fitness, home improvement projects (oy)... I've been there.
I think it's normal as millennials and especially as moms who are used to consulting the internet to solve problems, to just turn to free info and think it will be enough.
And sometimes it is... but sometimes you find yourself beating your head against a wall, trying everything under the sun, and it just isn't "working".
And when it comes to your health, wellbeing, and SELF-LOVE, you just shouldn't take the gamble of trying to DIY it!
I know there is SOOOO much info available. And people are always talking about keto, and Whole 30, and paleo, and cleanses, and juices, and superfoods, and it's overwhelming. And then the news outlets reference obscure studies that aren't really helpful and it's like WTF am I actually supposed to do anyway???
And that's when I come in. (Actually, I never want you to feel like you are beating your head against a wall, but sometimes it takes getting there to realize you could use a little help.)
So HOW can coaching help you if you've been trying to DIY it?
Having a set plan in place versus trying ALL the things is powerful. It takes less of your headspace and makes life SIMPLER
Accountability is a powerful tool. But I'm guessing you don't want to have to check in with your hubby or sister or BFF every day about your workouts or have them ask you if you are getting enough sleep, or are sticking to your goals. Having someone who is there to help without judgment is wonderful.
Stop putting so much pressure on yourself!! You shouldn't have to be health guru and do this on your own. You owe it to YOU do have someone knowledgeable help you and give you the tools you need, so in the future, you can absolutely DIY it. But watching one more health doc or doing one more free workout is not going to change your mindset and help you LOVE your body. It just isn't.
Want to know more?? I'm now offering ONLINE coaching! Apply here!
p.s. Need an extra boost into your healthy lifestyle? Download your FREE healthy mama toolkit here.
Change your mindset, change your health
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “thoughts determine actions”, and it’s especially true with changing health habits.
But for some reason, we often want to dive straight into the habits themselves without addressing mindset first (and we expect that those habits will change overnight).
What do I mean by mindset?
I mean fears, self-doubt, lack of confidence or worthiness arount weight loss, dwelling on past failures, etc. Basically anything that is holding you back mentally (whether you are aware of it or not).
In reality, if you have a negative mindset or self-doubt related to your health (or feel you aren’t worthy of losing weight, or don’t believe you can achieve your goals), it will make changing very difficult...even if you have an amazing coach or trainer guiding you.
So how can you change your mindset first?
Your thought patterns are generally on automatic loops so it takes becoming aware of them to make a change. If you aren’t aware of a problem, it can’t be fixed!
Three steps to changing your mindset around your body:
Step One
First, make an active effort to think about your thoughts for a couple of days. Anytime you think a negative thought about yourself or your body (for example, when looking in the mirror, doubting your ability to achieve a goal, etc.) make a note of it. Anything you wouldn’t say to your child or best friend is something to make a note of.
After a couple of days you’ll notice there are probably some general patterns that stick out to you. Once you have your general themes, write them down.
Step Two
Next, write an affirmation around your theme (something that is opposite of the negative statement). It’s important to write something that resonates with you (i.e. don’t create an affirmation that you love your body if you really don’t feel that way yet).
An effective way to write an affirmation that you aren’t 100% about yet is “I am learning to….”
For example: “I am learning to love my postpartum body and I am grateful for the babies it brought me”.
“I am learning to love to move my body and know that I feel better, happier, and more energetic when I do exercise.”
Step Three
Once you have your affirmations written, USE THEM!
Put them up around your house or in your car, put them in your phone and repeat them throughout the day. At first it might feel weird, but think of it as a pep-talk. You wouldn’t hesitate to give your best friend or daughter a pep-talk if they were being hard on themself. Now do the same for YOU!
Then What?
Thoughts are often deeply rooted and so subconscious we don’t even realize how mean we are being to ourselves! But once you become aware and start to acknowledge negative patterns, it’s easy to pick up on them.
The trick is to STOP the thought before it continues.
You do not have to believe any thought you think. You are the master of your thoughts, and you can choose what thoughts go into your head.
By choosing to put positive thoughts into your mind, you are giving yourself a foundation for becoming more successful.
Want to learn more about changing your thought patterns??
Join me for a free masterclass February 24 at 4pm Pacific Time. I’ll be teaching 5 ways to improve your mindset so you can have better results with changing your health habits.
Want to dig even deeper?? Join Mind-Body-Momlife!! Registration now open.
Getting honest about your health goals (what do YOU want?)
It’s January which means lots of us have health and fitness on the brain. We are told that we can easily “transform”.
We are told that we should be losing weight.
We are told we should be cutting food groups out of our diets.
We are told we should be doing intense workout routines.
Some of it might sound good. Some sounds appealing. Some sounds horrible (vegan diets and crossfit, I’m looking at you).
But I want to ask you… what do YOU want? What do you want for yourself? What do you expect from yourself? What does healthy look like to you?? What kind of healthy example do you want to be for your kids?
Do you even NEED to lose weight (and who is to say if you do)?? Do you WANT to exercise? Should you change your diet??
My goal this year is to help more women do what they want. I know for a fact everyone CAN improve their health in some way… but it’s up to YOU to decide what needs to be done. You are the expert on your own life.
[reminder: the author trying to sell diet books is NOT an expert on you]
I also know that when you are in survival mode, you shouldn’t be worrying about big health changes. You should be focusing on keeping your family life running and making sure you are eating and sleeping enough.
Sometimes you need to work on your mental health before you can focus on your physical health. Depression and anxiety can be debilitating. Don’t feel an ounce of guilt for putting your relationships, sleep, and mental health FIRST.
But sometimes you KNOW what you need to do (eat more veggies, drink more water, move your body) you just can’t figure out HOW to fit it into your life.
That’s where I come in. My goal as a coach is to help you fit healthier habits into your life without doing any major overhauls or transformations. Because I want you to be able to continue with your changes 3 months from now and 3 years from now. I want the changes to be so long lasting your kids grow up with a healthy mama who has a healthy relationship with food and shows them how to love her body.... so that THEY can grow up loving their bodies.
To me, THAT is long lasting change.
Want to apply to work with me this year? Click here.
Xo, Cassandra
