What is Whole30?
A Reset.
An Experiment of One.
An Elimination and Reintroduction.
But mainly: A life changing experience.
Whole 30 is a 30-day nutritional reset designed to help you determine the foods that are optimal for you. While it is not a diet, Whole 30 is a short term elimination (and then reintroduction) of certain food groups (sugar, dairy, legumes and grains) that could potentially be having a negative impact without you even realizing it. During the 30 days of elimination, you rekindle a healthy relationship with food while healing your digestive tract, reestablishing healthy communication between your brain and gut, resetting your hormones and balancing your immune system… all by simply eating delicious, healthy and REAL food. After reintroducing and evaluating the potentially problematic foods, you are able to make well informed decisions about the foods you put on your plate and understand the impact they have on your health. Learn more about Whole30 from their website.
Why enlist the help of a Certified Whole30 Coach?
The short answer (and one you are probably not expecting) is that not everyone needs a coach to get through a Whole30. You may do just fine on your own, especially if you’ve done one before. But if you’re new to Whole30, have been unsuccessful in the past, have health issues or didn’t see the results (or any results) you were hoping for in a previous Whole30, enlisting the help of a coach may be just what you need for a few reasons (from Whole30.com):
1 | Accountability and encouragement.
Changing ingrained habits is hard. Habit research says that accountability is one of the main contributing factors to helping someone achieve lasting behavior change.
Think about your immediate circle. Are your family and friends or coworkers likely to be a source of consistent accountability and encouragement for you during your Whole30? Or are they more likely to be uninterested, un-supportive, or potentially even actively discouraging you from Whole30 success? If you think the second scenario is more likely, a Whole30 Coach can provide the support system you need for unwavering accountability and positive encouragement.
2 | Paying a Coach creates a financial incentive
Habit research also shows that having a strong incentive can help you create permanent behavior change. For some, the potential for non-scale victories and weight loss aren’t enough of an incentive. If that’s you, then you might consider forking over some of your hard earned cash to a Coach. It’s a smart way to add a measure of financial incentive to your Whole30 journey, while also securing the services and help that a Coach offers.
If you know you’re paying your Whole30 Certified Coach a certain amount of money to Coach you, you’re less likely to intentionally quit your Whole30 early and lose out on your investment. And, you’re more likely to take your Whole30 commitment seriously, adhering to the program rules 100%.
3 | To answer questions that you don’t even know you have
Right now, the Whole30 may seem simple enough. Eat some protein, vegetables, healthy fat, and some nuts, seeds and fruit. What’s so hard about that? But what about common additives and label reading; sneaky words for sugar and gluten on labels; strategies for dining out; and planning ahead for travel?
All of these concerns are possible to figure out on your own, but maybe you don’t have the time or capacity to do so. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an expert available who can give you quick, insightful and personalized answers?
4 | To expand your base of knowledge
A Coach helps you fit the Whole30 puzzle pieces together. He or she will help you see how all of your actions contribute to your overall wellness, even if you initially think those actions are totally unrelated to health. It’s pretty fun to have someone give you directly applicable and actionable advice on a regular basis.
5 | To to help you set your expectations
A good Coach knows the questions to ask you to make sure you’re prepared for a whole range of roadblocks and challenges. Pre-Whole30, you’ll likely either be overwhelmed or overly confident. Both of these scenarios mean you probably won’t properly plan for potential bumps in the road. A good Coach can help you predict what kind of challenges may arise during your Whole30 journey, and can help you set your expectations of the experience accordingly.
6 | To ask you the tough questions and help you realize your sticking points.
A good Coach isn’t afraid to be honest with you. He or she will call you on your excuses if needed, and will ask you the tough questions. If your Coach is doing a good job, they’ll help you recognize the places where there’s a disconnect between what you say you want and what you’re actually doing. That’s powerful.
7 | To help you troubleshoot your meal template and meal planning
Knowing how to build appropriate Whole30 meals will help you get the most out of your Whole30 experience. While I hesitate to say there’s a way to do Whole30 “wrong,” there kind of is. I’ve observed my clients not eating enough, or under-eating certain macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs). They’re unintentionally sabotaging themselves.
It’ll be pretty hard to know if you’re doing this (or how to fix it) without the help of a Coach. If you’re feeling hungry, how much do you increase your portion? What do you add more of to your plate? A Coach can help you troubleshoot these concerns.
8 | To offer expertise and encouragement for the rough patches.
Your Whole30 is not going to go perfectly. Things may get worse before they get better. It’s helpful to have someone there who has not only been there personally, but has also Coached others through similar situations. It’s empowering to send an SOS text to your Coach and get an answer back in 5 minutes, rather than researching for hours on your own.
9 | To help you determine how your lifestyle habits beyond food may be impacting your success.
Did you know that things like sleep, mindset, movement and stress all play a (pretty big) role in your Whole30 results? If you’re going through Whole30 solo, it can be overwhelming enough to focus on the food by itself, let alone think about your habits in these other areas. That’s where a Coach comes in to help you think critically about your Whole30 experience and how it fits in with the big picture of your lifestyle.
10 | To help you tailor your Whole30 to your unique health context.
This applies to Coaches who are both Registered Dietitians (or other health care professionals) and Whole30 Certified Coaches (like me!). If you do have specific health issues or diagnoses, working with a qualified Coach in combination with your medical provider can ensure that you have a positive (and successful) Whole30 experience.
11 | Because it’s fun to have an ally in a new (and sometimes challenging) process.
A Coach is someone who will help encourage, support, and motivate you to do your best each day. Your Coach will reassure you that you’re not alone, and that you’re not the first person in the history of Whole30 to experience whatever it is you’re feeling on day 10, 12, or 25 of your Whole30. Because the Whole30 Coaching certification process is rigorous, it only attracts the best of the best. Each Whole30 Certified Coach is passionate about leading other people through the Whole30, and their passion will shine through in every interaction you have. It’s an incredible asset to have a Whole30 Coach on your team.
Read the full article from Whole30: https://whole30.com/2018/05/whole30-coach-reasons/
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