5 Reasons you need a coach on your anti inflammatory journey

If it was as “easy” as following an anti inflammatory meal plan, or doing low impact workouts, you would have lost weight by now. But you’ve tried that, haven’t you? There are 5 reasons you need a coach on your anti inflammatory journey. Let’s take a peek and see how this overlooked resource is the definite key to you finally losing weight.

After all, you tried the anti inflammatory meal plan. Did the low impact workouts. Cut out certain foods like gluten, dairy, and sugar. And yet, you’re still not losing any weight. If you’re shaking your head “yes, this is ME!”, you’re missing a key component to your journey. You can have tools and resources at your fingertips. But, having a coach that focuses on mindset is like the cherry on top of the (dairy free) sundae!

And, it’s the one resource that can actually help you lose weight!

A Mindset Coach Creates Awareness

Ok, what the heck is a mindset coach anyway? Great question! A mindset coach listens to your challenges, and helps create awareness of where your thoughts and habit loops might be stopping your forward progress.

The reality is that many things we think are “truth”, are actually stories we tell ourselves so we don’t have to do hard work, or break out of our comfort zone. Skeptical? That’s ok, I used to be, too. Let’s look at an example, and you’ll see what I mean.

When was the last time you said to yourself “I’ve tried literally everything to lose weight, but absolutely nothing works!” This feels true, doesn’t it? And you’ve definitely tried a LOT of different things. But, I want to be honest with you. It’s not entirely true, and this is where a mindset coach comes into play.

A mindset coach helps bring awareness to the fact that when you tried that 30-day anti inflammatory nutrition program (for example), you only stayed on the plan for 17 of the 30 days. Or that you took weekends off and enjoyed gluten- and dairy-filled treats (even though you ate perfectly during the week!) Or that you ate one small piece of chocolate everyday, even though it wasn’t part of the plan. And you did all of these things because deep down, you believed that this was “just another plan” that “probably wouldn’t work anyway”.

A Coach For All Your Questions

When was the last time you were at the grocery store, looking at a frozen meal marked “Paleo! Gluten Free! Low Fat!”? You stood there for a moment wondering if that meal was actually good for your hypothyroidism. Would it be ok for your gut health? Was it anti inflammatory?

Wouldn’t it be great to have someone to text or call, right there from the grocery store, to be sure that it was a good meal choice?

When you start eating anti inflammatory foods to support your thyroid and gut health, there are a TON of questions. Is this bloating normal? Can I eat broccoli or not? How do I modify this workout to be a low or no-impact session? What kind of catsup should I buy? What’s an easy snack recipe that’s on-plan? Why am I tired? What do you think of (enter any random supplement here)?

Trouble is, without a coach, you’re left to google all of the answers. And if you’ve tried to do that, you know it’s tough to find a clear answer. Having a coach means that you have one point of contact for your questions. Gone are the days of feeling like you had a good start for two days, then made a misstep but didn’t know where to turn to for advice! Plus, a good coach will know exactly where to send you if she doesn’t have the answer you’re looking for!

Coaching Compliments Your Medical Team

If you know you have hypothyroidism (or think you have a thyroid issue), you’ve likely been to the doctor. That may have been your primary care provider, an endocrinologist, a nurse practitioner, or a functional medicine practitioner.

No matter what was recommended or prescribed by your medical team, a coach can help you navigate what comes next. At some point in the journey, all women recognize that eating the right food is essential to losing weight and healing gut health. Sadly, there are many doctors who aren’t aware of this, or don’t encourage their patients to look into an anti inflammatory diet.

On the flip side, sometimes you get paired up with a nutritionist who talks about things like you should already know them. “Don’t eat starches”, but “do be sure to eat probiotic fiber at every meal”. “Don’t forget your amino acids”, and “Did you cook and eat fresh liver three times this week?” I had a nutritionist like this. While she was well-intended, she often sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown.

But there is good news! A coach can help you take what info your medical team is giving you, and put it into an action plan for healing and weight loss. Coaching is not a replacement for medical intervention and testing. It is, however, an essential part of helping you see success with your weight loss, eating habits, and overall wellness.

A Coach Who’s Been There, Done That

Unless you’re super lucky, many of the doctors and nutritionists you’ll come across have only studied hypothyroidism in school. Once they graduated, they didn’t necessarily stay up to date on the latest research about how food impacts weight, energy, and other hypothyroid symptoms. They have a recommended treatment: give you medication, and tell you to come back in 6-12 months.

As you start doing your own research, you learn that there’s more to losing weight with hypothyroidism than just taking a pill. You’ll see things online where women are eating Paleo, taking liver pills, exploring histamine tolerance, drinking diatomaceous earth. (What the heck!? 😅)

With a coach who’s experienced with anti inflammatory diets, you have a lifeline to someone who has been there, done that! What better resource than a place to ask questions, build plans, and find some reassurance in doing it together? Your medical team isn’t set up to do that, even if they want to.

Plus, that seasoned coach who has tried everything (yes, that’s me!) can point you to useful resources that help support what you want to explore. Say you want testing to see what gut imbalances you have, that might be contributing to your weight loss resistance. Having a coach with a toolbox of resources that are current will be so valuable on your journey!

Coaching Provides Ongoing Support

No matter how “positive” you feel about trying an anti inflammatory diet for weight loss and thyroid issues, there will be tough days. Lots of them. Days where you feel like giving up. Eating a loaf of gluten-filled garlic bread. A cheesy, deep-dish slice of pizza.

Then, there are the days where you haven’t made progress, and can’t figure out why. The best thing you can do on those days is have a good cry, hash it out with your coach, and get back on the horse. 

These are the days when having a coach with mindset training is worth everything. This journey is about so much more than a meal plan or a workout. It’s about digging to the root cause of the thoughts and feelings that are guiding you on your journey.

I know, it sounds super “woo woo”. But if you look back to what we talked about (you saying “I’ve tried everything but nothing works”), you’ll see that it’s essential to have an outside perspective. It’s the only way for you to make progress, try new things, and have support every step of the way.

A Coach For Your Anti Inflammatory Diet

There are literally tons of meal plans, food charts, and nutritionists out there who can help you on your anti inflammatory journey. If they aren’t addressing the thoughts you have on your journey, however, their work will only go so far. You need to have the right thoughts (the right mindset) in order to be most successful with your weight loss and healing journey.

So, there you have it. The 5 reasons you need a coach on your anti inflammatory journey Ready to talk about having a coach, so that you start seeing success with weight loss and healing? I’m ready to share how working with me can help you reach your goals!