Weight Loss Coach

What is a weight loss coach?  

A weight loss coach provides expert support and accountability to people as they make their way through the highs and lows of a weight loss journey. They are there to help educate, support, inspire, and motivate their client so that they are equipped and empowered to reach their goals and ultimately live a longer healthier life. A good coach will guide you to find clarity on what you need to change, help you understand the deeper and more internal reasons why it’s in your interest to make those changes, and then work to find solutions for successful behaviour change that’s sustainable and builds better wellbeing over time.

What makes a good weight loss coach? 

Sustainable weight loss is difficult for most people. Ask anyone who’s managed it successfully and they’ll tell you it took time, perseverance, and a fair bit of learning from mistakes. A good coach understands this and adopts a multi-pronged, personalised approach that takes a long-term perspective.  

The most important aspect of weight loss is nutrition. A weight loss coach should ideally be well-versed in nutrition and experienced working with a range of people with different dietary preferences and restrictions. They should be able to explain the fundamental aspects of optimum nutrition but not inflict a rigid approach on you. A good coach will work to help you find a working solution that fits into your life. 

A weight loss coach understands the importance of movement and exercise. They’ll be able to assess your ability and help you come up with a plan to build strength, stamina, and most importantly, consistency with moving your body. They won’t necessarily be a qualified fitness instructor or personal trainer but will be able to recognise what form of exercise might suit you best and guide you to the right professional or class.  

A good coach understands human behaviour and can empathise with you and your weight loss journey so far. They might have personal experience with weight loss themselves and know how difficult it can be to make changes that last. They’ll also understand the challenges with mental health that often come with weight loss struggles. First and foremost, they’ll work to help you build self-confidence, positive body image, and self-belief. They will also have a comprehensive bag of tips, tricks, and techniques to help you with behaviour change and building up small steps towards your goals and the creation of habit changes. 

What are the benefits of weight loss coaching? 

As humans, we respond strongly to social situations in which we’re being watched and in which we have expectations placed on us. When you try to get in shape on your own, you know in the back of your mind that no one’s really watching you, and that at the end of the day no one will really care if you don’t stick to your programme. But by employing a coach, you’re making the decision to be monitored and held accountable towards your daily goals. This is perhaps the key benefit of coaching – it makes you accountable to someone other than yourself, helping you to sustain your efforts for long enough to see great results that can be transformational.

Online coaching Vs. in-person coaching.  

Traditionally, health coaching took place in person, and some coaches still work face to face, in gyms, in fitness settings outdoors or in your home. The benefits of this are that it can be quicker to build rapport and pick up on non-verbal communication. Furthermore, it can help those suffering from loneliness or mental health issues with the motivation to leave the house and get active. On the other hand, coaching in person places limitations on flexibility and availability. Furthermore, meeting in person comes with more overhead costs so it is usually more expensive.  

Virtual coaching is a growing trend in the nutrition and fitness industry and has been shown to work well. The benefits are that it’s convenient with no travel time and has the feasibility of connecting from anywhere in the world. Coaches can work more flexibly online and are therefore more likely to be able to fit in with your schedule without charging a premium that is inherent to in-person coaching.   

Things to consider

Weight loss coaching is a growing trend which means that there are more and more coaches out there to choose from. Finding a coach who has the right skills, knowledge, and experience to help you can be a challenge. There are a few things to consider before signing up with a coach: 

• What training and expertise do they have? And do these align with your goals? 
• Are they qualified to provide nutrition and fitness advice? 
• Are they a member of a regulatory body or something to ensure they maintain a high standard of practice? 
• Are they part of a wider network of health professionals that will be an additional resource to you? 
• Is their approach evidence-based? 
• Do they have reviews or testimonials on their website?  
• Do they set realistic expectations, rather than over-promising or over-selling?  
• What is included in your weight loss plan and is it a fair price?

What qualifications should a weight loss coach have? 

Weight loss coaches come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are qualified dietitians, nutritionists or fitness professionals that offer coaching on the side. You don’t need any of these qualifications to call yourself a weight loss coach however, so it is worth checking with any prospective coach what expertise they have. Signing up with an unqualified or inexperienced coach can mean that you’re given advice that’s not based on scientific evidence or best practice, potentially leading to suboptimal results or even harm.  

It’s a good idea to check that your weight loss coach is registered with the relevant regulatory body for their profession. For example: 

Health Coaches 

UKIHCA approved 

Nutritionists 

BANT member 

CNHC member 

AfN member 

Dietitians 

HCPC 

Fitness Professionals  

CIMSPA 

REPs 

How much does a weight loss coach cost? 

You can expect to pay an established independent weight loss coach around £75 for a 40-minute to 60-minute one-to-one session, which could be face to face or virtual via telephone or online. Alternatively, this would equate to several hundred pounds for a 12-week programme, and you should expect some discount for a block booking over multiple weeks or months. For a qualified and experienced nutritionist or dietitian, you may pay slightly more per session.  

NUVI - your weight loss support system

NUVI helps you understand how your unique body works so that you can optimise your health more easily. 

At NUVI we combine different insights into your health from smartwatches, glucose levels, and other areas to build a complete holistic picture of you and your metabolism, to predict what foods and lifestyle changes will work best for your health, based on scientific evidence. The more you use the NUVI app, the more it will understand and be able to help you. 

Our system has been created with expert input from:

• Medical Doctors 
• Lifestyle Medicine Physicians  
• Dietitians 
• Nutritionists  
• Personal Trainers  
• Health Coaches 
• Scientists

NUVI helps you understand the nutrition and lifestyle factors that work best for your body so that you can achieve your weight loss goals.