Aligning Information with Inspiration
I’m a Clinical Nutritionist. Sounds very . . . . . clinical, doesn’t it? In an “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV” kind of way. I’m also a Holistic Health Coach. Less clinical, more earthy-crunchy, but begs the question, what does a Holistic Coach DO exactly?
I have so much information to give as a nutritionist: what to eat, what not to eat, what supplements to take, what supplements not to take, what’s the best diet for weight loss and the list goes on and on and on. The problem is, it is just information. Very, very good and sound information, but what good is information if you are not ready to use it? Sometimes it can complicate and frustrate well-meaning people who are hungry for change.
If it were as easy as giving good nutrition and lifestyle information then everyone would be living their perfect life and be healthy and thriving. There would be no disease, obesity or diabetes because everyone has the information and would be using it to their full advantage. If only it were as easy as information giving.
The truth is, life is complicated. So many of my sessions start with “I know what to do but I’m just not doing it” or “I’m addicted to sugar” or “I can’t lose weight like I used to.” Sometimes clients even confess their nutritional sins about succumbing to sugar cravings, eating a bag of chips every night or feeling guilty about eating this or that forbidden food. They have the information, they just can’t follow through for some reason.
I will say it again. Life is complicated. Nutrition is not. However, in order to understand the simplicity of nutrition, one must un-complicate their life. There is no magic nutrient, food, vitamin, or diet, only ones ability to live in alignment with who they desire to be. Wait . . . . . what?!?
Sometimes it’s about diet, supplemental nutrition and meal planning, yes. But sometimes, a lot of the time, it’s about first figuring out what it is you truly want and aligning your thoughts and actions towards that desire. What good is nutritional information if you are exhausted, unhappy, chronically busy, hate your job, unmotivated and uninspired? Not that everyone has all of these issues, but everyone struggles to some degree.
Here is where coaching comes in . . . . I know you have been anxiously awaiting to hear what a Coach does!
Coaching can help clarify what your desires are and help you take steps to build momentum in that direction. The first step is to ask yourself “what is it that I really want?” Try to be as clear about it as you can. Try to avoid the running mental list of what you DON’T want. Like:
I’m overweight and struggled most of my life.
I have no willpower.
I don’t sleep well and I’m always stressed.
I don’t like my job.
My marriage is not making me happy.
In other words, we get really good at making lists of our limitations and what we don’t want.
Then there’s the “I used to list.”
I used to weigh 125 pounds when I was 25.
I used to go to the gym everyday.
I used to have flat abs and toned arms and ran 5 miles.
I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain any weight.
The “used to” game doesn’t work and often leads to unrealistic expectations for your current 45 year old self! Don’t go there. Always start where you are and instead of getting specific, go a little more general at first.
Instead of: “I’m over weight and struggled most of my life,” a persistent negative story line that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, try to go general and more positive. Try: “I’m taking steps to feel better and improve my wellbeing. I’m working with a nutritionist to give me information that I can start to use to help me get there.”
Identifying what it is you really want is orienting your compass to where you want to go. It draws your attention and actions to it. If you are trying to lose weight and feel better, and you align you thoughts and actions towards it, your life draws you in that direction. If you constantly revert back to the negative story line, you will divert your life in that direction. The very opposite of where you want to go! You can’t go both directions at the same time, it will lock you in place.
Once you have a general idea of where you want to go and you start moving in that direction, it gets easier to make more specific goals once momentum is established. This is where information becomes more helpful and less overwhelming. It becomes easier to make choices that work best for you once step at a time.
Blocks along the way will surely come up, but I see them as positive since they reveal things that need to be addressed. Maybe you will need to say no to helping everyone else at your own expense. Maybe you will need to devote time to yoga or meditation to deal with stress. Maybe you will need to talk to your spouse about being more supportive and helping with the household or kids.
The real power of information is not always the information itself, but how to bring yourself into alignment with what it is you want. Then you hold the power to use the information to make some real changes. It is my desire as a Nutritionist and as a Coach to help you identify what it is that you want, and give you the information to help you get there.
Thanks for reading and welcome to my blog site. I hope you find the information and inspiration to take a deep dive into nutrition!