You’ve decided that you want to lose weight. Now it’s just finding the best way to do it. There are so many programs and specialists out there, but where do you begin?
While you may not want to follow a weight loss program, you want to support. This can lead to the decision to find a weight loss specialist. You want someone who will help you reach your goals, remain healthy, and support you every step of the way.
But what makes a good weight loss specialist? Do you look at price, location, or even skills? Here’s your ultimate guide to finding a weight loss specialist that is just right for you.
Find Someone Who Has Been Where You Are
There are plenty of people who will know how to lose weight, but not everyone has been through the journey. They’ve spent their whole life thin and healthy.
While being thin their whole life isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it could mean that they’re unable to give you the best support on your weight loss journey. They don’t know where you’re starting from, understand your hang ups on exercise, or even get your relationship with food.
A weight loss specialist who has been where you are right now has taken steps to change. They’ve followed the steps they’re teaching, meaning you will have more confidence in the plan. You know that they understand everything that it takes to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. There will be the confidence that the plan will work.
With someone who has been there, they will also understand those bad weeks. They know the steps to take to overcome bad weeks and things to do to counter them sooner in the future. Specialists who have been there before are the future you that you can aspire to be.
Find Someone with Proven Results
But just being there before isn’t enough. This is teaching. Just because their methods worked on them doesn’t mean they’ll work for someone else. Nor does it mean they have the skills to coach and support people.
You need to find someone with the proven results for others. These types of weight loss specialists will have testimonials on their site and will have former clients raving about their program. You’ll be able to find reviews online that are mostly positive – of course, there will be negative reviews out there because nobody can please all.
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with the previous clients that you find online. You can reply to reviews, or some will leave their email addresses. You may even be able to meet some in person if there is a group workshop with the weight loss specialist. This is an excellent way to find out more about the program and about the type of support and guidance the specialist can give. You’ll also get to know just how the program is going to help you lose weight.
While you are considering the previous clients, you’ll want to find out about the average weight lost. This can be relative since some people won’t have that much to lose. However, you’ll get an idea of the range. If you have a lot of weight to lose, will the specialist be able to help you the whole way? You don’t want to have to change coach part way through. If you only have 10 lbs or so, will there be any judgment from the specialist or anyone else you may meet along the way?
Find a Specialist Who Follows the Recommendations
There are just so many specialists out there who follow the advice they want to. This isn’t necessarily going to be safe advice or even helpful advice. They find something that seems to work for them, and then they start teaching that to others. Some will follow fad diets that work for them and then follow the same path when teaching.
It so important that you find a specialist who isn’t just going to help you lose weight, but lose it healthily. You want to find someone who follows the advice from the experts, including only losing around 2lbs a week to make sure that you only lose fat and not muscle. You want to find someone who knows the best amount of exercise to do and the best way of creating a calorie deficit.
Ask plenty of questions. Find out where the specialist learned their tricks and what type of training they have. You may even want to find someone who is certified to offer the advice that you must give. This isn’t always a necessity, as it will depend on the type of advice and guidance they are giving you for your weight loss journey.
At the same time, you want a specialist who isn’t afraid of challenging some of the mainstream focuses. This is especially the case for some of the mainstream diets that tell you that you can lose 20lbs in a week. They’re high intense workouts that aren’t necessarily good for you. Look for specialists who follow medical advice!
Look Out for Those Promising Something “Too Good to Be True.”
If something is too good to be true, it likely is. You’ll find that there are plenty of specialists promising that you can lose 30 lbs in the space of a fortnight. They’ve done it so you can too! Others will tell you that they didn’t change the way they ate at all and others will focus on how they didn’t have to go to the gym.
What you need to do is read between the lines and make sure they’re telling the truth. People on the internet can say anything at all – and they will if they’re able to make money. They will tell you all sorts of lies, such as how fat makes you gain fat and all carbohydrates are bad for you.
The worst thing is that these specialists will claim that they’ve lost weight following their advice, but they won’t show any of them before photos. If they do show before photos, they’re “part way through the journey” or adapted slightly to avoid showing off the truth. They haven’t really been exactly where you are.
Make sure you do plenty of research into any person you’re considering. Find out if there is anything online about their services and their weight loss journey. Most of the genuine specialists will share them before photos. They make it clear just where they have been and where they are now – and they won’t make themselves out to be perfect.
Listen to your gut. What is it telling you about the specialist? If your gut is telling you to walk away, then that’s just what you need to do! Your gut instinct is a powerful way to decide.
Find a Specialist Who Will Work Around You
Okay, so there are going to be some instances where you need to work to the specialist’s schedule. There may be set classes or group sessions to attend, or you may need to get in touch through Skype at strategic times. What I really mean at this point is that you need to find someone who understands your lifestyle and will work around that.
Their advice may include dairy for calcium levels, but what if you’re intolerant or allergic to dairy? Is the coach able to make a few changes to the advice to help you? Has the specialist ever had to do something like this?
A good specialist will be away from different health problems. They’ll understand that someone may prefer a paleo lifestyle or that someone is more of a vegan or vegetarian fan. There’s no judgment for these lifestyle choices, and the specialist will be able to work around that and still help you lose weight.
There may be some advice on nutrition and following a healthy diet. A great weight loss specialist will know the best ways to get all your food groups through your diet and even know if a lifestyle choice is an unhealthy one.
Look Out for Someone Who Combines Diet and Fitness
Weight loss is only 80% diet. The other 20% is fitness and exercise. Make sure you find a specialist who understands this and can combine both fitness and diet to help you lose weight and keep it off.
At the same time, you want to find someone who is understanding of any limitations that you have. The last thing you need is a coach who pushes you to exercise more when your doctor is advising you to focus on the diet first – maybe because you’re recovering from an injury.
A good specialist will be motivating. They will also find the best way to work the diet plan to your needs and support you along your journey.
Find Someone Who Will Listen
Weight loss isn’t just about seeing the numbers on the scales. It’s an emotional journey. You’ll have your ups and downs, and your weight loss coach will become one of your closest friends. There will be things that you don’t even tell your partner that you’re willing to tell your weight loss specialist!
So, with that in mind, you need to find someone who is going to listen. And they need to listen without judgment. This isn’t always going to be about finding a solution to a problem or offering advice. There will be times that you just want someone there who will be able to sit and let you rant.
Good specialists have been there. They’ll know when a conversation is needed and when just a listening ear is needed. When dialogue is needed, goodspecialists will know the tools to get you to open more and find a reason for your feelings, thoughts, or problems. It’s not always about the specialist telling you what to do, but about helping you find the answers for yourself.
Look Out for Maintenance Help
Weight loss is only part of your journey. There’s also the bit afterward to keep the weight off. The problem is that many coaches will focus on the weight loss and forget all about the support afterward. Without support and guidance, you could find that you gain all the weight back and need to get back on the weight loss journey again.
You’ll know if you’ve found a specialist that helps with maintenance by looking at previous clients. Find out if they have supported others, especially those who have left testimonials on the site. Look out for signs that someone is yo-yo dieting, due to lack of support from the specialist.
Bear in mind that not everyone will keep the weight off. It’s not always going to be the fault of the specialist but the mind of the dieter. Read between the lines of all testimonials and reviews and ask plenty of questions.
Find Someone Who Will Listen to Your Goals
While the specialist’s goal may have been to lose weight, your goal may be to fit into certain clothes. Some people have a goal to be healthier, and others want to feel confident within themselves. Specialists won’t have the same goals, but they should listen to yours.
This isn’t about getting you to their dream and their wants. A good specialist will listen to your goals and help you set up a plan of attack to reach those exact goals. However, a great specialist will be able to adapt them to make them more personal.
Say you want to get into a certain dress size. A specialist may be able to narrow it down to a certaindress while helping you boost your confidence while wearing it.
Look for Someone Within Your Budget
While money isn’t everything, it will play a role in finding the perfect weight loss specialist for you. Make sure you find someone that you can afford for the whole of your journey. Okay, so there are going to be some financial issues that are out of your control that you don’t see coming, but if your finances are stable, you should always be able to afford the specialist.
There are specialists within all price ranges. Some will only charge those who are losing weight. When you get to maintenance, you may get support for free or at least a good discount – this is the encouragement to get to your goals and keep turning up for support.
Find a Specialist Who Will Work for You
When it comes to a weight loss specialist, it isn’t a case of one size fits all. There will be some coaches who are perfect for you and others that just aren’t able to support your vision or your lifestyle. Make sure you research all the weight loss specialists in your area and find ones that suit you.
Whether you want a coach you meet with personally or one online, there is someone out there. Find out more about the specialist’s own journey and any clients that they’ve helped. This will help instill confidence in their abilities to help you reach the goals that you’re dreaming about right now.
