Why I Hired a Fitness and Nutrition Coach and Why You Should Too

The value of a great coach: they help with accountability, effectively communicate, and understand the right strategies to get the most out of the people they work with. In addition, we are all biased to what we have learned, our experiences, and who we trust. Coaches can see things from a different lens which can be beneficial in combatting our biases.

Despite being a nutrition and fitness coach myself, I hired one a few months ago. Currently, I am preparing for a natural bodybuilding show. If you are unfamiliar, type in "natural bodybuilding competition" on YouTube and you will get a general idea. In 2017 I prepared for a competition on my own. I consulted with a few friends and colleagues who competed themselves, however everything was on me. I was proud of myself for completing the 10-month journey and losing 45 pounds, however, it came with some negatives.

1. I was overly food-focused and would have anxiety about what to eat daily.

2. If I gained weight after a weigh-in, I felt I had to lower my calories, when I knew daily weight fluctuations are normal.

3. My energy was generally low, which was unfair to the clients I work with.

4. I became extremely irritable and moody. Which was unfair to my partner.

5. I developed body image issues.

These things happen to first-time physique (competitors in all classes) competitors. However, I was not good at managing these side effects. Unfortunately, these were not the only issues. Post competition had some consequences I was not ready for as well.

The day after the competition I traveled to California for vacation. Almost every meal I ate there was at a restaurant. I would eat until I was stuffed, but for some reason, I kept on eating. I became extremely sick were I felt my stomach was going to burst. I would look at myself in the mirror every day and watch myself lose the definition I had. Combine that with now ending vacation and having to go back to normal life again, I fell into a dark time in my life. I went from weighing 181 pounds to 205 pounds within 3 weeks. Eating certain foods would make me feel guilty and the biggest change was not feeling motivated to workout (which has never been a problem in the past).

Now that I am preparing for a competition again, I want to make sure I am being coached by someone who has overcome these battles, has coached other competitors, and has had success of his/her own. I am still a competitive person and although it is not just about winning, I still want to bring my best performance. I also want to learn and apply the strategies to help mitigate the side effects that come with the sport. Lastly, I want to take the things I learn and be able to provide even more value to the clients and athletes I coach every day.

At the end of the day, I cannot preach how important hiring a coach is if I have not hired one myself. If you are serious about accomplishing a goal, hiring a knowledgeable coach is a must. Yes, it does take an investment in time and money but it is necessary for long-term success.