One of my coaching clients is experiencing tremendous success in the area of weight loss. Charlie has given me permission to share his story in hopes that it will inspire others.
Charlie weighed 278 when we began our work together and had weighed over 330 for about six years before that. As of October 10, 2010, he has lost 40 pounds in 10 weeks—an average of 13.3 lbs per month and 40% of his original weight-loss goal. He’s feeling much healthier and energized, as well as very proud of his progress and confident that the changes he’s making will support him for the rest of his life.
The approach I’m using to coach Charlie involves nutritional education, exercise, and an IFS-based exploration of his relationship with food. Combining those three components—and revisiting each one whenever needed—is addressing the necessary elements to support him in staying on track or getting back on track quickly if a challenge arises.
Update on June 28, 2011: He has now lost 100 pounds and has reached his original weight-loss goal. Congratulations, Charlie!
In Charlie’s words:
“Before I began working with Kira, I was intimidated by the prospect of making drastic changes to my life. Kira introduced the idea of the process of removing obstacles. As our work progressed, I learned that the changes I wanted to make in my life weren’t going to be like a violent jerk. Kira promised that it would be a gentle process, and it has been everything she promised it would be.
“In addition to her very effective coaching strategies, I’ve felt an extra measure of confidence in Kira because she has successfully lost weight herself and understands what it takes. She doesn’t prescribe simplistic, ‘just do it’ solutions.
“This experience has gone beyond food, diet, and exercise. It’s gone into the realm of healthy living. I used to believe that the best I could do was to maintain the status quo as far as my level of health—I had no idea that I could regenerate. Coaching has given me a second chance at life.”