Archive for the ‘wellness coach’ Category

Continue to learn – the wellness journey

Monday, July 30th, 2007

Goal – 20/20/2=40. Lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks and compete 2 triathlon sprints by my 40th b-day on September 22!
Program – Fabulous and 40

Date – 7/30/07
Weeks left=7

weeks until triathlon #1 – 1!! This weekend is triathlon #1

Pounds lost= 12 (left to lose – 8) Body Fat Goal – 25%
Clothing sizes lost= 2+
Training= weight training,cycling/jogging/swimming
Biggest training challenge – still running! work/life balance

CONTINUE TO LEARN – THE WELLNESS JOURNEY

Remember in college, right before a test? You’d hear things like “I’m not ready for this test”; “I didn’t study until last night” and someone else would respond “Me either, in fact, I never even read the material”. Finally, someone would shut everyone else down by saying “I never even bought the book!” It’s easy to get caught up in these kinds of conversations around wellness and training, too. You don’t hear people bragging about the salad they had at lunch, or how diligently they trained before the race.

I wonder, are we covering our ‘you know what’s’ by pretending like we don’t really want our goals, just in case we don’t achieve them?

With the support of my wellness coach, Dirk Shultz, I made and continue to make a commitment to my wellness and training without getting too caught up in the game of excuses. I even admitted how proud I was to see the muscles in my shoulders from swim training. Yep, I said it out loud. And the craziest thing happened; the people I was talking too joined in with positives of their own! One woman said she felt like she could conquer the world when she was done with her run; another said she’d finally grown to love her dancer’s feet.

They say the woman that signs up for the triathlon is not the same one that finishes. I am really beginning to understand this statement. I haven’t finished yet though, ONE WEEK until triathlon #1 and I can’t wait!

Training:
I’ve been consistently training on the bike in intervals, running sprints and pushing myself and swimming often, even doing strength training. I’ve run 2 local races and improved each time. Learning how to breathe properly has been challenging.

I’ve lost a total of 12 pounds and have re-distributed body weight considerably. People are beginning to notice and someone even asked me what I ‘do’ knowing I must ‘do something’ because I looked strong. I continue to worry about leaving a considerable amount of my weight loss goal for the last 7 weeks, but I am as determined as ever to meet both goals.

Stay tuned..

Wellness Coaching

Thursday, July 19th, 2007

Have you ever thought of having someone there to help you reach your goals? Aspen Life Coaching is focused on taking you from where you are to where you want to be by providing a partner to help you develop your vision, set goals, and make a plan while finding strategies to deal with your unique challenges.

The relationship between a coach and client offers a profound level of support, guidance, and encouragement to making changes that improve lives. Kim has been working with Dirk here at the Aspen Club and Spa to reach her goal of losing 20 pounds in 20 weeks by her 40th birthday. This is a video of a recent coaching session between Dirk and Kim.

Click here to learn more about Wellness coaching and our free intital coaching session.


The Benefits of a Trainer and a Buddy – A REALITY CHECK!

Monday, June 4th, 2007

There are many benefits for a trainer and training buddy from accountability to technique, but I didn’t realize one of the biggest benefits until last Friday. In a hyphened word, it boils down to “Reality Check”!

I had been ‘jogging’ in preparation for my tri-sprint in August, in accordance with my training plan; always maintaining my disdain for running, but proud that I was doing it at all. Dirk, my wellness coach (who is also a great trainer and massage therapist), set up a ‘run’ for us to do together. I was amazed at the difference between my ‘jog’ and his ‘run’. They weren’t even the same league. I was immediately struck by pain in my lungs and fear that I would never be able to keep up. Well, I couldn’t keep up, but I kept running and finished with the best sprint I could muster. The biggest outcome, after I recovered from the pain and humbling fact that I had a LOT of work to do, was inspiration. Thanks to working with Dirk, I am clear about what I need to do moving forward.

Reality Checks are great because of the clarity that is created. My reality check was humbling, but got me to read my “Triathalon” book, get my heart rate monitor working, commit to interval running training and step up my whole training a notch.

I recommend a ‘reality check’ for everyone in their wellness and fitness journey; whether it’s a buddy or a trainer. Just don’t fool yourself, because we are very good at that aren’t we? I know I am, I mean was!

Personal Life Coaching / A tool to better health

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Many people are confused by the term life coaching and wonder just what a life coach does.  Life coaching is just one element of the growing industry of coaching.  In addition to life coaching the industry encompasses business and executive coaching, health and wellness coaching, relationship coaching, energy coaching, weight loss coaching and many other coaching disciplines.  Life coaching, as probably the broadest form of coaching, is the least understood because of the many different approaches, accreditations, and circumstances in which it is used.  In fact the entire industry draws scrutiny from the loose or lack of credentials and certifications needed to hang a shingle and begin a life coaching practice.  In my interpretation, life coaching simply provides you a facilitator to take you from where you are to where you want to be.  A coach is someone that pushes you to define your goals and then reach them by making the necessary changes in your life.

 

Within the broad category of life coaching is the more specific discipline of health coaching, sometimes referred to as wellness coaching.  This discipline of coaching usually attracts health and fitness professionals who through certain elements of positive psychology coach people toward achieving their health goals.  These goals often include, weight loss, lower stress levels, more energy and overall improved fitness.  Through my involvement with the Aspen Club and Spa and our branded health coaching product Aspen Life Coaching I have spoken with and interviewed many coaches who have successfully coached clients to improved health.  From my experience, the confusion around the terms life coach, and wellness coach make having a free initial consultation a critical part of any coaching program and reputable companies such as Aspen Life are happy to offer them.

 

When looking for a life coach, a health coach or any coach it is important to look for qualifications and certifications to ensure that you are working with a capable professional.  One important credential is an ICF (International Coaching Federation) certification.  The ICF is a nonprofit, individual membership organization that exists to build, support and preserve the integrity of the coaching profession through programs and standards supported by the individual membership.  An ICF certification ensures that a coach has received very specific coach training, has achieved a designated number of experience hours and has been coached by a mentor coach.

Weight Loss Program / Your Personal Life Coach

Monday, April 23rd, 2007

With the seasons changing and summer nearing the subject of weight loss seems to be on the minds and tongues of many.  Whether trying to lose weight to look good in a swimsuit, increase energy or improve health many people are searching for any diet secret, workout program, or nutritional supplement that will help shed the pounds.  The number and variety of weight loss programs available to people interested in losing weight is staggering.  In fact a quick internet search of “weight loss program” yields millions of results.  Navigating through the quick fixes and gimmicks to find a weight loss program that works must be a daunting task.  One novel approach to losing weight that seems to be gaining traction is idea of hiring a personal coach, sometimes referred to as a health coach or wellness coach or life coach or weight loss coach.

 

Whether speaking with a coach by phone, over the internet, or in person, coaching is a powerful means for effecting lasting change.  After speaking with many coaches and undergoing a health coaching program myself I can see the implications for applying such a process to a weight loss program.  Unlike a fad diet or quick fix, coaches help you define your short and long term goals, devise a strategic plan for how to achieve those goals and help you track progress and deal with obstacles along the way.  Continuing contact with your coach keeps you motivated and accountable for achieving the vision that you develop.  In fact one of the most common motivations for contacting a health coach is weight loss.  Often the people that hire a coach are tired of the gimmicks and have had very limited success with other weight loss programs.  The coaches I have spoken with have been very successful at coaching their clients to weight loss and have even found that success has carried over to other areas of their client’s life.

 

Surprisingly many coaches that I have spoken with prefer to coach their clients via the phone and web.  The dynamic is less distracting than a face to face encounter and more convenient for the client.  In fact many coaches have never seen their clients in person and have clients from all across the country.  If you are sick of quick fixes and looking for a weight loss program that works while creating a lasting life transformation you may want to consider getting yourself a coach.