“...with your desire, and our knowledge base, we're sure you can not only reach your goals, but do something truly extraordinary.”
It was the first sentence of our acceptance email to those participants selected into our newly developed Remote Coaching Initiative, launched only weeks prior in March of 2010. Having served as a coach for the six years that preceded, I was excited to take on a new challenge… to coach someone to “life change” without having any ability to work with them in person, or as the case was, even see them (technology wasn’t what it is at the writing of this, and video calls / meetings were not viable options).
Pat’s application appealed to me. In short his health was holding him back. It was having an impact on his career. It was having an impact on his family. It was a burden keeping him from what he desired, and it was just not good enough. He was ready to make a change that would set him up for the future, and I was ready to support…step for step, till he reached his goals.
As all meaningful (coach:athlete) relationships do, we started slowly, came to a mutual understanding of what made each other tick and agreed to a high-level plan in pursuit of meaningful goals. The first phase is always about building trust, him trusting that I cared enough and knew enough to guide him on the way, and me trusting that he cared enough to do the hard work necessary to achieve a life-change. Internally, we called the program “Phoenix” as we knew the most successful individuals would have to rise from the ashes of their former way of life, and Pat was proving to be locked into the journey.
Upon review of goals (weight loss, disease prevention, and increased performance capacity that would allow for career advancement), we agreed that a focused fueling (nutritional) effort was the best first action step, and without having to dig too deep, I realized that while Pat’s diet was rich in many things, fiber (derived from plants) was NOT one….like almost none…and so we got to work. Slowly but surely he worked to incorporate more fiber and plant-based nutrition into his routine, ratetching it up at approximately 10% more each week, and just as surely the pounds started dropping at a clip of 2-4 per week. To be honest, I was confident the strategy would work, but I was amazed on how fast and how well…so much so, that at one point on a team caseload review call, I can remember saying “If there’s a magic bullet in nutrition, it might just be fiber”... this of course was before the science related to the gut microbiome and the connection between fiber consumption and overall health had caught up. Without getting too graphic, as a coach, I knew it was good for heart health but mostly was banking on it filling him up with minimal caloric load, and clearing him out without. Weeks turned into months and Pat had crept past the 70 pounds lost mark. His fiber consumption was hovering around 40 grams per day and the quality of his overall nutrition had improved dramatically. Credit where due, in Pat’s words, “My wife could make a boot taste good”. So, having the at-home support was key! He was making big changes, gaining confidence in himself and his health, and finally came out with it. “I want to lose 100 pounds!”.
I had never worked with someone with this sort of goal before, but I knew if we were to do it, we’d have to start attacking another leg of the stool and get moving. It started with a walk… a mile or two…progressed to a jog…and eventually a run. Some people run away from their challenges…Pat was literally running through it… and tackling new goals in the process.
I don’t quite remember the exact date when the scale hit 100 pounds lost, but I’ll always remember the journey there, one that crossed many preconceived barriers and finish lines including that of his first half marathon. I’ll always remember the confidence he gained in the process, the inspiration he served for others, and the expansion of his career and family that resulted. And I’ll always be grateful that Pro-Activity’s first “Phoenix” trusted us to guide him from the ashes.
-Eric E.
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