After several weeks of screenings, assessments, and consultations, “Sam” is ready to start designing his/her life.  The key to any successful, sustainable change is to get in touch with what is most important – this is the role of the Intrinsic Coaching™.  “Sam” was given a journal to use to record his/her thoughts, successes and challenges, and pondering assignments throughout the program.  There is no cookie-cutter approach to this program, as each participant is unique.  “Sam” completed a Life Balance Wheel and was asked to state which areas of life are of most importance to work on improving now; “Sam” stated that the most important areas right now are Fun & Recreation and Energy/Vitality.  The following summarizes the initial findings from “Sam’s” intake sessions; ultimately, “Sam” will guide what is taken on first and what direction the program needs to go to make the most profound impact, so this program will be flexible and changing.

Nutrition:

• After meeting with Paul Ratte, ND, several nutrition habits were addressed.  Dr. Ratte recommended that “Sam” read the Schwarzbein Principle (I).  “Sam” already purchased the book and plans to start reading it over the long Thanksgiving weekend.  Another recommendation was for “Sam” to practice more rhythmic eating – more protein for breakfast and lunch and carbohydrates for dinner; in fact, one should begin to crave carbohydrates by dinner.  “Sam” has already been practicing this for 1 ½ weeks and is making beef stew or chicken noodle soup on the weekend and eating for breakfast while having Cheerios for dinner.  “Sam” has already noticed feeling better in a.m. and not so heavy feeling and not as hungry and has been craving sweets at night, so “Sam” indulges a little.  Other recommendations given to “Sam” include:

• Take 1 Tablespoon of Carlson Cod Liver Oil with breakfast to provide the body with omega-3 fatty acids, which helps reduce inflammation in the body and improve the fatty acid ratio in the blood.
• Take a Super Adrenal Stress supplement at breakfast and dinner.
• Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables

Based on “Sam’s” program application and consultation with Dr. Ratte, and “Sam’s” overarching desire for weight loss, Rosie Ward suggested that “Sam” look into the book Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher to see if anything there is useful.  “Sam” has also been challenged to start to think what the structure of weight loss looks like for him/her.  The fastest route to failure in weight management is to make it be about the pounds; “Sam” needs to get to know food in a different way and look at what structure he/she needs to make sustainable changes – only “Sam” knows what “Sam” needs; the challenge is to recognize that. 

For now, the key is for “Sam” to be clear about what kind of structure he/she needs for weight loss, so that’s where we’re starting – having “Sam” take ownership and be in the driver’s seat for what a weight loss structure looks like for him/her, because it is different for everyone.

Exercise:

“Sam” already gets exercise each day in the form of walking in the morning and in the evening; however, “Sam” feels that he/she should be doing more aerobic activity and things to build bone density.  The key to making sustainable changes is NOT acting upon “shoulds” but wants and what is most important.  “Sam” wants to want to do more exercise but is not quite there yet.  Therefore, since “Sam” is getting activity, for now exercise is being left as an area to ponder and revisit when the should starts to shift to more of a want.

The Time Challenge:

Since one of “Sam’s” challenges is taking “me” time to have space for fun and in also saying “no” and setting limits, he/she was given an exercise where “Sam” looks at where he/she spends time each week and how that represents what his/her current priorities are.  Then “Sam” can start to look at what’s really important to him/her and create a new priority list.  Part of this includes making a wish list of things “Sam” would like to say “no” to but doesn’t; ultimately, “Sam” will start carving out me-time each day until there is at least 30 minutes each day of nothing; “Sam’s challenge is to guard this space of nothingness for a while; eventually this space can be filled but only from things on “Sam’s” new priority list.  Too often we look at openings in our schedule and fill stuff in because we “should”; the problem is when something we really want comes up last minute, we have no space for it.  This exercise will help ensure “Sam” has room in his/her life for what is most important.