Health Coaches: Pointers from the Pros

September 7, 2013 (DALLAS, Tex.) -- More than 66 percent of men and women in the U.S. are overweight. Worse yet, a third of all adults are obese. Getting in control of your weight can feel impossible without the right help, which could be why more and more people are turning to health coaches to improve their quality of life.

Kim Wilson is opening doors to better health. She's a certified health coach with a passion for teaching clients to eat smart and live happy.

"It's not just about diets, but it's also about how to manage your stress levels and it's also about the emotional side of eating," Kim Wilson told Ivanhoe.

A health coach digs to find the cause of your unhealthy eating and helps you break bad habits, create manageable goals, track progress, and overcome roadblocks.

"My night time snack that I loved, it's embarrassing to admit, was hot fiery Cheetos and several glasses of wine," Liz Smith, a health coach client, told Ivanhoe.

Liz was tired, overweight, and ready for a change so she turned to Wilson for help. She slowly began replacing her daily dose of junk food with green leafy vegetables and fresh juices.

"I just wanted to try to get me healthy on the inside. It was not necessarily about weight loss," Liz said.

"People are tired of feeling tired. A lot of people are bloated and our digestive systems are very impaired," Wilson explained.

Wilson said a good starting point when shopping for food is if the label shows more than five ingredients, forget it! Also, make sure sugar is not listed in the top two ingredients. Keep a list of ten things to do, other than eat, like taking a walk or playing with your pet, so you can avoid eating when stressed or bored.

Liz lost fifteen pounds in two months without starving.

"I think I am eating as much as I ever had. It's the quality of food," Liz said, and those nightly cravings for Cheetos are gone.

Hourly sessions with a health coach can range from 50 to 200 dollars an hour. Be sure to ask about their training and certifications before choosing one.

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