Confession of a Health Coach
I have a confession to make. Before becoming a health and wellness coach, I had never made a formal goal for myself. At least not in an official manner. I never sat down and thought through a specific goal, never outlined the steps I’d needed to take, never thought through obstacles or had contingency plans if it didn’t work out. If there was something I wanted or needed to do, I just winged it. That was ok for me at the time, and everything turned out fine. I suppose that’s probably typical for most people as well. But now, looking back, I do wonder what would have been different if I had given a few of my bigger decisions more careful and thoughtful consideration.
Healthy behaviors have always come naturally to me. I’ve always had a lot of natural motivation to exercise. And always leaned towards an overall healthy diet. Whether it was going to the gym and participating in a group cardio class, lifting weights, going for a run, a bike ride, hiking, yoga, salsa dancing, oh and that time I got into indoor rock climbing for a minute. It was just what I did; no planning or persuading needed. I’m not sure if I was consciously aware of my own intrinsic motivation. The mental, physical and emotional results and rewards were enough.
Fast forward to the years 2020 through 2023, when the trifecta of global pandemic, midlife and menopause descended upon my life. I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone how stressful and painful the pandemic was. It was a tragedy that no one was prepared for; we were afraid to breathe the same air, so we stayed indoors, we stayed apart. It was a very difficult few years, to say the least.
A few of my healthy behaviors went out the window during that time. Here’s one I’ll share with you. Each of us had our own way of managing the stress of the pandemic. For me, enjoying a hazy IPA in the evening, usually just one beer, worked its way into my evening routine. I rarely ever consumed alcohol on a weeknight before the pandemic. And without realizing it, drinking one beer almost every evening became a habit that persisted until a few weeks ago.
Last new year, I loosely set a goal to cut back, and only drink on the weekends. The parameters of my goal were a little too flexible. And pretty soon, that goal faded away until I was back to the same routine. It was like the goal never existed. I made all the goal-setting rookie mistakes. First of all, I didn’t connect with a compelling reason to make the change, my personal “why?” (a very important step), I didn’t have enough motivation, other than telling myself, “I should do this.” I also didn’t think about the obstacles and work arounds or a good accountability system. As maybe you’ve experienced for yourself, will power alone is not enough. Willpower doesn’t sustain us through the temptation and weak moments, especially when it comes to dietary temptations. It’s not our fault, it’s just how our brains are wired. Not only was I not committed to this goal, but I was also not prepared.
Fast forward to January 2025, my second attempt at this same goal. What’s different? Well, I completed my health and wellness coach training and am now a board-certified health and wellness coach. Now I have the knowledge and skills to make my do-over more successful. I also have new and important reasons (my “Why?”) to put a pause on the pints. There are several, but my health is the number one reason, which was reason enough, considering the new evidence that has come forth.
Maybe you’ve heard already, but in case you haven’t. The health benefits of alcohol have recent come under scrutiny. The long-held belief that moderate amount of alcohol consumption has health benefits has been questioned and since has been refuted. The updated evidence blames the previous research findings on flawed research and erroneous conclusions. The most recent evidence now seems to point to clear risks to alcohol consumption. The Surgeon General has come out with a statement and report that alcohol consumption is linked to 7 different types of cancer. “Alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity, increasing risk for at least seven types of cancer. While scientific evidence for this connection has been growing over the past four decades, less than half of Americans recognize it as a risk factor for cancer.”
Believe me, this is not the news I wanted either. But when new evidence comes to light, I want to be open-minded, weigh and examine the new evidence and make rational (not emotional) decisions. This is not to say I am giving up alcohol forever. But managing my own unhealthy habits is important to me. I want to be more conscious and self-aware of my habits. So far, my Dry-January journey is going well. As of today, it’s been over 2 weeks since I’ve had any alcohol! I’m proud of myself. Working on this goal has improved my confidence, I’m sleeping better and overall, I feel great.
Now that I’m a health coach, I get to use my new knowledge and skills and apply them to my own life. I feel empowered to examine my own habits in a new way. It hasn’t been easy, but examining my relationship with alcohol has been worth the effort. The power of connecting with compelling reasons made all the difference this time around. It gave me the intrinsic motivation I needed and was the key to staying on track with my goal. I also have an accountability partner to support me. Behavior change is hard. Having support and accountability make creating a new healthy habit or stopping an unhealthy one easier. I wish you health and wellness on your journey to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.
