Could a Food Log Fix a “Broken Metabolism”? (for the coach)

I see the following question in my coaching community quite a bit. 

“My client is eating 1,200 Calories per day—and they’re gaining weight! What’s happening???”

Before you nudge the client to get their thyroid checked, consider this.

Your client might be eating more than they think.

In other words, it’s possible they’re underestimating how often they…

• Hit their calorie, hand portion, or macros target during the week—but massively surpass it on the weekends.

• Binge eat

• Undercount calories from restaurant meals, alcohol, desserts, cooking oils, and added sugars

• Forget to "count" small nibbles 

• Develop amnesia after eating foods that trigger their guilt 

Why do people do this?

Clients want their coaches to like them, so, they’ll present a better image of their eating than what’s actually happening.

Trust that the client has good intentions, but also be hesitant that they’re telling you all the information.

Talking to a client about faulty calorie counting, however, can feel like driving your car on a sheet of ice. 

Calling a client a liar is a great way to make sure you have lots of space on your client roster. 

That’s why I have increasingly turned to an approach that allows my clients to pinpoint the problem on their own.

Build the skill of logging consistently.

Snap a photo of what you eat.

When clients document their eating in photos, they tend to become more aware of those small nibbles, like the leftover crust from their kid’s grilled cheese sandwich. 

Focus on logging—and not on restricting food intake.

This strategy helps shift a client’s focus away from “I’m not going to write that down because it’ll make me look bad” and over to “I’m going to write that down so I can show my coach how awesome I am at logging.” 

Consider reducing the effort by asking clients to log sometimes rather than 24-7.

For example, clients might log between dinner and bed, between work and dinner, or only their snacks if they are more of a "pro" or experienced in food journaling/logging. 

You can also have your client just track their meals and beverages for only a week or a month if they are just getting started out with you.

Does food logging work for everyone?

No, in some cases, the client may not be ready for nutritional change. They may need to tackle sleep, stress management, or social support first. 

When tracking does work, however, it’s often because:

It helps clients make their own discoveries.

When they come to the conclusion themselves, it’s so much more powerful than the coach telling them what’s going on.

I hope this helps you on your food logging journey, or with your client/customer base!

Take care,

Coach Elle