The Beliefs I Had to Unlearn as a Health Coach
The moment I realized my health coaching were about me and not them.
When I transitioned from the Marines into health coaching, I brought a lot of beliefs with me, like:
✔️ Structure
✔️ Discipline
✔️ Rigid view of nutrition
In hindsight, it makes sense that after six years of eating and training in a certain way, the belief system that made me successful in the military would carry over into my civilian life. The problem was that the same belief system had also made my life in the military a living hell.
Now I was unintentionally bringing that hell to my client’s lives.
I naturally brought that philosophy into my coaching because I was so used to eating strictly for performance. That meant I was a stickler about high protein, strict portions, and minimal flexibility.
It wasn’t until I started working with clients from different cultural and health backgrounds that I realized…
👉🏽 My coaching philosophy was rooted in my experience, not theirs.
I created nutrition plans like they were training to go into battle when they only needed to make a few dietary shifts to meet their nutrition goals. In hindsight, it seems obvious, but at the time, it wasn’t obvious that I needed to take time to reflect before making recommendations to my clients.
I wasn’t thinking about the values I was centering.
I wasn’t thinking about the client’s cultural context.
And, I certainly wasn’t considering the client’s lived experience.
However, the moment I shifted my thinking to be more inclusive regarding nutrition, the better response I got from my clients.
Through learning from mentors in the health and wellness space who prioritize culturally relevant teaching, I was able to be more inclusive with my nutritional recommendations. In doing so, I learned how to:
Co-create guidance with my clients that recognizes their health needs and cultural reality.
Work with my clients to adapt preparation methods so that they can make meals more nutrient-dense.
Encourage my clients to ditch the food rules and see nutrition as something that can fit their lifestyle.
Over the past few years, I’ve taught these strategies privately for organizations, in membership communities, on panels, and at conferences. I’ve seen their impact, and I want to ensure more health professionals have access to them so they can apply them in their practices.
That’s why I created this free masterclass:
In How to Make Your Nutrition Advice More Inclusive in Just 60 Minutes (Without Reinventing Your Whole Approach) you’ll learn how to:
✔️ Reflect on the beliefs that shape your nutrition guidance
✔️ Unpack why “one-size-fits-all” plans fall short
✔️ Offer advice that honors each client’s lived experience and values
It’s going LIVE today at noon EDT!
📝 Reserve your spot here: https://www.enhanceblackwomenshealth.com/masterclass
Registration will close soon, so ensure you get your spot before it’s gone.
With care,
Tomesha
P.S. Attending live? You’ll receive: 🎁 5 Phrases to Replace in Your Nutrition Advice Today, a bonus guide packed with simple swaps to make your messaging more respectful, inclusive, and effective.