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Dos And Don'ts of Nutrition Coaching - Fitbudd

Written by
Chayan Garg

Sustainable nutrition is the need of the hour today. Learn the do's and dont's of nutrition coaching while planning the ultimate health goals for your clients.

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Dos And Don'ts of Nutrition Coaching - Fitbudd

The fitness sector is ever-evolving. It's possible that the science, technology, and methods that worked earlier may not work today.

It appears that every day there is a new "nutrition trend" or fad diet that gains popularity among clients, especially those looking for quick fixes. These diets may work for a short period, but they are not sustainable in the long run.

Nutrition is one of the most crucial aspects of fitness, and it is essential to follow a healthy and balanced diet if you want to see long-term results.

In this article, we will discuss the importance of sustainable nutrition and how you can help your clients form healthy eating habits that will benefit them for years to come!

But First, What is a Fad Diet? 

Fad diets are popular diets that promote themselves as the greatest and quickest way to achieve a specific fitness objective, most commonly weight loss. But it is not healthy or sustainable.

Fad diets are often promoted by celebrities or by companies that make money off of selling diet products. 

It is important to note that fad diets tend to be dangerous because they can be very restrictive and may not provide all of the nutrients the body needs.

There are many so-called "fad diets" that people turn to in order to lose weight quickly. However, most of these diets are not sustainable in the long run and can actually be harmful to your health.

Here are 4 fad diets that you should avoid when building sustainable food systems for your clients -

Ketogenic Diet

Ketogenic diets consistently top the diet trends and are the most popular weight-loss technique among clients, despite being ranked among the worst by the US News & World Report.

The keto diet may be effective for losing weight in the short term, but it is not sustainable in the long term. The main reason for this is that it is very restrictive and difficult to follow.

Most clients cannot follow a diet that eliminates so many foods, and most of the common reasons for quitting this diet are low energy levels and a sense of deprivation.

This diet is very high in fat and low in carbs and also heavy on the pocket because of the high cost of keto-friendly foods.

Hence ketogenic diets can be detrimental to one's health if not followed correctly, as they can lead to nutrient deficiencies and other health problems.

For these reasons, the keto diet is not a good option for sustainable weight loss.

Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, marketed with claims that carbohydrate restriction is crucial to weight loss and that the diet offered "a high calorie way to stay thin forever."

Again, because the Atkins diet follows fat-rich and low carb diets, it can be hard to maintain in the long term. 

This diet can be unhealthy and lead to weight gain over time as saturated fat can increase your risk for heart disease and other issues.

The low fiber content can also lead to constipation and other digestive problems if followed over a long period.

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Raw Food Diet

The raw food diet is based on the idea that you should only eat raw, unprocessed foods. It can be tedious to adhere to if you don't have easy access to fresh, healthy, nutritious foods and ingredients.

Nutritionists praise and encourage the consumption of fresh produce and avoiding processed foods, but many say that this kind of diet is difficult to sustain in the long run as we are all surrounded by cooked and processed food.

This diet can also cause nutrient deficiencies as it is quite restrictive and might create an imbalance in your body.

The Juice Cleanse Diet

Another popular fad is the liquid "detox" diet.

This diet is based on the idea that you can cleanse and detox your body by drinking only juice for a certain period of time. However, this diet is very low in calories and can leave you feeling fatigued and lightheaded, especially if your daily life and work activity requires physical activity.

This diet can be unhealthy, as it eliminates the key nutrients like high-quality protein and fiber from your diet.

The juice cleanse diet can also lead to weight gain when you resume eating solid food. Needless to say, such a liquid diet cannot become a sustainable diet plan.

A Way Forward: Diet Sustainability Strategies

In fitness and nutrition, there is no cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all approach. What works for some clients may not work for others.

That is why it is crucial to find a sustainable nutrition plan that fits your client’s lifestyle and individual needs.

This may take some trial and error, but it will be worth it in the long run!

There are a few key things to keep in mind when helping your clients find a sustainable nutrition plan.

Focusing on Whole Foods 

To maintain good health, the first step is to focus on increasing the intake of whole foods.

Whole foods are nutritious food because they are not processed or refined in any way. They are regarded to be healthier and more nutrient dense foods because they meet all of the body's nutritional needs.

Here are a few examples, all of which can be easily bought at your local supermarket.

• Grains – Wheat, whole grain rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, oats, and barley.

• Nuts and seeds (not salted) – almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

• Beans and legumes – lentils, kidney beans, lima beans, split peas, chickpeas

• Fruits and vegetables – all of them!

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Make the Sustainable Nutrition Plan Achievable 

A sustainable nutrition plan will be "sustainable" if it is easily adaptable and achievable.

So your next step is to make sure that your clients' diet plans are realistic and achievable. Your clients should be able to stick with it for the long term.

There is no point in setting your clients up for failure by asking them to do something that is impossible and asking them to go on a diet that has too many restrictions.

There should always be a fine balance between healthy and enjoyable eating. Eating should be a pleasurable experience, so make sure that your clients are still enjoying their food even if it is healthy.

For example, if a client is accustomed to larger quantities, break down their meals into smaller portions. Suggest recipes that are tasty and contain essential nutrients. 

If someone has a habit of snacking or nibbling, before urging them to entirely stop snacking (which is more difficult and not sustainable for everyone), you can suggest low-fat snack foods.

Look at the Overall Health

A nutritious diet certainly contains essential health benefits. But human health is also dependent on lifestyle and other activities.

The third step, therefore, is to encourage your clients to get active and exercise more!

An effective fitness plan with a proper exercise schedule and meal plans can have unparalleled health benefits. Eating the wrong foods can undo all of your hard work at the gym while eating the right ones can help boost your performance.

Exercise also improves the overall nutrition absorption by our body and the quality of life.

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BONUS: Make Targeted Nutrition Plans Quickly with FitBudd

With FitBudd, creating exercise schedules and meal plans for clients becomes a matter of minutes!

Here are a few of the highlights of the FitBudd platform that will assist you to set and monitor client nutrition: 

1. In-built food database: In just a few clicks you can browse through the extensive in-built food database. Explore and add food items to your library to create meal plans for your clients effortlessly.

To know the further steps, also read: Is there a food library to choose from?


2. Create macro-based meal plans: With end-to-end macro tracking, you can track your clients' meals, calories, macros through the app! 

To know the steps in detail, also read: How to prepare Macro-based Meal Plans?

3. Create BMR-based meal plans: FitBudd's all-new BMR feature automates the cumbersome calculations as your client advances in their fitness journey and even updates the minimum calories requirement to match the ongoing level.

4. Monitor and track client’s nutrition compliance: You can monitor and track a client’s nutritional compliance from their profile in the ‘Clients’ section. Follow these steps -

Step 1: Open a client’s profile and move to the ‘Schedule’ tab.

Step 2: On the right side (third panel), you will see the green tiles in the schedule, which represents the nutrition section. You will be able to see the calories and the macros on the top. 

Note: To take a detailed look at the exact food items that your client has logged in, please click on the specific tile. 

You can even see the progress graphically. Here's how to monitor and track a client’s nutrition compliance.

Before You Go 

For a sustainable and healthy lifestyle, thus, it is crucial to follow exercise and nutrition programs that provide sufficient energy and can be maintained in the long run. 

The best way is to make small changes to your diet and lifestyle that you can stick with over time.

And with FitBudd, you will be able to do all of that for your clients in the simplest way. FitBudd has everything you need to help your clients reach their fitness goals and scale your personal training business. 

The FitBudd App and Trainer Portal are designed specifically for personal trainers to expand their fitness business beyond local boundaries. Taking suggestions from top personal trainers, we have recently updated the dashboard and added super cool features. Take a look at the Trainer Portal.

The simple interface makes staying on track for your clients easy and fun. 

And you can see this progress through valuable insights and intelligent analytics. This will help you provide the best possible training experience to your clients and ensure that they get the most out of your program.

FitBudd offers 100+ cutting-edge features for you to deliver an interactive workout experience, create personalized nutrition plans, track performance, etc., making the transition to or establishment of an online personal training business a cakewalk.

The FitBudd platform simplifies all the tasks that are required to run a successful fitness business. You can explore all its features and see if it’s the right fit for you!

So, why wait? Join the journey of making personal training truly personal!

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Meet the author

Chayan Garg

Empowering coaches and trainers to thrive, FitBudd is the ultimate personal training software for accelerated business growth.

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