I quit going for the same reason - it was a total waste of time and effort to go to my clinic. Different "coach" each time, no measurements unless you asked them, no real encouragement or kudos. The coaches all seemed like they were just there for the job, and didn't really care. It was easier to get a good scale and track my progress.

Perhaps this is part of the problem - there are many on here who have experienced stress at the thought of going to their appointments because even though they have followed the plan 100% they have been accused of cheating. Are your coaches quick to judge and instantly jump to cheating as the reason behind low or slow losses? Do they understand and convey that weight loss is not a linear process, that a 1lb loss is perfectly OK one week especially if the week before was a big loss, or that small pounds but big inches still equals a great week?

A polite way to approach clients would be to NOT instantly assume the CLIENT did something wrong just because the scale didn't meet the COACH's expectations.

Exactly! I really like my coach but she would look at me every WI like I was cheating and say she couldn't understand why I wasn't losing more in line with what "men" should lose weekly (I'm still averaging 3lbs a week). We have since determined that I have an issue with soy so have cut all soy out for the last week and we'll see how WI is Friday. But before this I had the distinct feeling that, while she didn't say it, felt I was not entirely OP.

Lack of support.
In jan 2012 I went back to my clinic as I had gained about 10 pounds. There was a new coach and she was really unsupportive and critical. And trust me, I was way thinner than she was and she hadn't done ip.

Those opportunities to show compassion and support to clients who have gotten derailed are extremely important. If I hadn't known my clinic owner well enough to complain I might never have gone back.

So instead of using life events like Easter to scold or criticize, you might consider it a chance to get in touch with the skippers and offer support and hope for a fresh start to continue their ip journey.

If you do this I think you will find most people are skipping out of guilt/shame/disappointment that the fell off the wagon and would welcome the offer of help.

I'm not insinuating you did any of these things...just using the generic you!

Amen! I COMPLETELY agree with everything you said, scorbett! The worst feeling is knowing you're doing everything right but having your coach automatically assume you're doing something wrong because you haven't lost or lost enough.

I have to travel to another town to go see my coach and WI. My coach is a wealth of information, encouraging and I always feel so much better after seeing her. Especially after I have had a rough time of it. Because she seems to be so vested in my success I am pushed to be successful even when I 'don't wanna.'

As for cost of the product, well, my health is priceless.

I have a great coach and I think more should be like her. It didn't matter what my WI produced each week, we would go through standard questions:
what challenges did I have last week and how did I deal with them (good or bad)?
where there ways that I could see myself managing these challenges differently (better or worse)?
what challenges do I anticipate for the next week and what are the action plans I'm going to use to deal with them?
what positives changes or experiences did I have last week?
what can I do in the next week to have more or appreciate more of these positive experiences?

My coach has training on being a life coach as it isn't just about weight loss rules, it is about changing behaviours and your views about food or interactions with food.

I didn't miss appointments unless I had to because I wasn't in town. I looked forward to going to them regardless of what I felt the scale or tape measure would say because I always felt like I would be up-lifted at the end or see things in a different perspective. My coach was never easy on me if the scale didn't move as it should have (or as I would have liked it to) but challenged me to think about cause and effect even when I was OP.

I live an hour away from my clinic, and we made arrangements that I would go every 2 weeks rather than every week while in P1. The only time I missed an app't was when I had foot surgery. Also, not only did I get weighed every visit, but they also measured me, and measured my body fat % - every visit! So even if the scale didn't have great news, usually one of these other sets of #s did. I never felt criticized, but I did feel like I was actually educating them sometimes. Their P1 protocol sheets were not kept up-to-date, which did aggravate me. (Yay for 3FC keeping on top of things!)

I agree, asking the dieters directly, in a non-confrontational manner is a good way to find out.

Have you considered incentivizing going to weigh-ins? Like, if you go 4x consecutively, you get an x% discount on your next order or something like that.

I haven't missed an appointment, I look forward to my weigh ins so I can see my progress. Its also a way for me to have accountability. I would think those that don't attend on a regular basis aren't committed to the program and/or have fallen off and are embarrassed to be "caught".

I would assume the coach can make a big difference. My coach is fantastic, such a support and cheerleader. She is easily reachable and always answers/returns phone calls, emails and texts. If she doesn't have the answer to a question (which has only happened with me once) she found the answer and got right back to me. She makes a big difference and I attribute some of my success thus far to her coaching. Good luck!

I quit going to the clinic because my coaches had no formal nutritional training, and I know more about nutrition than they do, and I have specific issues to be dealt with they had no idea about. (Diabetes, PCOS, severe insulin resistance and a hole in my heart which causes massive water retention) When I try to discuss these things with them, such as, I need to not eat restricted because it's got SUGAR in it, and I'm diabetic, they told me "follow the plan" and when I tell them I cannot eat most of the foods because of high sodium, I cannot add extra salt to my diet, they say, "follow the plan".

I was just doing things my way but still seeing the coaches until I discovered lower sodium, lower carb, much CHEAPER alternatives online (thanks to 3FC). The coaches said they'd keep seeing me even though I wasn't buying very much from them, but they weren't exactly "nice" about it. They let me know they were unhappy with me, and that I wasn't really following the diet if I was using "other" products than IP. Even though I kept losing exactly the same amount per week on alternatives as I was on IP products.

I'm doing fine on my own, buying my products online, so why take time out of my already busy schedule to go get weighed in when I have a scale in my bathroom and a hubby and kiddo that helps keep me in line? They're way more support than a once a week chat with someone who doesn't get my issues. (I'm in Canada where it's not medically supervised, so my coaches have no formal medical training of any kind and have only gone through the "sell the program" training through IP.)

Well, I had 2 lovely, supportive coaches when I started on IP in Feb. I've recently stopped going for two reasons:

1) IP was costing me $130-$150 a week....so going alternative was a lot cheaper for me...

2) It's a 45-50min drive to the closest clinic....and I drive a big *** 2500 diesel Dodge that's expensive to fill ($50 might give me 1/3 of a tank)

So between the two, I just kept running into a wall of not having enough money to keep up with it.

I am blessed to have a Coach ...that has made this her Calling and it is
palpable!!! She has an Aora about her that inspires you to Want to be better and believe in the possibilities. She sets the tone ...But you need to bring your A game.

I like being held accountable ...I only need to lose weight ..cuz I'm fat or at least I allowed myself to get fat.
The email video speak of different levels of being overweight and I fall into the first group....so for me it's just about losing the weight and keeping its off.

I know it's a business that is there to make a profit ...they provide a service...
The clients receives the services they have contracted for everyone should me happy.

Sometimes people need more emotional support that a weight loss clinic can provide. The client would be wise to seek out professional help to deal with their food issues that having so they can effectively manage not only the body but the mind as well.
Having staff that are driven to be the best and clients that strive to be the best is a winning combination.

Being able to get Clients to be excited and have Ownership is a key to running a Successful program.

I would only want a Coach that has integrity and believes in the program and is well versed and has a significant knowledge base .

Good Luck, Roo2

Because I have PCOS, and because I've heard of potential health issues with being in prolonged ketosis, I wanted a coach who had a medical background. So I chose a coach that is a doctor rather than one closer to me with no medical background.

I told him up-front that I'm willing to give this protocol a fair shot (2 months) but if it isn't effective, I'll quit. (This was due to my previous dieting failures, all related to PCOS issues). Dr is very good, measures/weighs every week, and provides some science as to why I may/may not be losing as opposed to just thinking I'm cheating.

I just "discovered" alternatives and will most likely switch to that after May because I really can't afford to be on IP. I've been buying IP, saying it's the same thing I'd do if I found out I had disease X and needed medicine. But now that I understand the program better, and realize the price difference, I will probably switch eventually. I just want to get my feet firmly planted first, and I want to be somewhat loyal (for a few months at least) for the work the Dr's been doing with me.