Hi everyone!

Random question....how happy are you with your IP coach?

I like mine as a person. She's very nice.
She doesn't seem to know very much about the diet or about nutrition, though.

How important do you feel this is for the success of the diet and your motivation?

Thanks!

Perhaps a more relevant set of questions is:-

1. How much are you relying on your coach to get you to the goal weight?
2. Are you interested in losing the weight or learning how to keep it off?
3. Do you need someone to "check in" with, who will admonish you if you gain or fail to lose weight?
4. Are you willing to research what IP is all about, or do you take it at face value that it works if you follow the instructions?
5. Do you need to make a friend out of your IP coach or do you regard them as a resource that comes with the program?
6. Do you trust advice from someone who isn't medically or nutritionally trained?


Coaches come in all different forms - from doctors to receptionists. Not all of them are great, not all of them are motivated by getting you slimmer and healthier. Some people thrive on being told what to do, without needing to know why, others insist on knowing the long term effect on their general health and want to be sure they understand the nutritional benefits so they can maintain weight loss once they attain goal.

Briael, your questions are very valid in understanding what type of personality you are when it comes to losing weight. But I believe at the beginning of a new program some type of guidance is needed, at least in my case. And that is because I am not sure a lot of time if I am doing everything correctly. I get more from this website than I have gotten from my diet coach who is a chiropractor and more involved in that part of the business than this program. I feel as though this is just a 2nd thought and she just wants to move product, and you have to figure the program out on your own. But I also believe that once I am on the program for a couple of months I will not need her guidance, but I brought into the notion that this program offered support. I would like to get to the point where I am on the alternative products, but for now I am going to use the products and I feel like I should get the support I paid for.
Because of all of the information that I have gotten from this website I will be able to be independent enough to not need any a diet coach, but I am just not there yet.

So, my answer to the original question I am not pleased with my Diet Coach at all. I am so grateful to this website and the information shared.

RAS

I've been wondering this same thing -- relationships others have with their coaches. I've been considering continuing the IP protocol with alternatives and without a coach. The coach and everyone at my clinic (a chiropractor's office) are nice enough, but I don't feel they offer any guidance or support. My coach asks me the same thing every week, "Did you behave yourself," and "Anything coming up this week?" and basically skims my food journal. I've ordered some products from Nashua Nutrition and have still lost. Cost is also becoming an issue, so I'm thinking alternatives may be the way to go for me.

I agree...i wonder those who love their coach ....what does your coach actually do/say to help gear you in the right direction. ..? If any at all. Mine is nice.... but like you said also just skims my journal and asks if I have any questions. And processes my payment.

Yeah, exactly this. I'm usually there less than 10 minutes.

Start-up costs and The high price of IP foods INCLUDES QUALITY COACHING!! Coaching "should" include a complete orientation and in-depth review of the program and Phase 1 Protocol AND starting weight and measurements of 5-6 body points. Subsequent visits include a thorough review of your food journal with feedback and tips for improvements; education/new information; Q and A to ensure you understand everything; cheerleading; planning for next week's menu; weigh-in weekly; measuring usually every other week; and then food purchases. You should feel your coach knows the program, is using current protocol and can answer most questions confidently and uses IP corporate resources to find out information if needed. Anything less and they are taking your money and NOT providing you with the services you are paying for!!

IP corporate is receptive to learning about inferior clinics!

My clinic does a weekly weigh-in, measurements every week, the quick food journal scan and a body fat/water analysis on the computer. That's about it, I receive very little to no feedback/suggestions and have never had them help me plan a menu or anything. And sometimes they've even forgotten to do the body fat analysis because they were seeing what I needed to purchase. I made them do it when they forgot, but still :/ I've gotten way more information from these boards than I have from my coach.

My clinic does a weigh in weekly, body analysis & measurements once a month. My coach is very nice, but much like others have said I don't feel that I'm getting any real guidance. She scans my dairy, asks how my week went & tells me I'm doing well (only guidance was to eat more protein closer to 8 oz). They went over protocol well & responded quickly to my email questions that I had early on. But my weight loss has been much slower than most & I had a bumpy month of up & down weight with a total monthly loss of 1/2lb & felt like I needed some answers and wasn't getting them. Stay the course & you're doing everything right wasn't doing it for me. I started searching the internet & found this group (yay!) and feel like its a wealth of knowledge.

I would suggest that if you aren't happy with your coaches that you should tell them that you expect more out of them (in the nicest way possible of course) and if you don't feel comfortable doing that, find a new coach and set the expectations at the first meeting. My coach is awesome but I did learn a lot more about the program here in this forum.

I've only had one weigh in. She said, "You're doing great!" then they sold me food. She didn't even look at my journal. I had a huge week, so I thought maybe they only looked at it when there was a stall or gain. She did ask if I had any questions, but didn't provide any proactive guidance at all.

But, I only have one data point, so I'll not judge too much just yet.

When I started IP, it was through my endocrinologist's office (I was already hypo-thyroid and had read IP can affect this). My original coach had a business degree but some fitness background, but she was very passionate about the program and educating herself so she would be equipped to help us.

A few months in, another coach left the clinic, they moved my coach across town and brought in someone new. She also had a business background, but no passion for the job. It was clear pretty quickly that she was just there to do a job, sell product, and didn't know what she was doing.

I went back to my friend that did IP last year and got more info about her clinic and coaches. After one meeting with her coach, I switched clinics. All of the coaches have fitness/nutrition degrees and years of experience. The chiropractor who administers the program has his original degree in nutrition, and is very hands-on about the program.

The switch has made a HUGE difference in my program and my outlook. My coach is not as interested in the # on the scale as she is me getting into healthy ranges. And she has been working with me on ME, the person inside too. I feel much more positive about the program (instead of dreading appointments), confident about finishing phase 1, and moving through the other phases to maintenance and beyond.

Long story short, if you're not happy with your coach then do some research, see if you can find another clinic near you with experienced coaches. And make the switch. I wish I'd done it sooner.

I love my coach. I admit, there are some weeks where she is more hands on than others. But if you are doing anything long term, I think you'll find you're going to get your groove and they will be able to take a step back, so the in between coaching is not going to be as intensive as when maybe you first start off or when you're transitioning.

Even still in the in between weeks, my coach is a great cheerleader, and I have no qualms about asking or venting to her about personal things...like bathroom issues, TOM, and the emotional roller coaster I was going through due to all the hormones released in fat burning. My clinic also offers monthly seminars for maintainers that she runs, which I didn't take advantage of when I first phased off, but I'm looking forward to when I'm done.

Now, I will say not all coaches at my clinic are at this level. I weighed in a few times with some other coaches who barely exchanged polite small talk with me, much less offered any helpful advice. I switched around until I found someone I clicked with. Don't be afraid to do that, you're paying a lot for this service!

I loved my original coach; she had also lost weight with IP, but she was actually trained as a counsellor (not by IP, but an accredited counselling program) and that's where I really appreciated her skills. She spent 20 minutes to 1/2 hour with me and I could text or call her personal cell at any time with any questions or if I needed help. We went over my journal in detail, weighed & measured, and she always asked if there were upcoming issues and we worked out a plan for these as well as giving me handouts with all kinds of helpful information. Purchasing of any product was left to reception staff after my appointment and I made whatever choices I wished from the shelving display & without question if I felt I didn't need to buy anything that day. The clinic itself was/is very up-to-date with the latest IP information and was in constant contact with head office to answer questions that I had (mainly because of my gluten free needs). My experience was very similar to JLUS'.
I really recommend them as a clinic.

Liana

Interesting, I am in my 6th week and I have not found my coach to be all that helpful. If anything I feel more stress my weigh in mornings than I probably need to. I have a very limited time schedule so she suggested we meet 8 am weekly prior to my work schedule. This was about the only time that I actually could meet. Well every single week she has been between 15 and 40 minutes late meeting me causing me to be late for work every single Tuesday since starting.

Since she is late, my appt.'s get rushed and my food orders that I submit 3-4 days before the meeting are always mixed up, or she forgets the tape measure. I had a week I wanted to go over my food journal but there was no time, so she said to text her later about it. I did and never received a response.
Ultimately I am using my boss as a I.P. coach, she has been on program since the 1st of the year, and I am thankful to have her.