Jenny has been an online coaching client for 8 months – finishing in November 2023, and making some fantastic progress in that time.
As you can see, the title of this post highlights her brilliant results with weight loss, and fitting back into clothes she loves. But it’s about so much more than that, as you’ll see from her words below.
Through online weight loss coaching, my primary goal is to help clients build a healthy happy relationship with food and themselves. When that’s in place, along with a good understanding of nutrition, we have the best chance of creating results that last for good.
After the testimonial, I’ve included some key points that have helped Jenny reach her goals. They’ve also been some of the most beneficial habits for many other online coaching clients, and I hope they help you too.
Jenny wasn’t keen for any photos to be included in this post, and I completely respect that. So as a not-quite-as-good alternative, here’s a photo of me, just to break the text up a bit.
And now, here’s what the lovely lady herself had to say.
Jenny’s Online Coaching Testimonial
“I had spent decades losing and regaining the same weight. At 50 years old, I was very overweight, unhealthy and very unhappy about it all.
I knew I couldn’t continue the same cycle of restriction, loss and inevitable gain. I had tried every diet going and wanted to find a different approach and to stop dieting.
Online Coaching with Hayley was where I turned, and I have learned so much from it. The fundamental thing Hayley helped me change was my mindset and my ‘all or nothing’ thinking.
Hayley gave me feedback on my food and activity diary which helped me make small but accumulative improvements. I would never have used protein powder or eaten protein bars before!
She has expert knowledge of nutrition and fitness – especially regarding perimenopause – and translates this into doable actions.
I didn’t feel like I was making huge leaps or overly restricting at any point.
Simple steps such as taking time to think whether a food choice was worth it, was this the best thing I could have, did I really want it….. these thoughts have stayed with me and definitely help me change my behaviour around food.
I no longer see food as good or bad – I now have a much healthier relationship with my body and food.
Having lost over 3 stone and 3 dress sizes over the last 8 months, online coaching has given me so much more confidence in the new stronger, healthier me.
I cannot recommend Hayley highly enough. She is amazingly kind, a wonderful cheerleader, and helped me turn a bad day or an overeating episode into an opportunity to learn, and still keep moving towards the future me!
If you are thinking of working with Hayley, please do it; you will not regret it!”
What helped: Focusing on (Mostly) Quality Nutrition
Going through menopause usually means we need to alter our eating habits to feel at our best. And when weight loss is a goal too, it helps even more to ensure your diet is filled with mostly natural foods. They will keep you full on less calories and give your body the nutrients it needs.
Jenny also loves running, so we had to take this into account and make sure she was giving her body enough fuel for energy and recovery. Top tips for menopause nutrition include:
- eating enough protein to maintain muscle
- including healthy fats regularly to support hormonal health
- eating lots of vegetables, and a good amount of fruit, for all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients they provide
- eating calcium-rich foods to support bone health
- supplementing with vitamin D, omega 3, and potentially magnesium
- strategically including carbohydrates for energy, gut health and good sleep
Eating Enough Protein for Health and Weight Loss
Eating more protein keeps you fuller for longer, and reduces cravings for snacks. Protein is also the building block of our muscles, helping us stay strong and recover from exercise.
From around the age of 30, we gradually start to lose muscle mass, and this accelerates after menopause. We also become less efficient at digestion and using protein as we get older.
So for optimal health and body function, we need to make sure we’re eating enough of this vital macronutrient.
How much is enough?
If we’re being specific, 1.5g per kg of your ideal bodyweight is a good number to aim for.
Higher or slightly lower than this is fine too. For example, if your ideal weight is 65kg (10 stone 3lbs, or 143lbs):
65 x 1.5 = 97.5g
For most women, 90-120g protein is a good range.
If you’re not counting grams, aim for a palm size serving of protein in each meal (you could also have a high protein snack, like Greek yogurt with fruit, or a protein shake.
Planning and tracking food (for a little while)
Jenny began coaching by using an online food diary, to get detailed feedback and guidance from me.
This created some great initial progress – making changes to support weight loss, and ensuring Jenny still felt full, energised, and was eating foods she loved. After a while we transitioned to a calorie-tracking app, so we could see more detailed info on Jenny’s calorie, protein, carb and fat intakes.
Calorie-tracking isn’t for everyone, and 1:1 online coaching is tailored to suit the individual, so we don’t always use this approach. But many clients find it incredibly helpful to use for a short time. It can be pretty eye-opening, and teach you some valuable insights that you can then use to help maintain a healthy weight for life.
During our time together, Jenny transitioned away from calorie-tracking, and still kept making progress. This showed she’s gained a great understanding of portion sizes, and where to find protein and other nutrients. Importantly, she’s still enjoying less nutritious foods that are worth it, and has found the routines and balance that works for her.
Regularly enjoying foods she loves
To lose weight and keep it off for good, you need to lose it in a way you can live it.
That means planning in less healthy foods you love, and enjoying them guilt-free.
Having experienced various diets, Sharon found this concept really helpful. Nothing off limits – just make sure you slowly and mindfully enjoy every bite.
So often we feel guilty for eating foods, or binge on them mindlessly when we’re stressed.
If you love it, plan it in. Give yourself time to get the most from it – noticing each delicious bite and stopping when you’ve had enough. You can always have more later.
Seeing it this way can remove the ‘f*** it’ mentality of deciding to eat it all now before you have to ‘start again’.
It can also help to think about saving calories for the best of what you love. Planning in the treats that feel most worth it to you can help you say no to other choices that are ‘nice’ but not ‘awesome’.
Over time, saying no to the generic choices that aren’t that great can save you thousands of calories. Some of those can be spent on your favourite indulgences, and some can be banked for weight loss.
Listening to Podcasts
Mindset is often the deciding factor when it comes to weight loss.
Most of us know enough about what we should be doing, it’s just really hard to keep doing it.
We struggle with motivation, self sabotage, self criticism, negative thinking, and a lack of ‘willpower’.
Often we aren’t fully aware of the thoughts and habits that hold us back – they run in the background, causing us to repeat the same patterns over and over again.
Podcasts and books are two brilliant self development tools that can help with this.
Podcasts are a goldmine of both information and inspiration, and best of all, they’re free.
Jenny listened regularly to my podcast, which is based on conversations with clients, and the various challenges many women face with their health and weight loss goals. You can find it here:
Think Healthy with Hayley
Resistance Training for Strength, Menopause and Weight Loss
This is such a powerful tool for weight loss, and for living your best life.
Resistance training helps you build and maintain muscle – keeping your body strong, protecting your bones, and boosting your metabolism. It also helps you see noticeable changes in your figure, and get the ‘toned’ feeling that boosts confidence and makes you feel amazing in clothes you love. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns each day.
Doing big compound movements (highly effective exercises that work lots of muscles and multiple joints) like squats, deadlifts, push ups, rows, presses and pulldowns, keeps you strong and able to do all the movements the human body is designed to do.
You’ll be less likely to suffer aches and pains, and more likely to be enjoying life to the full for decades to come.
Training at the gym is fantastic for being able to use a variety of equipment and keep building strength, but you can get a lot out of workouts at home too.
The majority of my clients are busy working mums and do resistance training at home to save time. To find useful home training equipment, check out my store page HERE.
Online Coaching
Many women get to the point where they’ve tried various diets and are left feeling lost, frustrated and confused.
If that’s you, seeking professional guidance from a nutritionist, personal trainer, or weight loss coach (I am all three) can make a huge difference.
Through online coaching, my goal is to help you reach YOUR goals in a way that’s both enjoyable and sustainable. We work together to simplify the process, focus on what really works, and support you in creating a lifestyle that works for you.