Does Health Coaching Really Work?

A hiking story on a Health Coaching page? Note to your unconscious mind: this is called Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)….and it works, so let’s just go with it!

Hiking the 2167-mile Appalachian Trail….yep, that’s a challenge!

Did you ever hear of the Appalachian Trail? It’s a 2167-mile trail in the wilderness of the United States that runs from Georgia to Maine. Several years ago, I hiked it. No, not just a section. The WHOLE thing. I left Springer Mountain in Georgia on 5 March and I summited Mt. Katahdin in Maine 5 months and 9 days later, completing a goal that only a few thousand people can claim. In fact, less than 10% of the 3,000 people who attempt to do this trail every year actually finish. In order to do the trail, you have to carry all your food and gear, drink water out of streams, sleep in a tent every night and ration your food every 7-10 days until you can re-supply. You are essentially walking a marathon every day over mountains in all weather. Eventually you realize that your mental strength is your key to success.

This is definitely an achievement that’s on many people’s “bucket lists,” although I did the trail well before all those fancy Hollywood terms even existed. In a few words, it’s really hard to sum up what that experience was to me, but I can say this: 1) It was the hardest and most rewarding thing I ever did and 2) the best thing that happened to me was not seeing the sunsets or having amazing moments in nature….the best thing that happened to me was that I did not quit.

The reason why I’m sharing this with you is because the Appalachian Trail represents your health journey. It seems like an impossible task when you stand in Georgia and realize that it will take you 5 million steps to get to Maine, just like it may seem impossible for you to find time and effort to start living a more balanced and healthy life. And believe me, once you make the decision to hike the trail, it doesn’t get any easier. No more rainbows and butterflies like you thought it would be…instead you are walking in mud, surrounded by mosquitos, and it’s always either too hot or too cold. When you start to eat better, people don’t suddenly become nicer to you – again no butterflies and rainbows! You’re still in the real world and problems are always there. But now, you can manage them better because you are mentally stronger. You have better ability to deal with stress and you can remain more positive and loving, and your reaction changing is a game changer in terms of the quality of your life.

I remember one week on the trail that was really awful, with rain and storms all week. Every step was a struggle. Then, I looked at the map and I saw how minuscule that distance was and how I had literally thousands of miles ahead of me. Believe me when I say that I wanted to quit in that moment! On the trail, you don’t see the progress day to day…but after a few weeks and then months, the distances start to add up. And guess what? It is the same exact thing on your health journey! You cannot eat one apple or green juice and start to feel amazing. But, put a good program in place and after a few weeks, your clothes are looser. After a few months, you’re throwing out old clothes that no longer fit and you have more energy to get out there and enjoy life. It takes time, and all you need to do is stay on the trail and not quit!

I made it! If I achieved my goals in hiking and in health, YOU can too!

I could go on and on because the analogies here are endless…but what I want you to know is that no one believed in me. I was a woman on my own hiking a trail in the wilderness. That’s another story because I started with a guy and he dumped me on the trail after just 1 week, yes,…there is even a breakup drama, or as my Dad called it, the “trail divorce”. People told me I was too clean to hike and that I didn’t have it in me to finish. Yes, people actually said that to my face. Maybe they didn’t believe in me, but I believed in myself. I actually made a commitment to myself that I was not going to quit unless I had to be physically carried off the trail. Once I made that commitment, I never waivered from it…on good days and bad, I was on that trail and that was that. After 5 months and 9 days, I stood on the summit of Mt. Katahdin, Maine and I never felt so proud of myself in my entire life….yes, I did it! Can you imagine that feeling? If an ordinary person like me can achieve such a huge goal, then you can achieve your goals too.

The most important part of my story is this: I believe in YOU!