Why I Quit Beachbody Coaching
For those of you who didn’t know, I was a Beachbody coach for some time. (Around a year and a half I believe.) And for those of you who did know, I have chosen to no longer coach. A few days into the start of my Nutritional Therapy program, this decision was a no brainer for me but I want to explain why.
First off, this is not going to be a post bashing Beachbody so if you clicked on this for some juicy gossip about it- you’re in the wrong place. Being a coach came with some amazing benefits and I will forever be grateful for that phase in my life. I loved being able to workout from home because at the time, I was not jazzed about the way I looked or felt, so this was a way for me to get started away from the “pressure” of the gym. I loved being able to motivate people by creating challenges, programs, goals, etc. that didn’t always just focus on a weight goal. I loved (and still love) the crazy variety of programs that Beachbody offers because it’s given me a platform to run with on days where I don’t really have a plan in the gym. What I didn’t love? The “one size fits all” approach to their nutrition plans.
Now if you’ve done Beachbody before, you’ll be able to catch my drift pretty quickly. If you aren’t familiar, let me explain. With each workout program comes an attached nutrition plan based off of the caloric expenditure per each program. Within the nutrition program, comes an “individualized” equation which determines which nutrition plan you will follow. What factors into this equation? Your weight. That’s it. You will then be encouraged to follow Plan A, B, C, or D, all which vary in caloric intake and allow for specific portions of each macro-nutrient.
Fast forward to today and let’s take a ride in the brain of Kelsie’s Magic school buns Bus.
“Okay so they get three portions of protein throughout the day, what if they don’t have enough stomach acid to digest it?”
“Okay so they can have 1/4 cup of oats with berries and honey, but what if they have a fruit and sugar intolerance they don’t know about that’s keeping them from assimilate any of those nutrients?”
“Okay so they are getting all of their workouts in, but little do I know they’re only getting 5 hours of sleep, working 50+ hours at work, and under-eating which is causing their thyroid to shut out which in turn stops the release of T3, their fat burning hormone.”
“Okay so they’re having their Shakeology in the morning, but then feel hungry and tired around 10 am. Is the surplus of carbohydrates/natural sugars and a lack of healthy fats in the shake causing blood sugar dysregulation? Which prompts them to swing through Starbucks on their work break? Is this habit going to put them on a continuous blood sugar roller coaster and cause digestion, hormone, thyroid complications?”
“Okay so they texted me saying they are going to miss today’s workout because it’s that time of month and their cramps are taking over. What are their estrogen levels like? Are they getting enough magnesium? What personal care products are they using that could be affecting their hormone health?”
HA. WELCOME TO MY BRAIN, SHALL I CONTINUE??? (Sometimes I wish I didn’t know half of the things that I now do, but man am I thankful for it.) My point is, now that I have the knowledge that I do, it doesn’t feel right in my heart to continue advocating for this “one size fits all” approach. Can Beachbody work for some people? Absolutely! And I’ve seen it done. But will it work for a good majority of people? No. Because it’s not created to dig deep, it’s created as a platform to get people started on a healthier habits.
Bottom line, your weight is not the only determining factor to your health and this is the reason why diets and generalized nutrition recommendations (like portion control containers) are not effective for everyone. A number on a scale can’t be the only thing you take into account for how much food you are putting into your body and what kind of foods you are putting into your body. You have to look holistically at every aspect of your life and how it is affecting your health. Which is why I’m here! I WANT to dig deeper. I WANT to figure out exactly how you digest and assimilate the egg you’re eating in the morning. I WANT to help you understand why it’s important to sh*t once or twice everyday. I WANT you to feel less restricted and more empowered in the kitchen, at the office party, in the grocery store, and on the internet when you are surrounded by FAR TOO MUCH FALSE AND OVERWHELMING INFORMATION.
And I want you to know that I didn’t quit Beachbody coaching because it didn’t work for me, I quit because it doesn’t work for everybody. And that made me feel icky inside.