Nutrition Coach red flags
Signs you hired the wrong coach.
8 real reasons our clients have quit their current coaches to come work with us.
Things that make us cringe as nutrition coaches 👀👀
So, you've found yourself in the world of fitness coaching, striving for that dream physique or just aiming to live a healthier lifestyle.
But something seems… off? How can you tell?
Think about it like this: if you're on a journey without a map, how do you know if you're headed for treasure or a pit of despair?
A detailed plan is essential, like knowing where you're going on a road trip instead of blindly following Siri into the unknown.
If your coach's idea of coaching is slapping some macros on your plate and calling it a day, you might as well be throwing your money into the wind.
At EPN, we take the time to understand your unique needs and tailor our approach accordingly. One size fits all is not what you need to be successful in whatever goal you’ve set out to achieve.
If any of these signs ring true for you, it might be time to jump ship and join us at EPN.
Red flag 1: Poor Communication
““My coach normally takes 7-9 days to get back to me whenever I have a question.””
Unless this expectation was laid out initially when you signed with them, this is a major 🚩.
Our clients expect responsivity within 24 hours, Monday - Friday, however, we’re usually much faster than that.
Also, let’s not forget to mention that if you ONLY hear from your coach on check-in days, you probably aren’t getting all the support you actually need.
Red Flag 2: No Long Term Plan
““Can you explain periodization to me? My coach doesn’t have a plan. We started a cut 7 weeks ago but I don’t know when it’s supposed to end or what happens next.””
Without a plan, how do you know if the steps you’re taking are moving you closer or further away from your goals? You can’t.
A cornerstone of our coaching is having a detailed blueprint for each phase we’re currently in, as well as a 3-, 6-, and 12-month roadmap to where we’re going.
Red Flag 3: Macro coaching
“They only assign me macros.”
We hate to break it to you, but you are severely overpaying for coaching if the only thing your coaches prescribing you is macros.
Plenty of apps and online calculators will do that for you.
At EPN, our weekly calls and check-ins include a deep dive into your behaviors, such as sleep, digestion, stress, movement, menstrual cycles, and more. Macros are the least interesting part of our weekly updates.
Red Flag 4: There is no why
“They didn’t explain why we were making the changes we were.”
Sounds like you hired a dictator, not a coach.
A successful nutrition journey is building a bond with your coach and understanding the decisions you are both making.
Honesty and transparency go both ways here. Your coach has to give you the why, but you also need to provide your why so they can create the best process for you.
Red flag 5: No Off-Ramp Plan
“I didn’t have a plan moving forward when our time was over.”
At the wrap-up of nutrition coaching, you should feel confident and empowered that you can continue the work you did with your coach on your own.
If your coach is not teaching you how to start fishing for yourself along the way, they’re just setting you up to be a client forever.
Hint: If you have a periodization plan in the beginning of coaching, you don’t have to worry about this.
Red Flag 6: Must hit macro targets perfectly
“They told me my success would never happen if I wasn’t compliant with 5g accuracy across all macros daily”
Unless you plan on stepping on a bodybuilding stage, there is almost no reason to hit macros specifically to the gram.
Additionally, it’s flat-out lazy coaching not to review the nuances as to why someone isn’t hitting their macros. It means your coach isn’t actually willing to ask more questions.
Red Flag 7: Starts a cut on week 1
“We started a cut in week 1 of coaching”
How do they know if you have the foundation to succeed in a fat loss phase?
What if they assigned you drastically low calories that you struggle to adhere to because you both don’t even know your maintenance calories?
As we said previously, anyone can find their “deficit calories” from an online calculator, so what are you actually paying for here?
Red Flag 8: Immediate Macro Targets
“Before my first check-in, my coach assigned me specific macros to start hitting.”
This screams, “I’m a lazy AF coach” who just plugged your intake data into a TDEE calculator (online, for free). 🤔
Did you know those calculators have a confidence interval of 400 calories?
Rather than working with you to develop a plan to find your specific maintenance, they started you with macros that easily could put you in a deficit or a surplus.
what do I do?
Did you accidentally hire one of those red flag coaches? We’d be happy to discuss your options with someone on our team during a free consult call.
