Online is Better Than “Fine”
“Overweight or obese individuals who participated in cognitive behavioral therapy counseling combined with an online health behavior change support system lost more weight, and 33% achieved a weight loss of 5% or more over 24 months, compared with those who received only CBT-based group counseling, self-help guidance-based group counseling, both with or without HBCSS, and control groups, according to a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Finnish researchers used a cohort of 532 people ages 20 to 50 and found those in the web-based intervention groups also had three times higher odds of losing more than 10% of their body weight.” – MobiHealthNews (7/9)
As an online business owner focused on helping clients achieve their weight loss goals, of course this quote caught my attention! People often have reservations about online training or dietary services, thinking they need to meet with someone “in-person” in order to hold themselves accountable. While I’m not disputing this to be true for some, by no means do I believe it to be true for all. Here are a few reasons why:
Both fitness and dietary services through Muscles by Madz work around YOUR schedule: workouts may be completed at your convenience, weekly meal plan calls are scheduled flexibly & may be conducted from any location, workouts can be adjusted to various fitness settings (home, hotel gym if traveling for work, hotel room if gym is not available, etc.)…the list goes on. Without feeling like these fitness and dietary commitments are a hassle to keep in your schedule, you may be less likely to give up on them.
Online services often allow more frequent contact than services provided solely in-person. I can’t speak on behalf of other online businesses, but I know that I reach out to all my clients AT LEAST once a week (they often initiate contact with me at least once a week, too!). Such frequent check-ins help to keep clients on their toes and trust that they are being held accountable by more than just themselves.
Correspondence from online fitness and dietary services is often written (either via email or PDF document). This is great because the information is there to refer back to further down the road. Very few people show up to in-person training sessions or dietary counseling appointments with a pen & paper. This leaves them going home without total certainty of what was discussed, much less the ability to reflect on these sessions weeks, months or years down the road. So many clients have shared their appreciation for my weekly emails containing notes on their MyFitnessPal Food Diary entries, as this enables them to look back on past weeks and pick up on some of their eating trends. Such insight is invaluable in changing/creating lifelong habits!
Still not sure the online platform is for you? Reach out today and I will be happy to discuss how we can make it a sure-fire fit!
