So you've decided the time has finally arrived to look into some professional guidance when it comes to your health and fitness. Naturally, you hop on your favorite social media platform and start searching for a coach to take you from flab to fab (hopefully in time for your sister's wedding in 4 months).

"Hm, should I go for Tone Up with Tanya? Chester Chiseled looks really good as well, and they both have a lot of followers so they MUST get results. I mean, some of these transformation photos are incredible!"

Your mind begins to drift to thoughts of your sister's summer wedding in Jamaica, and your significantly trimmed (and suddenly bronzed?) figure turning heads under the Caribbean sun.

"Oh yea, I need me some of that!"

Just like that, several hundred dollars is on its way to Tanya Tone Up's PayPal account. What happens from there usually goes one of two ways:

1. The patented Tone Up with Tanya protocol of strict caloric restriction, six workouts a week, and fistfuls of supplements delivered rapid results as advertised. There might have been a little dizziness and nausea on the way, but that scale number dropped!

OR

1. The patented Tone Up with Tanya protocol was immediately overwhelming and while supposedly "customized", didn't take into account your dietary preferences, current ability level, or schedule. You fell off the plan within three weeks and were left feeling like a quitter and a failure.

This is an all too common scenario in the world of online health and fitness coaching. That said, didn't the individual in option 1 get the results they paid for?

To answer that question, we need to dig a little deeper into what that individual was really looking for. Were they seeking a short-term result for a specific event, or a long-term lifestyle shift?

Transformation vs. Lifestyle Coaching

While there are many styles of coaching out there, it's easy to spot a nutrition or fitness coach whose primary marketing strategy revolves around rapid, dramatic results. Typically this involves showcasing before and after photos of individuals who appear completely transformed in a span of 3-6 months. So, the coach's program must work then right?

That depends on how we define "working". If someone is an actor or model on a tight deadline to look a certain way for a role or job, a fast but ultimately unsustainable approach could achieve the desired result.

Another common example of targeted transformation programs are the types of protocols bodybuilders and other physique competitors undergo in order to achieve extremely low body fat percentages. There is an understanding going into these highly restrictive programs that the visible results and what it takes to achieve them are meant to be short-term only. Physique competitors often look drastically different in the offseason vs. a show preparation cycle.

If a coach is transparent and sets the proper expectations regarding a program designed to achieve a short-term goal, there can be a time and place for transformation-focused plans.Where issues arise is when individuals who would benefit much more from a slower, habit-based approach find themselves wedged into a 90-day challenge type of plan. Often lured by the possibility of life-changing results or the idea of a swift "kickstart", overwhelm sets in quickly following the realization of just how disruptive the plan is in their everyday lives.

Even if the individual manages to hang in long enough to see some results, they've often learned little along the way and quickly slip back into old habits as soon as the challenge ends.

Juxtapose this with coaching aimed at creating long-term, lasting lifestyle shifts that set an individual up for continued success with minimal rebound over time. The foundation of these types of programs is the gradual implementation of small changes that are built upon over a longer period.

These changes may initially seem trivial or minor, but are designed to be minimally invasive to the client's existing lifestyle. The aim is to create consistent adherence that becomes second nature, and contributes positively to other impactful health habits.

Making sustainable lifestyle changes is often a process of trial and error that takes time. As an individual is working through these habit shifts, they may not see significant aesthetic changes early on. A skilled coach helps set appropriate expectations and may initially shift focus away from objective progress indicators like weight and body fat percentage in favor of more subjective measures like mood and energy levels.

Choosing What's Right for You

Let's jump back to our anonymous protagonist from the beginning of this article. They've decided they would like to seek some form of coaching, and are scanning the internet for potential options. What criteria might they consider to determine whether a transformation or lifestyle approach is best for them?

To begin, they should start with getting clear on what they're looking to gain or accomplish from the coaching program. Are they looking to achieve a specific look or level of performance within a short timeframe, e.g. a bodybuilding show or sporting event? Or, are they looking to make long-term changes in areas such as their relationship with food, knowledge of food choices, or improvements to sleep and stress management?

If the answer is the former, a transformation style coach may be the best fit. The primary focus is on achieving a very specific goal for the short-term. If it's the latter, an approach that emphasizes long-term behavior changes will be the better option.

Neither approach is superior to the other, but one or the other may be superior when it comes to an individual's unique goals. By understanding the difference, we can make an informed decision about where to invest our time and money to reap the most benefits from coaching.