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For Kendall Hanson, meetings with his Profile Plan coach are all done via phone, and as a farmer living 50 miles from his nearest Profile location, that’s just perfect. In fact, Kendall has been able to lose 130 pounds with the support of his coaching calls. “It’s really been amazing, especially during harvest. It’s impossible for me to drive to Sioux Falls once a week and being able to meet with my coach remotely has helped me out so much.”
The convenience of virtual appointments
Virtual coaching appointments are just one way that Profile has been able to truly meet the needs of their members, particularly as the country faced the global Covid-19 pandemic and face-to-face meetings became difficult. “The coaching element of our program is so important, both for a sense of accountability and education,” said Kendall’s coach AJ Wichman.
Virtual coaching is the same as an in-person coaching appointment, with education serving as the key component. “We still want to make sure you know the ins and outs of your meal plan,” AJ said. “We want to make sure you understand the nutrition guidelines. That connection you have with your coach is key. It’s something you want to retain because it’s a valuable part of Profile. It wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t valuable.”
Virtual coaching can include a variety of technologies, including video calls through Skype or Zoom, or simply a phone call. “Face-to-face is an added layer of accountability, so webcams are great, but it’s really whatever people are comfortable with,” AJ said. For some people, like Kendall, virtual coaching consistently fits into their schedule better. “It ends up being a little easier, especially for people who are on the go and they travel a lot. A majority of the virtual coaching offered before the pandemic was for people who traveled a lot and weren’t in one place a lot of the time,” AJ said.
Virtual coaching and shipments a game changer
For Kendall, the virtual coaching and the fact that his meals are shipped directly to his door make the program doable, even during stressful times on the farm. It has changed his life.
“You get into the routine and you keep working hard at it,” Kendall said. “I have a lot more energy. Being a farmer, there are a lot of physical things you have to do and this has really changed my stamina. I can do harder things a lot longer. I farm with my dad and it’s nice to be able to help him out more.”
One of the most exciting changes for Kendall was discovering a new wardrobe – in his own closet. “It’s so motivating to be fitting into different clothes I hadn’t fit into. I’ve been a bigger person my whole life. I would buy clothes hoping they’d fit, and they wouldn’t. They would go into the back of my closet. Now, it’s like wow! I have a lot of clothes I’ve never worn before that fit me.”
Kendall encourages others at the start of their health journey to take the leap. “Give it a shot,” he said. “I’ve been a big guy my whole life, and there are lots of things people try to get healthy, crazy things. In the long run, they just really don’t work, they gain it back and sometimes more. I was scared too. I waited to start and now I wish I would have started sooner.”
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