Nutrition coach certification is a process by which an individual becomes certified to provide the coaching services to others. The certification process typically involves completing a certification program or continuing education course that meets the institute’s guidelines. Becoming such a coach entails meeting certain guidelines and standards, including but not limited to being proficient in the science of this field, being able to motivate and inspire clients, and having a commitment to ongoing education.
When studying for your nutrition coach certification, avoid making any of the following mistakes: Not planning it out, taking too many courses at once, not checking the requirements, not doing any practice lessons, not being prepared to buy study material, and not checking the requirements of the certification board.
See more here how you can earn your own certification.
Source: netafit.org
Contents
1. Not Planning It Out
There are many nutrition coaching courses available to the coaches, each course being different in duration, cost, and quality of content. Trying to take the nutritionist certification exam without proper preparation could lead to failure at the first hurdle – which is passing the pre-course evaluation. Therefore, the coaches should take the time to carefully plan out their certification study schedule. This will ensure that all goals are met and there will be enough time for everything else too!
2. Taking Too Many Courses at Once
Before the coaches attempt to enroll themselves in any specialized course, they should carefully consider how much time they can afford to spend studying every day or week. Nutrition coaching demands a high level of focus and the coaches should not overload themselves with too many courses at once as this could lead to them not passing any of the courses. It is better to take one nutrition coaching course and do justice to it than taking a few coaching courses and failing miserably.
There are many courses available on the market. Also, the cost of these courses ranges from $200 to $2,500 and can take anywhere from four days to 12 weeks to complete. When choosing a coaching course, be sure to do your research and compare the different courses. Make a decision based on what is best for you – not what someone else tells you.
Source: theleopard.org
3. Not Checking the Requirements
Each of the courses has its own set of prerequisites that need to be met before enrolling in the course. The coaches should check these prerequisites before signing up for any of the courses respectively, otherwise, they might find themselves wasting money and time on a course that they are not qualified to take.
Examples of prerequisites of a nutrition coaching course include: having a high school diploma or equivalent, having a minimum of two years of verified full-time work experience in the nutrition and/or fitness field, and having completed specific coursework in the subject of this field.
4. Not Doing Any Practice Lessons
This is one of the most common mistakes new coaches in this field make. They sign up for a coaching course and think that they will be able to pass the exam without doing any practice lessons. This is definitely not the case! In order to pass the exams, the coaches need to score at least 80%. To achieve this, they need to do plenty of practice questions and mock exams. These practice exams can be found in the course textbooks, on the official website, and in study guides.
Important note: Study guides contain useful information about nutrition coaching courses and can be glossaries of terms, success stories, sample questions and answers, practice lessons, mock exams, and much more. Of course, the coaches can learn this information by themselves, but considering that study guides are written by the experts and educators they will most likely learn faster if they use them.
Different questions asked in these types of coaching certification course include:
- Why choose a career as a nutrition coach?
- What are the benefits of becoming a successful instructor?
- What does it mean to be a holistic nutrition coach?
- What does it mean to be an ethical instructor?
- How can a holistic instructor help people reach their fitness goals?
- What does it mean to be a fundamentally sound nutrition instructor?
- What are some strategies for coaching clients with different personalities?
- How can an instructor help a client maintain their weight loss?
When studying to be certified as a coach in the field, you should be able to answer all the questions above with ease!
Source: wizeprep.com
5. Not Being Prepared To Buy Study Material
It is advisable that these coaches prepare themselves well before enrolling for any coach certification course by saving some money so they can purchase the study material for their certifications, whenever necessary. If not, they might have to delay taking the nutrition coaching certified exam even if they have finished all the coaching certified courses.
Examples of study material for nutrition coach certification include: textbooks, online courses, flashcards, and practice exams. These study materials will be a great help to the coaches in preparing for their specified coaching exams.
6. Not Checking the Requirements of the Certification Board
Before signing up for a nutrition coaching certified course, the coaches should ensure that they check the requirements of all certification boards. Certification boards are important because they can reject nutrition coach certification applications on the basis of not having met all the requirements. This is why it is crucial for new coaches in this field to ensure they are fully aware of the requirements of all certification boards before signing up for any nutrition coach certified course.
Requirements of all certification boards include:
- The number of practice exams that must be taken
- The passing grade for these practice exams
- The amount of time that is allowed to complete the exams.
Source: theleopard.org
Avoiding these mistakes will help you become a successful nutrition coach and provide you with the foundation necessary to help others reach their health and wellness goals. Good luck!
