Rebuilding Energy, Confidence & Capacity at 57
A case study
One of my incredible clients, let’s call her Marie, came to health coaching saying she wanted to lose weight. It was her main goal, but when we took a gentle, deeper dive, there was more at play.
It became clear that what she really wanted was to feel more in control of her energy, her habits, and her overall well-being.
She was juggling a demanding schedule, long working hours, and regular exercise. Doing many of the “right” things, yet still left feeling depleted. What she wanted was to lose weight, but in order to get there, we needed to look at the whole picture.
For Marie:
Her blood pressure was high
Her sleep was broken; she often woke in the early hours
She relied heavily on caffeine for energy
The evenings were often when all her good intentions unravelled, including evening snacking as a way of habit
Her schedule was overloaded
Together, we looked at many areas to support her goals in ways that were simple to implement, realistic for her lifestyle, and had long-term positive impacts. Nothing extreme, no overhauls; the goal was never to add to an already overwhelmed system.
Marie clearly didn’t lack motivation, and she didn’t need more rules or strict diets. What she needed was breathing space.
“I’m good all day, and then I lose it at night!”
Our Approach
Rather than increasing restrictions, we focused on regulation and sustainability. Small, sustainable shifts in daily rhythms to give her a solid base for healthy habits that would stick.
We started with…
Nervous System Support
If your nervous system is working overtime, it’s difficult for anything else to cut through the noise. We needed to focus on calming the sensorium and then build from there. If you want to build something to last, you need to have a strong foundation.
We looked at many elements in order to do this, including breathwork, scheduling, rest and exercise.
Nutrition Foundations
The importance of nutrition is repeated to us regularly, but it’s often something we struggle to implement. How we eat and what we consume is often the result of patterns, both generational and lifestyle, as well as emotion.
Focusing on nutrition doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul, though; in fact, it’s more likely to mean adding to what’s there and/or looking at habits rather than particular foods. For Marie, we looked at many ways we could create a more supportive relationship with food and energy, encouraging practical solutions for nutritious choices.
“Creating Space Instead of Pressure”
Changes were realistic, low-cost, and adaptable; we needed to be able to evolve with her busy lifestyle.
Self-Worth & Behavioural Resilience
Making changes can be simple; it’s consistency that’s the difficult part. We knew we needed to work on Marie’s self-esteem, building her self-worth so that she would feel comfortable and confident to keep making those positive choices for herself.
With the help of self-affirming reflection, accountability, creative outlets and reframing exercise as a supportive tool as opposed to an obligation, Marie’s confidence and self-worth were growing.
By working on these, she began to trust herself to make decisions based on what was truly important to her.
Here’s what we saw happening…
Within weeks, and only 5 health coaching sessions, Marie reported her mood improving, stress reducing, energy levels stabilising, less dependency on evening snacking, and less rigidity in her routines. She felt able to allow herself flexibility with her gym schedule and, therefore, to socialise without guilt. She was more experimental with her cooking as she became better aware of nutrients, and most importantly, she was being compassionate with herself.
These internal shifts have begun to ripple outward, too. Since she began her health coaching journey, Marie has left the job that no longer aligned with her lifestyle priorities and felt confident enough to advocate for herself and ask for a pay rise, which she received.
Having now worked together for 3 months, we’ve delved deeper into the work, life, health balance that Marie wants for herself.
Choices become clearer.
Habits feel less forced.
The Ripple Effect
As her stress reduced and her confidence grew, changes followed. Her recovered nervous system enables her to make informed choices that support her wants and needs, as opposed to acting from a place of high alert.
When the body feels safer and more regulated, change becomes more accessible.
Weight loss is an ongoing goal, but for reasons related to energy, pacing, and feeling capable, as well as physical health. Marie is now operating from a place of understanding and support, rather than strain.
Marie’s Words
“The health coaching sessions were very useful… allowed me to implement changes and reflect on what was discussed.
I appreciated the non-judgmental approach to healthy food choices, which encouraged me to do further reading and make positive, sustainable changes.
Sandra has a kind, gentle, but motivating approach… I felt encouraged and supported throughout, and never made to feel uncomfortable or silly for asking for help from Sandra and would definitely be working with her again in the future if needed.”
From me, as a Health Coach
This is what sustainable change can look like: not dramatic, not extreme, not built on pressure. But steady, regulated, person-centred changes rooted in self-trust and support. An approach that works with your real life.
If you’re becoming increasingly aware that your energy, habits or wellbeing feel harder to manage, and would like some support to make sustainable, life-affirming changes, get in touch. I’d love to work with you.
There is space to do it differently.
Book a FREE Discovery Call with me, and we’ll see where we could get started.
Sandra
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