If you work with an online weight loss coach or online personal trainer like me, regular check-in calls are often part of the process. They are one of the ways a coach keeps track of how things are going and helps guide you through the ups and downs that inevitably happen during any health, fitness or weight loss journey.
With my online coaching clients, I run regular Zoom check-in calls. How often we speak depends on the coaching package someone is on. Some clients have weekly calls, some every two weeks, and some once per month. If someone is going through a tougher period though, I will often add extra calls at no-charge if they need a bit more support.
These 25 minute calls sit alongside the daily WhatsApp messages we exchange. Some clients send quick texts, others send voice notes. That day-to-day contact keeps things ticking along, while the Zoom calls give us a chance to step back and look at the bigger picture.
For me, those calls are a really important part of online coaching.
The OPtional Weekly Check-In Form
Before each call, my clients receive a link so they can go and fill in a short online check-in form. It only takes a minute or two to complete and it simply gives me a quick overview of how their week has gone so I can prepare ahead of the zoom call.
Some clients fill it in every time. Others forget or don’t have time every week, which is completely fine. If the form has not been completed, I just run through any relevant questions during the call anyway.
Typically we will cover things like:
- What went well this week
- Sleep and stress levels
- Hunger levels
- Activity and training
- Any challenges that came up
- Larger topics such as behavioural change or stress management (more on this below)
I will also ask if there is anything specific they want to talk about during the call.
We then look ahead to the next week or two and plan around anything that might affect their routine.
For example, they might have a big family meal coming up. Or a work event. Or they might be going away on holiday. Those are all things we plan around together so they feel confident about how to handle them.
Not Every Call Needs to Be Groundbreaking
Some weight loss or fitness coaching calls might sometimes only last ten minutes.
If someone is in a good place and things are ticking along nicely, we may simply have a short chat, check everything looks good, and keep moving forward.
Occasionally clients may feel like they did not get much from a quick call like that. But from a coaching perspective those calls are still very valuable.
They give me a chance to do what I call a “vibe check”.
I can see how you are doing, how you are feeling about things, how you are carrying yourself, and whether everything seems on track. Sometimes that quick conversation tells me more than a long conversation would.
So you should not expect every single call to be some huge breakthrough moment.
Sometimes progress simply means everything is going well and we keep doing what we are doing.
What Else We Work On During Zoom Calls
When challenges do come up, the calls are where we work through them together.
We might review how food has gone that week. I might give practical nutrition advice or tips to make things easier.
We might talk about training. That could be ideas for the gym, adjustments to a training plan, or even reviewing videos of exercises if someone wants feedback on their technique.
But coaching is not just about food and exercise.
A lot of the time we are also working on behavioural changes and mindset.
That might include things like:
- Building new habits
- Dealing with stressful weeks
- Managing hunger or cravings
- Handling comments or negativity from other people
- Learning how to say no in social situations or ay work
- Improving self-talk and confidence
- And more…
Sometimes we even look at practical skills like how to track food properly or how to plan meals during busy weeks.
These things might sound small individually, but they add up over time.
Sometimes the Coach Talks, Sometimes They Just Listen
Another thing people do not always realise about coaching is that sometimes the coach will give advice and solutions, and sometimes they will simply listen.
There are moments where the best thing I can do is ask a few questions and let the client talk through the situation themselves.
Very often people already know the answer deep down. They just need the space to think it through.
Part of coaching is helping guide someone towards that conclusion themselves. Sometimes my job is to “STFU” (if you know what that means?!) and just listen.
Progress Happens Over Time
For many people, weight loss and lifestyle change is not just about losing a few pounds.
Often they are undoing ten or twenty years of habits around food, routines, and how they think about themselves.
That is not going to be solved in one call.
But those conversations build over time. Each call adds a little more understanding, a little more confidence, and a little more progress.
How to Get the Most From Your Check-In Calls
If you are working with a coach, it is worth thinking briefly before your call about anything you want to discuss.
Maybe something went really well that week. Maybe something was difficult. Maybe there is a situation coming up that you want help planning for.
Do not be afraid to raise those things.
You can also ask questions about things you have seen online. People often bring up things they have seen on TikTok, Instagram, or the news and ask whether it is actually true (spoiler alert with TikTok: probably not!).
That is part of what a coach is there for. To help you make sense of information and guide you towards what actually works.
Conversations Make a Big Difference
Some coaching calls will feel big and important. Others might feel small and routine.
Both are valuable.
Even a short conversation can help keep things on track, provide reassurance, or highlight something that needs adjusting.
Over time those conversations become a really important part of the coaching relationship.
They help build trust, accountability, and momentum.
And when those things come together, real progress tends to follow.
If you want to find out more about how my daily WhatsApps and weekly check-in Zoom calls work if you start coaching with me, book a free Zoom discovery call.
