In this post you’ll learn how to create your own custom nutrition trackers to get the exactly the client tracking data you need for coaching in-between sessions.
by
Phil Beene
March 23, 2020
This post walks through 6 different ways to customize nutrition tracking for clients, and how to think about which one is right for your clients and your program.
But while these examples focus on ways to customize nutrition tracking in the Nudge platform, keep in mind that you can use this same framework to get just as creative with any type of client tracking system, from daily business and productivity habits, to mindfulness exercises and beyond.
So if nutrition tracking isn’t immediately relevant to your coaching business or programs, read this anyway and I promise you’ll start to see how you can customize trackers to fit your unique clients, and your specific programs.
In fact, if you want the top 2 rules for creating trackers your clients will actually WANT to use, I just gave them to you. To restate it more clearly:
Engaging trackers are always...
#1 - Highly relevant to your program.
#2 - Perfectly matched to your client’s ‘readiness’.
If ‘readiness’ sounds a little mysterious now, it will become more clear as we dive into these examples of 6 different ways to create nutrition trackers together.
Simple servings trackers.
Just need to know your clients are getting enough of the right stuff daily?
A simple servings tracker might be your best bet, especially if your clients are new to nutrition tracking and you want to give them a simple place to start.
For the Fruit & Veggies tracker example above, you’ll just create a new custom tracker, choose the number type, label it, and enter “servings” under the units.
When your client sees it in the app, tracking is as simple as this.
Target nutrient tracker.
As new clients get more comfortable with nutrition tracking, or if you have a more targeted program for your client, you may do better to get a little more specific.
Say you’re working with an aging male who needs to increase muscle mass.
Along target exercises and activities, you’ll probably want to know they are getting enough protein to support appropriate muscle development.
The Protein tracker in the example above is created just like the Fruit & Veggies tracker, but instead of “servings” as the unit, we’re getting a little more specific by asking our client to enter the number of “grams” they get each day.
While this info is great if you can get it consistently, keep in mind that it takes a fairly educated consumer to track this accurately in daily life.
Make sure you’ve coached them up appropriately before trying this method.
Syncable Calories tracker (advanced).
Ready to get more detailed data, and have clients who are comfortable with nutrition tracking apps?
If you need to get detailed nutrition information like what you may have seen from other food search based nutrition apps like Fitbit’s food tracking database, then you’ll simply want to turn on Nudge’s built-in Calories tracker for your clients.
The Calories tracker is pre-built so that when a client tracks the foods they eat in Fitbit, we can pull the macro-nutrient data from their database and present it clearly for you in Nudge Coach.
As data syncs in you and your client both get access to a graphed summary of daily macronutrients and calories.
As well as a table with more detailed information.
Again, word to the wise. Make sure your clients are ready for this type of tracking before setting expectations that they should tackle this daily.
Even for more tech-savvy clients, we recommend only doing this detailed tracking for a week or two at a time to establish a new baseline or focus strictly on a dietary change.
Text-based food journaling trackers.
Want to get detailed information about a client’s daily diet, but don’t want to subject them to clunky food searching and logging?
Open-ended food journaling trackers are your best bet.
Instead of trying to search foods in Fitbit and track them one-by-one, simply create separate trackers for each meal and select “Write Anything” under the Tracking Method.
Your client will simply tap on the tracker, jot down what they ate, and all that info is right in front of you instantly.
The great thing about this method is the amount of information you can get without overwhelming a new or less tech-savvy client.
Keep this method in mind and I guarantee it will become useful at some point of your remote coaching journey.
Getting creative with custom trackers.
Ready to get creative with experience you’re creating for your clients?
If you have clients who you’ve been working with for awhile who have made great progress and are ready for a new stage of accountability, why not try this on for size.
Tell them how far they’ve come, then show them you trust them by asking them to simply rate how they would rate their overall nutrition for the day on a scale of 1-5.
For a little added fun I copied star emojis into the multiple choice options that your clients can choose from.
If you have a maintenance plan for clients who no longer need more intensive programming, this type of tracking is a great way to keep people engaged and on track to prevent relapsing back into old habits.
Important note for your coaching business.
If you aren’t offering a Maintenance Plan for clients who are finishing up your other programming, create one now.
It’s the easiest program to create, the easiest one to sell, and a great way to increase the lifetime value (LTV) of your clients, and thus your revenue.
Now it’s your turn.
Now get out there and start creating your own trackers, and if you find something that works that isn’t in this post, please be a friend and share it with us all in the comments below.
But before you go, remember the 2 rules for creating trackers your clients will WANT to use for you...
Engaging trackers are always...
#1 - Highly relevant to your program.
#2 - Perfectly matched to your client’s ‘readiness’.
And if you come up with a unique way to configure a tracker that’s working with a client of yours, don’t keep it to yourself! Be a team player and share it with our community in the comments section below.
Bonus notes on ‘readiness’ and the art of remote coaching.
‘Readiness’ describes your client’s current willingness and ability to do what you are asking.
If they aren’t tech-savvy and have trouble with a more complex tracker, then they aren’t ready for it because they don’t have the ability (tech-savviness) needed to easily do what you’re asking of them.
If a tracker is easy enough to use, but your client doesn’t see how it helps them reach their goals, then they aren’t ready for it because they don’t have the willingness (don’t see why it’s important to them) needed to do what you’re asking of them.
In either case, if the tracker you create isn’t a good fit for their current readiness, then there’s a good chance your clients won’t use it and will drop off track.
In other words, how can you know if the tracker you created is a good fit for your client’s ‘readiness’?
Simple. If your client is tracking it consistently for you, then you’ve done your job as a remote coach.
If your client isn’t using a tracker or is becoming disengaged, it’s time to quickly reassess your assumptions about where they currently are on their journey and what’s really important to them.
