Vida Health Coach App Review

The new year is approaching (can you believe it??) and that means it’s time to start thinking about and setting GOALS!

For many if not most of us those goals will involve our health and well-being.  Lose weight, firm up, build muscle, get fit, eat better…yes, we’ve heard it all before.  I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to achieve in 2016 and improving my physical fitness is at the top of my list.

So here’s my story, it’s a true one, and it probably sounds really familiar to many of you.  It goes like this…*ahem*:  I used to be really fit until I had kids.  See, I told you.  I used to go to the gym several nights every week, prepare nutritious meals on a daily basis to take to work and eat when I got home.  I was very strict with what I ate and took my health seriously.  I was the queen of planks and could outplank anyone.  And then came the most adorable kids I ever could have imagined…and with them came several years of sleepless nights, exhausting days, and energy levels that were barely enough to drag me through the day let alone jump on a treadmill and start running!

Not only that, my hormones and metabolism changed.  Whereas I used to be able to cut back on food and lose the pounds relatively easily, my metabolism is virtually nil and I just can’t lose weight via dieting anymore.  (Where’s the justice?!)  And guess what?  The only way to reset your body’s metabolism is through…exercise.  Oh yes, that thing that requires ENERGY.  Ugh.  And that’s what my physician and exercise/weight loss expert husband has been telling me for ages.  But you know how it is, it’s easy to talk yourself out of it when it’s your spouse, right?

But here’s the deal, folks.  I’m fed up with feeling flabby, sluggish and fatigued!   I’m too young to feel stiff every time I stand up from sitting!  I’ve put this fitness thing off for too long and here’s where I am now:  It’s now or never.  (Isn’t that an Elvis song?)  No really.  It’s now or never.  I’m either going to DO IT or it’s just not going to happen!

My decision:  DO IT!!

What helped me to finally make that decision?  It began when I teamed up with Vida for this post by signing up for a free trial of Vida’s Health Coach App and that got me jumpstarted.  It’s quite an incredible service for an incredible price.

You may have heard about it from friends or family or read about it online.  As a pretty revolutionary app it’s been gathering a lot attention.

Among Vida’s developers are both business experts and physicians who created the app as a way of extending affordable health coaching from expert health coaches.

Worthy of note are some of the names on their advisory panel.

For a small monthly fee the Vida app provides you with a health coach who serves as your own nutritionist, personal trainer, therapist, mentor, accountability partner and cheerleader.  And you don’t have to wait to schedule appointments to be seen and discuss your concerns like you normally would in the mainstream health system.  You can pick up your iPhone anytime, anywhere and check in with your Vida health coach.

You initially fill out a brief form that identifies your goals and your coaching style of preference.  You’re then paired up with an expert health coach and you schedule your first one-on-one consultation to discuss your goals and create a personalized plan.  The coach you’re paired up with – their areas of expertise and their certifications – depends on what conditions you’re wanting to address and manage, and that can include anything from weight loss to stress to diabetes and a whole host of other chronic conditions.  You get weekly video consultations with your health coach and can connect any time via the app with questions or concerns.

As soon as I signed up I was brought to my dashboard where I could start entering data that my health coach and I would be tracking.  It’s a simple, clean and user-friendly interface.

It allows you to connect it to various health devices and apps so you can track a variety of things, including your exercise, how many steps you’re taking per day, and you can take pics of the food you’re eating throughout the day to keep track of your calories and nutrition.

Vida’s hallmark is that it puts you in regular one-on-one contact with an expert health coach.  Looking at stats and numbers each day is helpful, but it’s the human interaction that’s really unique to Vida.

The first step was to schedule my initial free consultation with my health coach.

My health coach, Coach Elizabeth, has a degree in exercise science along with extensive training in coaching psychology, mindful eating, and over 18 years of work experience with clients.  During our consultation we chatted about my goals, what I wanted to achieve and how I visualized that.  I was able to lay out the obstacles to exercising that have gotten in my way in the past and to express my frustrations.  My coach addressed those obstacles one by one, reframing them in such a way so as to help me realize that even within extenuating circumstances, whatever they may be, I could still realize my goals.  I just had to change my approach and perspective.

And so together we established some goals that I would work on that week until our next video consult the following week.  The Vida dashboard provided an easy way for me to enter in my daily weight, how many minutes I exercised, what kind of exercise I did, and the intensity of my workout.

Throughout the week as I was working on my goals, entering my info, tracking my progress and checking in with my coach, she would randomly send me helpful tips and information based on the discussions we’d had.   Her messages and tips helped me to keep my focus on my goals and stay motivated.

Probably the single most helpful thing for me in using Vida is the personal accountability component.  I have a lot of pride.  And when I commit to someone to doing something, I’m going to do it.  I set some goals with my personal health coach and being able to return and report to a real person that I completed those goals is powerful.  And then to receive positive feedback and encouragement is all the more motivating.

My experience with the Vida Health Coach App and my health coach has been a great one.  The app is user-friendly, makes it easy for you to track your progress, but above all the one-on-one coaching aspect is simply fantastic.  Vida addresses a wide range of health concerns and pairs you with an expert health coach according to your needs.  You’re essentially carrying a real-life health coach around with you in your pocket that you can consult with on a daily basis…and for only $49 a month!

That part is especially amazing to me.  For any of you who are familiar with health coaching, you know that most charge anywhere between $100-$300 per hour in their private practices.  (I know – I’m a private practice therapist.)  Even something like Weight Watchers, that provides far less, costs around $40 per month.  Really, for what you get, the low cost of Vida is remarkable.

I’m continuing on with Vida and working with my health coach to achieve my goals.  I’m committed to becoming more fit and having more energy.

I’ve made the decision:  The time is NOW and I’m going to DO IT!

If you’d like to join me, Vida is offering a Free Week Trial – you have absolutely nothing to lose by trying.

And just remember, when you see me posting those occasional indulgent recipes, know that I am faithfully exercising hard to burn off the calories I’m eating! :)

Vida compensated me for my time to review their health app.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review and, as always, all opinions are entirely my own.