Fitness facilities have the potential to ‘be the leading providers of weight loss solutions’

With a belief that fitness clubs, gyms and aquatic and recreation centres can be leaders in the battle against obesity, fitness industry veteran Jamie Hayes is offering his expanded Dietflex program to facility operators across Australia and New Zealand.

Mindful of the need to reverse the obesity crisis in Australasia and beyond, Hayes explains "activity facilities of all types - whether privately or council owned - can add to the exercise and fitness opportunities that they offer by becoming the leading providers of weight loss solutions.”

With ‘losing weight’ acknowledged as one of the major reasons why new members resolve to get active and start exercising, as an experienced club owner Hayes feels that clubs can effectively tap into the weight loss market.

He cites that most gyms usually do not have an effective, affordable and scalable (not requiring a nutrition expert) weight loss program, and that they often lack a way to market weight loss to non-members.

For this reason, Hayes created the Dietflex coaching program, an expert nutrition-based weight loss program that can be delivered by a non-nutrition expert.

Overseen by an expert, an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, the program meets Fitness Australia’s Scope of Practice that restricts a fitness leader from telling people what to eat.

With Dietflex, the coach simply guides participants through the program, supports them and holds them accountable.

Hayes advises “although club managers are just starting to recognise the market demand for weight loss programs that they have been missing out on, many could not execute as they simply don’t have the staff to deliver the coaching.

“For this reason, Dietflex has introduced a low-cost online weight loss program called Keto Fitness that the club can either bundle in with their membership or offer as an additional service.”

Explaining a common mistake he feels club managers make, Hayes states “when we talk to them about weight loss programming they think this is about selling it to members.

“Where that’s possible, that’s the small market (but) the big market is to use the weight loss program and marketing to get more leads and members, but from the less-competitive non-fitness market.”

Another mistake is to think that the club needs to create specific weight loss exercise programs, with Hayes commenting “let the Dietflex program deliver the weight loss, and simply guide the new weight loss member into existing programming that they would be comfortable doing. This can be a simple weight machine routine or a low impact class. The trick is to have a supportive no-judgement culture.”

Based on an ‘individual carbohydrate’ concept, Dietflex is the only program designed to help clients discover their body’s individual carb tolerance, and what that means in fresh foods they can get at any supermarket, and get predictable results.

Hayes adds “while many programs simply give clients a handout (often same diet for everybody) and then leave them to implement the advice, Dietflex helps with behaviour change. Also, we use fresh food, not expensive supplements. The only facilities needed is a private coaching area, typically a desk or table and two chairs.

“Fitness professionals and personal trainers understand that change can be hard, and they would never say ‘You don’t need to come to our sessions - here’s an exercise handout for you to do by yourself’, so by offering regular, on-going accountability and face-to-face weekly support clients can be helped in implementing and maintaining changes to their diet. Some Dietflex coaches also offer workplace weight loss and Skype coaching as well.”

Launched in 2015, Dietflex has been put to the test at clubs in Australia and New Zealand and is now available to any type of facility that wants to add a dietary program alongside their activity, exercise and fitness solutions.

Explaining the Dietflex name, Hayes adds “we recognise that many people have various beliefs and associations about the ‘diet’ word. We believe that one diet does not suit every person’s body. People actually need a flexible approach to develop the diet - a sustainable way of eating - that causes weight loss and works with their body. Hence the name ‘dietflex’.”

Click here to contact Dietflex via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Images courtesy of Dietflex. Middle image shows the Dietflex team with Jamie Hayes at right.