Julie Chiu

What led you into health coaching?
Well, I had a history of weight fluctuations due to constant yo-yo dieting and a dysfunctional relationship with food since childhood. In a short period of time and soon after arriving to HK I gained 16 lbs (7.3 kg). This initiated a quest for a healthy weight loss solution. I didn’t want to go on another restrictive ‘diet’ only to regain the weight later on. I also noticed it was getting harder and harder to lose weight and easier to gain it all back which highlighted the importance of finding a consistent long term solution. Thanks to a friend, I was introduced to “mindful eating” (AKA intuitive eating) and the rest is history.

After losing weight gradually and healthily using Am I Hungry?® mindful eating principles, I soon became a licensed Am I Hungry?® weight management facilitator. My healthcare experience as a registered nurse (RN), the joy of helping people, and the love for learning led me to a path of health coaching. Now, I specialize in coaching others who struggle with their weight and helping them create a healthier relationship with food, mind and body.

Who do you typically coach?
My target audiences are women and men struggling with weight management issues. Fortunately, with my background as a RN, I coach people in other health related matters (i.e. diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol management, etc.). The great thing about coaching in the specialty of weight management, a lot of times once the weight is managed clients become more in charge of other health-related issues as well.

I offer eight week Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating workshops in either a group or private setting. I also offer private coaching sessions in other health related matters.

What do you think is the most unique aspect of your coaching style?
Great question! I love learning and have a genuine curiosity particularly in mindful eating, coaching, and law of attraction. I enjoy reading, taking course work, and attending conferences/events in these subjects. I bring all of that knowledge and personal experience into the coaching sessions.

More importantly, I learned as a nurse that just ‘providing’ a series of information, tests, tools and/or surveys to someone will NOT promote change. You would think a person diagnosed with diabetes, obesity or dangerously high blood pressure will do something about their health. We all know ‘information’ alone is not a strong motivator for change. Through active listening, health and Intrinsic® coaching I realized the importance of assessing where the client is in their ‘readiness or ambivalence for change’ and working from his/her timeline and mind-frame, not mine. In addition, having had personal experience with yo-yo dieting, emotional eating and binge eating helps me empathize with clients in a unique way.

What is your favorite tool/technique/psychometric assessment?
Tell us what you like most about it.
A favorite tool is the Am I Hungry?® Hunger and Fullness Scale. It’s a fairly clear and easy tool to help guide clients understand a good time to start eating and when to stop. I like it so much it’s shared on the back of my business card!

What do you find most satisfying about coaching?
Each client has a different interpretation of ‘health and wellness’. Helping them understand both their positive and negative associations around food, eating and other health-related matter is very satisfying. I love it when clients share ‘aha’ moments and seeing them transform is so rewarding.

What’s the most memorable coaching moment, either as a coach or coachee?
Another great question! The most memorable would have to be a client really comprehending the mindful eating principles after just one session. With his permission, a statement he shared after the first week of coaching was, “This listening to my body is very enlightening. It’s amazing how much less I eat. It’s dramatic actually…” What a great feeling to receive feedback like this!

What is your greatest accomplishment??
Getting to the bottom of why, when, what, how and how much I personally eat has allowed me to invest time and energy on more meaningful things rather being consumed with diet and exercise. That being said, I’m not perfect and still have occasional overeating and restrictive eating tendencies (luckily mindful eating is not about rules, labels or perfectionism). It’s just not as extreme as it used to be, and now I’ve learned how to meet my true needs more appropriately rather than always turning toward food.

What do you do for fun and relaxation?
I don’t watch too much TV in HK (used to watch a lot more in the US); however, on a flight back from Korea I saw the pilot episode of “Glee” and have been hooked ever since! I just love the positive messages and enjoy listening to the soundtracks as well.

Besides spending time with my husband, I really enjoy spending time with friends. They have become my family here in HK. I just need to figure out ways to spend more time with them! I read, swim, run to upbeat music, meditate or get a massage to relax.

How long have you been involved with HKICC?
I’m a newbie to HKICC (early 2010)!

As a leader in HKICC, in what direction(s) would you like to take the organization?
I’d love for every person in HK to know support and help is available to them through HKICC. What will that take? I’m not sure, but I think different types of marketing are needed and every member could get involved. It doesn’t have to be a huge financial investment either. Even a Facebook Fanpage where all HKICC members are administrators and can post helpful tips/tools/links etc. could be a great way to get the word out to the masses (information is pushed). You know that approximately 90% of Hong Kongers who have access to the internet have a Facebook account? It would be great if there was a one stop shop for all of Hong Kongers to know what type of help/support/information that’s available to them rather than them seeking it out (information is pulled).

A lot of Hong Kongers aren’t even aware of what coaches do or what type of coaching is out there. Let’s all collectively try to send out positive messages about what we do and help the coaching community as a whole; for example, on my website I have a page designated to explain what health coaching is and a link to HKICC if people want other types of coaching. At the end of the day, it all comes down to ‘fit’. I want people out there to find a coach that suits their needs/desires best. There’s strength in numbers.

Julie Chiu, RN, CHC, IC®
Tel: 9610-8530
E-mail: juliehealthcoach@gmail.com
Website: www.mindfuleatingHK.com
Fan page: www.facebook.com/mindfuleating

Director of Mindful Eating Lifestyles (MEL) Ltd., Certified Health Coach, Intrinsic Coach®, Licensed Am I Hungry?® Weight Management Facilitator & Registered Nurse