Coach HubStructure with options
Gen Pop clients don't come to you for a calorie budget. They come for an answer. The default in this course is a structured plan (real meals, set times, clear targets), because it takes decisions off their plate.
Why structure beats free tracking for most people
Decision fatigue quietly kills long-term plans. When the next meal is already decided, adherence goes up. And a lot of people genuinely enjoy having a routine once they're in it.
Flexibility lives inside the structure
Structure doesn't mean eating chicken and rice forever. Give options: three or four choices for breakfast, the same for lunch and dinner. The client picks from the menu you built, so they get variety without having to make it up themselves.
For long-term clients who've proven they can run the plan, loosen it further. Let them swap veggies or rotate in new meals.
What about vegan, fasting, low-carb and the rest?
The default is structured meals, and we rarely move clients onto a completely different approach. The main reason to do it is a recommendation from another health professional.
That said, remember the two-meal client from 1.5. When a genuine constraint means the default won't stick, adapt the structure so they can follow it. What we avoid is switching systems because it's trendy or because the client saw it on TikTok. Religious or ethical needs (halal, kosher, vegetarian, vegan, fasting during Ramadan) aren't a different system either: it's the same structure with a different food list or eating window (Module 3).