Here is an example of why I always go on about how myfitnesspro is more than just a move more, eat less personal training company.
Its never just about eating less or exercising more to accomplish weight loss…if it were that easy i would be out of work
So what do I mean?
I took on a client prior to Christmas, a young woman working in the city. A banking job, stressful, demanding, out with clients and obviously in an arena where looks can matter.
It was a relatively easy goal that she wanted, to lose weight (fat) and look better
After a little goal work we came down to the reasons of wanting to have more confidence in a job where appearance helps, she wanted to get back into some of her power suits and kick ass
So we began, an overhaul of her nutrition starting with eradicating the processed junk as much as she was comfortable with, looking for whole food alternatives to keep her feeling full but better quality and lower calories.
We implemented some fundamental changes with regard to types of food at certain times, monitored calorie intake to hit specific targets (more about this later)
All whilst hitting the gym, with a resistance based exercise programme, some boxing thrown in to help de-stress.
2 sessions a week to start, progressing from bodyweight technique with the odd basic session by herself as she was pretty new to exercise
A good blueprint to achieve the desired affects
BUT at the first weigh in, 3 weeks later, she had put weight ON!!!
NOT GOOD I HEAR YOU CRY
HOWEVER, during our assessment session at the start shed told me that for the last few years, trying many diets, she had had success with the Cambridge diet, losing lots of weight
Only to put it back on….AND SOME
Now if you know of this diet/ food plan then you will know it’s a meal replacement shake system where you have 2 shakes a day for breakfast and lunch and a healthy meal for dinner (by now you should know my take on these diets…more on these in another blog)
Amounting to only 900 calories on a daily basis
And she had only been doing this for a long time
So no wonder she had lost weight
BUT
This comes with consequences
It plays havoc with your metabolism…i mean it REALLY screws it up
Such low calorie for such a period of time isn’t good for the body, there’s not enough to run all the systems properly so the body turns things down, manages which systems are required and downgrades the ones that aren’t…to save energy…the immune system for example…reproduction system can be hit, loss of muscle mass and as these systems are switched off, or not working to their maximum the total energy expenditure of the body decrease to match the lowered input
Slowed down metabolism
Starvation mode
Metabolic damage
Call it what you will
WHICH REQUIRES A DIFFERENT APPROACH
We had to start by actually INCREASING her food intake
Let her brain know there was sufficient food around and that there was no need to hang on to those fat stores for security
So we could INCREASE her metabolism
Change her hormonal profile to make fat loss easier
EAT MORE
And also get her to
MOVE MORE
Gym more, walking more, standing more, stairs more…..
All of this by the way was over the Christmas period
Parties/ meals/ family trips/ New Years Eve….ALL thrown into the mix
Plus the disappointment of that first weigh in, which I was JUST as gutted about
But knew it might be the case, I have faith in myself…I just needed her to as well
So she stuck at it
Christmas was all about DAMAGE LIMITATION and ways to avoid weight gain
And she came back in January, full of optimism
Until today
The first weigh in
I was as nervous as her
Since New Year’s Eve shed been excellent with nutrition and fitness
We had tried a nutritional approach that should get results with an INCREASED calorie intake
AND
WE GOT THE REULTS
3KG dropped from the pre Christmas weigh in
Not a huge amount
BUT
Christmas was in between, so it could be even higher from any weight increase over that period
PLUS
She had dropped 2% body fat
And actually put ON some lean muscle mass
This actually equates to MORE than 3kg of FAT LOSS
Brilliant results
But better than all this it means her brain was ready to drop fat
Her metabolism is up and running at a higher amount
This means more fat loss, with more food
A better deal than starving yourself daily
And screwing your body up
And she is now mentally a lot stronger, more motivated, more driven
But the one thing that I was most impressed with, the thing that made the MOST difference, which will pave the way to getting more results, better results and a happier more confident client
Her PERSERVERANCE
That is what it takes
Congratulations
Everyone is different, and it’s about looking at clients history’s to see what they have done, where they are at, assessing their current eating and applying specific nutrition practises to get results
Creating a personalised workout programme to help with any postural issues/ imbalances they might have that then allows full progression and overload to demand body composition change
Advice and tips outside of nutrition and the gym to get results, without too much of a change
Thats what makes us different
myfitnesspro – personal training in Epping, Theydon Bois, Loughton, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Highams Park, Chingford, Woodford, South Woodford, Grange Hill, Woodford Bridge, Wanstead, Leytonstone, Walthamstow, Stratford, Bow, Mile End, Victoria Park, Canary Wharf, Canning Town, Docklands, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E8, E9, E10, E11, E14, E15, E17, E18, IG7, IG8, IG9, IG10 and all areas in between.
For fat loss, toning, strength, muscle growth, rehabilitation, nutritional advice and general well-being.
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