CASE STUDY: The Mega Mom Who Got It Done

Chris R hired me for one-on-one coaching because she wanted a serious change, but she had to balance her fitness goals with her kids, her grandkids, and shift work as an EMT.

In other words, she was extremely busy; she had both professional and family responsibilities… and she had all the excuses in the world not to do it.

But she did it anyway.

Take a look at her photos. They are amazing.

In the pictures, you’re looking at 25 lbs. lost over two years, with a break in the middle. This wasn’t a 28-day starvation diet. This was months of smart, safe and consistent dieting and training.

Also, look at the pictures again. It looks like more than just 25 lbs., doesn’t it?

That’s because it’s not about total “weight” lost. Chris lost way more fat than just 25 lbs., but she gained muscle along the way. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat may weigh the same, but the muscle takes up way less space, and helps you sculpt a better-looking physique… and this is true whether you want feminine curves or, in the case of men, huge muscles.

Most of my clients have heard this kind of thing before, but as I’m telling them I can see their eyes glazing over. (I’ll probably show them Chris’ pictures next time that happens.)

HOW SHE DID IT?

This part is actually simple.

Whenever I assigned a training plan, or a meal plan, she followed it. Now, obviously, the plan was tailored to 1) her goals and 2) her lifestyle, but there is only so much that can account for. Even the most customized, most perfect plan EVER… from the most expensive amazing Hollywood trainer in the world, can’t make dieting 100% “easy,” 100% of the time. (Anyone who says that is lying their ass off.)

In other words: the determination was all on her end.

I gave her a workable plan, but she’s the one who made it work.

Here was the initial problem: she reported, when she first signed up, that her job was absolutely killing her energy, and leaving none left over for the rest of her life. She had family responsibilities outside her career, and just taking care of all of that made the idea of working out seem impossible.

Chris’ kids and grand kids could have made this even harder for her, but she reported that she wanted to be healthy for them. She wanted to set an example. So, instead of it being an excuse, that ended up being a motivating force.

TRAINING

Before she used a custom Mega Made training and workout plan, Chris’ training was not serving her. She was stuck on the training treadmill, both in a literal sense… and in the sense that her training just wasn’t taking her where she wanted to go. She’d tried things like exercise DVDs, classes, that kind of thing, but it wasn’t working.

We started her with a training session three times per week, with full-body workouts. We’ve since moved her to more metabolic-focused workouts, with a specific emphasis on legs. This is because 1) she can handle more volume and metabolic work now, and 2) it is part of a longer-term plan to get her ready for the stage eventually.

DIET

Chris’ diet before she started coaching wasn’t out of the ordinary. She was simply taking in – slowly – more calories than her body was burning, so over time she had put on more weight than she wanted. This is common, and very normal. It happens with when you combine stress, snacking, and the high-sugar foods you find in every grocery store aisle.

Currently, she is carb cycling, with two days of high carbs, and five days of low(ish) carbs. This is about lifestyle; the two days of high carbs are about being social, being with family, and being human.

Chris didn’t have a competitive background in fitness, though she’d played sports – things like slow-pitch baseball.

Let me just add that Chris is a super woman.

Aside from her long hours, she is truly the mom for everyone in her immediate family. She is supportive, she is there for them. Her fitness should always support that, not get in the way.

In the past two years, then, Chris has lost 30 lbs. or more of fat. She has reversed two years some of the effects of aging. She has more energy. She has more drive. And she’s there for her kids.

She is still kicking ass, and we’re plugging along to the stage – eventually, and safely.