After having two kids, Courtney was determined to get back to her pre-baby level of fitness beyond. She lost almost 60 lbs on her own. She was no stranger to the gym; she was working out 5 days a week with various types of exercise. And, in her mind, she was doing everything she could do right when it came to nutrition. Yet, that was part of the problem. She was on a “perpetual diet”. Courtney was what we call a “serial dieter”. Basically, she was someone that jumped from diet to diet, trying to squeeze out the last 15 lbs or so. Her weight would go down, then up, then down… most of you probably know the story. Ultimately, we needed to give her body a break. We needed to fuel her for the volume of workouts and activity she enjoyed. And let the rest take care of itself.
This story is less about losing inches, hitting a weight loss or body fat goal. It is more about the mindset change and the knowledge obtained to empower Courtney for the rest of her life.
Read what Courtney had to say about her journey with Copper State FIT:
Frustrated, not seeing results, lost a bunch of weight … 56 pounds before Copper State Fit, working harder than ever, eating so clean, and GAINING weight!?! I love Jesus, but this crazy cycle made me want to cuss … a lot … insert a really unhealthy relationship with the scale. Those few moments I stepped onto the scale (prior to Copper State Fit) had entirely too much power over starting my day. It would either be a really good day or just down right defeating.
I was working out 5 days a week consisting of 4-5 mile runs three times a week and lifting afterwards and lighter cardio the other days followed by lifting. Out of the gym, I saw the most success in the past with Paleo, so I knew what clean eating and macros were having done CrossFit before it was cool … yes there was a time! However, the scale would not budge. What worked for so long to help me lose the baby weight was just not cutting it! Honestly, I knew I couldn’t work harder … I was stuck and I needed help to get beyond this massive plateau I was experiencing.
A friend recommended Copper State Fit. I booked an appointment with Adam. He took the time to ask me about my journey. After discovering my long journey of weight loss, probably a solid 12 months at least, Adam recommended a “reverse diet/ metabolic reset” to reset my metabolism and hormones. I was overworking my body and under feeding it resulting in my body clinging for dear life to every calorie I consumed all of which skipped right past my chest and clung to my hips, booty, and thighs lol! It’s as if I needed to pay someone to say it’s ok to eat.
I jumped right into my calories (not recommended) but I finally had freedom and dang it I was enjoying every second of the diet break! Did I mention 50% was carbohydrates? Come to momma!!! I have never eaten that many carbs … I mean not “dieting”!!!
Here was my vicious cycle, I never had to worry about weight growing up not until after my kids … really after my second! I always stayed active and just vowed I would not fall victim to the health issues my family has struggled with over the years. I would eat clean, get to a goal weight just in time for vacation or an event, success right? NO! That answer may surprise you, but the second I was on vacation and tasted bread, pizza, sweets, anything that was a no-no I would overindulge. But like all good things, vacation came to an end, but my eating would stay the same and workouts would fall off because who wants to go from eating all that goodness to eating strict Paleo? It was the perfect storm leaving me feeling restricted and deprived, best put I was either 100% on a diet or 100% off a diet. I’m an ‘all in’ kind of person.
This journey and program taught me some words that always eluded me “consistency, discipline, and moderation”, words that never evoke a feeling of excitement. The words found in the mundane of just showing up and staying the course, I mean who cares you fell off and had a moment of weakness … welcome to humanity! I had planned successes and unplanned successes, but determination to just keep showing up … I’m too hard headed to quit lol!
I wanted weight loss to be a straight line from beginning weight to goal weight. #UNREALISTIC And I realized that even as I write this, the problem with still pictures is they don’t tell the journey and life isn’t told in still frames. It was important for me to understand how to set realistic expectations that are sustainable. I learned how to eat for the rest of my life.
Anyone can reach a number on a scale, a certain pant size, maybe even six pack abs, but can you sustain it? My coaches helped me not just cut calories, but took me on the journey of how to add calories back in and stop this living in caloric deficit to binge eating from Halloween to January 1 … you probably don’t struggle with that … fun size times 30 doesn’t look good on anyone! Lol!
I have learned how to eat for life and not always live in a place of where I need to lose 10 pounds after a vacation and not really enjoy life. And I can say I accomplished it all without having to give up everything I love, hello popcorn. You can have everything you want to eat just not all in one day!
And, this is not the end of the road. As Kenneth Cooper once said… “Fitness is a journey, not a destination; you must continue for the rest of your life”. That said, we will follow up with Courtney in 6 months to make sure she is still on the journey. To be continued…
