Nutrition “Case Study” #1:

Have you ever said to yourself, “I’ve tried EVERYTHING possible to lose weight and NOTHING works!”? Do you believe that you can’t lose weight because of menopause, a slow metabolism, adrenal fatigue, or all three? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I’m here to respectfully tell you that you are most likely 100% wrong. You can lose weight. I’m sure of it!

For anyone that knows me reasonably well, this may seem like a strong, “in-your-face” stance to take, but I have your best interests at heart.  I have competed in “weight-class” sports for over 20 years, and have been working as a personal trainer for 12 years. I have yet to see a single person who is not capable of losing a significant amount of weight. Below I will go over a quick explanation of how I coach my nutrition clients, followed by a “case study” of two clients whom I am currently in the process of coaching.

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this article I’d like to preface by explaining two different stream’s of Nutrition Coaching that I implement with my clients:

1) Food Log Analysis and Weekly Coaching – This process involves my clients tracking their food intake by writing it in a journal. I review the journal weekly and make suggested adjustments in order to help them reach their weight loss/gain goal as efficiently as possible. There are no specific foods that are off limits and there are also no specific “must eat” foods that I require clients to eat. This type of coaching is most suitable for a beginner to intermediate level client (a client with either limited dietary knowledge, a significant amount of weight to lose, or both).

2) Flexible Macronutrient Dieting – This process involves me sending my client’s weekly guidelines for the amount of protein/ carbohydrates/ fat  that they are to consume on a daily basis. Weekly adjustments are made to numeric guidelines.  As with the method above, this method does not have any “must eat”, or “cannot eat” foods. Everything is on the table (pun intended).

Case Study:

Kevin and Rosanna are husband and wife nutrition clients of mine. They have been members at The Riverside Club for years and anyone who knows them can attest to how frequently and intensely they workout.

They both began a Flexible Macronutrient Diet with me 5 ½ weeks ago. Kevin’s goals were to lose 20lb’s and have that 6-pack of abdominals start to show through. Rosanna’s goals were to lose 14 lbs and feel leaner and tighter like a tiger.

Previously, on his own, Kevin had been trying carbohydrate cycling (alternating days of low, high, and moderate carbohydrate intake). Rosanna had been eating a diet consisting of very healthy organic and natural foods. Rosanna was also very frustrated (as hell) as she felt that menopause had brought her weight loss to an absolute stand-still. She had resigned herself to accepting that she would not be able to lose weight until the symptoms of menopause had passed.

Our Process:

 Since Kevin and Rosanna had similar weight-loss goals, we adopted the same process for each of them, consisting of 6 days of balanced macronutrient (protein vs. carbs vs. fat) intake, with one extra high carbohydrate day also known as a “cheat day”. We adopted this process for the first 3.5 weeks to establish baselines and to get used to the dieting process.

·    Since then, we have spent the last 2 weeks doing personalized carbohydrate cycling. This involves alternating moderate and higher carbohydrate days. At no point in this process have we (or will we) prescribe a “no-carb” or “don’t eat carbs in the evening” approach. In fact, Kevin and Rosanna have been encouraged to eat a majority of their carbohydrates – ½ to 2/3- in the evening.

·   With 3 ½ weeks left to go in this 8 week process, we will continue to manipulate our carbohydrate cycles and add a little bit more short duration HIIT (interval training) sessions to hit our goals.

After 5 ½ weeks of following my macronutrient guidelines, here are their results:

Kevin:

•   13lbs lost
•  2% decrease in overall Body-Fat Percentage

Rosanna

•  10lbs lost
•  4% decrease in overall Body-Fat Percentage

Prior to writing this article, I asked Kevin and Rosanna a few questions and asked for some feedback about their flexible dieting experience with me.

Below are their answers:

What have you found most challenging about this experience?

·         “It has been challenging to eat all of the food necessary to hit our daily targets.”

What has been most surprising?

·     “We thought that we were eating healthy before, but were surprised to realize that we weren’t eating in such a way to lose weight. Our portion sizes were off.”

What have you learned thus far from this process?

•    “Appropriate portions and macronutrient ratios for weight loss.”
•   “Education – more consumer awareness as it pertains to buying certain types of food.”
•   “How to better “eye-ball” the actual quantity of food you’re eating.”

What advice would you have to someone interested in following this coaching program?

•   “Don’t try and do this on your own, get help!”
•   “Make sure this is what you want and, if so, commit to it 100%.”
•   “Set aside time for your food preparation or else you will be destined to cheat/fail.”

Final Thoughts (from me):  The best advice that I can give anyone who feels that they have exhausted all weight-loss options is this: don’t give up! Arrange to meet with a fitness professional who can accurately analyze your food intake and tell you exactly what you need to do to lose weight. It’s not fair to put in all of the hard work, and not reap the rewards.

If I can help you in any way, drop me a line!

Kristian

innerimagept@gmail.com

www.innerimagept.com