Fat Burn Revolution Online Progger Profile: “Now I actually want to exercise regularly!”

Start stats:
– 10st 7lbs
– 35.4% body fat
– size 12
– waist 36

Current stats:
– 9st 13lb
– 29.9% bf
– size 10
– waist 29.5

 

What was your situation when you started the programme?

I was aware that I was very out of shape.  Since having my three children I found it harder to fit in time for exercise and simply cannot justify time to go to a gym.  I had been running on and off for quite a while and it helped me to get a certain level of fitness I never progressed past a certain level.

I was fed up with my body and aware that it wasn’t going to get fitter and firmer by itself.  I didn’t like the flabbiness of it and wanted to become lean.

 

How/why did you gain the fat or get out of shape?

For most of my life I have been a sugar addict – just loved anything with sugar in and could happily have lived off cake and biscuit forever, but I knew that it was bad for my health as well as my weight.  I stopped eating sugar in 2012 and I lost weight and, as mentioned above, I ran as well, but weight loss stalled at 10 stone and I would fluctuate between 10 stone and 10 and a half stone.  Nothing I did made a difference to my tummy either which had ballooned since having children.

 

What first attracted you to the programme?

It was the exercise side that attracted me.  I don’t have the time to go to a gym and I was really interested in having something that I could do at home and that was spelt out for me.  I loved the results that other people had achieved so that inspired me and also led me to believe that I could achieve the results too.

 

How did you feel in the first stages of the programme?

I ached a lot in the first week – after the first lower body workout I could barely walk down the stairs.  However I quite liked that because it told me that I had done something. But the body quickly adapts so although I ached after later workouts it was never quite as intense as the first week or two.

Initially I didn’t make too many changes to my diet. In the first week I concentrated on upping my water intake and making soups (eg sweet potato with chickpea) for my lunch. Then in the second phase I started to cut out bread and processed carbs and swap in sweet potatoes, more legumes, more veg and avocado.  Sometimes I went very low carb and this had negative effects for me so it was about finding the right balance to fuel me and keep me happy.

 

What aspects of the programme helped you the most and what makes it different from anything else out there?

I think the big thing for me was believing that it would work.  On other programmes where you buy a book or dvd it’s easy to do it for a bit then think nothing’s happening and then give up.  Whereas here I always had someone to remind me that it was going to work.

Having regular direct interaction with Julia and the people in the private online group was an important part for me too. Particularly from those that had already been through it.  Their encouragement whenever I, or anyone else, had doubts kept my confidence high that this was going to work. If someone posted to say that they didn’t think their results were doing well or something, then there would always be someone around to say, be patient, it will happen I didn’t see results until the last phase etc.

My before photos were hideous.  Not only did I have to capture the reality of my stomach I also got to see how big my bottom had got! But having the photos was actually really motivating, I was determined to see a big difference in my after shots. it.

Posting my stats in the private online group was also motivational because I really wanted to see changes in those each week.

 

How has the programme changed the way feel about exercising?

Now I actually want to exercise regularly! The programme has introduced me to doing workouts at home with weights which I would never have done otherwise.  Overall it has given me the tools to get the lean and fit body that I wanted all in my own home.

 

What are your favourite TFBR-friendly meals?

Chilli (made with chickpeas as well as kidney beans) with salad and avocado
Turkey burger with stir fry veg
Soups: chickpea and sweet potato, red lentil and tomato

 

What indulgences do you still enjoy?

Wholemeal scones
Dried mango (very high sugar so I try to limit it as I find it very addictive)
100% dark chocolate

 

Has your outlook on life changed, do you enjoy your days more now?

I feel like I’ve achieved something that I was really struggling with and that makes me feel proud about myself – I made a commitment and I stuck to it.

 

What are your five top tips for people starting the programme?

• Just do it
• Take that before photograph – it’s really really important
• Decide whether you really really want it and if you do then decide that you will make it happen even when you don’t want to or feel it is tough etc.  Everyone feels those things sometimes, the difference between those that this works for and those that it doesn’t is that those that it works for, carry on.
• With regards to food assess whether you are the type of person that needs to jump in and change everything straight away and can maintain that or whether you are someone that like to change things a bit more gradually.  I’m the latter which is why I changed my lunches first and added in water and worked on breakfasts and dinner a bit more slowly. I think if I’d tried to do everything at once I might have crashed and burned.
• Plan.  Plan what you are going to eat, plan your shop (the right foods won’t miraculously appear in your cupboard), plan contingencies for when you come home from work and don’t want to cook (it will happen) and plan when you are going to do your workouts and lay everything out ready the night before if it’s first thing in the morning etc.

 

Where to now?:
Buy The Fat Burn Revolution from Amazon here.
Info about the online coaching programme here.
More photos and quotes from TFBR online proggers here.