When the gym opened back up in June I was super excited to see everyone. Then Nate walked in the door and I had to take a double take. It looked like he dropped about 25 pounds.

After talking to him I asked if he could answer some questions for me so we could share his story and help other people out there fighting with similar issues.

Berek: What turned the switch in your head to make a change?
Nate: My weight was starting to creep up going into the quarantine and I actually weighed 217 in mid February which is the most I've weighed since I was a freshman in college. So then when the gym shutdown I was worried that I was going to blow up even more. I have had experience losing weight and maintaining it so I knew if I wasn't lazy I could lose the weight pretty easily.  

Berek: What did you start doing?
Nate: When the gym shut down I committed to hitting at least 20 workouts a month to get the committed club and work to not lose that fitness level. When it comes to losing weight what works for me is tracking calories. Throughout my life no matter how hard or much I workout I can only lose through how I eat (can't out train a bad diet). I use the MyFitnessPal app and set it to lose 1 pound per week and just log what I eat. 

My food choices have always been "clean" without processed foods or whatever but my issue is just overeating, so when I weigh stuff out and measure it prevents me from doing that. 

The other big thing I did this time that helped was making a "goal/reward" list and putting it up on the refrigerator as a motivator. Essentially I wrote down goal weights and a reward that went along with it (ex. when I got under 200 my reward was $100 worth of new workout gear". The list runs from 210 to 185 pounds and it has been very satisfying to cross out the goals I've reached and look at the next reward.

Berek: What did you change when you came back into the gym?
Nate: Going forward since we are getting back into the gym and I am physically pushing myself harder than I was able to working out at home I will likely change my calorie goal to losing 1/2 a pound per week and see how I feel there, I know I feel best between 185-190 so that is the range I am shooting for. 

Berek: Do you have plans on how to maintain or continue your results? 
Nate: In the long term I am planning on continuing to track calories even if it is at maintenance. I am also considering additions to the goal/reward list that would include maintaining for time periods. 

Berek: Any final thoughts?
Nate: I think that covers everything. As you know weight-loss is a simple math problem and for me the easiest approach is fewer calories in. 

The challenge is being disciplined enough when things get hard, especially with Jen (my wife) in the house who can and does eat triple the calories I do and not gain any weight.

Everyone’s nutrition journey is a bit different. You might not have the exact same experience as Nate but some of the underlying issues are issues that most people grapple with everyday. Overeating and comparing yourself to others are super common and can destroy results and motivation.

Are you looking for some guidance in your nutrition? We currently have two ways of helping you right now.
Option #1 - We are hosting a 5 week nutrition challenge to help build lifestyle habits to keep your nutrition sustainable.
Email Krista for more information. Sign Up ASAP. krista.bryan@equity.fitness
Option #2 - Get 1-1 coaching to help you stay accountable and give you the information you need.
Schedule a No Sweat Intro to talk about your goals and how we can help you get there.
Book Here

Cheers,
Berek