Client Spotlight on Rachel – Counting Macros to Get Competition Ready
Rachel began working with me at the beginning of October. She is an Olympic weightlifter and was getting ready for a competition that would take place in November. Her desire was to drop into a lower weight class but maintain or gain strength in her lifts. She was weighing in at about 165 and needed to be 156 to hit the lower weight class.
When she started with me her exercise was already great. As a competitive lifter, she was weightlifting and doing CrossFit several days per week. Her activity outside of the workouts was a bit lower as she had a desk job too. I did recommend that she begin to add more movement outside the gym with some walks or runs.
Her diet was not bad. She was eating home most days, getting lots of protein and avoiding processed foods and sweets. What she was lacking however was some accountability to exact macros. She also had a long eating window and not enough fasting time since her day started very early and she broke her fast early.
To accomplish this goal, she needed to be burning fat while maintaining or gaining her strength. She started with me on my BodyDesigns Two Week Detox Plan and from there she began her BodyDesigns Personal Lifestyle Plan which had specific macronutrient goals to make sure she was getting enough protein and energy to maintain muscle but not excessive so she could continue to burn fat. By the end of October she was down 5 lbs. and her In Body Scan showed she had lost 3 lbs. of fat and gained 2 lbs. of muscle. She was 3 lbs. from her goal and had 25 days left.
The last 3 weeks she continued to follow her set calorie and macro goals and by competition day she weighed in at 154.4 (below her goal weight). Making weight for the lower class was great! Other goals she accomplished were competing after a back injury and making a total of 220 lbs. for the day. A recent In Body scan showed that Rachel has increased her lean muscle by 2 lbs. and decreased her weight by 7 lbs. Her total body fat went from 27 to 22% which is also amazing. By keeping her protein high and balancing her macros, Rachel has achieved a difficult goal of losing just body fat while gaining a significant amount of muscle mass.
Rachel continues to maintain her weight loss as she balances some cheats with getting right back to a healthy lifestyle. I have watched her make all kinds of new recipes and enjoy her food. When she travels to an event on the weekends she brings her meals as she does for work also. She is super dedicated and the results have paid off.
When I asked Rachel what helped her to meet her goals she told me:
1. Setting a daily alarm for every meal and snack time
2. Rotating meal preparation for lunch and home baked items to different days through the week so I am not always cooking on Sunday.
3. Cooking dinner and make double so I have another dinner and the night off cooking and cleaning the next day!
4. Keeping my food fairly similar through a week for ease of numbers with enough change for interest.
Congratulations Rachel on making weight and breaking records! I’m looking forward to following you as you pursue your next goals in January. Keep up the healthy lifestyle and never forget that food is your medicine.
Are you looking to transform your health? Mary works with clients all over the country developing personalized nutrition and exercise plans for weight loss and health. If you’re ready to get started on your journey to health and wellness contact her today!
Visit BodyDesigns Two Week Detox Plan or BodyDesignsbyMary for more information.
