Some more fantastic work from our coaches and clients. Here is what James had to say about his client Laura’s amazing work:
“Laura’s progress over the last 16 weeks has been nothing short of amazing! I am a super proud coach at the moment and excited for the months ahead!
Laura suffers from a chronic inflammatory condition called Ankylosing Spondylosis which developed after the birth of her son several years ago. As a result she spent years in pain, immobilised at times and stressed out her mind. Consequently her body composition took a turn for the worse. Having worked together 2 years ago we stabilised the condition through dietary interventions which lead to her ceasing the use of medication and living pain free ever since. Whilst this clearly improved her health the main goal of improving body composition was always something that just didn’t materialise.
I have been working with Laura now since May for a second bite at the cherry after circumstances lead us on different paths for 18 months and it was as clear this time as it was back then exactly what Laura’s biggest limiting factor is, and it certainly wasn’t her condition!
Laura, like many, lacked belief in herself. Constantly telling herself she can’t do things, reacted to difficulties in a self destructive manor and generally just gave up when the going got tough. The bull shit she was telling herself justified her lack of effort but lead to a vicious cycle of high stress and a negative view of herself and her situation.
‘I’ve tried everything, nothing works! I’ll never lose it!’
With the school holidays looming it was time for a very honest conversation about effort, attitude, her priorities and the threat of a size 10 Nike up her back side! We took advantage of not dealing with a demanding deputy head teacher role throughout the school holidays to get her shit in line, calm her down and put in place strategies to deal with stress levels.
With stress levels being elevated and manifesting itself with poor sleep and some gut dysfunction I opted for a low volume training programme along side a low calorie diet to allow inflammation to subside and to give her digestive system a bit of a break. While training output was on the low side we ramped up training intensity getting her as strong as a bull as well as keeping NEAT between 10-15k steps per day. Since going back to school we have now got through the first half term without any set backs, despite a few school dramas, by getting organised with a clear schedule on when she preps her food, and most importantly when her breaks are to eat without distractions. She even says no to people demanding her time. This is something she wouldn’t have dared to do before the summer, it must have been the threat of a size 10 to the ass!
As a result we now have a much more relaxed Laura who is 22lbs lighter, fitting into dress sizes she was adamant she wasn’t going to fit in to, lifting silly weights in the gym without even a murmur of ‘I can’t do it’ and dare I say it, even believing in herself a bit!!
We have momentum with us now, steadily chipping away only ever focusing on the 7 days in front of us. The goal is definitely in sight and she is proving to herself week in week out she can do this!
Could this be you next? Contact us now to see how we can help you!
