Fitness Tips

Fitness Transformation update and simple tips to make the most of your reverse diet.

I’m currently 5 weeks into my 5th reverse diet. Through my journey of losing and keeping off over 140 pounds since 2016 using both diet break and reverse dieting strategies have been instrumental in my success.

Being in a calorie deficit for long periods of time is hard. It has gotten more challenging the leaner I have gotten.

The process of dieting is as easy as it’s ever been because I have gotten more skilled at the process with time and practice. However my body and mind in a deficit does not function and recover nearly as well as when I am well fed. The food I have gained over the last few weeks has given me so much energy for life and I am able to really go for it in my training sessions to continue to develop my strength.

Progress does not end because the diet has ended. Fat loss has only been one facet and not the entire story of my transformation. Eating, building muscle, and getting stronger has been my primary focus and where I have devoted most of my time and focus. Not on dieting.

Here are 3 tips for those of you to help make the most of a reverse dieting phase:

1. Focus on how you feel each day. Not on how much you weigh. Before you weigh yourself, write down on a scale of 1-10 how your energy is that day. 10 being fantastic. This alternate scale number is an amazing indicator of your progress.

2. Create a performance goal for yourself and create a plan to work towards it. Use your added calories to help you get better at something you find enjoyable.

3. Remember that when it comes down to it, in life, our goals are to feel good, and to feel good, longterm. We want to be able to live a life we love and be there for the people who need us. I also plan to be a jacked and badass grandma one day. That will only happen if I keep working to make it happen NOW.

If you have thought about having me as your coach to support you along your own fitness journey check out my website for more info and how to inquire about my online fitness coaching service. Receive customized activity and nutrition plans, monthly virtual calls, and weekly email check in’s.

www.melaniewales-sustainableliving.com

Follow me on Instagram for more tips, free recipes, and full days of eating.

http://www.instagram.com/melaniewales.sustainableliving

To guide you along your own fitness journey if you are interested in coaching yourself check out the resources listed below.

I highly recommend the programs, challenges and educational content by Coach Mark Carroll. Been using since 2019.

And for nutritional guidance: Carbon Diet Coach. Been using since 2020.

Fitness Tips

Simple and practical weight loss advice. The things I did and still do to lose weight and keep it off.

Over the course of losing and keeping off over 145lbs I have learned quite a bit about what it takes to make weight loss not only possible, but also sustainable.

Here are a few practical things I did to lose weight and what I still do to maintain my results.

1. Meet a daily step goal to ensure regular activity.

2. Resistance train with a focus on progressive overload to build muscle and strength.

3. Keep track of my total calories and prioritize protein and fruits or veggies with each meal to align my nutrition with my goals while still including some fun foods in moderation.

4. Do the above consistently.

5. Believe it is possible and that my efforts are worth it!

There is nothing quick or special about what I have done to lose weight or keep it off. At the end of the day, it comes down to diet and exercise, but our mindset is also so important. The process is slow. Some weeks we can feel like no progress is happening at all. Sometimes we need to make an adjustment to our plan while resisting the temptation to do something drastic. Knowing how and when to focus on fat loss, diet breaks, a reverse diet, or gaining muscle can seem overwhelming and confusing. Coaching ourselves while remaining objective to make the best choices for our unique circumstances and long term goals is easier said than done. Which is why I love helping others on their journeys!

If you have thought about having me as your coach to support you along your own fitness journey check out my website for more info and how to inquire about my online fitness coaching service. Receive customized activity and nutrition plans, monthly virtual calls, and weekly email check in’s.

www.melaniewales-sustainableliving.com

Follow me on Instagram for more tips, free recipes, and full days of eating.