Client Success Story: Amber F.
Amber F.
Laurinburg, NC
MBM Individual Meal Plan
" In January of 2015, I remember looking at a picture of myself with my family we took New Year’s Eve and was completely shocked at just how much weight I had put on. It was then that I knew I had to do something different. I started eating clean, drinking a lot of water, and exercising a lot. I was able to drop significant weight and inches and felt amazing. That same year, I got pregnant with my now three-year-old son and had him July of 2016. Of course, with having a baby, I gained weight and endured a lot of physical, mental, and emotional changes. My body was not quite bouncing back to Crossfit workouts as quickly as I would have liked. My times were slower, my weights were lower, my stamina had diminished. Simply put, I was struggling, felt defeated, and resorted back to unhealthy eating habits and sweet tea consumption. Despite defeat, I continued working out but was not losing any weight. What I was failing to see was that I could not outwork my poor nutrition.
Fast forward to 2018 when I was introduced to one of my childhood friend’s wife, Madison and my crossfit box, AYM Crossfit, partnered with her to offer nutritional coaching to our members. I couldn’t not take part of this awesome service so in January of this year, I committed to a year of nutritional programming with her and what a difference it has made in my life. I live a very busy, on-the-go life and always struggled with making healthy choices at restaurants. Madison has taught me what to look for when selecting an entrée while out to eat, how to think ahead and prepare for my busy days, when it’s best to eat certain items, the importance of pre and post workout snacks, and most importantly, has helped me completely break the mental control food had over me. I no longer see what I fuel my body with as a diet that needs “cheat days.” I eat foods that I enjoy (many of them coming from her Meal Manual that is a phenomenal tool), I keep it simple, and I enjoy the occasional sweet treat on special days. I have dropped pounds and inches, have seen my numbers in the gym drastically improve, and overall feel so much more confident in my own body.
The accountability that her weekly calls give me is incredible. She listens to me, offers helpful suggestions, challenges me when she sees something I am struggling with, and helps me realize that one poor choice doesn’t mean failure. One of my favorite examples she gave me was that of a cell phone. She said, “if you drop your phone on the ground and it cracks do you count it as a total loss and throw it away or do you keep using it because is still does what you need it to do? The same goes with eating. One poor decision doesn’t mean you throw in the towel and give up. You are still capable of bouncing right back and continuing on your healthy journey. You are not broken.” She also has always been quick to bring me back to scripture and remind me that Christ calls us to a standard of living where we take care of the temple He has given us. When you think of it that way, it makes it a lot more difficult to binge on junk without caring what it’s doing to your body.
Having her guide me through this lifestyle change has been an incredible blessing that I do not take for granted. I am forever thankful that God aligned our paths and allowed me to meet someone so full of knowledge and wisdom."- Amber
While I love seeing clients experience progress and achieve results in a physical sense, seeing their growth emotionally/psychologically is often even more rewarding. Amber is a sure example of this type of growth (though she has very much progressed in both regards!). Whether we are aware of it or not, many of us are chained to food in a way other than depending on it for nourishment. It takes a wise and determined individual to recognize this chain and put in the hard work necessary to break it. The result: beyond worthwhile.
Amber is an extremely self-aware individual. This trait has served her well in efforts to improve her dietary habits. Early on in our work together, Amber opened up about the mental grip food has had on her for years. This is not an easy thing to do! But, the more I know, the more I can help. Amber understood this better than most. The more she shared with me, the more we were able to talk through strategies to break this mental chain and begin to view food more as fuel – a mindset she has now mastered! Amber’s persistent efforts have paid dividends as she has reversed her unhealthful food habits and built new, more nourishing ones. She no longer drinks sweet tea on the reg, but rather crushes her water intake (exceeding 100 oz most days). She no longer feels that she can never have a sweet treat or feels guilty when she “caves” and eats one. Instead, Amber has become SO great at picking and choosing which sweet treats she wants to indulge and the best times at which to do so. Better yet, she no longer feels guilty after enjoying such foods!!! Sooo many people view this type of thing as an “all-or-nothing” effort. However, Amber has mastered the art of portion control and selective indulgence, both skills which allow her to include treats in moderation…the alternative to wish is often a cycle of restrictive eating – binging – restrictive eating – binging… which creates a psychological monster!
Amber’s ability to include treats in moderation, to plan ahead by packing healthy snacks for road trips (and daily life), and to order something nourishing off most any menu allows her to enjoy summer days with her son, experience local treats while on vacation, and participate in celebrations without feeling overly restricted in her eating. Just FYI: this balance is not an easy one to strike! But, Amber does so with grace while inspiring others around her to do so as well.
With a primary focus on improving her athletic performance at AYM CrossFit, one of Amber’s most exciting earlier successes was recording her fastest mile time. One of her most recent successes was going from a deadlift 1-rep max of 210 lbs to a 3-rep max of 215 lbs. SAY WHAAAATTT?! Clearly, her enhanced diet has contributed to improving both her aerobic fitness and muscular strength! While we have largely maintained a focus on improving physical performance, weight loss has been a secondary goal. Amber has lost >15 lbs along the way. She has also succeeded in building muscle, so her body composition and shape change have proved to be even more striking than simply the change in the number on the scale. I cannot praise Amber enough for ability to celebrate non-scale victories such as new PR’s (personal record’s) in the gym and vivid changes in before/after picture comparisons.
Okay, I think it’s time to wrap up my rant about Amber’s hard work, dedication, and subsequent results! In closing, I hope Amber’s victory over food and its negative influence in her life inspires at least one reader to embark on a similar journey. I hope her mention of preserving the temple God has given her sparks an interest in working to preserve the unique temple God has given you. Focusing on your strongest motivators, such as caring for Christ’s temple, improving athletic performance and being the healthiest version of “you” for your family can make such a difference in your ability to consistently adhere to healthful dietary habits. If in need of assistance identifying these internal sources of motivation, or defining ways to act on such motivators, please do not hesitate to reach out to me today! The time is now for you to enjoy the same freedom from food that Amber is, each and every day!!