A simple diet and exercise plan helped me pack 15 pounds and muscle

I did not pay enough attention to my diet. I regularly eat over weekends, usually junk food. And although I was quite active, I did not exercise as much intensity at the gym as I thought.

The turning point came in early 2020, which looked like it would be the third consecutive year in which I would not achieve my New Year’s resolution. I felt frustrated and started looking at what I was doing in the country and considering if I had been practicing wrong all along. I thought that given the time and money I spent more than 15 years on gym memberships, I should be in brilliant shape, otherwise, what did I do there?

I did research and bought the two UP fitness books on meal plan and exercise plan design, and made my adjustments to my gym and my diet. But only when the gym closed in March did I really have to make changes and focus on how I was exercising and what I was eating, to ensure I could still make progress while exercising at home. I decided to use the money I saved on a gym membership to try the UPUP LiveUP coaching program.

I gained weight 4 days a week after my chest, back, shoulder and leg days. I kept up with the same workout for months and saw no change, and would feel like I had to do it just to maintain the body I had, which means I would sometimes lose motivation and take it as a task regard. I hated cardio and never really did it unless I was training for something specific, like a triathlon, and while cycling to work, I could not do it every day.

The most important changes to my training involved having to exercise less frequently with more intensity, which gave me enough time to recover. I also changed my workout split into workouts and started setting up all my workouts. And I’m generally more active on a daily basis, hitting 12,500 steps a day, without needing any specific cardio. My program changes every month, which keeps it interesting, and I make sure I improve my performance in each session and leave the gym knowing I could not work harder.

I thought I was a healthy eater, but retrospectively I consume way too much protein (2 shakes a day) and I feel bloated. I’ve been preparing meals during the week for a few years now, but will regularly snack on protein bars and nuts between meals and then go off the rails on weekends with pizzas and curries. Now I eat four meals that are well placed on top of each other during the day and do not eat at all because it keeps me full. I measure my food based on the size of the food group, which has made it easier to detect my macronutrients and can also make me supple when I am at a restaurant. I have learned so much about building a sustainable, balanced diet that does not depend on counting calories, and how I can combine nutrition with training to achieve the best results.

I lost 15 pounds in 11 weeks during the exclusion, from 173 to 158 pounds. After that, I started putting on muscle mass. I feel much fitter and stronger. I also look forward to every workout and really enjoy every workout and the progress I make. And I’m not done yet: my next goal is to try to build more muscle, although I realize that gaining weight once it is off is actually a much slower and more difficult process than losing it in the first place!

My biggest tip is to make sure you progress your performance every week: you need to leave each session and know that you could not do more. No fraud on form, nor distracted. You also need to structure your diet so that you can stick to it. It should be sustainable so that you do not have to cheat on weekends. And lastly, consider investing in a good coach, even if it’s only for the first few months to get you on the right track. It’s a drop in the ocean compared to all the money you can spend on a gym membership.

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