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What attributed to my body comp improvement over the last few years comes down to a few things:
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1. Commitment.
It’s hard (much harder than maintaining weight) to shift the needle. I weighed and tracked everything I put in my mouth. Because I was trying to change old habits I found weighing and tracking helped me understand what was going on (especially portion control and macro composition, which was totally new to me then). Weighing and tracking helped me stay in control. Even if I had a major blow out I would track it (to the best of my ability) so I understood what a blow out looks like as far as nutrient impact is concerned, and can weigh up if it’s worth it next time. I found it made it easier to say no to the mini blow outs. Having confidence that my balance was right 90% of the time also allowed me to enjoy guilt free wines, as they were conscious decisions that I factored into the challenge.
I still weigh and track now. It’s just a habit. E.g. i had a chocolate brownie with lunch, have tracked it so know it’s salad and lean protein for dinner to balance it out. Guilt free.
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2. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Breaking your macros/calorie intake on 1, 2 or even 3 or 4 days is not going to make or break your challenge goals. What will is allowing that to make you feel like you’ve ‘fallen off the wagon’ somehow. You haven’t. It’s life. The key is just tracking as normal the next day. It’s long term life habits we’re building, not a diet. You haven’t failed life if you make a mistake or a shitty decision. Same principle goes with the challenge.
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3. Leave in the stuff you love!
I found healthy treats that I looked forward to (E.g. protein mug cake or home made ‘nice cream’ or similar – healthy desserts). I factored them into my day, every day, and always felt satisfied at the end of the day because my last meal was one of pure yumminess. I am also a fanatic for full fat large double shot coffees. 2 a day. I factor all of this into my daily tracking up front and work my meals around them. I still do this too and never feel deprived 
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4. Plan your day… ish…
I’m not a planner so I never meal prepped (hell no!) but every morning I’d peer into the fridge and decide what was for dinner. I’d then quickly factor in the dinner ingredients (even if i didn’t quite know what dinner was going to be, I had a good idea of the macro ratio/ingredients) and my 2 non negotiables – my dessert and my coffee. I’d then decide on what was for breakfast and track that too. Then I knew exactly how much I had for lunch and other snacks and would adjust accordingly. If lunch ended up being bigger than expected (E.g. unplanned girls catch up) I still had dinner up my sleeve that I could change portion size or to a simple veggie dish and still come in around my macros.
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5. Consistency.
Consistency is king (queen!). Stick to your macros most of the time, track them honestly, and do the gym thing and you’ll smash your goals. Note, nutrition is key. It will be uncomfortable because your body hates change. Accept it. Know it’s the best thing for you and KNOW that it really is a fantastic feeling when you nail your scan at the end
Lauren Johnson
2019 CFH Member of the Year[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
