Body Transformation Story: My Journey From Sedentary and Unhealthy Office Worker to Nutrition Coaching Expert in Dubai!
I never thought of sharing my story! But being asked how I achieved my results, what my lifestyle is, what I eat, and where I find motivation, I decided to summarize it in an article that might be useful for people with the same background and starting point as mine.
I was quite a typical office worker with many responsibilities, stress, zero time for the gym, an abnormal workload, and lazy weekends with pizza and movies. Like many of us, I still wanted to be in better shape and like my mirror reflection, ideally without changing my lifestyle and daily routine. I also believed there might be shortcuts to achieving my goal fast, so I tried everything possible, usually one month before beach vacations.
I tried all possible fad diets, even the weirdest ones like “3 green apples per day, 100 gr of rice for the second day, 2 liters of water for the 3rd day,” you might laugh. Still, I printed out all trendy diets, arranged these printed pages into a folder, and religiously followed them one by one.
I bought a gym membership for a month without knowing what to do there without a coach! So I ended up running on the treadmill, then doing some exercises I saw on YouTube; nothing changed in me, and I never wanted to return to the gym again. It seemed to be just a waste of time.
Sometimes I managed to lose quite a lot of kg (mostly muscle tissue) to wear a particular dress to some important events, but I didn’t understand why I still didn’t look like these cool girls in leggings and tank tops, holding pink dumbbells and looking happy. I had very little muscle mass, and fad diets did not just deprive me of vital nutrients and made me lose my hard-earned gains! Being on these unhealthy and unsustainable diets made me get mood swings, awful skin, and insufficient motivation to continue; that’s why I always returned to my previous routine of ordering delivery and lazy time passing at home.
Moreover, I’ve got some health issues and a few nasty injuries when I was sure I’d figure out what to do in the gym without a personal trainer.
When I realized my methods didn’t work, and I was not ready to achieve good results independently, I finally started working with a personal trainer and nutrition coach. Later, I started studying the topic deeper since I felt I needed more knowledge and should be aligned with the newest research.
I’d say I started in the gym not only from zero but from a level below zero. I lacked endurance, power, or technique and wasn’t overall talented enough to perform well. So it was a long journey that will not end anytime soon, and I only regret that I haven’t started earlier and more efficiently.
I now watch 80-90% of my food, which I mostly cook in advance according to my macros breakdown. I rarely eat something from the delivery but don’t refuse my social life altogether. I know how to create a small deficit after a lavishing brunch or a birthday party. Loving the process instead of trying to speed it up gives me peace of mind instead of getting trapped by false expectations.
I have worked out regularly for seven years without making excuses that I’m tired or that I’ll do it tomorrow. I can’t afford to skip the gym since all my workouts are planned, and I want to see results and progress. When I want to push my limits further or to learn something new, I work with a personal trainer for a prolonged period. Along with the gym, I stick to non-exercise activities since we don’t burn as much kcal during workouts as we think, so I usually walk 10-15K steps daily; when I can’t make it, I walk more during the week.
Keeping all my previous mistakes in mind, I’d like to give you some tips on how to get healthier and achieve good results efficiently and with no obstacles on your way.
Tips that will help you lose weight and gain muscle the right way!
Make a long-term plan and stick to it. Motivation lasts for a concise term, while discipline is what keeps you going. We have lots of distractions that make it challenging to stay consistent. Most of us have work, bills to pay, kids, daily duty, errands, and many other essential things we need to juggle around! So I suggest planning each week efficiently, locking specific time in your schedule for the gym and activities in general until it becomes your habit, like brushing your teeth or combing your hair. Stay disciplined no matter what, do not cancel gym sessions, stick to your healthy eating routine, and replace your “lazy” habits with some activities you like. It seems disturbing initially, but later, you will notice that you have enough time to do more daily when following a plan. Of course, we will fall out from the plan from time to time; there will be social gatherings, travels, family events, and certain days when physically and mentally you can’t follow any schedule. Having at least 80% of your month planned will still help you to be miles ahead compared to just going with the flow.
Focus on measurable results and execution of what has been planned. A plan to start going to the gym on Monday is just a plan unless it’s done. It’s not an action taken. The intention to eat healthier or to lose 10 kg is just an intention unless you do something for it. Measure your results, e.g., how many times you announced that you’d start working out and watching your food beginning tomorrow morning. Does it match the number of actual workouts done by you? How long did you watch what you eat after saying you started eating healthy? The more results-oriented you are, the more you realize that even “going to the gym” might be far from “having an optimal workout according to your goals.”
Be patient and consistent. Results don’t come overnight. Just imagine how many years some of us spend in front of a computer screen or TV! How often did we binge eat on the couch? Ideally, to reverse the process and get the new habits, we will need the same amount of time. Improving your physique takes quite a lot of time; that’s why I’d recommend staying away from any diet plans, coaches, or other systems that promise you to get a dream body within one month or even two weeks. Growing 1 kg of muscle mass might take up to 6 months, the same as losing 1-2 kg of fat. So be realistic with your goals and not get disappointed by slow progress. Take pictures of your current form and body measurements at least once a month. It helps to correct your plan or to see the difference in the long run.
Hire a good personal trainer to save time. Results will come faster if you work with a professional who has already spent years studying the craft and gained invaluable experience through carefully curated body transformation programs on various individuals. That type of individual can teach you everything needed and correct you. If you don’t know what optimized training is, how to work with progressive overload, and what are the right angles and mechanics when doing deadlifts, if you don’t know which muscles work in specific exercises and how to combine the activities properly, then hire a coach. Having a good coach means you’ll not only blindly follow some random program or do some exercises from the internet or Instagram but also get a customized one for you. Most of us do not have the same anatomic patterns, and not all exercises are suitable for everybody; moreover, without knowing a proper technique, you unconsciously might end up not with an attractive body but having injuries. It’s better to pay someone who helps you get in shape rather than spending this money on fixing back pain later.
Hire a good nutrition coach! Leave it to a nutrition coaching expert if you don’t know your maintenance calories, basal metabolic rate, and how it dynamically changes with time. You will be surprised how many stereotypes you’ve surrounded yourself with; let’s name a few:
“carbs are bad; stop eating carbs,”
“keto is the only way to lose weight,”
“CLA and fat burners will help you to get rid of your extra fat,”
“goji and acai are the only superfoods,”
“do not eat after 6 pm, not to gain weight.”
And many others are still being enforced.
Even if you read enough about healthy eating and know how to be in a caloric deficit, it might not be enough! What will happen when you face adaptive thermogenesis without knowing what it is and how to manage it? What should be your next steps; you might not know that you are decreasing body fat percentage, but due to a specific reason, you might have water retention making your progress less visible. After all, you might not realize that your deficit is not counted correctly or lasts too long, which isn’t good. Eating clean food can cause weight gain as “normal food.” You might be surprised that eating healthy means having a balance when it comes to the quality and quantity of what you eat daily. You can still eat something delicious at brunches, parties, and other occasions, knowing how not to gain extra kg. To find out more about our online nutrition coaching services, click here!
Work on your mindfulness and know how to rest. If you plan your life wisely, you get more things done, but if there’s no meaningful switching off and insufficient rest, you might face burnout, and it’s the last thing you need. Planning helps to be realistic; with time, you will notice that you always need some rest after a prolonged caloric deficit or several draining workouts. It’s ok to recharge from time to time if you feel tired, and it is anyway better than to drain yourself completely and then recover for months. Losing weight and getting into the shape of your life is a marathon and might take a few years, so it is crucial to set measurable and realistic goals!
Fix your sleep; it’s also essential for overall health and weight loss.
Try to surround yourself with like-minded people who will cheer you up and help you to move towards your goal. It’s easier to progress together; there will be some days when you feel like giving up since the process takes time and might get annoying at a certain point. If you know that you can always catch up with a friend who is by your side or at least message or call somebody who will not only formally answer your questions but help to bring you back on track, it means a lot.
Do not compete with others. Just do your best and focus on your tasks. Please do not get distracted by others’ achievements; it’s good to be competitive sometimes, but more important is to stay focused on your goal. Do not feel demotivated when your weight loss is slower than others or when you don’t squat with 100 kg on your shoulders when your spotter does.
Join a team of fitness professionals, personal trainers, and nutrition coaches! If you don’t have people who can support you in your journey, join our Fortius tribe, we like to make friends, not clients. We consider each client’s goal an individual project without giving everyone the same type of body transformation program (exercise, meal plan, and the same advice to follow). We focus on your parameters and circumstances without comparing you to others and pointing at somebody else’s progress.
We value more when you grow with us, and it’s not only about muscle growth!
Find out more about our personal training and nutrition coaching services!
Nutrition Coaching with Fortius Dubai
If you are looking for someone who can coach you on calculating your calorie requirements, tracking food, and understanding which macronutrient breakdown might be best for you, then our nutrition coaches are the right experts for you!
If you are looking to prepare for a special event or competition and need to perform at your best, then our sports nutrition experts are the right people for you!
If you want someone to ensure that you stay on top of your game, don't lose motivation, and endure when times get tough, or perhaps you need someone to restructure your plan because you have hit a plateau, then our team can help you out!
If you are afraid that you might develop an eating disorder or are worried that if you start counting calories, you might develop a disease! You can book a consultation with a doctor who will answer any question you might have!
If you want to become a more mindful eater, try a dieting strategy (low GI, Keto, Carnivore, etc.). You are at the right place!
Click here to learn about our nutrition coaching services, read about our nutrition coaches, and book your FREE consultation!
Personal Training with Fortius Dubai
Our world-class team of certified personal trainers is here to ensure that you:
Set realistic and measurable goals.
Increase confidence, build muscle, and become the best version of yourself!
Optimize the entire process to reach all your performance and health goals.
Click here to learn more about how the best personal trainers in Dubai can help you improve your body composition and reach your fitness goals!
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