Last April, after turning 50 and finally deciding to do something about my continual weight gain and lack of motivation, I made an investment in myself and signed up for a fitness and nutrition coach. But unlike the usual, in-person coach and trainer, I chose an online, virtual coach. It has been such a perfect fit for me, that after my original 3-month commitment (after which I met my goal of losing 10 lbs), I have continued to renew and am now 8 months in.
I know some may think a virtual coach won’t produce the same results as seeing someone in-person. I was hesitant at first too. But for me, I think it has been an even better option!
-No stress in having to fit in-person sessions into my already busy schedule.
-I am able to track food and workout on my own time.
-I still get the one-on-one interaction & motivation via emails, texts, videos, etc.
The company I am using is Macros Inc. They have separate fitness-only and nutrition-only options, but I went all-in with the 3-month Fitness + Nutrition package.
The first step was to fill out an in-take form so they could match me with the perfect coach. I indicated I wanted a female who understood the stage of life I was in (peri-menopause). I lucked out with the perfect fit the first time, but if you don’t vibe with your coach, they will re-assign you.
My first meeting with my coach was a zoom call. It was about 45 minutes where she gathered all the information about my goals, what type of things I already knew about food tracking and working out, as well as what type of equipment was available to me for training. After the meeting, she provided me with my specific macros (protein, fat & carbs), guided me through how to start tracking everything I ate, and created an initial training plan for me.
Communication is mostly done through the client portal where I have the option to email and direct message my coach. She’s available really any time I need to reach out for help, but the typical schedule goes like this:
I track what I eat daily. Food tracking is a must for the nutrition plan. I’d say 80-90% of my success is directly related to fixing my calories IN. While it is completely doable to use any tracking app, I have opted to use the MacroSync nutrition tracking app because it integrates directly to the Macros Inc client portal so that everything I enter is readily available to my coach. If you’ve never tracked before, don’t worry! The coaches will help you understand everything. I am still learning things from my coach on how to track and estimate.
I record my weight daily within the MacroSync app. This may seem excessive and go against emotional well-being :), but it has really helped see the long-term downward trend of my weight loss, which is a direct result of my healthier lifestyle. And I have learned through all of this that weight fluctuations are completely normal.
I fill out prompted journals daily in the Macros Inc client portal to provide my coach with more information on what’s going on in my day/life. I tell her about sleep, energy, stress and really anything I want to mention. The more info I can give my coach, the more she has to review, and the more she can provide feedback on what I’m doing right and what needs improvement.
Throughout the week, I track my workouts within the client portal. I choose the training plan and day (for example, day 3 of my push/pull training plan), and as I work through the exercises, I record the weights, reps, sets and any other comments I think she would find helpful.
I take my measurements and progress photos weekly. Ok, I’ll be honest. The GOAL is to do this weekly, but it doesn’t always happen.
All of the above is saved in the app or client portal and automatically submitted to my coach once a week. She reviews it and provides feedback within 24 hours and adjusts my training plan or macros accordingly. But it’s more than just adjusting numbers. She comments on things I’m doing right, has become my personal cheerleader and motivator, she makes suggestions on ways I can overcome a hurdle, or educates me on various nutrition and fitness topics, answers questions I have and really has become a true supporter on my health journey. If she sees that I’m not being consistent with eating or working out, she never makes me feel like I’m failing at anything. Instead she works with me to figure out what she can do to help me get back on track. One example was when I just couldn’t get motivated to get to the gym. She thought shorter workouts may be helpful, but we determined that it wasn’t the length of the workout that was hindering me, it was just physically getting in my car and going to the gym. So as a solution, she created another training plan for at-home workouts to use in a pinch instead of going to the gym.
I can’t say enough good things about this program. I am definitely fortunate to have a great coach, but from what I’m reading on the Macros Inc Facebook group, she is just one of many great Macros Inc coaches. The only regret I have is not signing up sooner! If you are interested in giving it a try, join at Macros Inc (they even have a free trial if you are not ready to commit) and I’d greatly appreciate (though not necessary) if you would use my referral code “34161AF“. If you have any questions about the program from a client perspective, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to share my personal experience!
Stay Healthy!
