Client Transformation: 2019 Fall Fat Loss Challenge Winner, Courtney V.

Describe your body composition transformation journey and why you began.

I’ve always been dieting and trying quick and temporary solutions to drop the pounds. Every time I would be successful for two to three months, lose weight, and then stop and go back to my old routine. The weight always slowly crept back on and as soon as I noticed I would try another gimmicky solution and the cycle would begin again. In January, my finance proposed and wedding dress shopping was what finally gave me my light-bulb moment. I saw that I wasn’t happy with my body for my wedding day but I wanted to be happy with my body after the wedding – for good this time. I decided to get all my data from Composition ID so I could know where to start and what I needed to do to mark a complete lifestyle change for my new life to come.

What are your results to date and how did you achieve them?

Since I began in August I’ve lost 9.7% body fat, 14.2 lbs of fat, and put on 6.3 lbs of lean body weight. I’ve set up a weekly schedule which included 3 days of cardio, 3 days of weight training and one rest day. I’ve realized that workouts can be different every single week. I’m currently using the Aaptiv fitness app to give me hundreds of different HIIT treadmill drills, going to OrangeTheory classes to always have a challenging group workout every week and  have been working with a personal trainer twice a week for support and guidance weight training.

What was the biggest challenge you faced throughout your body transformation journey and through the Fall Challenge?

My biggest challenge was when we had someone come visit and stay over at our house. I could not plan my meals for the week and calculate all of my macros ahead of time. But I was very lucky because this person was very active and also has health and fitness as a priority. We worked out together every morning and always found places to eat that offered us both healthy options.

How did you stay motivated?

I stayed motivated through setting new fitness goals for myself every week. Things like the amount of weights for certain exercises, the amount of reps that I could complete, how quickly I could run sprints on the treadmill, all continued to move in the right direction. Even if my body weight was not moving (or even a little up) that week, if I was able to improve my form or set new records for myself I knew that I was making progress.

Why did you choose Composition ID as your partner?

I am a very “Type-A” kind of person. I work best with numbers and graphs. Having a breakdown of not only my body fat percentages but also my muscle mass weight in each area gave me insight to which areas could be improved the most by adding strength training. After my first scan at Composition ID I saw what I was capable of changing and where I was improving the most. This helped me set new goals for my next scan and create a game-plan for how to achieve them. Knowing that I may have only lost 8 pounds on the scale but seeing that it was ACTUALLY lost 14 pounds of pure fat makes my progress seem so much more substantial.

How did you use Composition ID’s services to help you accomplish your goals? How helpful were they?

Not only was I getting my DEXA scans at Composition ID but I also received a Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) test and nutrition consultation with Rafi at Composition ID Arlington. I don’t think I would be anywhere near where I am at today if I had not included these with my scans. While the RMR test gave me an example of how many calories on average I was burning each day, having a daily goal and plan for all of my macros is what has had the most significant impact in my journey. Planning my meals for the week ahead of time, even eating in restaurants, based on the nutrition plan provided has made this journey feel so easy to manage.

What was your experience like working with Composition ID team throughout your body transformation journey and during the Fall Challenge?

Rafi always took everything I told him into account when figuring out what was working for me and what wasn’t. The original nutritional guide he sent me was ten pages long! I knew that I would always have someone to check-in with if something wasn’t working or if I was headed in the wrong direction. I still keep all of my meal journals, workout histories and weight measurements on hand in case I need to ask Rafi what could be going wrong in my transformation and I know that he would take the time to go through everything and give me the best advice.

What advice would you give someone interested in changing their body composition through precision nutrition?

Nutrition is first and foremost the most important part of reshaping your body. And just because you’re hitting your calorie goal doesn’t always mean you’re doing the best for your body. My biggest problem with nutrition before coming to Composition ID was assuming that all foods affected your body in the same way. I was eating “healthy” processed foods and not seeing results. Once I cut out all of the junk and switched to natural, organic, whole foods my body just started dropping weight and quickly building muscle. If someone is looking for an easy way to eat healthy and not put in too much effort then check out food delivery services like MightMeals or Territory Foods. I have these every week for lunch and they are sooooo good.

What are you most proud of in your transformation?

I am most proud of how much my mind has changed about what is important. Sure, I started this fitness journey for my upcoming wedding but that’s no longer my “end goal.” I’ve been named “Member of the Month” at my gym. I’ve been asked to join a board of directors in a fitness organization. I’ve even started planning a Spartan Race team for next year. All of my priorities have shifted from short-term weight goals to life-long fitness and health lifestyles. And I’m just getting started!