Client Background
Mandy is a mother of 2 young children and originally from Europe. Mandy gained about 10-15kg over the years and was looking to get back to the weight she feels comfortable in. She tried several diets but they did not help much.
Mandy came to me and spoke to me about her goals, background and sought my advice. Looking at her body type, it was apparent to me that she had not much muscle to work with and hence all her efforts in cardio and dieting just was not going to do the trick in getting the numbers on the scale down. Upon taking her measurements, I came to realize she has problems with varicose veins on her left leg, making her left thigh 2cm larger than her right thigh. Most of her fat was stored in her hips and waist areas which is normal for most women. And with age, if no lifestyle change is done, the fat storage will only increase with time. Which is not a healthy aging process and it is just paving room for more health complications in the foreseeable future.
 
Training and dietary Program
Mandy initially started training with me three times a week, after which she reduced it to twice a week. It was a suggestion I made in order for her sessions to sustain longer. That way she would be able to give her body time to gradually but consistently drop body fat and build muscle.
During her sessions the only thing I focused on was building muscle. I asked her to do cardio on her own. My instructions to her was to start going for morning walks before breakfast just to make a habit of moving early in the morning. After which, to incorporate short distance running into the walks and gradually increasing the distance each week.
As for diet, we tried different approaches but the one that worked best for her was to eliminate carbs for dinner. As we progressed and her weight started going down, Mandy started using an app to watch her calorie intake.
 
Outcome/ Results
Over a period of 5 months, Mandy lost 7kg. Her waist went down 2cm, hips went down a whooping 12cm, both arms went down 3cm and her thighs 5 and 3cm with both of them at even measurements now. She is much stronger now and able to lift much heavier weights. Overall looks firmer and is starting to show some muscle definition.
 
Things that lead her to achieving her goal

1. Accepted challenges- Mandy has always been very co-operative during training. I constantly pushed her during sessions by increasing the weights and reps. Although it was hard, and she hated them she never complained. That allowed me to confidently push her each session, because she chose to accept the challenges I gave her each time.
2. Consistency – Mandy prioritized clocking in 2 sessions a week. She shifted things around, made sure I booked her in my calendar in advance and always showed up no matter the circumstance. There was once the MRT broke down, we had to start our session an hour late. We still managed to make it happen.
3. Knowledge and curiosity- She did a lot of reading online about building muscle and tracking her diet. She asked me a lot of questions during training which just indicated to me how keen she was in learning about fitness. Good trainers like questions, it helps us dig out knowledge we have kept locked up in our brains for so long.
4. Using an app to track her diet-  I gave her guidance and advice on how to better her diet. But it was her own initiative to download an app she was comfortable with to track her calories.
5. Discipline – I tell a lot of my clients to do cardio on their own. But very few actually do it. As a result, a lot of my clients get firmer as their build muscle but their weight does not go down due to the lack of calories burnt. Mandy did her homework when I told her to do so.
6. Focus- Showing up for PT sessions is not enough. It is important to focus when lifting weights. Resistance training is not just about conducting a movement. It is crucial to have that mind body connection in order to activate the targeted muscles. And for that, focus is very important.

 
Conclusion
There are a few things to note. I signed Mandy on before I bought my body fat analyzer, hence I do not have numbers in terms of body fat percentage. Also, Mandy has no health issues, and is not taking any medications. She did not come across any injuries during the period she was training with me. So it is important not to compare yourself with her measurements or story. Also Mandy is European. She is accustomed to meals that are not hot or spicy, usually simple dishes made from very few ingredients. She snacks on raw carrots and celery. Asians tend to be accustomed to eating carb dense meals, prefer hot meals and like their vegetable cooked. Observing eating habits are crucial in achieving results. Find the best approach that works for you.