Two weeks ago I parted with one hundred and forty nine of my British pounds for a personalised health and fitness plan,
the Body Coach 90 Day SSS Plan. I decided to take action in a way that forced me to restart my stalling fitness programme in the only way I knew how: Pay a big chunk of money for it. It may not motivate everyone to lay off the cakes and chocolate, but it sure incentivises me…!
I described the programme in my first post about the SSS (Shift, Shape and Sustain) Plan how it’s a three month plan designed to “fuel your body with lots of food and concentrate on correctly timing your macronutrients to ensure your body burns fat, increases in energy and transforms you into the shape of your life”.
And there are three words I’m going to pick out from that quote off the Body Coach website: Lots. Of. Food.
My god, the quantities of food I am eating on this plan are unprecedented (for a “diet”, anyway, though that’s a work that Joe Wicks A.K.A. the Body Coach doesn’t like to use). Put it this way: I can eat for England, and I’m struggling with the amount I’m having to consume on a daily basis.
Add to that an exercise routine that’s a whole lot shorter and easier than what I was doing previously, and in terms of “user friendliness” this plan is very much to my liking.
Want to know what my results were in these first two weeks of more food and less exercise?
Basically, I’ve lost about 4.5lbs (2kg). And I am VERY happy about that.
Now, I don’t know if I was meant to weigh myself before the first 30 day cycle was up – probably not (my online support person hasn’t been in touch to say record your weight), but I’m the sort of person who’s motivated by seeing results. I guess it’s just a chance you take as to whether there have been any…!
So here’s my thoughts on the plan overall and how I’ve found these first two weeks (the good and the bad)!
1. You eat three proper meals with two snacks in between every day
As someone who long ago stopped eating large meals in the evening, this is what I struggled most with at first. I say at first… I soon got used to it. But you’re never more than an hour or two away from food, so when they say you often put on weight when you “go on a diet” because you’re thinking about food all the time, this isn’t a problem because you have to think about food all the time.
You have either ‘reduced carbohydrate meals’ or ‘carbohydrate refuel meals’ – you only eat the latter after you’ve exercised. So on a rest day you’d have three reduced carbohydrate meals (and two snacks), and on a day you’re exercising you have two plus one carbohydrate refuel meal, again, with your two snacks. It works out really well for me and I’m never hungry unless I’ve left it too long between snacks/meals.
2. The portions are huge
As I’ve mentioned there is so much food to consume I’m almost overwhelmed. All the recipes have really, really precise measurements (63g avocado, 118g green vegetables, for example) and I’ve been following them to the last gram. Sometimes I look at my plate of food for breakfast (an omelette made with three eggs, mozzarella and mushrooms with the biggest pile of broccoli and green beans ever) and wonder how the hell I’m going to finish it. In fact my Instagram Stories have been demonstrating just how big the portions are.
3. The meals are delicious – and easy
If, like me, you like clean eating, then you are going to love this plan. I just don’t know how you’ll get on if you only eat what I call “brown food” – pastry, potato, bread and processed everything – but if you don’t like the idea of clean eating, then you are seriously missing out. These meals – with the exception of just one (which was “okay”) – have all been nothing short of OMG-delicious. My husband’s been eating them with me and every day is another Oh no, now THIS meal is my favourite so far… No, THIS meal… etc. etc.
I have so many new meals in my cooking arsenal and we’ve experienced so many new tastes, this is why I actually like “going on a diet” [this is not a diet, this is getting your health and fitness into shape] – I always eat so many more varieties of food and rediscover my love of cooking.
4. The exercise takes no time at all
I’ll talk about the exercise part in more detail in the next update (at the end of the first stage, in roughly two weeks), but put it this way: It’s quick, intense and bloody hard work while you’re doing it, but it seems to be over in no time at all. For the first 30 days it’s cardio only to really burn fat – resistance (weight) training will come next.
5. The cons: It’s a lot of preparation
I thought I should mention the downside. i.e. the amount of time you’ll spend thinking about and preparing food. I don’t find it too bad seeing as I work from home, but you’d have to be super prepared on school nights to have food ready to take to work with you next day, or you’ll need to do a lot of batch cooking at the weekends. To be honest if that’s the sacrifice you have to make in order to get a healthier, fitter body in 90 days then I think it’s absolutely worth it.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE COST OF THE PLAN LIKE YOU DO COST-PER-WEAR OF AN ITEM OF CLOTHING, £149 OVER THE COURSE OF 90 DAYS IS ONLY £1.65 A DAY. MANY PEOPLE SPEND TWICE THAT ON A COFFEE IN STARBUCKS.
The verdict so far
I think it’s fair to say I’m loving this plan! More food, less exercise is my kind of healthy eating and exercise plan. All the food prep and the constant thinking about food is a small price to pay if the results keep going the way they have so far.
And if you think about the cost of the plan like you do cost-per-wear of an item of clothing, £149 over the course of 90 days is only £1.65 a day. Many people spend twice that on a coffee in Starbucks.
I’ll stick to my Lime and Avocado Smoothie and Mozzarella Omelette for now, thanks. Gotta go, time for lunch…!
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY RESULTS SO FAR – AND HAS IT MADE YOU CONSIDER DOING THIS PLAN YOURSELF? COMMENT BELOW, OR TAKE IT TO TWITTER @NOTLAMB!
LIKE THIS POST? YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO READ…
– A NEW FITNESS REGIME | I’M DOING THE BODY COACH 90 DAY SHIFT, SHAPE & SUSTAIN PLAN
– HOW TO FIT IN EXERCISE WHEN YOU HAVE ZERO TIME TO SPARE
– 11 WAYS TO ADOPT HEALTHY EATING HABITS
Im thinking of signing up after my holiday in a few weeks. Youve certainly made it sound like it is worth it. Do they tell you exactly what you need to eat everyday? x
The examination that has gone into Optimum Anabolics will abandon you with a portion of the best data on how the body attempts to construct muscle. The data is conveyed in an unmistakable and compact way that is easy to get it. http://www.roidsupport.biz/de/dianabol-kaufen
Thank you for a timely reminder that I need to eat more!! I lost 2st recently eating vast amounts of good food but have slipped into old habits of skipping meals then piling into the unhealthy snacks cos I'm starving!! Off to have an omelette for breakfast!
Mr. Body Coach has a great smile (assuming that was him on the webpage). I wish you great success with your weigh loss/healthy living goals. You really can eats lots of the "right" foods and lose weight. I've done it but fell back into my wicked ways.
I have to say that your enthusiasm for this plan is contagious! I suppose I can search it out, but do you know if it is available in the U.S.? Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
It is, Karen, if you Google "the body coach" it says, "Joe Wicks is an online nutrition coach and creator of the 90 Day SSS Plan which has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people all over the world!" – go for it!!!!!!!!