Misty Vaccariello had been a runner for years, but no matter how much she ran she still struggled with her weight and shape. Misty knew that her current exercise and diet weren’t giving her the results she was after, but she wasn’t sure what to do. As a wife, a mom of two little ones, and a licensed massage therapist, Misty was certainly a busy woman and did not have time to mess around. What she really wanted was someone to guide her with a straightforward plan that would help her achieve her fitness goals in a healthy way that she could sustain long term. That’s when she decided to get started online with the Fitbody experience.

The first thing we did was gather information. Misty completed a detailed consultation form and sent it along with photos that showed her current conditioning. I know that taking those initial photos is one of the hardest things for a woman to do. We’re used to hiding or covering up our worst areas, but having an accurate picture of where you are starting will help you set realistic goals. After receiving Misty’s paperwork and photos, we set a time for an initial telephone consultation. This part is so important in the FITBODY experience! Online training is not for everyone, so this telephone conversation makes sure that we are both completely comfortable and confident with each other and the way the FitBody system works. I want my clients to understand the process, have every single question answered and to be 100% confident that everything we do is for their overall health, fitness and success.

During this consultation we determined that Misty had 3 primary goals:

Make clean eating and training a lifestyle – not something that she just did until she lost x # of pounds, but a long-term lifestyle. 
Prepare for a figure competition in the next year. 
Continue to improve her running times as she got leaner and tighter.

From there, we talked through the specifics of her situation, what her daily life looked like, when were the best times for her to workout, any struggles she had experienced before, what supplements she took, etc. I explained that she’d need to “check in” regularly with photos and measurements to assess her physical changes, and also with performance specific measures to determine improvements in her overall fitness. [See the FITBODY Fit Test below.]

As we talked, I could tell that Misty was going to be a great match for online training. Her time was limited and she needed to be in charge of her own schedule, but she was motivated and willing to take on the challenge.

FITBODY Experience… NUTRITION

Very quickly I realized that Misty was caught in what I call the Under/Over cycle. It starts with good intentions… eating less and doing far too much cardio in an attempt to lose weight. Your body can only take that for so long before you crash and end up overeating or binging because you are so depleted. This inevitably leads to guilt and more cardio paired with another stint of undereating. This cycle damages your metabolism and causes a weight roller coaster but over time, unfortunately, the result is a steady increase in bodyweight. It is an emotional roller coaster too, and while those under eating cycles might result in some weight loss, it all comes back and even more as soon as you ‘cave’ and eat more realistically.

Our first step was to increase Misty’s calories to a level that would support the amount of activity she was doing and help her start building a stronger metabolism. Adding more calories would help her feel satisfied throughout the day and make her less likely to overeat on lower quality food. Vegetables were completely unlimited and she could eat them any time she wanted, provided she did not add extra oil or butter to them. Finally, I encouraged her to be flexible with her eating. That she should listen to her body and eat according to her natural biorhythms. There is no magic hour by which you should stop eating if you still have calories left for the day.

Every two weeks we did a thorough evaluation of Misty’s progress with measurements from her progress tracker, photos, her fit test results, along with her personal feedback. As Misty lost bodyfat and lbs on the scale, she gained muscle. It is important to change nutrition as you go along to avoid plateaus, continue challenging your metabolism, and respond to the changes your body is making. For Misty, like many of my clients, we have been able to incrementally increase her calories to a level higher than she has ever consistently been to before! Currently, Misty has lost more than 20 lbs on the scale, gained considerable muscle and is now eating almost 2300 well-balanced calories a day. And she is still losing bodyfat! Check out Misty’s current nutrition plan.

FITBODY Experience… SUPPLEMENTATION

Misty knew that supplementation was important, but she was not sure where to begin. I explained that Beverly International supplements are the highest quality supplements on the market and that they would make a big difference in her results. With her busy life adding in Ultimate Muscle Protein was a no brainer. Misty loved the way it tasted as a shake and she has gotten very creative about using it in delicious snack recipes. We started off with the basics that I knew would help her lose bodyfat and add a bit of muscle.

Here is Misty’s initial supplement plan:
Fit Tabs – 2 in the am & 2 in the pm
Density – 3 in the am, 3 before training and 3 after training
Lean Out – 2 before 4 meals per day
Glutamine Select – 1 scoop before training

As her body changed, her supplement needs changed too. Misty is at a point now where she wants to gain muscle and maintain her bodyfat, so we’ve added those that will help her build. Beverly International’s Ultra 40 & Mass Aminos are my favorite one – two punch for optimal muscle building.

Fit Tabs – 2 in the am & 2 in the pm
Ultra 40 – 2 with 5 meals per day
Mass Aminos – 2 with 5 meals per day
Lean Out – 1 before 4 meals per day
Glutamine Select – 1 scoop before training

FITBODY Experience…. TRAINING

When it comes to training, Misty needed the right balance to achieve her fitness goals and also work with her life. She was accustomed to running, so more running was not the answer. We were going to challenge her body with weight training and just enough endurance work that would still allow for growth. In general, I set up Misty’s training schedule so that she was working out 4-5 times per week for about 45 minutes each session. Every 2 weeks, we would evaluate her progress and make changes to her training program as needed. Each month, we’d incorporate new exercises and new techniques including everything from traditional weight training, to body weight exercises to endurance training, to CrossFit ™ style movements, and everything in between. With cardio, my philosophy is efficient, effective and fun! No dying of boredom after hours on the treadmill! Misty did cardio she enjoyed varying from 2 short sessions per week up to 5 sessions per week. We kept Misty’s cardio times short but intense, rarely going over 30 minutes – usually in the 15–20 minute time range.

FITBODY Experience… RESULTS

Over the course of 8 months, Misty completely transformed her body. Not only has she lost more than 20 lbs on the scale, she has gained considerable muscle. She has lost 5 inches in her chest, 3 inches from her waist and hips, along with almost 3 inches in each thigh. The really exciting part of her progress though is her Fit Test results. Her strength has skyrocketed and her max pushups have more than doubled going from 20 to 42 on her feet pushups without stopping!

Misty has reached her running goal as well, clocking in her best ever 1 mile run time. Misty also reached her goal of competing in a figure show; in fact, she competed in 2, winning 3rd place in Open Figure. That said, Misty’s journey has been about so much more than competition. Here are some of the thoughts Misty shared with me as she progressed through her journey:

Jan 19th “It has only been a few weeks, but I wanted you to know that I had an amazing workout today. It really did come easier and I felt like a powerhouse today! I almost cried. This is the best feeling.”

Feb 1st “The biggest change in the last two weeks I would say was understanding measurements on food better, adding more veggies, and I also increased weight on my reps as I went along. So far, I am loving this journey. So much different than training for a marathon haha. I can’t wait to see what the next 4 weeks brings!”

March 15th “Ugh! Toughest week yet! Too much going on and not enough time.”

April 20th “Oh my goodness, tried the Ultimate Muscle Protein Banana muffins today and they are amazing!!! I love having a protein powder that is so versatile.”

June 11th “I am eating more calories and food than ever yet I am the leanest I have ever been my whole life!”

July 6th “I was practicing posing tonight before bed. I wanted to cry (happy tears) at my reflection tonight when I realized how far I’ve come. My legs look so great, my abs, my arms… I’m feeling sooo much more confident. I’m just in total “wow” mode, and wanted to say thank you. I’m not sure I say it enough and in case I don’t…. This new path in my life of eating well, sculpting my body, and learning to appreciate the small things so much more… Is mostly because of you. I’m so glad I found you! I can’t wait for check in next week. Have a great week! Speak with you soon.”

Aug 16th “Julie, I just had to share this with you. My husband began eating like me once we got home from Missouri in Feb. Granted it was not exactly the same meals I was eating. He ate more cheat meals, and his were slightly different but for the most part, as a family we ate more veggies, fruits, lean meats etc. He’s lost over 70lbs lol!”

Aug 26th “It’s been 2 weeks since I competed and I’ve had a few people ask how am I doing in terms of weight, issues etc. Well I went into peak week eating quite a bit, and as soon as competition was over, my calories were increased quite a bit more. I was thinking… Who can eat this much food? I went back to eating clean within a day of the show. I’ve had a few cheat meals and cardio has been cut down quite a bit. I’m extremely proud to say I’m only 1.5lb up from mid peak week weight.  My FIBODY experience has been incredible…”