RP 2016 6 month Transformation Winner: An Interview with Michele Paikin
How did you come to be a client of RP?
"I was looking around for a program to hold me accountable. I was on the paleo train for over 4 years, completed a few Whole30s, and tracked my macro's but could never consistently lose weight and keep it off. I had a friend at my CF gym who started RP last year and I couldn't believe my eyes. She was gaining so much strength and her body was leaning out - I was sold! Thank you, Ann, for introducing me to RP!"
RP product/service used:
"1:1 diet coaching with Melissa Davis and Female Physique Training Templates"
Duration:
"6 months. I have completed 1 cut, about 9 weeks of maintenance, and currently in my 2nd cut."
Can you give us an idea of the type of workouts you each do in the gym in a given week?
"I do Crossfit 6 days a week and supplement with the Female Physique Training Templates 4 days a week."
Starting and ending bodyweight and body fat statistics:
"My weight went from 158.6 to 133.6, a total of 25 pounds lost.
Body fat at the end of my first cut, in April, had gone from 26% to 19%."
Your favorite RP friendly meal while on the diet?
"All the carbs! It's hard to pick a specific meal while cutting because I kept everything pretty simple and ate only the foods on the templates. I can't believe I eat spaghetti, whole wheat bread, get to eat oatmeal every day and have lost 25lbs! Oh and casein pudding! The worst part of my night is when I have that last bite of pudding!"
If you've had a cheat meal after ending the diet, what did you have?
"My first cheat was tacos and a margarita, but then I went right back to the templates to make sure I was going to succeed on maintenance."
What are your goals from here?
"I am currently signed up for a year of 1:1 with Melissa. I am starting week 5 of my 2nd cut and if all goes as planned when this cut ends, I will do my first mass towards the end of the year!"
Any diet advice for others?
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Weigh your food! If you are guessing at measurements, you may be in for a rude awakening! :)
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Have support! 1:1 with Melissa has just been the absolute best investment I could ever make for myself. (Thank you Melissa, you are the best!) If 1:1 isn't in the cards for you, then try to find someone at your gym to do RP with. There's about 5 of us at my CF gym doing RP together and having each other's support has really helped! We basically just talk RP all day every day to each other!
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Meal prep! I've never meal prepped in the past, but realized how important it is to have meals prepped in order to succeed.
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Don't weigh yourself every day! The scale can drive you crazy. Pick two days and look forward to your weigh in's on those days.
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Keep your meals simple and eat the foods on your template. There's a large variety to choose from so make this process as easy as you can on yourself!
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Read the e-book! and go back and read it again during the middle of your cut and then again towards the end of your cut! When I start my first mass, I plan to do the same thing for the mass chapter. There is a paragraph in the women's e-book that I go back to read from time to time.
'If your balanced lifestyle is more important than an ideal body, stop self-criticizing immediately and enjoy your life; you only have one, and spending it in a state of purgatory is just no way to live. If you calmly give it some thought and decide that changing your body is more important than being balanced for the next three months, it's time to diet- and with no 'if's', 'and's', or 'but's'.
Any other comments about the process / your progress?
"During my cut, I stuck to the templates 100%, no cheats, and no 'free' foods. I was 100% in and wanted to see how my body could change in 3 months.
Cutting was hard but I found the hardest part so far to be maintenance. I never have been able to successfully lose weight and keep it off so I was determined to make sure I did maintenance right. I had my one celebratory cheat meal when my cut ended but for the most part I ate on templates with very few cheats the first 4 weeks. I relaxed over time once I knew my body had found it's new 'happy' weight. When I recently started my 2nd cut, I was 1 pound less than my ending 1st cut weight! I'd say that's a win!
I ask myself all the time - Where has RP been all my life?! RP is more than just a 3 month cut for me. It's a lifestyle I have adapted into my everyday life. I talk about it more than I talk about Crossfit (which says a lot!) and I hope my transformation can help someone else's journey."