We want to give a huge shoutout to our #1upnutrition ambassador Abby @abbyritfit on an amazing transformation!
This is his story
“I was always bigger as a kid. I played sports my entire life so I thought I could get away with eating junk. Even playing division 2 college basketball, I was at my heaviest. The saying “you can’t out work a bad diet” couldn’t have been more true for me. Playing basketball for 3-4 hours a day, 6 days per week and lifting 3X per week and not paying attention to the fuel I was putting in my body got me to my slowest on the court and biggest on the scale.
I was sick of feeling sluggish, and uncomfortable so I decided to try every diet under the sun from keto to paleo to intermittent fasting, when I decided to learn nutrition for myself and became a nutritionist. I finally started seeing food as a tool to fuel my body rather than something to be scared of.
Everyone’s body is different so there is no ‘one size fits all’ option when it comes to nutrition. Finding what worked for me took more than a few tries. Getting in the adequate amount of protein every day, hitting my other macronutrient targets, not punishing myself if I went over or under in a certain category, and finding the right workouts and training regimen that I enjoy helped me make a real lifestyle change.
The biggest thing that helped me reach my goals was not cheating on the weekends. I always worked so hard M-F but everything went out the window on the weekends. It was like taking 2 steps forward and 1 big step back every single week and that is exhausting. It’s hard to say no to desserts and it’s easy to overindulge.
Find an accountability buddy or a community (like 1UP Facebook group) to help you when your motivation is lacking. Because one thing that is for sure is that motivation comes and goes but it’s the habits you form along the way that will pull you through on those harder days.
Finding a nutritionist or health coach to teach you how to count macros or how to listen to what your body responds best to will also be a great tool for you if you are just starting out on your journey!
