Today's post is a guest post or Q&A with one of Scott's coaching clients, Karmin B.
What were you initially looking to get from the Coaching experience?
About 8 years ago, I was consistently working with a personal trainer who introduced me to Scott’s methodologies. I felt great at the time and was very happy with my physique. After I went through some major life changes, I found myself a few years later, unhappy with how I was feeling about myself and my lack of commitment to staying active and healthy. I have always followed Scott and have read many of his books. I knew I needed to make some changes in my life and I knew that I wanted to work with Scott.
It took me some time and consideration to take the first steps. I corresponded with Scott about what would be the best program for me and after talking about my lifestyle and goals I decided Coaching was the best option. I knew I could be healthier, more committed and happier with myself. The first step was scary as I knew I would have to be honest with myself and also I knew if I committed to a Coaching program, I wasn’t going to waste such an opportunity. I honestly thought about how I could be better every single day, and how disappointed I was that I wasn’t doing anything about it. I wanted guidance, knowledge and support from the best Coach I knew.
Many of the reasons why I initially wanted coaching stayed the same after I signed up, but I also discovered so many more benefits I didn’t even realize could come out of this experience. The support I gained has been amazing. Scott never makes me feel like I am failing or not doing enough. Everything he says is logical and no nonsense. Put in the work and you will get the reward. It is not about complicating things but rather keeping them simple. The knowledge that I have access to from working with Scott is SECOND TO NONE. His experience and tested methods work.
How did coaching help with your specific situation?
While I am very lucky to have a lot of great support in my life, I have had some unique circumstances that I needed help with.
First, I travel a lot for work. I was so stressed about how I was going to manage this while trying to stay true to my program. Scott helped me work through how this could look and ways to manage it. He supported me every step of the way with things like meal planning while navigating airports, hotel stays, car trips etc. I worked out in a lot of hotel gyms. I skipped late night social gatherings and found local fitness facilities, grocery stores, bought my own food, packed snacks. He gave me ways to make it work.
In addition to a busy work schedule we deal with a blended family, ongoing stress with lawyers, child custody issues. There were many days I would feel over-extended and stressed, and Scott helped me work through it. As Scott always reminds me, we are all human. Knowing that I was not in it alone made a big difference. I didn’t allow these things to become an excuse. After a long day of travel or work sometimes I come home, make dinner, prep for the next day, put our daughter to bed and head to gym at 8pm or 8:30pm (sometimes in a snow storm!) and I get it done. You can’t let these things become an excuse.
What has surprised me the most is how much peace the experience has brought me. It has not brought me stress about what I eat or how many times a week I work out and how much I need to report back. Scott gives you the tools and it is up to you to take those tools and make them work for yourself.
He never makes me feel guilty or bad about myself. Instead he helps me realize that fitness is not my occupation, and life sometimes gets in the way. We can’t all be perfect; however, when you are consistent and put in the work, you WILL get the results.
Diet
What was your diet like before Coaching?
When I was working with a trainer years ago, my diet was very strict, and I felt I couldn’t stray outside of it even a little bit. I ate oatmeal, tuna, chicken, vegetables and that was it, nothing more. I got great results, but I couldn’t live my life. As the years went on, I rebelled and I was eating whatever I wanted. I would eat out a lot, have a few drinks. No binge eating or anything excessive, but I had no plan or direction. I gained about 25lbs. over the years. I would snack in the evenings on whatever I felt like, chips, popcorn etc.
How did that change?
When I started working with Scott, I got back into a plan and a much more effective, realistic and sustainable one.
I got back to eating oatmeal everyday (which I do love), and I am eating starch carbs like rice and potatoes as well. I feel full throughout the day. I don’t feel like I am missing out. I do find it funny when people say they don’t want to eat rice and potatoes because it is “too heavy.” I feel like those diet staples have been key to my weight-loss success.
Working with Scott gives you freedom! I do not count calories and I hope I never have to. I don’t use any apps, I don’t know what a macro is, I don’t need to eat only protein and/or stress about carbs and such, and I look and feel great. Scott gave me a diet-strategy with some weights and portion sizes. Once I had these figured out I was able to meal prep and manage my diet, food, and meals very easily. I stick to the basics, I don’t overcomplicate it. I feel like I am getting what I need and feel full throughout the day. Scott’s program (diet and workouts) is very manageable and enjoyable. I am not restricted and yes I eat carbs every single day.
Training
What was training like before, and how did it change?
I have always enjoyed weight training but over the years I found myself unmotivated and I didn’t know where to start again.
I did not realize how effective a proper program can be. Instead of following an online program or just going to the gym to lift weights, I see how a program with proper structure, knowledge and theory behind it can be so much more effective.
Also, Scott has always told me in addition to weight training, just get out for walks. No need to do hours of cardio and I can say that I haven’t! When I have a choice to do cardio or a program from Scott, I will always hands down choose to do a day from my program.
Conclusion
I made this change for myself and I can tell you I am not here to “sell” anyone on a program. I write this because my coaching experience has allowed me to reach my goals knowing that I am doing it in a way that is sustainable and healthy. I truly believe and trust in Scott’s methodologies, programs, techniques because he has the experience, research and knowledge to back it up. He is the real deal.
I was kind of scared and not sure what to expect but what surprised me was how Scott really understood and supported what real life is like. I am not perfect and I have my good days and bad days, but he helps me get through it all and gives me real tools and strategies to manage my life and my goals.
Readings Scott’s books have been very eye opening and helpful. Being able to understand why we do things and how we don’t need to diet to be happy and healthy has made a big difference. I have learned to like myself, my body and what it can do for me. I don’t put myself down and beat myself up. Instead, sometimes I find myself making a point of thanking my body for what it can do and what I have achieved, and I only learned that through Scott’s knowledge, support and coaching.
I have learned that this is a process and always will be, so we need to enjoy the process. There is no real final destination to get to. Somedays you will feel great, other days you won’t, but that doesn’t mean that it defines you and that tomorrow can’t be even better. Getting your thoughts in order is just as important as the work your body does (what Scott calls “mental fitness”).
Also, I have stopped worrying about the scale. I will probably always use it as a reference point from time to time (it is a work in progress and a hard habit to break!) but weighing yourself cannot rule your life. It can make you feel like a failure in a second. What matters is how you feel and look and the feeling you get when you know you have put the work in. Dedication to ourselves and commitment to our health needs to be first foremost.
This whole coaching experience has been a life changer because of how I feel about myself now, which is not tied to a bunch of numbers anymore. I have the tools I need, I know that if I do the work, I will get results.
I feel blessed and honored to work with Scott. Like I said, he is no nonsense and is not going to try to sell you on the latest fad. He will help you get where you want to be with the right tools that will set you up for success.