Janae R., age 42

I have always been “athletic” and “active” -- high school sports, swimming through college, bagged a couple of marathons and several half marathons, a couple triathlons and a bike race, several spartan/obstacle races and have been active in CrossFit since 2014.  However, it wasn’t until I began aging past 35 or so that I noticed I was putting on weight, losing muscle tone, and looking different than I wanted to.  Throughout all the years of various sports, I had never paid much attention to nutrition---just calories in, calories out.  When I wanted to lose weight, I worked out more.  I had “dieted” by tracking/limiting calories in previous years with some success, but ultimately found it to be quite restrictive calorically speaking to reach the desired weight and maintain it while living an active lifestyle. 

I started PR Nutrition Coaching with Paul in July 2021 after talking with a few coaches at the gym about my struggles with weight gain. They had several other members find success on his plan. Prior to contacting Paul, I was noticing that I was going to the gym very regularly (4-5X/week) and working hard each day while there; however, I wasn’t losing any weight, and in fact seemed to be gaining it.  I was seeing a number on the scale I had never seen before and vowed it wouldn’t get any higher. 

Paul was very responsive, welcoming, and personable and took the time to meet with me in person to go over his program, the logistics, the weekly check in process, the macro tracking apps available etc.  He even offered to help with meal prep or food planning if needed.  Once I got started, I found it to be kind of “fun” to puzzle my food to fit the given macros each day. I like to eat a variety of foods and rather than eat the same thing day after day because the macros fit; I ended up puzzling with different food combinations most days and could generally come very close to the prescribed macros.  This flexibility to eat mostly what I want each day made the plan very achievable. It took some time to start seeing results but in time, the weight started to come off.   By the end of August 2021, I had lost 10lbs and was beginning to see changes in how my clothes were fitting.  By Thanksgiving, I had lost 20lbs and was beginning to think I was nearing the lowest of any number I had ever seen on the scale as an adult!  All the while, I was working out 3-5X per week and eating more than 1600 calories per day—which was more food than in my previous “dieting” attempts.  I wasn’t starving—and didn’t have to kill myself in the gym to see results. People around me started noticing my weight loss and their comments served to encourage me to keep working hard. 

During this same time of working on my nutrition, I was navigating perhaps the largest setback in my life.  A very stressful time that in years past I may have turned to food or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Instead, this program gave me something to strive for, a weekly goal to keep focused on, and Paul to hold me accountable!  At a time when self-confidence, self-image, and overall happiness had plummeted, the success I found working with Paul and developing a better relationship with food played a huge role in restoring my confidence and belief in myself. 

My weekly check-ins with Paul were always met with professionalism and his responses were genuine and informative. While I am a bit more social than I am guessing he’d like (meaning, I ate and drank “off plan” more often than I he’d like) as my nutrition coach, he was great at motivating me to get back on track and not get too down about poor choices made in days past.  All that to say---I didn’t eat perfectly all the time, and still enjoyed a glass of wine (or three) on a few too many occasions, and I still found success in the process.  Perfection isn’t required, but consistency is key! Paul is a great motivator and emulates what he teaches his clients in his own life and athletic goals. He is easy to communicate with and is quick to respond to any questions or troubles that come up along the way. 

In total, I have lost 27lbs (almost 18% of my body weight) over 8 months and have lost over 11 inches between my chest/waist/hips.  However, it is the ability to carry myself with confidence and a more positive self-image that I am most grateful for developing along the way. While I am still committed to continuing to work at creating my new self, and as Paul will say “it is a lifelong journey,” I am proud of the progress I have made with PR Nutrition and am driven to push harder to see where this can go!