A fitness coach has revealed the exact diet and exercise regime she followed to completely change her body in four years – and why it’s all about eating more and exercising less if you want your dream physique.
Sophie Allen, 31, from Sydney, said she used to be ‘obsessed’ with exercise, and would work out six or more times per week while eating just 1,400 calories per day.
It took her months of researching why she wasn’t seeing the results she wanted to completely change her thinking and her approach.
A fitness coach has revealed the exact diet and exercise regime she followed to completely change her body in four years (Sophie Allen pictured now)
Sophie Allen, 31, used to be ‘obsessed’ with exercise, and would work out six or more times per week while eating 1,400 calories, before she changed her ways (pictured before and after)
‘I was chronically under-eating, under-recovered, spinning my wheels, not progressing, burning through any muscle I gained, building no strength or solid technique… no wonder I wasn’t getting anywhere,’ Sophie posted on Instagram.
The 31-year-old prioritised cardio over strength, which meant she only ever got thinner instead of stronger.
She would then spend the weekends bingeing on ‘cheat meals’, only to feel guilty come Monday, when the whole ‘binge restrict’ cycle would start again.
The 31-year-old prioritised cardio over strength work, which meant she only ever got thinner instead of stronger (pictured now)
What is Sophie Allen’s day on a plate now?
* SNACK: Half a banana before the gym.
At breakfast time, Sophie typically goes for something like protein oats (pictured), which contain around 530 calories and easily keep her full until lunchtime
* BREAKFAST: Protein oats: 45 grams of wheat-free rolled oats, with some protein powder, water, strawberries, blueberries, coconut yoghurt, peanut butter, macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds.
* LUNCH: Pita bread pocket, stuffed with kangaroo sausages, avocado, iceberg lettuce, grated carrot, tomatoes and some vegan cheese.
* SNACK: Three rice cakes, one topped with peanut butter and banana, and two with avocado, tomato, some balsamic glaze, basil and salt.
Sophie had three rice cakes, and topped one with peanut butter and banana and two with avocado, tomato, basil, salt and balsamic (pictured)
* SNACK TWO: One square of dark chocolate.
* DINNER: Homemade pizza with wholegrain wraps, vegan cheese, pumpkin, pineapple, tomato paste, zucchini, chicken and basil leaves. Top with extra rocket.
* DESSERT: Chocolate dessert topped with blueberries and strawberries.
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Sophie trains between three and four times a week, eats 2,000 calories or even slightly more on any given day and follows a flexible dietary approach (pictured before and after)
‘It took me a while to figure out the style, frequency, type, volume and intensity that I was able to recover from in order to get the best results for my goals,’ Sophie said.
‘Now, I’ve taken my body through building phases to fuel my sessions to build the muscle I was after.
‘I rest hard, I eat plenty, I sleep plenty, I lift plenty and I’ve got plenty of a**.’
Sophie trains between three and four times a week, eats 2,000 calories or even slightly more on any given day and follows a flexible dietary approach.
Flexible dieting is a popular and simple weight loss plan that allows foods that fit within your specific daily macronutrient targets.
This way of eating provides dieters freedom in their food choices, which may help them to keep weight off over time and create a positive and healthy relationship with food.
She said if you want to lose weight, you need to train smart not hard in order to see results.
What Sophie did before (2017)
* Training six times a week.
* Eating 1,400 calories.
* Under-recovered.
* Not aiming for strength gains.
* Weekend ‘cheat’ meals.
* Never resting.
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What Sophie does now (2021)
* Training 3-4 times a week.
* Eating 2,000 calories or more.
* Prioritise rest and recovery.
* Strong and builds muscle goals.
* Flexible dieting.
* Train smart, not more often.
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‘Everything I thought I had to do – eat less, hit the gym more, rest = weakness, do a load of exercises per session, be in the gym for ages; it was all the opposite to what I needed to be doing,’ she said.
‘As soon as I stripped things back (not sexy, I know), I got my glutes popping.’
Sophie added: ‘Genetics? Yeah, they played a role for sure! I’ve got a lot of muscle, but also a lot of fat stored which works in my favour. But it doesn’t detract from the progress I’ve made physically, strength, lifestyle and mentally!’
While it might sound counter-intuitive, the fitness coach (pictured) said that if you want to see results, you need to re-think what you’re doing
Sophie (pictured now) budgets $200 on groceries, and buys a mixture of lean proteins, carbohydrates, fruit and veg and healthy fats
Thousands who saw Sophie’s transformation post were impressed and said they wanted to try her approach of eating more and exercising less for themselves.
‘This is great motivation,’ one woman posted.
Another added: ‘I’ve been driving myself mad, trying to figure out why I don’t build muscle, thank you for sharing’.
What is Sophie’s typical weekly shopping list?
BUDGET: $200 per week
The 30-year-old shared what she buys in a week (pictured)
* PROTEIN: Extra lean organic beef mince, prawns, barramundi, chicken breast, rump cut steak, protein powder, eggs and egg whites.
* CARBOHYDRATES: Gluten-free bread, gluten-free dairy-free brioche buns, pita bread, rice cakes, gluten-free Weetbix, mini rice cakes dipped in chocolate, dark chocolate, sugar and salt-reduced tomato sauce.
* FRUIT AND VEGETABLES: Pineapple, bananas, pumpkin, cauliflower, zucchini, broccolini, tomatoes, basil, cos lettuce, blueberries and strawberries.
* HEALTHY FATS: Peanut butter, almond flour, macadamia nuts, vegan cheese.
Source: Sophie Allen
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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