Most would consider that 2 weeks following a spinal surgery would be a bad time to start a drastic fat loss program(I’ve written about quick versus slow weight loss here). Especially considering very little, if any significant calorie burning exercise was involved, because this is contraindicated after such surgeries. However, I think anytime is a great time to drastically improve your health, and the best time is when you are ready. And this past May, only days after her spinal surgery, Laura C. was ready! Laura knew she needed to make some changes, but was a bit uncertain how, given that her diet was not awful, and aggressive exercise wasn’t in the cards given her back issue. Knowing that she was getting great care in Physical Therapy, we turned her attention on doing some tests and measures, analyzing her current diet, and designing a meal plan for her. She was advised to follow-up every few weeks, then monthly to re-assess. Every time we followed up, we noticed a few trends. First, in spite of a significant calorie reduction, she noticed a huge spike in energy, and she wasn’t starving. This is actually a common finding with many of our fat loss clients. Second, she made dramatic improvements in fat loss. And third, she was remarkably compliant – not veering off her plan but for one or two “audibles” she called at cookouts here and there. By the end of the summer, she had made impressive improvements, and was able to begin incorporating more aggressive exercise beyond physical therapy. Her recent reassessment revealed her remarkable progress:
- Fat loss: 43.6 pounds
- Body fat % loss: 16.73%
- Muscle gain: .77 lbs
- inches off waist: 6.75 inches
- inches off hips: 6 inches
Not bad for 5 months time! Amazing work Laura! The key lessons here are that you can be aggressive towards reaching your fat loss goals even if the conditions are not ideal. Don’t wait until the perfect time – there is no such thing. Make a decision, and move forward. As long as you have a sound plan, backed by research and real world experience, and reinforced with accountability and commitment, you will make amazing, life changing progress. If this is something you want, click here to get started.
