krone.at self-test

Weight loss coaching: how the first two months went

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Get rid of your belly in a short space of time and finally get fit again? And without spending hours sweating it out in the gym and painstakingly cutting back on food? krone.at wanted to find out and carried out a six-month self-test. You can find out how I fared in the first two months with a professional weight loss expert here in our multi-part series on weight loss coaching.

So at the age of 44, at the beginning of 2024, I set myself the challenge of making a lasting improvement to my life. After years of unsuccessful attempts to get my excess weight and lack of fitness under control, I decided to work with weight loss coach Laurenz Staindl, as reported in part 1 of the series.

Laurenz, who is also known from the TV show Ninja Warrior, offers customized nutrition plans and training programs and has already helped over 200 clients achieve their fitness goals and lead a healthier lifestyle with his strategy.

The goal I have set myself with the young professional: To become sustainably healthy and fit by my 45th birthday - and to stay that way. At a height of 188 centimetres, I reached my maximum weight of 99.9 kilograms in 2019 and have fluctuated between 80 and 90 kilograms ever since, despite all my efforts to pay attention to my diet and do at least a little sport regularly. At first glance, this may not sound too bad for some readers given my size, but the body's muscles and fat percentage have to be taken into account individually.

Analysis and getting started
An initial consultation with Laurenz at the turn of the year marks the beginning of my journey in the battle against the kilos. To get me started, the weight loss expert conducts a detailed onboarding session with me and I am given access to a training and nutrition app to get a comprehensive picture of my eating habits.

I also have to fill out an anamnesis form so that the optimal concept tailored to me can be determined. This allows the expert to record my current state of health and physical fitness in detail. I am also asked to take an initial comparison photo of my body so that we can compare my physical changes later on.

Then things really get going: the first week is mainly used to analyze my current eating habits using the app, without making any immediate changes. I track all my meals from early in the morning until the evening, indicating all the foods I eat and how much I eat. Tracking calories is also about documenting the breakdown of protein, carbohydrates and other macronutrients in order to bring about a long-term change in the percentage breakdown.

Personalized training plan
At the same time, Laurenz and his team provide me with a personalized training plan in the training app to get me started. Because I don't have the time or inclination to go to the gym, my plan consists of exercises that I can do at home without equipment, from push-ups in different variations to lunges and planking. I do three training sessions a week with 2 or 3 sets of each exercise. The intensive workouts, which last around 50 minutes with breaks of no more than 2 minutes between each set, are designed to make me really sweat - and they do.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Initially, I only do exercises with my own body weight, but Laurenz changes the training plan in the first month and adds exercises with dumbbells in the following weeks. The dumbbells and interchangeable weights are an inexpensive purchase and can be used in a variety of ways, as I discover to my delight. In our weekly discussion with Laurenz, we talk about the individual exercises and the challenges I faced when doing them.

Incorporating movement into everyday life
Right from the start, I also make sure I walk an average of around 10,000 steps a day. I achieve this by walking part of the way to and from the office, for example, and regularly going for a walk in the evening.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

During training, the expert motivates me in the following weeks to regularly increase the number of repetitions. In the last of 2 or 3 sets, I manage to do more repetitions of the individual exercises than the prescribed number. From the 4th week onwards, Laurenz challenges me to really push myself to the limit, i.e. to do as many repetitions as possible on the last set of each exercise. It works up a sweat, but it works.

Adjusting the diet
After the initial analysis, the active phase of changing my diet begins in week 2. My calorie intake, which according to the tracking app is around 1900 calories per day in the first week, is now looked at more closely and adjusted based on the calculated macronutrients, which are entered in the app under the nutritional goals. Laurenz emphasizes the importance of protein-rich foods and also provides a list of foods for this purpose.

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I also increase my daily water intake, i.e. the amount of water I drink per day. According to the expert, this should be between 2 and 3 liters, and even more than 3 liters for intensive strength training.

The hot topic of dietary supplements
We also talk about the much-discussed topic of nutritional supplements and I get different protein powders to test out, which I then drink as a protein shake before or during training and later add several times a week at breakfast, for example for overnight oats. The additional amount of protein should help build and maintain muscle.

However, Laurenz also points out that improper use and inferior products can have consequences for health. Theoretically, the required amount of protein can be covered by the normal diet if it is designed accordingly. However, this proves to be more difficult when training regularly to build muscle, as I can see for myself from the breakdown of macronutrients. I only use high-quality products, including organic hemp protein, for example.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Don't forget fruit and vegetables
From the second month of coaching, other foods such as fruit come into focus. Basically, it's about making sure your diet is rich in nutrients. Exotic fruits such as pineapple, pomegranate and coconut are recommended by the expert. Polyphenols are contained in all types of fruit and vegetables and have a positive effect on health. Laurenz also recommends frozen berries. A handful a week in addition to fresh fruit and exotic fruit at least once a week. He also recommends peppers as a hidden source of vitamin C, which I didn't know. And also herbs such as parsley or coriander.

The underestimated sleep
Laurenz also talks to me about other aspects that are relevant to my health: For example, about sleep, which is often underestimated for well-being, and how many hours of sleep are good for me. According to Laurenz, it should be an average of six and a half to seven hours. Before coaching, I often only slept for 5 hours. I manage to think about it more often and go to bed earlier. I quickly notice the difference and feel better as a result, for example in terms of my ability to concentrate and my motivation level.

(Bild: baranq - stock.adobe.com / KroneMED)

Body and posture
As far as my physical condition is concerned, Laurenz tells me from the first photos I took of myself that my chest is genetically strong, while my shoulders are rather weak. My problem area: my stomach. My belly fat in particular poses numerous risks, not least because I have a family history of heart disease that I shouldn't ignore in my mid-forties. The swimming tire has to go!

Another important issue for me: my back muscles and posture. Because I have back pain from time to time. We talk about possible causes, such as the strain caused by working at the computer for hours on end, and I get tips on how to improve this too, which increases my well-being in the long term.

Deepening and initial successes
In the following weeks, the focus is on intensifying the training and making consistent changes to my diet. Additional e-books provide me with further information and recipes to make it easier to achieve my goals. I can see the first physical changes, which are also noticed and commented on positively by other people around me. Interim results: improved fitness and concentration, as well as a reduction in back pain and an initial increase in muscle mass, as can be seen from the comparison photos I take once a week.

Long-term prospects
After the first few weeks of coaching, the focus is on maintaining the successes already achieved in the long term. In our weekly conversation, Laurenz guides me to gradually reduce calorie counting and eat more intuitively. This should help me to permanently integrate the new habits into my everyday life and maintain a balanced diet regardless of the constant calorie counting.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

In any case, the first two months with the weight loss expert have already shown significant progress, both in terms of physical fitness and eating habits. Particularly from mid-February onwards, clear results can already be seen, both in terms of training, diet and weight loss.

Being consistent brings success
I am surprised myself, as is Laurenz, who praises me for the "perfect implementation" of the plan so far. In his words, he had "underestimated" me. Being consistent definitely brings success, I have to admit to myself. What is important from the outset in Laurenz's coaching: motivation, because this is precisely where many people fail when trying to change their lifestyle in the long term, as the expert knows from experience.

Thanks to the professional support and resources provided, I can create a solid foundation for further success in the first two months. In the next part of the series, you can read how I fared during my weight loss coaching with coach Laurenz Staindl - and whether I managed to consolidate and build on my initial successes.