A quick Precision Nutrition Coaching Update

Today, Precision Nutrition posted links to the presale lists for women’s and men’s coaching (if you sign up for the presale you can get a discount; and these sell out). I think the next cycle starts in January. My cohort started in July and we have an opportunity to speak with the women in the January group in early December.

So we’re 18 weeks into my year long experiment. The hard data: I was down 10 pounds and 7.75 inches before my New Zealand Adventure started. I haven’t had access to a scale but I brought a tape measure and the loss of inches seems to be holding up. Hooray!

Note: I care much more about inches and body fat percentage vs. the number on the scale. My goal for this holiday. Don’t lose ground.

You weigh & measure every 2 weeks. You take photos every 4 weeks. And yes, if the progress keeps up like this, I’ll share the before and week 52 photos. I may just have defined abs before I turn 50! Re: speed of program, this is a marathon not a sprint. It’s a slog. And it’s forever. Make better choices 90% of the time. Simple. Some of the women in my group (we have a private facebook group as well) were/are really frustrated by this. I was normal weight to start with, but wanted to lose body fat. For my height I have about 10 more pounds to work with before becoming clinically under weight, which seems pretty laughable but that’s the math. So I’m more focused on body composition. How can I improve muscle tone, leanness?  There were a lot of questionnaires early on that determined what workouts I receive each day. I don’t know all that goes into them, I’m just DOING them and since progress is happening (slowly), I’m sticking with it. I’m the tortoise not the hare in this experiment.

They have also gamified program compliance by awarding “badges” for lessons done, habits (new every 2 weeks) done, & workouts done. Basically if you do 5 each week in a category you get a badge. I’m showing you “habits” since I do not always succeed there. Sometimes these are easy – did I eat protein with every meal, you bet I did. Ooh did I eat until 80% full? Ha ha ha ha. Did I eat slowly? Why no, I did not. I don’t remember what week 12 was, but clearly I could not do it, at all. I don’t really care about the “badges” but you do need to check in each day – did you workout? did you do your habit? did you do the lesson? I think the accountability helps, at least me.

And I’m keeping up with the workouts as the hotel gyms permit. And yes, I traveled with fitness bands, just in case. And have used them. I have these – bargain (I left the yellow and green bands at home). Reality, I could have left them at home, but it comforted me to have a back up plan.

So here’s the real question…do you need to sign up? As far as I can tell, and I’ve done the certification program, 100% of the program info is available free online in the blog posts and infographics. Or you could buy the binder and do the program solo for 1/20 of the cost. I think the real value add is the pacing of the roll out so it’s achievable and the built in accountability system. If you can do all that solo, you’re good to go.

I like that the workout of the day is assigned so I just need to do it and not think about it. I like that the workout density increases gradually so I never have that workout where I can’t move for the next 3 days and just stop altogether. I like that there is a coach checking in with me regularly to get at a my real fitness issues (e.g. it’s the Pinot Noir this holiday) and who will give me workout strategies while traveling. But that’s me. I still appreciate the science behind the program. That’s what sucked me in initially and keeps me at it, day by day.