Kathleen's History With Fitness and Her Body

Kathleen had been weight training four to five days a week for the past several years but told POPSUGAR, "I just wasn't completely happy with how I looked or felt during my workouts." Her goal was to drop some body fat and improve her overall body composition, without losing muscle mass.

Kathleen Tries Renaissance Periodization

In June 2016, Kathleen was first introduced to Renaissance Periodization (RP), a macro-based meal plan [4], and that's when everything changed for her. A few close friends of hers highly recommended RP, and she was looking for a trustworthy program that was known to produce results.

"I scrolled through RP's Instagram transformation page [5] and decided I wanted to be like many of their clients and take a serious step toward improving my body and training," she explained. RP offers different eating templates [6] to follow based on your goals, whether you're trying to lose fat or build muscle.

Kathleen purchased a 12-week fat-loss template that Summer of 2016. She followed it for about eight weeks before she ended the program early. She explained, "I was in the process of moving gyms, switching training programs, and just life in general kept me extra busy, and I just wasn't mentally ready to completely devote myself to following the program."

Kathleen Gets Serious About Renaissance Periodization

A year and a half later toward the end of 2017, after focusing on building strength and following the RP template she originally purchased, Kathleen decided she was ready this time to fully commit to making a change. She purchased the newly updated fat-loss templates and started her second cut (working to lose fat) in January 2018.

"This time I followed through till the end for the full 12 weeks," Kathleen shared proudly. After the cut ended, she was able to maintain her weight the rest of the year and focused on building up her strength with the goal to cut again.

"I did another 12-week fat-loss cut, this time using the new RP Diet app, from mid-January 2019 till my 37th birthday on March 28," Kathleen said. Beginning at 185 pounds, Kathleen was able to lose 35 pounds from both 12-week cuts combined. She said in an Instagram post [7], "I have honestly never loved my body more than I do now."

Kathleen's Diet Details

For the first 12-week cut in January 2018, Kathleen used the RP fat-loss template, which gave her daily macros for six meals. They varied depending whether it was a training or nontraining day. On lifting days, she chose the intensity of her training (light, moderate, or hard) and ate the amount of macros listed for each meal, using foods that were approved and listed on the template. Kathleen said she tried to stick to foods she could eat consistently and that were easy and convenient for her schedule.

For her most recent cut, from the beginning of 2019, Kathleen used the RP Diet app. It's similar to using the template as far as following the macros based on her weight and training, but other factors were added in as well. "The app asked for my daily activity level, the choice of four to six meals a day, more selection of cut-approved food choices, meal-time notifications, weigh-in notifications, and a chart to track my daily progress," Kathleen explained.

"If I don't follow my meals exactly, then it can cause me to feel extra fatigued and not train as well during my workouts," Kathleen said. The amount of carbs varies depending on how intense her training is, so it was very important for her to follow the plan as close to 100 percent as possible in order to get the best results for her training and fat-loss goals.

A Sample Day of Eating

Kathleen typically has six meals a day, adding a "workout" shake on her training days. Her daily total macros [8] were about 150 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs, and 45 grams of fat, with most meals being around 25 grams of protein, five grams of carbs, and 10 grams of fat.

Here's an example of what she ate in the last six weeks of her fat-loss cut:

9 a.m.: Chicken thighs, sautéed squash or zucchini noodles, and a few cashews. "If I'm in a rush, I will have 25 grams of whey vanilla protein mixed with water or unsweetened vanilla almond milk," Kathleen said.

11 a.m.: Grilled chicken thighs with one-and-a-half cups sautéed squash. "I cook the squash with fat-free butter spray and a blend of garlic salt and Frank's RedHot seasoning," Kathleen said.

1 p.m.: 10 grams vanilla whey protein mixed with water and creatine (a supplement that can help build muscle) — she drinks some during the workout, then finishes the rest afterward.

Train from 1-3 p.m.

3:30 p.m. post-workout meal: Grilled chicken thighs, two cups raw spinach, a few diced strawberries, and a little low-calorie dressing.

5:30 p.m.: Chicken thighs or 90 percent lean ground turkey sautéed with one-and-a-half cups zucchini noodles, and a few pistachios.

8 p.m.: Chicken thighs or 90 percent lean ground turkey sautéed with one-and-a-half cups of zucchini noodles, and a few pistachios.

"If my schedule was hectic or I didn't have time to eat at the exact prescribed time, I would combine two meals to have one combined dinner and sometimes would have a sirloin steak or pork tenderloin instead of chicken," Kathleen explained.

10:30 p.m. (35 grams of protein, five grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat): Chocolate casein, peanut butter, and three-quarter cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk all mixed together to make a pudding. If she had extra carbs left for the day, she'd add diced fresh strawberries.

Kathleen's Workouts

RP helps fuel Kathleen's body each day in order to have the energy and strength to get her through her weekly training sessions. Over the past one-and-a-half years, Kathleen has been doing a mix of Strongman/Strongwoman strength training along with a mix of hypertrophy [9] work (high volume/high rep).

"My training typically lasts about two hours and equals working sets ranging from 15 to 35 sets depending on the day. I try to have one main strength lift each training day (bench press [10] or squat [11]) and add hypertrophy work depending on which part I did," Kathleen explained. During the last two fat-loss cuts, she trained five to six days a week.

Kathleen's Nonscale Victories

Kathleen competed in her first Strongwoman competition in 2018 and placed third out of eight women. "I'm not sure I would have done as well if I wasn't following a program that fueled me through my training like RP did," Kathleen said.

Another training victory for Kathleen was accomplishing her goal to be able to do 10 strict pull-ups [12]. "When I first found RP, I was lucky to do two to three reps, and toward the end of my cut in 2018, I was doing three sets of 10 strict pull-ups. I believe I ran around the gym cheering extra loudly that day because I not only made my goal but exceeded it," Kathleen said, beaming. Now, this year Kathleen is doing sets of 12 to 14 reps.

"The biggest nonscale victory will have to be the body confidence [13] I gained," Kathleen shared. "Before my last two fat-loss cuts, I would scroll through my Instagram feed seeing women wearing crop tops at the gym, and I would always tell myself, 'I wish I had the confidence to wear that.' Here I am today, a week after finishing my second full cut, and I'm now that woman who always wears those cute crop tops. I absolutely love the way I look (flaws and all) and appreciate all that my body can accomplish."

Kathleen's Weight-Loss Tip

Kathleen says to take weekly progress pictures [14], because the leaner you get, the harder it is to see big scale movements. And if you're building muscle, the scale numbers may go up, while your body fat is decreasing, and the photos will show you your progress more accurately.

How Kathleen Stays Motivated

Kathleen said honestly, "Motivation fades over time." You can find inspiration from looking at athletes on Instagram and reading quotes [15], but really, the question comes down to "how bad do you want to accomplish your goal?" Kathleen said that you have to decide what's most important to you and find a way to stick to it.

Some days will be harder than others, but the consistent work you put in [16] each day will be your motivation to keep going. "Yes, I absolutely love training, but there are days I have to drag myself to the gym, because taking a nap or watching Netflix on the couch sounds better, Kathleen admitted. But those are the days you have to give yourself that extra push, and once you get done with your workout, you'll be glad you went.

Treat Yourself!

Kathleen is big into rewarding herself for reaching goals [17]. After finishing a cut, she'll buy herself a new dress, custom bikini, or weekend trip. "Even just one night out in a brand-new sexy dress and taking that perfect IG-worthy photo is motivation enough some days to just remind myself to keep on track," Kathleen said.

Kathleen's Advice and Final Thoughts

It takes a certain amount of discipline [18], so just take it one day at a time and stay focused on your goal. "Make sure you find supportive friends who help encourage you and want to see you accomplish your goal. It may just be one person, but try to find someone you can lean on during the hard days," Kathleen shared.

Kathleen wants to remind us that hard work, consistency, and patience pay off and that lifelong changes don't happen overnight, in 30 days, or rarely in just one year.

"Love yourself along your journey [19] and appreciate where you started, because you're going to have some tough days and critics (which may even be ourselves). Remind yourself that you're stronger than you think," Kathleen said.