About 10 years ago I did my first proper '12-week prep' style diet.
I was preparing
for a photoshoot for a supplements company who sponsored me at the time. There were some incredible athletes and physiques on the team. So although I was still fairly new to the fitness industry, I felt under massive pressure to show up looking good.
Over the course of the 12 weeks I did the opposite of any advice I'd ever give to clients.
I jumped from training programme to programme, believing the next one would definitely get me more shredded. I'd be up late at night reading about overpriced supplements that would magically get me super lean.
And the worst part was what I did with my
diet...
I read somewhere that re-feeds could get you incredible fat loss results. So I'd basically starve myself all week. Eating a ridiculously low amount of calories. Only eating completely 'clean food' – basically chicken, rice and broccoli for every meal.
Then every Saturday was re-feed day and I'd GO FOR IT!
The night
before I'd go to the shops to stock up so as soon as I woke up I could start bingeing.
I'm talking cookies for breakfast, stuffed crust pizzas for lunch, cakes, scones and biscuits throughout the day. I'd be eating chocolate in bed to cram in as much as possible, because I knew it would be another whole week before I could eat it again. You can imagine how my stomach felt the next day!
What's most embarrassing is I didn't even get me in great shape. I was eating so much on that one re-feed day
that I was wiping out the calorie deficit for the week and the days I'd been under-eating.
I look back now and cringe but I did learn a huge amount from the experience.
And it means I can definitely tell my clients how not to do it!
But I know firsthand that it's very easy to make irrational decisions when you're dieting.
You can easily fall into the trap of wanting a quick fix and being sucked into ridiculous diets and supplements.
It's why having a coach can be so valuable to provide some objectivity in those moments. I'd love to know, what's the most ridiculous diet you've ever tried? And what did you learn from it?
