This post is sponsored by Stronger U Nutrition but they actually reached out to me to work together after I had successfully competed three months of the program! Affiliate links below.
FOOD. Some people eat to live. Some people live to eat. Unfortunately – or fortunately depending on how you look at it- I fall into the latter category. I absolutely LOVE to eat. I love new recipes and I am always up for trying new restaurants. Quite honestly, I am someone who spends way more money than a person should on food. I have found my days revolve around meal times and I obsess over amazing foods. I especially love comfort foods, sweet foods, and salty foods. I love Mexican, Thai, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Crumbl Cookies to name a few of my favorites. Simply put, food brings me joy. A LOT OF JOY.
EXERCISE. Some people hate exercise. Others “love” exercise. Now- don’t hate on me here- but I happen to fall into the “love” category. I have always enjoyed the adrenaline rush that comes from exercise and the endorphins that come from pushing myself physically. Truthfully, my workouts have become a non-negotiable in my life. They are my daily sanity and my mental strength. For the past five years, I have been extremely disciplined when it comes to working out, even when I have lacked the motivation. I have fallen in love with completing at home fitness programs. (No, I’m not selling you anything- but they do work and I absolutely love Beachbody Trainer Autumn Calabrese.) In addition, I have fallen in love with at home spinning and my Peloton bike.
You have probably heard the saying, “you can’t outwork a bad diet”, BUT for the past several YEARS, I was really determined to prove that theory wrong…
And then it happened…The dreaded day… I turned 40! Everyone told me– “the weight just goes up from 40!” Again, I was convinced that age was just a number! But a year later, I found myself in a depressing situation. No matter how much I worked out (and some days that included a 3 mile walk with my mom, a 30-45 minute Beachbody workout, and a 20-45 minute Peloton ride) the weight was still creeping up. It also might have had something to do with the fact that I was eating way too many Crumbl Cookies. But in reality, the problem was, I had to accept the hard truth. I was no longer able to outwork my “bad” diet! I just didn’t have the time or energy anymore either to workout 3 times a day. I realized my only choice was to finally tune into my nutrition. Can a foodie ever truly lose and maintain weight? Ready or not, I was about to find out.
I had been researching macro counting for several years and I knew that I would eventually commit to learning this way of life. But macros?!? What even are they? Ha! The whole concept just seemed so overwhelming. In my search for someone to help to learn more about macros, I stumbled upon Stronger U Nutrition. The company has perfect five star reviews. The results of their program are phenomenal! The testimonies are almost unbelievable. How can so many people find success through one nutrition program? I was confident that Stronger U Nutrition could also work for me…but could I stay the course and do the work required?
In case you are new here- I have been building, documenting, and blogging our dream home over the past few years. In addition to blogging, I am also a full time social influencer and content creator. My husband works more than one job, and I have three children that are involved in numerous extracurricular activities. We are busy! I knew learning macros would take time and patience. I needed a moment of extreme faith to conquer my fear of not only starting- but actually sticking to a nutrition program. Because, as I already mentioned…I LOVE GOOD FOOD. I OBSESS OVER GOOD FOOD. Then one night in March, I was soaking my sore muscles in my bathtub when I logged onto the Stronger U Nutrition website and took an insane leap of faith. The time wasn’t perfect- but no time ever is…Right? I thought to myself- What do I have to lose– other than some lingering pounds? Ha. I admit, even though I research everything, I am still a bit of an impulsive person! The next thing I knew, I was a 3 month member of Stronger U Nutrition. Happy Birthday to me!
What is Stronger U Nutrition?
Stronger U Nutrition is a macronutrient and science based personalized nutrition coaching program. Macro counting has been used by body builders and fitness competitors for years, but Stronger U Nutrition has made the method accessible to EVERYONE. The program matches you to a real life coach to help you achieve your long term or short term goals, whether that is weight loss, weight maintenance, or muscle building. It is structured around YOU and YOUR needs. It is a solution based program specifically tailored to you. Stronger U is NOT a diet- but rather a way of life. This lifestyle is NOT A FAD. You can still eat all the foods you love. You will have accountability every step of the way through your coach. You will learn the tools necessary to sustain your goals forever. Sound too good to be true? I was a bit skeptical and anxious to find out…
How does Stronger U Nutrition work?
When you first sign up for the program, you must choose your session length ranging from 12 weeks, to 6 months, or 1 year. You will then fill out your client intake form- this identifies your goals, habits, and lifestyle. Within 48 hours- (Yes! you can actually be started on your journey that fast!) the member experience team will match you with an expert coach. Your coach will introduce themselves and chat through your personalized program to get you started! What happens next? For each week of the duration of your program, you will use Stronger U’s app to connect with your coach, check in weekly and measure your progress. There is lots of information about macro counting that you can find for free online- but the truth of the matter is, every person has different macros! I knew personally that if I was going to be committing to macro counting, I needed to have a professional to help me succeed. Having a coach helped me trust the process and see results faster and more consistently!
How much is Stronger U Nutrition?
Stronger U Nutrition is an investment in your health. Plans start at $159 a month with a minimum three month commitment. If you pay in full you can save a little with a 3 month plan costing $449, 6 month plan costing $849 and a yearly membership for $1649. All memberships include a personalized nutrition plan, lifestyle recommendations, weekly check-ins, unlimited coach messaging, a strong online community, access to the Stronger U Daily Nutrition app that tracks your progress, and the education you need to sustain your results for life. Honestly, I know this is a very expensive program, but when I look back at all I accomplished in just a few short months- I am actually amazed at the value.
How is Stronger U Nutrition different?
Unlike other diets or weight loss programs, Stronger U takes a PERSONALIZED approach to helping you reach your goals. There is not a ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach. Every coach is a Registered Dietitian or Certified Nutrition Coach. The coach you are matched with actually takes the time to understand your current habits and current struggles. Did you turn 40 and can’t lose a single pound? Are you pre-menopausal? Do you struggle with hormone issues or other illnesses? Your coach will listen to what you have tried in the past as well as what is preventing you from being successful now. With weekly check-ins and unlimited messaging, your coach is there to hold you accountable, answer your questions, and ultimately help you reach and maintain your goal regardless of your age or circumstances. In the end, I had my own personal cheerleader who not only provided me with accountability, but gave me the daily encouragement I needed to keep moving in the right direction.
Is Stronger U Nutrition only for women?
No! It’s for anyone wanting to lose weight, gain muscle, and feel amazing! Fingers crossed that when reading this post, my husband Scott will finally take the plunge and become a Stronger U member with me! Haha.
What were my own personal goals with Stronger U Nutrition?
So, even prior to starting Stronger U Nutrition, I did have a very strong fitness base that I’ve built over the past five years. My overall goal was to learn how to fuel my body properly. I also wanted to finally look like I workout as hard as I actually do. I was hopeful that my body composition would reflect the nutrition changes I was about to make. I was aiming to lose 15 pounds of fat and maintain muscle mass. [My stretch goal was to lose 20 pounds.]
What were my results with Stronger U Nutrition?
As of today, I am officially down 17 pounds. I am truly amazed that I surpassed my initial goal! I shed the weight over a 4.5 month timeframe- which equates to losing about a pound a week. My body fat percentage is now in the athlete range. All of my numbers on my Renpho Scale are green. Woop woop! My body composition has changed dramatically for the better! I am so proud of myself. Before starting this program, I felt that losing any weight would be an impossible feat! I can’t believe I did this while eating more than 1200 calories daily, not going low carb, not trying the keto diet, not starving, and still being able to enjoy my favorite foods IN MODERATION. Yes. I still ate Mexican food, McDonalds, and Starbucks. I also had the very occasional 1/4 of a Crumbl cookie. I did not feel deprived most of the time. Ha. I lost weight consistently through birthday parties, holidays, and all the traveling and chaos that took place (almost daily) with my kids and their numerous activities!
Did I exercise with Stronger U Nutrition?
Yes, I did exercise 5x a week with Autumn Calabrese’s 80 Day Obsession Program available on Beachbody on Demand. I admit, it is an intense exercise program, but I wanted to really challenge myself and see what my body could do while focusing on the nutrition component. And although I do feel that this exercise program did somewhat accelerate my fat loss, I already had a very strong fitness base and have worked out regularly for years. With that being said, I think the coolest part about Stronger U is that you actually do NOT need to exercise for 60 minutes a day to see amazing results. My coach reviewed my cardio and strength training regimen and set my macros accordingly. Stronger U coaches love to meet members where they’re at, and I can promise that you won’t feel pressured to “over exercise” to meet your goals.
Do I feel I can maintain my results I had with Stronger U Nutrition?
Maintenance mode. I put in the work, but can I maintain these results? I admit I am a little nervous going forward! I have yet to learn what maintenance is actually going to be like! But overall- Yes- I feel very confident going forward that I can maintain my results within 3-5 pounds. I really hope to continue my journey with Stronger U as a member on the Maintenance plan (a plan offered to members who have reached maintenance after being in the program.) For me, one of the craziest parts about Stronger U Nutrition is that I went on TWO vacations this summer. I enjoyed wonderful food and drinks each day while still applying some of the principles I learned while on Stronger U. When I returned home from vacation, the scale only reflected a 2 pound gain each time. After a few days, even those pounds quickly fell off once as I immediately went back to the habits I learned on the program. To say I was amazed at this was an understatement! This has helped reassure me that I can keep the weight off for good.
What was the hardest part of Stronger U Nutrition?
I’m not going to lie. Ha. Learning macros was very challenging for me at first! This is sustainable long term weight loss. It is NOT a quick fix! This is a not a fad. There were times that I didn’t know if I could stay the course, but my coach continually reassured me I could! Once I started learning how macros worked and the weight started falling off– I had the momentum to keep going. The encouragement and help from my coach was essential to my success! You will have to weigh yourself daily and weigh your food (sounds scary, I know!) but it becomes easier each day! Trust me- you will get used to it! Ha. You will probably have to learn to cook with new ingredients that you might not be used to using! You will have to learn how to track your food and then input it into an app. These things may not be easy but when you see the scale going down consistently, you will have the motivation to keep putting in the hard work. Trust me- It’s worth it!
What are the key takeaways I learned from Stronger U Nutrition?
- Having a coach and access to an amazing online community was crucial to my success!
- I learned I simply did not eat enough protein each day! If anyone wants to talk about protein, I’m available at any time. I admit I get way to much joy now talking about protein!
- I finally learned how to properly fuel my body!
- I learned the main reason most people can’t lose any weight is that they can’t remain in a deficit. This is why having a coach is so important! They keep you in a deficit. This is the key to fat loss.
- I learned that losing weight does not have to be completely miserable.
- I learned carbs aren’t bad, but too much FAT is. Ugh!
- A McDouble and a Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte are (kinda) easy to fit into your macros. A 1/4 of a Crumbl cookie is not.
- I learned hitting a 10k step goal each day just might be able to do more for you physically than completing a 30 minute workout! [Do both and your results will be incredible.]
- I am confident going forward that I can maintain my results. I can still enjoy food (perhaps even more than prior to Stronger U), because I now have balance.
- I learned that macros are truly magic! I still feel Stronger U is too good to be true! But crazily it’s not!
Shop my white swimsuit here. (Wearing Size Medium)
Can YOU lose weight with Stronger U Nutrition?
Yes! I truly believe that anyone can be successful with Stronger U Nutrition. And although it does come down to the fact that you have to be ready for a change and commitment, I am confident recommending this program to anyone. It has helped over 50,000 members (and counting) finally lose the weight! I truly am still in disbelief of how much having a nutrition coach helped me shed the pounds while still enjoying the foods I love! I learned that you can EAT ALL THE FOOD- JUST NOT ALL THE TIME. Stronger U has helped me find that BALANCE that I have always been looking for!
Stronger U Nutrition has changed my life, and I want it to change yours too! Use PROMO CODE JustBeingJess50 to save 50% off your first month of membership on the Stronger U monthly membership plan (New members only, 3 month minimum commitment). If you have any questions- feel free to reach out to me at anytime! I would love for you to follow my journey on Instagram! Stronger U also has an incredible member concierge team that is super helpful. You can fill out their ‘Contact Us Form’ and they will reach out to you quickly with answers!
Sign up for Stronger U Nutrition here! Don’t forget to use PROMO CODE JustBeingJess50 to save on your membership!
This post is sponsored by Stronger U Nutrition but all opinions are my own. Affiliate links present.
Shop the best black bandeau bikini here. (Wearing Size Medium.)
