”Like many people, I tend to over-think my eating sometimes. I am a very active person and have a strong foundation of nutritional knowledge, but in the late summer, I felt that I wanted to make positive change to my nutritional habits and attitudes. I have been playing sport since I was four, with my most recent endeavours including running, Crossfit and basketball. In fact, I started Crossfit in Nenagh in late July, which is where I first heard about Matt. After asking a few people for their thoughts on his services, I decided to sign up, with the primary goal of improving my body composition. This main goal had a number of spin-off goals attached, such as successfully completing the Dublin Marathon in late October and improving my performance in Crossfit.
Overall, I worked with Matt online for 12 weeks. It certainly was not a “diet”; it was a shift and growth in knowledge, attitudes and lifestyle, which is what I wanted and needed. Matt took on board everything I was already doing, and made minor changes here and there. There was no massive overhaul. As I said, I had solid eating habits already, but there was room for improvement that Matt managed to identify. I did not want to count calories because I thought such an approach would be off-putting for me; instead, Matt suggested a “flexible approach” that was tailor-made for me.
From a nutritional perspective, the biggest changes were increasing my protein intake and spreading calories more evenly throughout the day. There was very little “cutting” of foods. In fact, one of the greatest aspects of Matt’s coaching is that he does not label food as “good/bad”. In that sense, there is nothing off limits; it is simply about moderation and accounting for small indulgences. As a chocolate-lover, I have not eliminated chocolate from my diet; I am more mindful about when I eat, rather than grabbing a bar because it is available.
Beyond these nutritional changes, Matt’s effect on my mind-set has actually been the most impactful. Previously, I would have felt guilty if I over-indulged at a meal. I would try not to, but I would focus on what I ate after leaving the table, even though I knew I had not done anything wrong and that over-thinking it was futile. I could have just run 30km and eaten a “treat” meal, but would still feel guilty. With Matt’s help, my overall viewpoint has shifted, allowing me to plan, enjoy and account for treats, while also moving on quickly if I over-indulge. It is still a work-in-progress, but I do not mull over food as much as previously. I just get back on track the next day. I should add that along with this attitude change, I have gained a new appreciation of the link between my eating and performance. I know that I do not “earn” a treat after a significant training session. I am not training to “make room” for indulgences; if I want something, I can have it, simple as that.
Overall, I enjoyed my online coaching experience with Matt. He was professional, knowledgeable, supportive and insightful. He helped me implement positive changes that I would not have managed by myself, and in doing so, has set me up to carry new habits into the future. The greatest complement to him is that, within the first month, I recommended his services to one of my closest friends, who is currently using his expertise to make positive changes in her life. I feel confident that my lifestyle will continue to improve, and that Matt will be there to support me should I ever drop him an e-mail.”
– Rachel Sheehan
Matt’s thoughts;
”We worked together for 3 months leading up to Christmas and during that time she successfully completed the Dublin marathon achieving a PB.
For the majority of our time, our focus was on using nutrition to improve performance and recovery in preparation for the marathon.
Fat loss was down the list of priorities for us but we ended up achieving a great physical transformation as a side effect of improving the other variables mentioned above.
Rachel’s commitment and dedication was outstanding. ”
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