Jul 26, 2016

‘I did The Body Coach plan and here’s how my body changed’ – Cosmopolitan UK

Once you’re done, you submit your final pictures and measurements and um…that’s it. 

It’s weird, but after three months of dedicating your life to something, you expect some sort of medal (sort it out, Joe), but instead, you get a friendly email and a  ‘graduation’ report, which tells you what exercise you should do and what ‘macros’ (the amounts of fats, carbs, and protein) you need to eat if you want to lose more fat, gain muscle or maintain your shape. 

So, did I transform into a lean winner? Did I end up with a six pack? Well, not quite. And that’s probably down to those holidays and slip-ups off plan I had. 

But comparing my photos over time, I realised I’d still lost body fat around my waist and hips (and boobs), and I’d toned up all over.


More importantly though, I’d never felt so confident about my body. I felt fit, strong, and healthy – and that’s 100%  more important to me now than a number on a scale. 

My verdict on the SSS Plan: 

Joe Wicks may be pretty good at marketing himself, but his plan definitely works. If you commit to the food and exercise, and don’t drink,  don’t expect quick fixes and are prepared to work hard, you will get results. 

I felt fit, strong, and healthy – and that’s 100% more important to me now than a number on a scale.

The plan costs money, but it’s cheaper than a personal trainer (although don’t expect the same level of one-to-one contact and expertise!), and I saved money because I was planning my meals for the week rather than nipping into my local supermarket. 

Having said that, there are a few annoying things about the plan – sometimes the instructions weren’t clear enough (for example, it didn’t mention on Cycle One I wasn’t supposed to eat a breakfast smoothie more than twice a week). But a brand new version of the plan has now come out which looks like it’s clearer and has even better recipes than the ones I had (I’m not angry, just jealous). 

The meal prep and fitting in the workouts can be a huge ball ache and commitment – and seeing as I don’t have a family or a job with insane or shift-like hours, I have a huge amount of respect for the people that manage to do the plan as well as all that. 

Then there’s the issues it can cause if you live with a partner or family who aren’t doing the plan – I’m not going to lie, me and my husband had a few fights about having to eat ‘on plan’ all the time – including one time when he actually tried to force feed me Ben & Jerry’s, while doing a Joe Wicks impression. 

But I am in the best shape of my life, I feel amazing, toned, strong and have loads of energy and literally haven’t got sick since starting the plan. While  my transformation isn’t going to end up in Joe’s ‘Hall of Fame’ – I’ll keep following the other hugely inspiring men and women who have totally changed their diet and lifestyle and got INCREDIBLE results.

And finally, the things I wish I’d known before I  started: 

– Get digital scales so you can be accurate with measurements. 

– Join the Unofficial Facebook group – it’s run by a group of absolute babes in their spare time, it’s a truly positive community and there are loads of good recipe hacks and tips on there. 

– If you don’t drink booze at all, and really commit to the food and workouts, you will have better results. There’s no cheats, it’s all down to you. And it’s only 3 months. I was slack with the booze but you don’t have to be. 

Buy Tupperware or cheap plastic takeaway boxes, and ‘prep like a boss’ when you can. 

– Buy frozen spinach – it’s easier and cheaper to eat mounds of than dry greenery. 

– Ask your coach if you can have Quest Bars, or Carb Killas. They are occasional treats that make not having chocolate 100% easier. 

– If you don’t have a gym membership, that’s fine. For Cycle 1, you don’t need it. For 2 and 3, you can get weights from Argos for £30 to do at home. 

– Don’t expect miracles. Don’t weight yourself unless it’s the end of Cycles. Don’t freak out if you put on weight – because your clothes are probably looser and you feel better. 

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