An Environmental Health and Safety Director has revealed how she managed to lose nine kilograms over the course of two years (Brittney Rae pictured)
An Environmental Health and Safety Director has revealed how she managed to lose nine kilograms over the course of two years by following the Australian personal trainer Kayla Itsines’s Bikini Body Guide.
Brittney Rae, 26, from Michigan, said she had counted calories her entire life, but had no idea about nutrition when she took up Kayla’s workout plan in 2016.
More than four years later, the 26-year-old said she is happier and healthier than she has ever been – and managing to keep the weight off while she is quarantined at home on account of the coronavirus pandemic.
‘I’ve been walking my dog when I can and walking up the stairs in my apartment building (35 floors) coupled with regular Kayla Itsines workouts on the SWEAT app to stay fit during quarantine,’ Brittney told FEMAIL.
So how did the 26-year-old lose the weight?
Brittney Rae , 26, from Michigan, said said she had counted calories her entire life, but had no idea about nutrition when she took up Kayla’s workout plan in 2016 (pictured before and after)
More than four years later, the 26-year-old said she is happier and healthier than she has ever been – and managing to keep the weight off while she is quarantined at home on account of the coronavirus pandemic. (pictured now)
First, Brittney said she realised she needed to take charge of her diet.
‘I had counted calories almost my entire life but only focused on the number not on the nutrients I should have been consuming (at one point in college I was literally living on string cheese, granola bars, and chips because it was under my daily calorie goal),’ she explained on her website.
Brittney said she started following the ‘plate method’, whereby she made sure every meal she ate included the right foods in their correct amounts.
‘I would fill at least half of my plate with non-starchy vegetables,’ Brittney said.
‘This was usually around 50 calories for me, but of course it depends on the type of vegetable and how you prepare it.’
Then, she would fill a quarter with grains or starchy vegetables like brown rice, pasta, sweet potato or cous cous (around 200 calories) and fill the last quarter with lean protein (around 150 calories).
‘I also incorporated healthy fats by cooking with olive oil, adding nuts/avocado, and using peanut butter,’ Brittney said.
By doing this, within just weeks, the 26-year-old said she saw a difference in her body composition:
‘I started feeling better almost instantly but I would say I started seeing physical progress around week 5-6!’ Brittney explained.
Brittney follows the ‘plate method’ with food, whereby she makes sure every meal has the correct amount of food in the right amounts (pictured)
What were the five simple things Brittney did to see results?
The 26-year-old (pictured) shared the five things that helped her to get results
1. She stopped re-starting: Brittney said she had tried BBG numerous times before she committed, getting as far as week two before she ‘messed up’ and skipped a workout and had to start again the following Monday. ‘I learned that if you eat an unhealthy meal, that doesn’t mean the entire day or entire weekend has to be a binge session, just drink your water and make the next meal a healthy one,’ she said.
2. She started saying no: The second thing Brittney said she did was she started saying no to things like work lunches, ‘fried food Fridays’ and snacks with co-workers. ‘In my line of work almost every meeting is catered, conferences have breakfast and lunch provided, training sessions have snacks and then there are all of the random days where coworkers bring in food,’ Brittney said. By saying no, she was able to take charge of her health.
3. She was more active at the weekends: While Brittney got her workouts done during the week, she said that doesn’t mean you still have to sit completely still and binge watch Netflix at the weekends. ‘Instead of lazing around on the weekends I started getting up early, making a healthy breakfast (after coffee, of course) and then running errands or anything I needed to do that day,’ she said. It has helped to make a huge difference to her waistline.
4. She ate more: While it was difficult, Brittney said once she realised that eating less will not get you results faster, she was flying. She realised she could actually eat more when she was eating healthily, and so she didn’t need to worry about going hungry.
5. She did her research: Finally, the 26-year-old said you’re far more likely to be successful with healthy eating when you understand why you’re doing it. ‘f you don’t know how many calories you should be eating for your activity level/goals, start by looking up Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE),’ she said. You should also not cut out entire food groups, just because you’ve heard it somewhere. Do your due diligence.
Source: Brittney Rae
She also coupled this new approach to diet with regular and consistent workouts from Kayla’s guide, which included a leg day, a back and chest day, an arms day, a bum day and a full-body workout every Friday (pictured working out)
Brittney said while she felt differently instantly, it wasn’t until five or six weeks later that she started to see results (pictured before and after)
She also coupled this new approach to diet with regular and consistent workouts from Kayla’s guide, which included a leg day, a back and chest day, an arms day, a bum day and a full-body workout every Friday.
The weekends were dedicated to remaining active, but also rest, recovery and LISS (low intensity steady state) – like walking.
‘I remember thinking I wasn’t making any progress when I looked in the mirror, which is why it’s so important to take progress pictures,’ Brittney said.
‘I started to look at the pictures and could see the difference in my body. I also paid attention to the progress I made with the circuits.
‘The first time I could do a jump lunge without taking a break was HUGE for me.’
What does a typical workout look like for Brittney?
LEGS
Brittney shared a typical leg workout day (pictured before and after)
* 10 minute warm-up: stairclimber (alternating between kickbacks, side steps, and skipping steps)
* Squats
* Goblet squats
* Walking lunges
* Step-ups
* Split squats (rear foot elevated)
* Reverse lunges
* Curtsy lunges
15 reps x 4 sets.
Source: Brittney Rae
When it comes to staying fit and healthy in quarantine, Brittney said it’s all about making realistic goals you’ll be able to stick to for a prolonged period of time (pictured before and after)
When it comes to staying fit and healthy in quarantine, Brittney said it’s all about making realistic goals you’ll be able to stick to for a prolonged period of time.
Brittney’s include making sure she gets 10,000 steps daily, getting strong enough to do 100 crunches and 100 squats, 20 minutes of exercise per day and plenty of healthy snacks and lots of vegetables.
‘My advice to others would be to try and do something active every day,’ Brittney said.
‘Even if it’s just a 10-minute walk or a workout challenge in your living room.
‘Small goals is how I’ve been keeping myself motivated through all of this!’
If you want to find out more about Brittney Rae or follow her online, please visit her website here. You can also follow her on Instagram here.