The Body Coach App: Cycle 1 Check In

Cycle 1 of the Beginners level on the Body Coach app has been smashed! I am going to be the first to admit I was not 100% on plan. Birthdays, weekends and just general stresses made me give into a few temptations; however, compared with all other diets I have done, I got right back on track after an off-plan meal or snack. I would say I have been about 80% on plan, and with enjoying the food given in the plan, I really feel this is a sustainable lifestyle.

Results So Far

My waffling about how I went off plan is not what you are here to read now is it? You want the figures, how I did, what weight I lost, etc. Well, one of the main things of this plan is to not focus so much on your weight, but look at other NSVs (non-scale victories). Despite this, weight loss has been a happy side effect of the plan.

Here are my stats from 28 days of 80% on plan:

Starting measurements versus end of Cycle 1 measurements

That is a total loss of 14 inches over 28 days. I am impressed with this result. On top of this, there are a whole other list of NSVs that I am super happy with. I have so much more energy, I am sleeping better and I am finding myself being more productive.

What I Like About The Plan

There are so many positive aspects about the plan, and this is one of the key factors in helping me stay focussed.

• No calculating calories or macros: This is all done for you and recipe amounts change as you lose weight on each check in.
• Easy planning: It is such a quick, easy planner that you add to in the app, and you can export your shopping list. It really has cut down the amount of time I spend planning meals and shopping.
• Variety of workouts: There is a set of five workouts for each cycle, which can get repetitive, but there is an entire library of varied workouts, plus lives that also get added to this.
• An incentive to continue: Each time you check in (once every 28 days, or longer if you wish), you get another load of recipes added to your library.
• Supportive Facebook group: It is great to see inspiration of what others have achieved, questions that you may not think to ask, and lots of hacks for recipes that may not work as well as you expect.

What Could Improve

While there is a lot I love about the app, the Android version is not as far as advanced as the Apple one. I understand it is harder to develop for Android and we will be getting further functionality as the year goes on, but here is what I think is missing:

• A favourite function: To make it easier to find the recipes you love as the library gets bigger.
• A search function: You may have some ingredient you would like to use up and find recipes that include it.
• Workout badges: I know the Apple app has this, and while gamification and gaining badges is not the main goal of the app, it is such a good incentive.
• The ability to see next menu just before you check in: I ended up carrying on with Cycle 1 recipes and style of eating for a week because of how I plan and use online food delivery. I know I could just plan that Sunday and quickly nip to a shop, but I don’t want to!

Moving Onto Cycle 2

Now I have another four weeks on the plan, this time on Cycle 2. Will give an update once I have spent a bit of time and maybe I will be brave enough to share photos!