Weight Loss Story Update

Here I am at the Juneau Marathon in 2018 and the Revel Kulia Marathon in 2020

As many of you know I’ve been working with a nutrition coach through a company called MetPro.co for the past 18 months. They offer a concierge nutrition coaching program that helps you dial in your specific nutritional needs and reach your body composition goals.

During the first nine months of working with my Metpro coach I was able to lose 30 pounds of fat. Even better I noticed increased energy, better recovery, and an improvement in my running. I wrote about it here.

Now that I’ve been eating and “MetPro way” for 18 months I want to give you an update on my journey . . .

My Weight Loss Story Update

At the finish line of the Revel Kulia Marathon in January of 2020

Changing to a Performance Goal
During the fall 2019 racing season I shifted from a fat loss nutrition goal to improving my performance. And it paid off big time. I was able to set a marathon PR at the 2019 Hartford Marathon with a time of 3:29:32 and another marathon PR in January at the 2020 Revel Kulia Marathon in Hawaii. It was very exciting to be able to finish my 50th state marathon with a time of 3:19:55 and get 1st in my age group.

After twelve years of running marathons and at the age of 41 I’m so thankful to still be making improvements. I credit this in large part to being able to work with Coach Natalie at MetPro over an extended period of time.

Switching to a “performance” goal meant that I wouldn’t necessarily see the numbers on the scale continue to drop. It’s important when you are training for marathon to up adjust the amount of carbs you eat to make sure you have the energy you need for training.

How Long Can I Eat This Way?

Many people wonder if the MetPro way of eating is sustainable. After eating this way for eighteen months I can honestly say yes. It’s not a fad diet. It’s a healthy and sustainable way to eat indefinitely.

It’s not a “grit your teeth and endure” eating plan (those don’t turn out well in the long run). We all know that willpower will only get us so far.

The MetPro plan includes balanced macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) divided into three daily meals and 1-2 snacks. This is specifically designed to support your body composition goals (like fat loss, performance, muscle building, etc).

To give you an idea of what I eat this is what I consumed yesterday. . .

  • Athletic Greens
  • Oatmeal with chia seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped walnuts and almonds, and mixed berries
  • Egg white omelet with goat cheese and ham, sautéed Brussel sprouts, and an orange
  • Banana with almond butter
  • Burrito bowl (lean ground beef, black beans, brown rice, sautéed peppers, lettuce, salsa, and guac)
  • 2 squares of 90% dark chocolate as a treat

And since we all go “off plan” occasionally MetPro provides great structure and accountability to get back on plan. The MetPro coaches recognize that any eating plan has to fit into your life and take into account things like races, celebrations, and much more.

More Energy

One of the best results of being on the MetPro eating plan is having more energy. I didn’t previously realize how my sporadic meals and imbalanced macros were affecting the quality of my life. I was unwittingly not refueling well after workouts and this dropped my energy and caused rebound eating later on (like massive sugar cravings).

But when you’re making quality food choices and feeding your body regularly it does amazing things for the metabolism. Having structure and consistency in your eating habits works together to give you more energy for running and life in general.

I’m now running more and training harder than ever. On May 25th I decided to challenge myself by running a 5k on the treadmill every hour for 10 hours. The best part was recovering very quickly afterward.

On Memorial Day I decided to run ten 5ks on the treadmill totaling 31 miles for the day

As I’ve gotten closer to my goal weight it’s been important to focus on non-scale victories. The scale can be helpful but it’s only one metric. The scale doesn’t give the full picture of what’s going on in your body.

My weight can fluctuate anywhere from 5-8 pounds over the course of a month in response to my menstrual cycle, the amount of carbs and sodium I’m eating (they both cause the body to retain water), and post-workout inflammation to name a few variables.

That’s why it’s more important to focus on body composition and not just the number on the scale. I’m actually around 5 pounds heavier right now than I was back in the fall. But I also have more lean muscle mass at this weight due to consistent strength training and a dialed in eating plan. And being lean and strong is more important to me than achieving an arbitrary number on the scale.

I encourage people who are on their weight loss journey to focus on non-scale victories as you seek to become a healthier version of yourself. Some examples could include: steadier energy throughout the day, seeing your waist size decrease, faster running times, fitting into a smaller clothing size, less joint pain, more restful sleep, muscle definition, better recovery, fewer sugar cravings, and being thankful for your today body.

I’m grateful to MetPro and my amazing Coach Natalie Mason for the help they’ve given me over the last 18 months as I’ve been able to make my fitness goals a reality!

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Visit metpro.co/redeem to receive a complimentary consultation with a Metabolic Expert and $500 off their concierge coaching service! During this one on one consultation they’ll speak with you about your current habits, goals, lifestyle routine, and then discuss actionable steps you can take toward achieving your goals.

12 Responses to Weight Loss Story Update

  1. Mo Mittelstaedt June 6, 2020 at 11:46 am #

    Wow!! That is great. You look happy.

  2. Angela Torgerson June 7, 2020 at 12:39 am #

    Killing it girl!! Keep motivating people and crusading your goals!

    • Angie Spencer June 8, 2020 at 7:29 am #

      Thank you 🙂

      • Karen kowalski June 10, 2020 at 3:50 am #

        Angie,
        I’d be interested in knowing your fasting insulin. Do you follow it?

        • Angie Spencer June 11, 2020 at 7:13 am #

          I do follow my fasting blood sugar occasionally since I have a glucometer at home. My last reading a couple weeks ago was 86 mg/dl. A year and a half ago when I was 30 pounds heavier I struggled to keep it under 100 mg/dl even while eating low carb.

  3. GARY ARNOLD June 7, 2020 at 7:58 am #

    Great Update! What does not show up is any pre or post workout fuels/recovery foods. Would be interested to know whether you are consuming these in addition to the above, or whether the above constitutes your eating plan on a day you do a tempo or long-run. Thanks

    • Angie Spencer June 8, 2020 at 7:33 am #

      Great question Gary! I typically time my workouts so that I can eat directly afterward so that I’m getting plenty of protein and carbs for recovery. After an extra tough run or strength training session I might add an additional serving of protein (usually a protein shake). My long run fueling is also completely separate from what I listed above since this will be dependent on the distance. For long run fueling I typically eat 1-2 UCAN snack bars.

  4. Tina June 11, 2020 at 10:45 am #

    I have those shorts, several pairs. My favs! You guys should get Hylete to sponsor you if you haven’t already! 🙂

  5. Tina June 11, 2020 at 10:46 am #

    P.S. You look amazing in them! Well done on your weight loss and improved performance!

    • Angie Spencer June 12, 2020 at 9:55 am #

      Hey Tina, Thanks 🙂 I actually invested in Hylete a few years ago and LOVE their Nimbus tights and Iris shorts. It would be perfect if we could get them as a sponsor.

      • Tina June 17, 2020 at 6:58 am #

        That’s awesome! I’ll give their Nimbus tights a try next. I just bought a new Garmin so those may have to wait a bit. I feel like I need a second job to support my running habit. 🙂

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