Meet Stay Fit Mom Ninja, Tiffany. Before Tiffany started with Stay Fit Mom she was averaging less than 1400 calories a day. For the past 25 weeks Tiffany has been in a diet reverse, which means every week we’ve increased her calories overtime. Today, she’s eating over 1950 calories a day and has lost 15 pounds. Let’s hear more of her story!

Tell us a little bit about your story. Work? Married? Kids? What does a typical day in your life look like?

Tiffany: My name is Tiffany and I’m a 40 year old Florida Girl who resides in sunny Orlando. I live on the lake with my husband Patrick of 20 years and our 2 year old boxer, Forge. We have a son, Zach, who is 19 and in his second year of college at USF in Tampa which happens to be my own alma mater. Go Bulls! Our son is close enough to come home on the weekends so I like to say my husband and I have had a nice transition into becoming empty nesters because of it. Despite the easier transition, it’s still been an adjustment for us to say the least. The last two years have been filled with me trying to figure out my own identity, my relationship with my husband without our main focus on our son, and what I/we want life to look moving forward. It’s been a lot to say the least but our common goal of macro counting has helped immensely!
My degree is in elementary education and I taught elementary and middle school up until our son went to high school. At that time I was fortunate enough to stay home and pursue blogging where I created a life style blog called Lake Life State of Mind sharing simple recipes, seasonal content, and our life on the lake. I’m currently working towards revamping my website and my mission now that my life has completely changed since last posting. The blog is a work in progress but I’m excited to get back on the horse and to sharing ideas again. 
My typical day changes often mainly because my husband’s work schedule is a little chaotic and I like to do my best to accommodate his schedule so we can spend the time he does have off together. We are both currently counting macros (he joined DadBod in November 2022) so we make sure to get in a workout together at least 5 days a week as well as prep/plan our meals daily. The rest of my day consists of typical chores and errand running. I am very active and do my best each day to hit 10,000 steps each day. Daily dog walks with the pup help me tremendously with that goal!

What made you decide to sign up for SFM macro coaching and how long did you follow along before taking the plunge?

Tiffany: I wanted to be in the best shape of my life for my 40th birthday. My girlfriend and I did a joint birthday bash in Vegas (we turned 40 within two days of each other!) and I desperately wanted to be at “my best” for our trip. I started looking into macro counting at the beginning of 2022 in hopes of doing a cut to be ready for our Vegas trip. I even went as far as getting a customized macro count done for myself in January of 2022 but never did anything with it. The concept of it all was just so overwhelming for me and I was completely lost. My 40th birthday came and went and I didn’t do a single thing with macro counting or my numbers. 
The typical me who tends to fall into that all or nothing mentality kind of threw in the towel in regards to macro counting. I hadn’t done what I initially set out to do which was to be in the best shape of my life at my 40th birthday so I didn’t see the point in even pursuing the idea. It wasn’t until I came across SFM on TikTok towards the end of the summer that I decided I could still do this. I adjusted my goal from being in the best shape of my life on my 40th birthday to making my first year into my 40’s the best year ever instead. It was then that I joined SFM in August of 2022 and began 1:1 coaching with Heather Todd (I knew I needed the accountability) on September 1st, 2022.

We know that you were a little nervous to eat more in the beginning as Coach Heather put you through a diet reverse, how did you overcome that fear? 

Tiffany: I was basically nervous about anything related to macro counting when I initially started with SFM and one on one coaching with Heather. The concept of eating more and losing weight sounded amazing but I was still a little skeptical about it since I’d only ever lost weight by cutting my calories significantly and working out like a cardio beast. 
Overcoming my fear was a joint effort between myself and Heather in the beginning. I truly leaned on her knowledge and her own success with macro counting to help me relax and trust the process. I asked a million questions of her in the beginning and really couldn’t have done it without her support!
I will also say, I found a lot of comfort in seeing other women within the SFM Facebook group sharing their experiences. All the videos and stories of women who have gone through the process and been successful with it gave me peace of mind as I was pushing down so much food on a daily basis. I truly thought I would burst for a few week there in the beginning of the process with everything I was eating! 

How did the diet reverse process surprise you? 

Tiffany: I’m now 7 months into the process and went from eating 1,300 calories a day to just shy of 2,000. I have lost 15 pounds and too many inches to count during the process. How is this even possible for someone who is a whopping 5 feet tall and has a genetically petite frame to be eating this much and losing weight!? As far as carbs are concerned, I’m actually only eating 5 grams less than my husband at the moment and he’s over 6 feet tall. It’s just flabbergasting!
The biggest surprise for me, however, is just the fact that I am 7 months into reversing up to maintenance (haven’t hit it yet but close!) and just when I think I’m there my metabolism thanks me for giving it more food and requests even more! Here I am still slowly shedding weight and eating more. My body is just continously showing me that it’s loving every minute of it. It’s pretty freeing to know I will never have to suffer at eating 1,300 calories again a day in my life now that I’ve worked my way up to where I am. I can’t thank Heather enough for guiding me to where I am now!

What would you say to women that are hesitant to eat more?

Tiffany: Trust the process! It will take some time to adjust in the beginning but if you’re consistent and stick with it, you will definitely see the results. Like anything new, there are going to be growing pains and struggles in the beginning but if you try your best and eat the food it will get easier with time. You’ve got this! Surround yourself with supportive people and others who have gone through the process so you can reach out or ask questions when you’re having a rough time. If you can afford it, invest in yourself and do the 1:1 coaching. It’s a life changer!

How do you make macro counting work with your everyday life?

Tiffany: I’ve actually found macro counting to be the easiest program I’ve ever used for weight loss to integrate into my daily life. If I want a treat, I log a treat for the day. If I know I’m going out for dinner, I do my best to log my food ahead of time and work the rest of the day around it. I honestly haven’t felt deprived once throughout these seven months because I know I can eat whatever I want in moderation while still sticking to my macros. It’s given me so much food freedom to enjoy life and still stick with my goals.
Things I do to make sure I hit my numbers daily: 

• I make a weekly meal plan using macro-friendly recipes from SFM and a few other places so I know what is for dinner every night that way I can pre log my days. Leftovers work for lunches the next day and I stock easy items high in protein for breakfast and snacks. 
• I keep high protein options readily available in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
• I always pre log my day. It’s hard in the beginning to play around with the numbers and hit what you need but it becomes second nature over time once you know what macros make up different foods. 

How has your macro journey impacted other areas of your life besides just needing a new wardrobe?

Tiffany: I can officially say I am in the best shape of my life since starting macro counting. My energy levels have skyrocketed, I’m able to push harder than I ever have in my workouts, and my confidence has grown so much. I’m healthy and happy and I love ever second of it!

What keeps you continuing with coaching over and over again with Coach Heather?

Tiffany: Heather is absolutely amazing and I can’t say enough about her and what’s she has done for me throughout this entire process. Knowing that I have her support and expertise to fall back on, I have been able to push myself into some scary unknown territory I might not ever have gone to. Just knowing she’s there to have my back has helped me move forward and onward these past seven months to a place I never dreamed I could get to! I also love that she’s helped me get to the leanest place I’ve ever been in my life but is ready to help support me towards big muscle gains and new PR’s in the gym. Whatever my goal, she’s there to cheer me on and guide me in the right direction. Heather absolutely ROCKS!

What Coach Heather has to say about working with Tiffany:

Tiffany has been amazing to work with!  She has put her trust in me and the process of reversing since starting with SFM.  Tiffany has diligently tracked and used her tracker to aid her in being successful.  She has such a positive attitude and is ready for anything I throw her way! Her consistency and dedication to her health has helped her make incredible progress. I can’t wait to see what her future holds!

Starting Stats:

• Calories: 1313
• Protein: 71g
• Carbs: 138g
• Fats: 53g
• Body Weight Multiplier (BWM): 10.9
• Weight: 120.2

Current Stats:

• Calories: 1975
• Protein: 130g
• Carbs: 216g
• Fats: 66g
• Body Weight Multiplier (BWM): 18.8
• Weight: 105.2