The Body Confidence Program – halfway update

Woohoo! I’ve completed 4 weeks of The Body Confidence Program!

It’s actually gone really quickly and so far (I have another 4 weeks to go) it’s been a very positive experience.

The Body Confidence Program is all about living a healthier and more confident lifestyle. The aim of the 8-week program is to help you kick-start your way to achieving this while giving you more body confidence.

Ru-tee Block, a former Adidas model, designed The Body Confidence Program and leads you through the 8 weeks. She has combined her knowledge being in the health and fitness industry for 25 years with her experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach together with years of study of the human body. She’s spent the last few years perfecting her program.

What initially attracted me to the program was the guarantee of losing 2 jean sizes. As I recently confided, over the last year my weight has steadily increased. Stress has made me turn to food and this comfort eating has not only piled on the kilos but has left me feeling lethargic and not good about myself, which has made me stressed and the cycle continued. I knew I had to do something, but needed an extra external push.

Ru-Tee’s program gives you weekly menus to follow (the recipes are very easy and also usually quick to prepare) which change so you don’t get bored, there’s a weekly support call and a closed Facebook group where you can share how you’re going with others doing the program. There are also regularly updated articles, tips and exercises to keep you motivated while understanding the change you’re making to your lifestyle.

Of course, changing your lifestyle isn’t a walk in the park. It’s common to be very grumpy and irritable the first week as you go without carbs, gluten, dairy, sugar and caffeine. The first few weeks have reminded me of the Dukan diet – loads of protein with some vegetables and very little fruit. It’s a good way to start reducing your body fat but it can also leave your body craving the not so healthy food we often fill it with! The second morning of the program I woke up with a massive headache that felt like the worst hangover I’d had in a long time; thankfully that was the worst I felt for the first week.

I missed sugar the most during the first few weeks. Surprisingly, being a coffee snob, I can live without it. The only other thing I struggled with (and continue to) is having a protein-heavy breakfast.

I never feel able to eat anything but a light breakfast, so not only having to eat bacon and eggs or spinach frittata but also having to cook them first thing has been a struggle!

The biggest positive for me is being able to have one cheat day a week. Yes, once a week you can eat whatever you want! It’s perfect if you’re going out or have a special occasion and it seems like most people doing the program make the absolute most of their cheat day, especially during the first weeks!

I really like having all my meals planned out for the week. I know what I need to buy and usually the extra cooked protein from a dinner will be made into something else very quickly for the next day’s lunch. Each week more recipes are added so you have more variety. I’ve enjoyed most of the recipes – they’re tasty, definitely not boring and fill you up. There are also many family-friendly recipes so you don’t need to cook different meals for other family members. I’ll definitely keep using many of them in the future.

BUT the biggest positive of the program for me is that it works. Losing 2 jean sizes over the 8 weeks is equivalent to losing a total of 16 inches from your body. After 4 weeks my body has already reduced by 17.5 inches! I’m getting back into my old slimmer clothes and feeling so much more confident about myself. It’s gotten easier every week and I can’t wait to see how good I feel in another 4 weeks!

Disclosure: I’m very lucky to be doing The Body Confidence Program for free in exchange for documenting my progress. My opinions are honest and my own.