If you think you’re too busy to try Macrostax, meet Heather Papoulis. When she’s not busy running her dog training business and working a full-time job at the Chamber of Commerce, the 30-year old Orlando resident can be found studying for her MBA, CrossFitting four to five times a week, caring for her pets, volunteering at a wolf sanctuary, dating, and spending time with friends—and she’s been Macrostaxing for over two years.
She tried Macrostax hoping to shed a few pounds and gain fitness. Two-and-a-half years later, Heather has not only dropped over 20 pounds, but she’s also improved her confidence, upped her athletic performance, and lost her cravings for processed foods. Most importantly, she’s developed a healthy relationship with food.
Heather’s Macrostax journey began in December 2015, with her desire to slim down and her connection with Macrostax founder Lindsey Love Jenks. Heather explains, “I trusted and respected Lindsey; I was one of the first pilot [Macrostax] clients but she was my coach and friend and I have always believed in her so I gave it a shot.”
Before trying Macrostax, Heather’s approach to nutrition was haphazard, at best. Like many women, she subscribed to the idea that restriction was the most effective means of weight loss. But until she found Macrostax, nothing Heather tried—including undereating, fasting, high mileage running, the watermelon diet, the lemonade diet, paleo, and pescatarian eating—worked for her. In hindsight, Heather realizes she wasn’t consuming enough protein and that she wasn’t hydrating properly.
Since she started Macrostaxing, Heather’s whole approach to food has changed—for the better. “I eat for nutrition 90% of the time and the times I do truly eat for pleasure, I get more enjoyment from healthy foods that make me feel good AND taste good. Processed or extremely unhealthy foods are no longer appealing to me at all.”
Though she started with an eye on the scale, she found her motivation quickly became less about weight and more about health. “It became about feeling good just as much as looking good and it put a level of accountability and control into my hands on my own health and fitness.”
And her fitness has skyrocketed as a result. Since starting the program, Heather has not only grown leaner, but she’s seen remarkable improvements in her strength and speed as well. Specifically, she found her bodyweight CrossFit movements, like push-ups, pull-ups, handstand walks, dips, and pistols, became much easier. While she’s shaved two minutes off her “Annie” time, her lifts have improved as well; Heather has PR’ed her snatch and her clean and jerk by 15 lbs and improved her deadlift by 25 lbs.
Meanwhile, she’s happy not just with what her body can do, but how she feels in her skin. How many women can honestly say they love what they see in the mirror? Heather is proud to report she loves to rock a bikini. “My confidence is next level!”
It wasn’t smooth sailing from the start though. Through trial and error, Heather learned Macrostax only works if you’re really committed to it. For the first six months, she tracked her portions inconsistently; it was only when she was consistent that she started to see progress. “If you only count when you feel like it, don’t plan ahead or don’t hit your numbers exactly it will not give you the results you want. If you dedicate yourself to the process you WILL HIT YOUR GOALS!”
Heather would encourage new Macrostaxers to acknowledge the emotional and social pressures that often drive our appetites. She says shifting her focus away from those factors and instead viewing food as fuel for performance and health, was key to her success. She says that while there may be people in your life who will say you don’t need to lose weight, particularly as you start seeing results, Heather says to remember, you’re doing this for yourself. “Drown out the noise and stay the course.” And while she says it does get easier over time, it never hurts to surround yourself with people who support you.
While Macrostaxing has caused Heather to shift her mentality around food, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy food anymore. In fact, Heather has a long list of treats that fit her macros, including coffee with unsweetened vanilla Ripple milk, honey, and MCT oil, sea salt truffle quinoa puffs, and egg white and banana pancakes with real maple syrup. And she still makes room for a craft beer, pineapple cider, or tequila shot when a special occasion arises.
While Heather has learned how much her body craves healthy foods, the importance of food as athletic fuel, and how to really savor the occasional alcoholic beverage, the most important lesson she’s learned from Macrostax has been about herself and food. Before Macrostax, “It was me versus food and now [we’re on] the same team.”
