Andrew Snavely – January’s Lifestyle Member of the Month

Andy Snavely is our Lifestyle Member of the Month for January 2019! When we told Andy that we’d picked him he was completely shocked. It just goes to show that hard work does not always go unnoticed. Andy may still be working towards his weight loss goals, but the consistency of his tracking and day-to-day maintenance of other important lifestyle habits has been truly impressive! Thanks to our amazing coaching platform we’re able to tracks things like whether you’re +/- 5g of your macronutrient goals, frequency of completing check-ins, daily assignments and more!

In the first 2 months of working with Own Your Eating, Andy dropped 10 lbs. In the 9 months now that he’s been a member of our Lifestyle Coaching program, he’s dropped a total of 27 lbs. all whilst adjusting to life with a new baby and managing his job as a busy paramedic. Read on to find out more about Andy’s experience.

How long have you been working with Own Your Eating?

I started with OYE on May, 28, 2018

What made you decide to give flexible eating a try? (give your back-story a little, who you are, what you do, family, any diets you’ve tried)

I’ve always been a big, and non-athletic, person.  Working as a paramedic, on night shift for most of my career, led to a lifestyle of poor sleep, minimal physical activity, and horrible food choices.  I’ve had periods of success with weight loss over the years with exercise (mostly running at the time) and diets like the 21 Day Fix, but nothing stayed consistent for very long. About 3 years ago I transitioned to a desk job and my weight really shot up.  I started doing Crossfit in the Summer of 2016 and saw some great athletic results but nothing really on the scale since I was still eating like crap. There were some short-term losses during Paleo and other “nutrition challenges” but nothing really stuck.

Then I heard Jason on the Crossfit podcast talking about OYE and I was intrigued but didn’t immediately jump on board.  It was only after my daughter was born in May 2019 that I decided to get serious and ask for some help. I started with the Basic Membership and learning the program on my own and had some good initial results. After a month or two I upgraded to the Essential Lifestyle Membership so I could get the accountability and support I needed from a coach checking in with me every week. Best decision I made!

What was the hardest part when you started out and how did you overcome that?

Starting with just the Basic membership I had to do a lot of self-teaching so there was definitely a learning curve. I remember that the concept of weighing and measuring all of my food and playing with all of these numbers seemed so daunting but it only took a few days to get the hang of it. The other big challenge was that it took me a while to learn that if I truly wanted to be successful I had to take time to plan ahead. Once I got into the habit of planning my day, things got really easy.

What is one thing you’re most proud of?

In addition to just being consistent, my overall habits with food have improved tremendously.  In the past it would be nothing for me to eat massive amounts of food, especially in social situations like parties, buffets, etc.  My impulse control around food has completely changed and I really think about things before I put them on the plate and that has allowed me to stay consistent on days when I can’t plan my meals ahead of time.

What, in your opinion, has kept you consistent all this time?

They say that “failing to plan is planning to fail” and that couldn’t be more true. Planning my entire day of food ahead of time and taking the time to think ahead really helps to eliminate those impulsive food choices.  That and the accountability of working with a coach (shout out to Keirstein!!). Having a supportive third party looking over things and offering recommendations and challenges on a regular basis is a huge help.

What do you do for fitness?

I’ve been doing Crossfit regularly for about 2 1/2 years and generally get to the gym 3-4 times per week.  In addition I really enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and backpacking in the warm months and skiing in the winter.

What’s your stretch goal?

Actual goal setting is something that I have never been very good at but the success that I’ve had, both in the kitchen and in the gym, has opened my eyes to something that I’m very passionate about and I really would like to do more in the health and fitness space.  I’m working on the OYE Nutrition Certification and I can’t wait to finish that up and hopefully start helping some people out. I also want to get my Crossfit Level 1 cert in 2019.

Anything crazy on your bucket list? (bungee jumping, sky diving?)

I’m pretty adventurous and I’ll try almost anything once. One long term goal of mine has been to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.  I have a few hundred miles done but a ton more to go!

What is your favorite food and why?

Meat and chocolate, separately of course!

What is your least favorite food and why?

Salad.  No matter how much I try I just can’t get excited about a bowl of rabbit food.

What has been your biggest surprise about working with Own Your Eating?

Flexible Eating is so darn easy. Really, once you get used to it it’s really quite simple and very sustainable. Eat mostly whole foods in the right quantities and don’t stress about the rest. The support and community offered by OYE specifically is superb, from Facebook groups, webinars, coaching chats, etc. you can really immerse yourself to whatever level you need to in order to be successful.

Would you recommend Own Your Eating to others and if so, why?

Of course I would, for all the reasons mentioned above and tons more.  The program is simple, sustainable, and effective.  What else needs to be said?

Congrats again to Andy for continuing to work hard at improving his nutrition habits and being this month’s Member of the Month! Maintaining commitment and motivation when you’re on a diet is downright tough, but flexible eating makes it easy. This isn’t another diet, it truly is a lifestyle that anyone can take on! If you’re looking for sustainable weight loss or trying to make improvements to your body composition we can help you achieve that without the normal restrictions you get on diets! Check out the options in our Shop or contact us for more information.