Royal Results Update: How Stacy Broke Her Plateau in 12 Weeks

Stacy broke her plateau in 12 weeks by swapping daily gym sessions that were going nowhere for a custom meal plan, real strength training and my 12 week online program. She did it while raising kids, studying part time, working 60 plus hours a week as a director, and eight months out from knee surgery.

In her words: “Zavier gave me a practical method to follow, to lose weight. I cut the fads, followed his directions, and the weight just came off.”

This is the follow-up to my first post about her, Royal Results: How a Busy Mom Lost 40 Pounds in 12 Weeks.

What was Stacy’s life like when she started?

Busy is an understatement.

• Full-time mom
• Part-time student
• Full-time director, working 60 plus hours a week
• An active social life
• Knee surgery eight months before she started with me

If you have ever said you are too busy to get in shape, Stacy had every one of those reasons and then some.

Why wasn’t going to the gym every day working?

She told me:

“I had hit a wall. I was waking up day after day, going to the gym early, trying to get in shape, but the weight wasn’t moving. I thought I’d see progress if I could just get to the gym every day.”

She was consistent. She was not lazy. The problem was direction. Lots of cardio and light weights, the stuff you see everywhere, and at best she was losing water weight and gaining it back.

Effort without a plan stalls. Showing up matters, but what you do once you are there and what you eat afterward matter more.

What plan did Stacy follow?

Three parts:

• A meal plan built for her schedule and her goals
• A simple supplement routine
• My 12 week online training program, built around strength work

What did she eat?

Her plan was built on simple foods:

• Lean protein: salmon, chicken, ground turkey
• Fats: avocado and some coconut oil
• Carbs: green vegetables and brown rice

Nothing fancy. Protein at every meal, plenty of vegetables, and carbs she could control. The plan worked because she could follow it on a 60 hour week.

What supplements did she use?

Protein powder, CLA, BCAAs, a multivitamin and a powdered greens product. Looking back, protein powder was the one that did real work, because it helped her hit her protein target on busy days. If I built her plan today, I would focus on food and protein first and treat the rest as optional.

How did she train?

I had her lift. Real strength training with progressive weights, not endless cardio. A lot of women avoid weights when they want to lose weight because they are afraid of getting bulky. That does not happen by accident. What happens is you hold on to muscle while the fat comes off, and you look firmer, not bigger. More in should women lift weights if they don’t want to get bulky.

She also used a Polar FT60 heart rate monitor to track her cardio intensity and calorie burn. That model is old now. Any chest strap or watch that reads heart rate does the same job. Read benefits of using a heart rate monitor if you are curious.

What did Stacy get out of it?

The headline from my first post about her was 40 pounds down in 12 weeks. Equally important, she learned how to keep it going. She understood why the plan worked, so she was not dependent on me to tell her what to eat every day.

What can you take from Stacy’s story?

Is going to the gym every day enough?

No. If the scale has not moved in a month, more of the same will not fix it. Change what you do in the gym and what you eat.

Do you need a long list of supplements?

No. Protein powder can help you hit your numbers. Food and training do the real work.

Can you lose weight after knee surgery?

Stacy did, eight months out. Talk to your surgeon or physical therapist about what is safe for you, then build the plan around it.

Can I get a plan like Stacy’s?

Take the XPL quiz, see coaching options and pricing, or read more client results on the testimonials page. I post training tips on Instagram and YouTube.

Names and identifying details changed for client privacy. These results are not typical for everyone. How much you lose and how fast depends on your starting point, health, schedule and consistency.

Written by Zavier King, personal trainer in Houston and founder of XPL. ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Nutrition Coach. More about me.