May 15, 2022 was one of the happiest days of my life, marrying my wife in front of close friends and family in Todos Santos, Mexico. The lead up to the event was filled with myriad spreadsheets and zoom calls planning a destination wedding at the tail end of COVID. My “prep” also included an incredibly regimented diet and exercise plan that had me looking and feeling my best on the big day. The custom tailoring I purchased for the weekend’s looks fit me like a glove, and the photos from the day capture the joy and happiness I felt having reached my health and wellness goals for that watershed moment in my life.
Wedded bliss followed us back home to Los Angeles, as did my multiple times a week sessions with a personal trainer. But my disciplined eating habits had started to regress. Looking back, I didn’t perceive my diet to be particularly bad (I’ve always been conscientious of my weight and maintained a consistent wellness routine). But we were living the “good life”: hosting friends and family in our new home while also enjoying all of the great food and drink Los Angeles’ food scene has to offer.
My ‘aha moment’ realizing I needed to make some changes came in early January. My in-laws were in town and I surprised them with tickets to the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, which demands a black-tie dress code for all attendees. I reached for the tux from the wedding and just 18 months later, it was comically too small to put on. I was embarrassed, and felt suddenly totally out of control. How could this have happened so quickly? Why was I no longer able to ‘eat clean’ and self regulate back to my ideal healthy weight? I knew I needed to take action and wanted some help to get there.
Enter Alta Coaching: a bespoke, hands-on approach to nutrition and wellness coaching led by Co-founders Andrew Hayes and Kat Best. I’m not going to bury the lead here. I’m five months into my work with Alta and I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds back to my wedding weight. I look and feel great, but my journey back down has not been a quick fix; instead it’s been a consistent rhythm of disciplined work under the guidance of my coach Kat and the customized plan she built for me. Along the way she’s taught me so much about nutrition best practices that I will take with me the rest of my life for a sustainable path to maintaining the results I’ve achieved under her tutelage. Let’s dig into some of the details of her approach below.
We like
- Bespoke program tailored to your body type and goals
- Real time feedback and chat available via the Alta app
- Plethora off Alta approved resources, guides, including things like how to think about Alcohol consumption + go-to snack recommendations for traveling + Personalized feedback and encouragement every step of the way on your journey to your goals
We don't like
- Coaching doesn’t replace the work – Alta will provide the blueprint but you need to show up and execute the plan consistently over time.
- Coaching can be expensive, but I’ve found it to be a very worthwhile investment when I couldn’t stay consistent with free, self-serve resources and strategies
The Essential Guide to Macronutrients: Fuel Your Body Like a Pro
The foundational pillars of Kat and Andrew’s approach to holistic wellness and nutrition are a personalized approach to macronutrients. These nutritional powerhouses—protein, carbohydrates, and fats—are the foundation of your diet and the fuel your body needs to perform at its peak. While I had come across a few friends who tracked macros over the years, it was never something I put into action myself. I had experimented with fads like ‘Low Carb’ and knew maintaining consistent intake of clean proteins was important, but seeing a tailored Macros program built for my unique needs and goals was a complete gamechanger.
Kat’s bespoke formula for me was 2300 calories, with macro goals of 200g Protein, 173g Carbs, and 89g of Fats. There’s also a strong emphasis placed on Fiber intake, with a goal of 35g of Fiber daily. These targets are unique to me, including my height, body type, and goals, and shouldn’t be taken as gospel for your own personal journey. What I immediately loved about this framework was that Alta did not demand I say ‘no’ to anything.
I developed an analogy that has stuck with me working the plan the last 5 months – I think about my daily intake the way you might balance a household budget. I have 2300 calories, or ‘dollars’ to spend each day. How I go about my spending is within my control, and if I plan and budget accordingly, I can truly make room for most everything I could desire. If we were planning for a fun taco night at home one night, I could budget a healthy amount of my fats, proteins, and carbs for the tortillas, steak, and guacamole that evening, while balancing the budget with cleaner choices throughout the day ahead of dinner. If we were planning on going out to dinner with friends and I wanted to enjoy a Negroni, I could plan for that and still make progress on my goals.
Even though nutrition was the focus, this is a holistic program across several other pillars. That means stress, sleep, and of course exercise are all part of the coaching they offer. When it comes to improving health, considering the bigger picture is often overlooked. It's almost impossible to see fitness results if you're not also eating right. It's really hard to sleep well if you're stressed. I was relieved to hear Kat insist on me eating carbs throughout my journey; they were critical to help fuel my consistent workout routine. And the fitness component is also completely custom to each person, focusing on likes/dislikes, level of equipment available, and busy schedule. Your dedicated coach is there to help you navigate travel, injuries, and other changes as often as needed.
Do You Really Need a Dedicated Coach?
Could you plug your details into Chat GPT and get a recommended Macros guide? Sure. But in my experience that's hardly even half the battle. I credit a lot of my success to the ongoing dialogue Kat and I have had these last 5 months to stay committed to the journey. There have been countless times throughout this process that I’ve struggled. Kat has been there every step of the way to reassure me we were making progress even when it felt at times I was taking steps backwards.
The personalized attention and support Kat has delivered has been key to my success. From the small minutiae like answering questions about which protein powder or tortilla brand she recommends, to her words of encouragement helping me stay positive when I lost some momentum during a 2 week trip to Japan about halfway through my journey, Kat was always a message way via the Alta app to provide a boost. And if I had a few days in a row where things looked like I was veering from the plan, she would proactively encourage me to get back on track and to make the healthy choices necessary. I needed that accountability and was grateful for Kat being there to provide it. While personalized coaching may not be necessary for everyone, I can’t imagine going through the last 5 months without Kat by my proverbial side. It’s worth the additional investment + then some, in my personal opinion, to get the dedicated support, accountability, and customized gameplan a coach brings to the table.
Sustainable Results + a Confident Path Ahead
Coming up on the six month mark, I’m incredibly pleased with the results workin with Kat and the Alta Coaching team. I started my journey with Kat weighing right around 217 pounds, the heaviest weight I’d been in my life. 5 months later, I weighed in at 200.8 pounds this week! While I’m still marching down the chart to my stated goal of 195 pounds, I’m thrilled with the results so far. In a world filled with quick fixes and the proliferation of GLP-1 options like Ozempic, I’m particularly proud to have made this progress sustainably completely via my own willpower.
Perhaps more important than the stats on the scale is the education I’ve gotten along the way. I’ve learned how important balanced meals, rich with protein, carbs, fats, and fiber are to sustainable results. I now have tools I can deploy to stay on track while I’m traveling, and how to get right back into the groove if I stray for a few days at a time. I’ve felt so supported building towards a way of life that encourages empowered decision making, including creating space for the special treats and celebratory moments that make living life so enjoyable. It’s allows me to stay focused on the plan without feeling overly restricted from the foods I love. I’m excited to eventually hit my goal weight and work with Kat on a maintenance mode plan that truly does allow me to live this lifestyle for the long haul. Thank you, Kat and team for everything! I’m truly very grateful and stand firmly behind my recommendation to work with a personal nutrition coach like those offered at Alta Coaching!
