Sofia's journey so far
Fitness & Thinking Fridays checks in on a recent client result
The rain wasn’t heavy in the south of Thailand that morning but my stomach was – I’d just come back from the gym and pork congee and dumplings up the road from my standing desk. I was based for the week in a former cinema turned capsule hostel by the river in Krabi and Sofia was calling from Brazil – she had at least another four months of South America to navigate living out of a backpack and wanted to talk to me specifically about her fitness goals…
I joked earlier in the week that I’m still having to explain to people that when I was travelling I wasn’t just on holiday – don’t get me wrong, some afternoons I really did do nothing from a pool or a beach or a sky-high bar – but I still ran a business.
And from my day to day social media (@coachjackmann) Sofia could see I knew what it was like to work and workout on the road.
There’s never a perfect time to start; heck, there’s often never a perfect time to do the thing you keep putting off. Sofia came to me wanting the results she’s seen from my fat loss clients but with the same caveats I had as I lost 11kgs while backpacking: she would be moving between gyms most weeks and countries most months, consequently she wouldn’t always have access to kitchen scales or a gym or a safe place to get her steps in.
What she did have though was a strong will to succeed, the open-mindedness to try something new (and then a lot of new things), and a coach in her corner – even when that corner changed countries.
What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation at the end of her first coaching block. This go round, I was in North Yorkshire and had just packed a bag for Barcelona; Sofia was calling from an Airbnb in La Paz, with Patagonia on the horizon.
Jack: We've just had our last catch-up of the first block. How do you feel about your results from week one to week 12?
Sofia: I'm very happy. I mean, to be honest, I think they exceeded my expectations for sure. There was a time, maybe around week four or five, where I wasn’t sure I could make it. But at some point – probably around week six or seven – everything changed. I'm really happy with the results so far. I think we pretty much reached the goal we’d set, and I’m really happy to continue working with you.
J: I’m excited for block two too. When you say something changed, something clicked, what do you think that was?
S: I think I was too obsessed with the number on the scale. I wasn’t listening to my body or noticing the other changes that were happening – not just physically, but mentally too. Then I had to travel for three or four days, couldn’t track anything, and I realised I could keep doing what I was doing – moving, eating well – and still see results. That really clicked for me: the change is happening within me, regardless of the scale.
J: That’s so powerful.
S: I also had a bit of an emotional breakdown and sent you a message asking for help. And you told me, “just trust the process. Don’t obsess over the scales”. And it was true. The results came.
J: I remember that moment! – it’s always tough when things feel like they’re not working. But when you started enjoying the process more, everything shifted. You’ve moved across four countries during this block, lived out of Airbnbs, and still made progress.
S: Yes – when I accepted that I couldn’t control everything, and that I could still follow the plan, things changed. It became about sustainability. Not just how I looked, but how I felt. I was happier, more energetic, and proud of myself for doing something hard, no matter the circumstances.
J: I love that. And you said something beautiful earlier – about redefining what "hard" means.
S: Exactly. Sometimes just going to the gym feels overwhelming. But now, I let myself lower the weights, do a little less cardio – but I still go. I still try. That’s progress too. The past me would’ve felt guilty. Now I know that sometimes 80% is the best you can do – and that’s more than okay!
J: Absolutely. Intensity matters more than perfection. Doing something is nearly always better than doing nothing. What are you least looking forward to in the next block?
S: Increasing my cardio! I know it’s coming, but it's a struggle. It feels tiring and I don’t enjoy it right now – podcasts and playlists don’t distract me the way they used to. But I’m still doing it.
J: You’ve done incredibly well, and I haven’t increased your cardio nearly as much as you expected, right?
S: Yes! Every week I expected you to tell me to add more running, and it didn’t happen. I’m so grateful for that. I’ve been surprised by how little cardio it took to get here.
J: And you’re eating more too! That’s been one of the biggest shifts I’ve noticed.
S: Yes! That’s probably the greatest thing that’s happened. I come from years of restrictive eating and self-made diets. I used to think I had to eat at my BMR, and even then I was hungry and scared to eat more. I used to feel guilty if I took a bite of my boyfriend’s sandwich. Now I eat more, I’m seeing progress, and I don’t feel guilty anymore — which is terrible for him! (laughs)
J: You’ve taken the guilt and shame away from food. That’s life-changing.
S: Yes, completely.
J: So if you could go back and give advice to yourself before we started – or to someone thinking about online coaching – what would you say?
S: I’d say: do it. Especially if you need flexibility. I was worried about moving around, not always having access to gyms, or being able to track food. But online coaching worked better than I could’ve hoped. I was skeptical at first – worried I’d do exercises wrong without someone there. But you’ve always been there to give feedback, answer questions quickly, and adjust things to my situation.
S: If someone’s in a similar situation – travelling, juggling a lot – and they want to see progress while staying flexible, you're the perfect coach.
J: Thank you. Anything we didn’t bring up or touch on?
S: I think we covered everything – and I hate interviews! So let’s end it here haha
Some progress is measurable in photos and numbers. Some of it isn’t. What Sofia shows is that long-term change isn’t about being perfect – it’s about showing up, even when – and maybe because – you’re tired, travelling, or struggling. Bit by bit, she’s sustainably and enjoyably redefining what effort and hard work look like when “perfect” conditions are nowhere to be found.
It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been worthwhile – contentment comes after the work, never before it. Are you read to find yours?
What resonated with you most from Sofia’s recount of her first 12 weeks with me? How have you managed life on the road? Let me know @coachjackmann
Much love and I’ll see yas in the next one
Jack x