2020 Reflection

I’m just going to say it: 2019 was the best year of my life. I had no idea back in May 2018 that the health journey I was about to embark on would lead me to such happiness. I developed a strong mind, body, and soul connection in 2019 that led me to truly fall in love with myself. The journey taught me a lot. I learned that “health” isn’t measured by a number on the scale, the amount of calories you burn, or what you eat; health is your overall well-being. Of course I had my down moments (who doesn’t??), but I truly felt like I was on cloud nine throughout 2019. It’s been a little over a year since I hit my health goal on April 18th, 2019. In this spirit, I felt inclined to write a post detailing the following year because I’ve had plenty of lessons since.

I hit my BMI goal on April 18th, 2019. It was amazing, but a little scary at the same time. I began to think, “What now…? What should my new goal be?” Eventually, I decided to focus on fitness. I wanted to run longer and faster, so I continued with that goal through the Summer of 2019. At the beginning of the school year (Fall 2019), I knew I needed to add toning workouts to my routine. I researched workout programs I could do to tone my body, and I decided to try Pure Barre OnDemand (now known as “Pure Bare Go” ) because 1) it would allow me to workout any time in my own home; 2) it focused on long, lean muscle build; 3) it seemed fun :). I struggled with Pure Barre at first, but I eventually got the hang of it and really enjoyed it!

The challenge with this workout change was that it became difficult for me to shift my focus from high cardio to strength/toning. The results from Pure Barre didn’t show the same or as quick as the results from running did, so I started getting discouraged. I felt like I was putting in a lot of work and not getting results. This wasn’t true, of course, because I was getting stronger with each class, but the “steady” feeling was hard to get used to after a year of feeling like I was always advancing (and quickly!)

Going into the Spring semester, I wanted to experiment with a combination of high cardio workouts and strength training to motivate myself again. I didn’t have the time during the school year to run and do Pure Barre, so I experimented with alternating them and having a corresponding diet for each workout. I would do Pure Barre on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, and I would eat a protein-based diet on these days. I would run two miles (with the intent of running faster each time) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and I would eat more carbs on these days. I tried to stay in a low-calorie range each day; it was the content of the calories that varied based on the workout. I was just starting to get into a steady grove when…. COVID hit.

Here’s another moment of truth: COVID was hard on me. I’m a person who thrives off of structure and routine; I firmly believe I was able to achieve my health goals because of this character trait. COVID threw everything off balance and left me with no real routine. I didn’t struggle too much with working out, but I did struggle with eating the right foods and portions for my body. This caused my mind/body connection to be thrown off, and I found myself starting to go into a funk. My “COVID funk” went like this: I would spend hours comparing myself to people on social media; I would then fixate on all the “wrongs” of my body; then, I’d tear myself apart in self-negativity. Then repeat the cycle the next day.

I knew I had to do something different to get out of this funk, so I went back to what I know works best for me— setting a goal. I made my fitness goal to run a 10K this summer without stopping. It gave me something to work towards and a reason to eat right to fuel my body for my workouts. With all the down time COVID gave me, I decided to start researching nutrition. Nutrition always seemed overwhelming with so many different opinions being thrown around, so I was excited to have the time to spend actually researching, testing, and learning healthier diet options. To train for my 10K, I started running two miles straight on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and I did Pure Barre on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. I gradually increased the mileage as the summer went on. I’m now proud to say I completed my 10K on July 24th, 2020 with a time of 1:06:49!

I felt so accomplished and proud of myself the moment I finished my 10K. It made me reflect on all the times I stood in the mirror tearing myself apart and all the hours I wasted comparing my body to others on social media. After all that negativity and wasted time, look at what I just did for myself! I trained hard; I was dedicated; I was determined; and I’m the one who crossed that finish line! Why do I give anything but love and positivity to a body that has done so much for me? My body is a reflection of my mind and soul, which are both strong and deserve to be cherished, cared for, and respected. I had finally gained back my mind/body connection, and I attribute this re-connection to my diet changes and my determination to make time for myself to workout.

If you’re in a funk from COVID, it’s never too late to set your goals and start working towards them! Your body deserves to be loved, and you deserve to wake up every morning feeling energized and happy. I’m still in the process of deciding what my next goal will be, and I’m excited for that journey to begin! When it comes to your health, I firmly believe that goals related to fitness are the ones that yield the best results. Instead of goals centered around fitting into clothes or hitting an exact number on the scale, I encourage you to make a fitness goal to work towards. Everything else will follow! While I figure out my next goal, I want to share some information that helped me achieve my goals this summer (nutrition facts, what I ate, and my workout routine.)

7 Nutrition Pro-Tips I’ve Learned This Year

*NOTE: It’s important to understand that everyone’s body is different. These are the main nutrition takeaways that I learned and showed results for me, but your body might be different!*

  1. Breakfast is important to start your day strong. The first thing you eat in the day often determines how your nutrition choices will go from there. For example, if the first thing you eat includes a lot of sugar, you’ll probably crave sugar again and again throughout the day, and you’ll probably feel less motivated to workout. If you start off with healthy fruits, veggies, etc., you’ll be well nourished and feel a boost of energy to work towards your goals!
  2. A protein-filled breakfast is the best way to begin the day. Protein will keep you fuller longer and help maintain your energy longer than a high-carb breakfast. Click here for some ideas or try my green protein smoothie!
  3. A healthy mind/body connection starts with your gut. I know… sounds weird, but it’s true. If you have a clean, healthy gut you will be more energized to workout better and more motivated to eat better. The key to a healthy gut is eating foods and/or supplements that are filled with enzymes and probiotics. Click here to see some great brands I’ve found!
  4. Yes, weight gain/maintenance/loss are all related to calorie intake, but the breakdown of your calories creates the results you want and yields a strong mind/body connection. The biggest takeaway I have learned is that you should always strive to find the food option with the lowest sugar content and the highest amount of protein. If you don’t have an option that is low sugar AND high protein, then you should take the option that’s lowest in sugar. Sugar blocks the healthy flow in your gut, weighs you down, and prevents your workout from being the best it can be. Limiting sugar and adding protein will also keep you fuller for longer and prevent you from binge eating or getting off track in your goals.
  5. You should have BCAA and/or protein if you’re working out. Lots of people think there’s a prime “window” to have a protein shake, but many research studies show that the time of consumption is not what improves your body. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry about having BCAA or protein ready-to-go after a workout; just make sure you include them in your diet to maximize all your hard work! Click here for some options/more information!
  6. Protein won’t make you “fat.” This isn’t something I’ve learned this summer, but it’s something I feel I have to add to this list. I’ve heard lots of people afraid to go to a high-protein diet or add more protein to their diet because it’ll “make them gain weight.” This isn’t 100% true. Protein is meant to build muscle, which will tone your body, better shape your figure, and show your results faster. Protein also helps you stay fuller for longer AND it aids/supports a healthy gut. So, why would anyone be afraid of something that will ultimately help you achieve your goals? Again (I say this all the time), the number on the scale shouldn’t be your primary focus— your health should be! Click here to read about some great protein options!
  7. Check to make sure the protein you’re using is low in sugar. Lots of people think they need to buy the most expensive protein (more money = better quality mentality), but the best protein is the kind that has fewer than 5g of sugar and more (or at least) 25g of protein. (I use Pure Protein)

Everything I Eat In A Day

*IMPORTANT NOTE: It took me over two years to develop healthy habits that favor these foods over others. I detail how I developed these habits in my post “How I Did It.” I strongly encourage anyone who’s just beginning their health journey to read that post and follow their own healthy substitutions/ meal plans like I did when I began. If you jump into a diet too quickly, it’s likely to burn out just as fast. Successful lifestyle changes are the ones that start small, slowly and without intense pressure to see instant results. Start small and build up!

*ANOTHER NOTE: This is truly just a list of the most common items I eat; I don’t follow this every single day. Some days I eat more; some days I eat less. It just depends!*

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
    • Greek Yogurt with Granola (lately I’ve been swapping the granola for a crumbled-up Snack Bar!) ; Overnight Oats
    • I enjoy getting my sweet tooth fix around lunch time, so I try to add chocolate or sugary aspects to my lunch to satisfy my cravings. I supplemented protein snack bars when I started training for the 10K, but I always ate a Clif bar until then!
  • Snacks
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
    • Yasso Bars (S/O to the Cookie Dough and Fudge Brownie flavors) ; Halo Top Pops (S/O to the Cookie Dough flavor) ; Strawberries with Homemade Whipped Cream ; Frozen Purple Grapes ; Watermelon
    • I have the biggest sweet tooth, and I particularly love ice cream. Yasso and Halo Top help keep me on track. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Halo Top’s ice cream because it tastes kinda “icey” to me, but their pop’s are honestly amazing and super low in calories. Yasso tastes like actual ice cream and I cannot recommend them enough!! I read that models like to freeze their grapes to help with their sweet tooth; I tried it and I’m OBSESSED!! I cannot recommend it enough!

My Fitness Routine:

While training for my 10K, I tried to stick to a strict eating/workout routine because the two are completely intertwined.

For eating: I would eat breakfast, lunch and dinner (items listed above) but not snack on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays would be a “half cheat day” where I would have a snack during the day and an açaí bowl for dinner. Saturdays were cheat days where I could eat any dinner I wanted and have any dessert of my choice (it was almost always Ben & Jerry’s.) Sundays I would include a small snack during the day and a healthy dessert option.

For working out: I started the summer by running two miles straight every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I would do Pure Barre on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I started gradually adding miles up. When I did a week of running five miles straight on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, I changed the routine to a combination of running and barre to build-up my strength. I would run four miles and do Barre for 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I would run three miles and do Barre for 45 minutes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. I would drink 1-2 16oz’s of BCAA supplements during/after a workout to help recover my muscles. This is the workout routine I’m currently on, and I plan to increase mileage moving forward this summer.

I hope this post is helpful in whatever way you need it to be. I want to be the person to help others achieve their health goals. If you need someone to encourage you, please reach out! If you want more information, more diet options, more workout ideas, etc. please let me know! Health is achievable when we put our minds to it and work together to lift each other up!

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Special thanks to mon amour, Emily, for proof reading this post for me 🙂 Merci beaucoup ❤

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