Top Health and Fitness Questions, Answered!

Health and fitness have always been a huge part of my life. Over the years my health and fitness journey has changed, but my goals have always been the same; do what feels right for me.

I am happy to say I'm at a place now where I eat intuitively, do workouts at home that make me sweat, and feel good, and still ensure I'm saving time for fun.

So often I have followers popping into my DM's asking health and fitness questions. It got me thinking, a blog would be the best way to ask these burning health and fitness questions! Without further ado, below are some of my burning questions, answered!

Do you track your macros? Or eat intuitively?

I definitely don't track anything. After I had Brock and breastfeeding wasn't "melting" the weight off as I had thought, there I was. I had 15 pounds of weight to lose and I had never really had to think about what I ate before then. I needed to find a way to monitor my food intake but also knew I wasn't the type that would do well with a "diet." The change needed to come from me. Every time I ate it had to make me "feel good," which usually meant my meals were packed with veggies and lean proteins. No counting calories, I just started to pay attention to the experience, feelings, and sensations around eating.

This is where I began to foster a healthier, long-standing relationship with food. Self-regulating my food intake became my norm and works for my personality, someone who hates to be "told" what to eat and when to eat it. Eating intuitively allowed me to enjoy more flexibility and freedom while staying on track. By adapting these self-regulatory eating skills, not only did it help me reach my weight loss goals, it boosted my confidence and fitness motivation all at the same time.

Any supplements you take or fitness?

I don't take any supplements but I'm not opposed to them, I just don't know much about them. The closest thing to taking supplements are my protein meal replacement shakes I make throughout the week. I've used Shakeology (chocolate flavor, almond milk, banana, ice, and spinach) and Vital Proteins Collagen Protein (almond milk, half banana, frozen mango, peanut butter powder, ice, and spinach.

What are your three favorite workouts?

I love any kind of workout, I just love to move. But if I were to pick my top 3 workouts they would have to be:

1. Yoga sculpt. I got hooked over 10 years ago and still love the concept. Yoga Sculpt is a beautiful mix between strength and the mindfulness of yoga. The class, no matter how many times I've taken it is always challenging which I love. It's packed with yoga flows and postures, blasts of cardio, and weights to sculpt every muscle in your body. For years I took heated sculpt (96 degrees) which added another degree of difficulty. The class is intense, burns tons of calories, builds endurance, it's high energy and a huge stress reliever.

2. Pilates + barre. I grew up dancing so naturally, I loved the popularity of barre when it came out over ten years ago. Since then I've really gravitated to this style because pilates focuses so much on strengthening your core (which helps with everything) and the movements are generally easier on my joints while still sculpting long, lean lines.

3. HIIT. Shorter workouts (usually 30-minutes) with bursts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) have been so effective for me during the quarantine. They're fast, efficient and you don't always need equipment which makes them ideal for home workouts. Although I prefer to incorporate props into my HIIT workouts to maximize my time and build muscle using resistance bands & free weights.

• 

• 

What is the heaviest weight you use? Even with strength training.

With all home workouts, I've definitely had to adjust my style a bit. Pre-covid I had worked myself up in weight a lot. Now, I have to use what I have at home and it always depends on what body part I'm working on. I usually start at 5-8 pounds for shoulder workouts and triceps. I will always go up for biceps, back, and chest I use my 12 pounds free weights. I will usually try to start with my 12's for most workouts (legs included) because that is the heaviest free weight I own.

I did some weight training with a trainer mid-covid and couldn't believe how hard it was for me. 2020 has been less training and more sculpting long, lean lines. I'm not saying I don't miss it, because I really do. I look forward to picking up a day of heavyweight training at some point this year.

Do you ever deal with food guilt?

Of course. From time to time I let loose and indulge. I wish I didn't enjoy burgers and pizza but I do! However, because I'm so "good" most of the time with my eating, I allow myself to eat for pleasure occasionally. And on those days I usually mentally prepare myself for it so I don’t feel as guilty. Plus, I’ll make sure to work my ass off (literally) following a day like that to balance things out. Sometimes I can’t help but feel guilty but my history has shown that indulging every once is ok and I can still stay on track. Everything in moderation!

Do you restrict anything?

I try not to restrict anything (I don't do well with rules) but I definitely limit my carbs, particularly bread and pasta. It's so much easier for me to maintain my weight when those foods aren't present. I also have to be very mindful with my snacks and desserts too, as those can also get me into trouble. I still love my wine, but when I drink I try and choose a better option like sparkling or red wine that has less sugar but I'm not always perfect.

Health hacks?

No matter what food options are available to you, you CAN always eat mindfully. No bun, sub egg whites, dressing on the side, no cheese. These small adjustments make a HUGE difference overall. Try (if you can) to eat slower. I still struggle with this one but remember hunger isn't an emergency. You’re absolutely going to feel hungry sometimes and that’s okay. Stop eating when you're 80 percent full. You don't get an award for cleaning your plate.

What motivates you to workout? Especially from home.

I've worked out more in the last year than ever. As a mom, working out from home is SO much easier than pre-covid but that's all I knew. The days of finding someone to watch my kids, signing up for a class, getting ready for it, driving there, finding parking, getting my "spot" etc. Home workouts are ten times more efficient AND have just become part of my routine. I'm working out more but for less time, and that is super motivating. It's too easy to find even 15-minutes to move from home every single day. Plus I'm always in a better mood and have more energy for my day after.