In the last couple of years, my body has changed drastically. I’ve always been small and petite my whole life but after I started working out consistently and made some changes to my lifestyle, I could feel myself getting leaner and toner. This is probably the most confident I’ve felt about my body in years – that’s why I’m going to share a few things that work for me and contributed largely to my ‘getting fit’ journey.
Note: I’m not a nutritionist or fitness expert, these things just work for me!
1. Cardio is a MUST
25 minutes. 4 times a week. You pick the form. Gym, workout class, HIIT, Pelaton, whatever.
As someone who used to despise cardio, I began classes like Barry’s and Orange Theory to keep up with it and immediately noticed the difference in my body. Cardio fat burn is 100% necessary for you to get toned. Even if you’re having a lazy day, walk on the treadmill at 12 elevation and 3.5 speed for 25 minutes and it’ll make a world’s difference. You HAVE to be consistent week over week. My current cadence is 2.5 miles, 4x a week.
2. Find Carb Alternatives
Carb balance tortillas. Cauliflower crust. Chickpea pasta. Quinoa. Brown rice noodles.
I love carbs. I’m not saying cut out carbs or lose the joy in eating, but find alternatives whenever you can. Something I can’t give up is my sourdough avocado toast, but what I do instead is replace all the other carbs I’m eating in a day with healthier versions. I like to double up on the veggies and salad and keep carbs to the minimum if I can.
3. Drink Meal Replacement Shakes
Massive protein smoothies are my go-to some days.
Barry’s has a ton of smoothies that act as a meal replacement because they’re packed with nutrients, fruits, protein, etc. When I do an evening class, once or twice a week I’ll have a meal replacement shake and call that my dinner. They are SUPER filling and honestly leave me less bloated the next day. It’s not sustainable to always drink them but if you’ve had a heavy lunch, I highly recommend trying this out.
Here’s the link to my favorite Barry’s smoothie recipe.
4. Substitute Your Sauces
Sugar free ketchup. Fat free ranch. Zero calorie syrup.
I’m a sauce-obsessed human-being until I saw how much sugar and calories were in so many of the sauces I use in my day to day. I looked for alternatives and was able to find so many that taste almost identical to the original. Again, I’m not a nutritionist so I don’t know what other chemicals or substitutes are in them, all I know is it’s less sugar in my daily diet.
5. Try Dairy-Free Items
Oat milk. Almond milk. Dairy-free cheese. Dairy-free butter.
I could never be vegan, I love pasta and pizza too much BUT I have tried to go dairy-free wherever I can. Easy dairy-free alternatives you can make are Earth Balance’s butter (I love it!), Plant-Based Shredded Mozzarella, Vegan Cheese Slices, and any other dairy-free milk substitute. This small dietary change also helped decrease bloating.
6. Quit Alcohol Sunday – Thursday
The one drink at dinner. The weekday wine. It all adds up.
I get it, obligations come up – work dinners, friend dinners, someone’s in town etc. But whenever you can have self-control, try. I genuinely try to stick to Diet Coke when I’m at dinner during the weekdays because the calories add up. In the grand scheme of things, that one drink won’t get you buzzed or anything, so what’s the point?
7. Take Supplements
Every person’s body is super different but I’m someone who gets bloated really easily. Because of this, I’ve tried a few supplements here and there to help reduce bloating in the morning and after meals.
