A Healthier Lifestyle: #ProjectComeBack

When I was younger, the most I ever weighed was 125 lbs., post-puberty and while exercising every day during cheer practice. So, when I gained 25 more pounds throughout my high school years, I was shocked when it all ended and I was looking in the mirror. I managed to get back down to 130 lbs. every now and then during my good seasons, but even then, I had lost all my strength.

Now, I’m finishing week two of the fitness e-book I impulsively bought, but I can already see some results. Call me crazy, but I’m dead serious. Let me tell you a little about my experience so far.

Sarah’s Day is the YouTuber who created this eight-week fitness guide and who I’ve been religiously following for two years. Her channel focuses on healthy living and trading bad habits for good ones, while still listening to your body and indulging in a positive way. It’s all about not depriving yourself from the things you love, but instead finding alternatives and fun ways to incorporate exercise and healthy food into your day so you don’t feel pressured or get discouraged from all the restrictions of a diet.

The first day was brutal. Mondays revolve around cardio and are labeled as “Sweaty Shredders”. But let me tell you, these are no joke. You complete seven exercises, six rounds each, as hard as you can.

Wednesdays are labeled as “Toning Powers”, where you focus on sculpting your body and developing a toned physique. Each workout targets a different muscle group, so one day you can be focusing on legs, another day on arms, and so on and so forth. Four exercises make up this day, and you complete them each four times.

Fridays are “Challenges”, and Saturdays are “Activities”. During the challenge days, you usually complete a workout that’s equally if not more intense than the ones during the week, but in a shorter amount of time. Last week was a “10-minute Ab-Blaster”, and this week is a “Street Style” workout.

For the activity days, I have a suggested workout I can follow, or the choice to go for walk around the block with my dog. Or bike around downtown. Or take a dip at the local pool. Or use it as a rest day. This is where the “listen to your body” part of Sarah’s mantra comes into place. If I feel energetic enough after a long week at school, work, and the gym, I can totally bust out an activity. If not, then I can lay in bed while I read a book and not feel guilty.

What also really motivated me to commit to this plan, was that none of the workouts require equipment. There are no excuses, because you use your own body weight to develop your strength. Plus, I can do these in my room, or at the park, or in a more traditional venue, like the gym.

Training with a friend is also recommendable. I’ve done almost every workout with my best friend, Summer, and we push each other to do more and do better after each round. Seeing someone else struggle yet achieve their goals at the same time as you is encouraging and inspiring.

Along with changing my exercising habits, from zero times a week at the gym to three times per week plus my choice of any activity on Saturdays, I knew that adjusting my eating habits was going to be a big part of my health journey.

El Paso has been busting out new healthy restaurants left and right. Even old-timers are spicing up their menus to fit into the new “healthy-living” trend. Because of this, finding nutritious meals to replace my usual Chipotle order has been easier than expected.

Just the other day, I tried a poke bowl for the first time. Poke is a traditional Hawaiian meal consisting of a base, a protein, various healthy toppings, and a choice of sauce. The protein is usually raw fish but, since I’m not a fan of slimy textures or cold food, I opted for the steak. Which is what’s great about Poke³, the new poke restaurant down on Sunbowl and Mesa. They offer alternatives to fish, which in turn reaches a broader clientele, aka me.

I have also consciously made an effort to really look at my menu if eating out at other restaurants, to see what’ll arrive on my plate, and have at least three colors in my meals at home while practicing portion control. It’s taken my stomach a little bit of time to shrink back to its normal size, considering I could eat as much as my dad at one point. But any and all progress is still appreciated.

With that in mind, I urge you to stay tuned for my next #ProjectComeBack blog where I outline more of my fitness journey and see if I feel any different than I do now and talk more about the obstacles I’ve encountered.